Act 29

Rabid Rabbit

Kogetsu stood facing this being before him. A perversion of mankind. An engineered youkai born from the forbidden art of science and youkai magic.

Just as he had been experimented on before. But to create a youkai is...beyond the laws of nature.

He stilled the beating of his heart. He was feeling nervous at the memory of the carnage that this creature had caused. Nothing like he had ever seen or witnessed. Such power. Such animosity. Like a primal predator toying with its food, swiping and batting only to kill it just for its own sadistic enjoyment.

He had stood behind the line against humans because them, as youkais, had been the target of their prejudice and hatred for as long as he can remember. So much so, that it had become unquestionable and felt only natural, driven into them like a religion.

But everything that he had believed in had all been marred. The lines had been blurred, in fact, the lines never existed to begin with. What started out as justice has morphed into something darker, revealing the underbelly of the world's true nature. Distorted beyond repair.

No, if he could undo everything that he had done, everyone he had killed in the name of duty, this is his sliver of chance to atone his honor. He wasn't going to allow Ayane to lose herself, not as long as he was still breathing.

He reached into his coat and wrapped his hand around a shorter taser rod that he had been charged to carry in his line of duty. It had a much higher voltage than the ones that the soldiers carried, so it might be able to shock her back just enough for her to gain her self back. He'd seen her come back from whatever brink of madness she had fallen into before. He was sure he can bring her back, she just needed to be shocked enough.

"Alright, now!" he told the Sanzo party.

The tall red head's crescent shaped blade flew into the air on a long swirling chain and the dark haired monocled man released a burst of bright yellow energy that charged at her. But demon Ayane had raised her hands infront of her and that electrical current that was running around on her body sizzled and surged forth out of her fingers in a bluish white flash, meeting with the previous man's chi attack. The two attacks exploded in a brilliant array of blinding flash and crackled in the air as they collided, making them all leap back. The energy attacks slowly crackled and sizzled away, leaving behind clouds of smoke and dust.

"Goku!" the monocled man shouted.

The younger teen a stood there almost transfixed. "But that's-that's Ayane.." he protested.

"Do it, Goku!" the priest snapped, keeping his gun trained on her.

"But why do have to fight like this," his voice had a little waver in it and his eyes were squeezed shut and it looked almost like tears were brimming his eyelashes. "Why does it always have to be like this!"

"Godamnit, Goku!" the blonde priest yelled.

The teen looked as if he was hesitant but it seemed the monks' words finally snapped him into gear as he ran forth and attempted a few hits, only to have them dodged.

"Stop it!" the boy was shouting at Ayane. "Why are you doing this?" he yelled at her as he swung his staff forcefully at her. She moved too quickly.

"It's no use, kid!" Kogetsu yelled over. "Words won't get to her now."

The kid managed to jam the end of his rod into her abdomen causing her to skid a few feet away but she retaliated almost instantly as she lunged for the teen.

"Goku, watch out!" the monocled man sent another beam her way but she had caught it with her eye and leapt high into the air and avoided it efficiently, and with breakneck speed, she landed a fierce sharp uppercut to the boy causing him to flip back onto the ground with a trail of blood spewing from his mouth into the air.

"Damn!" the monocled man cursed. "It can't be helped," he said as he sped towards her, she had turned and delivered a round house kick bt the man had dodged it with amazing speed and grace, he ducked and twisted then delivered an equally devastating blow into her solar plexus with his fists tha was charged with his chi attack, making her double back and stagger slightly.

As she was regaining her footing the teen boy and the monocled man lunged at her but Kogetsu noticed that she had raised her hand up at them.

Shit! he recognized that.

"WATCH Out!" he cried to them but as the dark haired man tried to react to it only, it was too late. The electrical surge bloomed out of her and charged forth, hitting them both in a blinding blue flash, sending them all flying back. Within seconds she was ontop of the monocled man, her claws raised, mouth open baring fangs. A look of pure mania on her face.

