I disclaim ownership of InuYasha and all associated characters. Credit goes to Rumiko Takahashi, respectively.
Consider Yourself
Chapter 21
Hurt, and Almost Helpless
Bankotsu's hands had just made it to his head, and for a moment he couldn't decide whether to protect himself from further injury or to attempt to hurt the youkai who knocked him down in the first place. He opted for the latter option, but quickly realized he was unable to make his body move how he wanted it to. It felt as if every move he tried to make took several times to get right, and he knew without opening his eyes that his vision was swimming dangerously. His stomach gave an unsettling lurch, and he wasn't sure if it was a reaction to alcohol or a response to the fear he felt creeping up and down his spine.
Tetsuo looked down to watch Bankotsu try to ease himself up from the ground. Then, a wicked thought occurred to him. 'It certainly wouldn't hurt to kick him while he's down...' But before he could pull back his leg, he heard his friend's voice call from the alley behind him. As if his mind had been read, another youkai quickly emerged, sensing Tetsuo's intentions.
"He's already hurt, Tetsuo. Look at him." The left side of Bankotsu's face was already beginning to swell from the hard punch it was dealt, and judging from the force with which he fell, the back of his head would develop a bruise as well.
Still, Tetsuo did not succumb. "I don't care, Yuuta. He is my prey." Tetsuo felt Yuuta's clawed hand come to rest on his shoulder, and a low growl started in his chest as a warning.
Yuuta's voice grew stern. "Calm yourself before you do something you'll regret. He's only human." Tetsuo clenched his jaw and closed his eyes tightly. Yuuta was right; his wildly spontaneous burst of rage upon picking up Bankotsu's scent in the area wouldn't hold up in a fair argument. He released the breath he hadn't realized he was holding, and briefly looked to Yuuta.
"You mother...fuckers...are goin' to hell." Bankotsu was now well on his way to kneeling on his knees. Yuuta's grip on Tetsuo's shoulder tightened, stilling the man from attempting to do anything. They both watched Bankotsu struggle, neither helping nor hindering him in his actions. They saw his eyes, hot with pursuit, his whole face coated in anger. Once he stood straight, he slowly looked from one to the other, then directly into Tetsuo's eerily glowing eyes as best he could. "Yer gonna pay for that..." He then balled his fist, pulled his arm back, and threw a punch...which was easily evaded by both youkai who side-stepped the sloppy motion.
In that moment, Bankotsu's face went from angry, to startled, to eating pavement, and then everything in his world went black.
"...Looks like he took care of himself," Yuuta offered after a moment of silence.
"For the time being." Tetsuo stuffed his hands into his jacket pockets and willed his youki to subside, the light emitting from his eyes starting to dim. He then turned and walked off down the road, not wanting to wait around for anyone else to show up.
Yuuta looked to Bankotsu's still form and sighed heavily, taking pity on the unconscious human. Rolling his eyes, he bent to grab hold of his ankles and dragged his body onto the sidewalk so he wouldn't get run over. After dusting his hands, Yuuta quickly caught up with Tetsuo. "Now that we're done stalking that idiot, I'm hungry. Let's find some place to eat."
Tetsuo worked to remove the scowl from his face. "Sounds good to me."
A/N: This chapter was written using prompt #80 - Only Human from The Original List of Themes, by #100ThemeWriters on DeviantArt.