As Kogetsu regained his footing from the blast there were sudden movements next to him. "Hakkai!" Suddenly the red haired man next to him charged forwards and rammed his body hard into Ayane, sending her skidding to the side.

She glared at him with frenzied rage in her eyes as she leapt for him, bloodthirsty claws stretched out but the long haired man seemed to be somewhat frozen as he watched her charging his way. He raised his staff with the crescent blade to her but hesitation prevented him from making a move. "Ayane, snap out of it!" he was crying to her bt he still wasn't reacting to defend himself.

What the fuck was this idiot doin'?! He is going to be slashed to ribbons. Damnnit all!

"Oi, pretty boy, move your ass!" Kogetsu had sped to him and grabbed him by the back of his brown leather jacket collar and yanked him back hard. Just in time as well, as some of her claws ripped right into the the front of his white t shirt, drawing specks of blood that flew into the dusty air. Kogetsu delivered full frontal brutal hard kick with a groundshaking blow that knocked her back a good safe distance away, a little blood spurted from her lips.

Kogetsu turned back to the red head on the ground behind him, "Hesitate, and it will cost you your life," he told him sternly.

The other two men had started to get to their feet, they seemed a little dazed from shock but otherwise still able to fight, albeit a little worse for wear.

Kogetsu caught a fast side kick that she had delivered and at the same time whipped out his gun and aimed it straight at her forehead, causing her to stand still, her leg still braced by Kogetsu. He fired the gun, to the shouts from the red head behind him. He did it because he knew, she could've avoided it, hell, he'd seen her move at a speed that even demon eyes couldn't pick up. And just as he expected, she had broke free of his grip and had flipped herself up into the air gracefully like a trapeze dancer and avoided the bullet with the grace of a falling cat.

"Now, Goku!" the blonde priest, that had been a spectator in all this, cried out.

The teen boy leapt into the air as well, staff ready swung but to his shock, he had missed. As they landed they sparred each other with almost equal speed and strength, until finally one ferocious hit made contact with demon Ayane, sending her crashing into the black van behind her, almost crumpling the metal vehicle to the ground. The kid was immensely powerful for his size. In that moment the redhaired man sent his sickled chains flying towards her, binding her body so she can't move but the monocled man had ran towards him frantically.

"Gojyo! Let go!" he yelled as he knocked the other man's weapon out of his hands, just in time as the chains that connected to the staff started to almost instantly conduct and carry the electricity current back to its owner.

"That was real close, pal," Kogetsu said to him.

"I ain't yer' 'pal'," the tall man with long red hair spoke with a little grimace.

"Goku distract her!" The dark haired man with the pretty face spoke as he released another energy attack at her but Ayane had manged to deflect it with a burst of her own electricity.

Sizzle, crash, boom. Both their attacks were colliding and exploding away from each other.

"Metal and electricity don't mix," he said to the red head as he, Kogetsu, charged forth. Whilst Ayane was busy deflecting the energy attacks and the kid's swipes with his staff. She seemed to have finally been worn out a little as her movements has started to become notably slower. This was his opening.

The priest fired his gun near her feet catching her off guard, this was his chance, he moved swiftly towards the back of the van and moved in like a shadow onto her from behind, but surprisingly enough, she had sensed him coming and just as he was close enough to grab her, she swiftly turned around, baring fangs, her claws came at him, silver eyes on fire. That's impossible, his stealth attacks were unsurpassed, the very best in his field.

As reflexes kicked in, he had managed to instinctively brace the attack with his katana blade, still sheathed. He pushed her sharply back with immense force and as she raised her hand to send forth the electrical charge, Kogetsu had moved at lightning speed and in no time had his blade out of its sheath and had it aimed right on the skin of her neck.

"Do it and you lose your pretty little head...," he warned her. He saw a smirk cross her lips as they glared at each other. "Yeah," he couldn't help but sneer a little himself. "We've been here before haven't we...rabbit?" he said to her and with a quick movement with his other hand he pulled out the taser and rammed it straight into her neck. "I'm sorry, kid," he breathed raggedly as he watched her eyes widen with the sudden onslaught and cried out, her body tensing and going rigid instantly as she fell to the ground. Kogetsu tossed the taser to the ground and secured his sword back on his waist, he then whipped out a needle with a blue clear liquid inside it from the pocket of his coat. Kogetsu crouched down beside her twitching body and uncapped the needle's end with his teeth and jammed the needle straight into her neck. "It's for your own sake."

She momentarily cried out in pain before her eyes hazed and rolled as she went limp. The currents that was circulating around her body had disappeared.

The red haired man was running over to them and was now bent over her limp unconscious body, he was cradling her as well as calling to out to was noisy and was starting to irritate the already tired Kogetsu. "Will ya, relax... geez..," Kogetsu told the other man.

He heard him murmur something as he stroked her hair away from her face, almost in an affectionate...loving way.

How interesting... the rabbit had found a mate, Kogetsu thought.

"Didn't I tell ya' to quit being a hero.." the man said to the unconscious girl.

Suddenly he reached over and had yanked Kogetsu by the front of his coat, twisting the material of his uniform into a fist. Kogetsu looked bewildered as the man yelled in his face, "What the hell did ya' to her, ya' fuckin' bastard!" the man's other fist was drawn back, threatening to land a direct blow on his face.

"Gojyo, don't be an idiot!" came a snap. The priest was walking their way. "She's just unconscious, ease up."

The redhead narrowed his eyes viciously at him, he noticed that this man's hands were shaking, bt he coldnt tell wether it was from anger or exhastion or even fear. Finally the other man hesitantly started to loosen his grip. Kogetsu leered at back him and shoved the guy's hand off his coat and remained a solemn silence as he straightened his outfit back in place.

"Is she ok, Hakkai?" the teenage boy with brown hair and large golden eyes jogged over to them.

"Fortunately, yes, her major organs were spared, but she has lost a lot of blood from before," the monocled man spoke, he was now crouching beside her too, his hands were hovering over a newly healed wound on her side. He flipped her on her back gently with the help of the other taller tanned man.

Kogetsu's eyes noticed a gash on her right arm. Thogh the gash looked new it had already started to regenerate itself at an inhuman speed.

He sighed slightly. "As i thought," he said as he reached into the pocket inside the breast of his coat and pulled out a medium sized silver band. He went to reach for her but the redhaired man immediately tensed and looked at him as if he was going to stab her instead.

"Pipe down, loverboy, i'm only trying to help," he gruffly said, then he tossed him the band. "You do it then."

The man caught it and stared at it questioningly. "How the hell is this going to help her?" he snapped as he shook the metal band at him.

"Put this on her arm," he instructed. "Hurry, Romeo, before she comes to," he nodded at her as he stood up and produced a pack of his cigarette and began to light it.

With a begrudging look, the man slipped it onto her left arm where it stopped just above her elbow and immediately, her appearance slowly but surely, faded back to resemble her human self.

But what came as weird to Kogetsu was her hair had remained black, the same raven black as his own.

Suddenly he felt the cold press of a gun on the side of his head just as he lit his cigarette. "You've got a shit load of explaining to do, stranger," a voice spoke. Kogetsu paused and smirked. He took a long drag on his cigarette and blew out the smoke. "Snuck up on me, did ya'?" he scoffed with a bitter laugh.

"Don't make me ask you twice," the blonde slightly shorter priest spoke. If he wanted, he could've whipped out his own gun at him bt he wasn't looking for trouble here so instead he said, "I'll tell ya' whatever you want to know, but i think we should take some shelter for the night first."

"It looks like it's gonna rain too, we'd best hurry," the dark haired man agreed as he looked up at the dark sky. The beginnings of night had blanketed the sky and indeed it was cloudy with chance of rain.

Atleast the rain might wash away some of all this mess, Kogetsu thought. Wishing that if only it can also wash away the stains inside him that easily as well.

Athor's Note; the reason why the Sanzo Party wasn't recognized or referred to by name here is because this is from Kogetsu's point of view, and he doesn't know their names yet. So hope this solves some confusion. And Youkai means demon.