Hi, all. Finally got the new chapter done. It's longer than the rest, so be happy. Another whole review. I'm on fire here. Why won't you review? Please? I promise to get these things done faster if you just REVIEW! Anyway. To the story! (trumpets blow)
Chapter 5: The Dance and Another Battle
The band struck up a fast-paced swing hit. Tobias danced wildly around. He was a rotten dancer. Kagome watched him in bewilderment. How can a guy so light on his feet in battle be such a klutz dancing? Nevertheless, she joined in with what little dance skills she had. Inuyasha stared at the two of them for several minutes, not sure whether to grab Kagome and run or stay and try... 'dancing'. He was abruptly pulled from these thoughts as Kagome reached out and yanked him over. Now all three of them were dancing around on the stage, sort of to the beat of the music. But not really.
Why am I letting her do this? Inuyasha wondered as Kagome flung him around. She stumbled right into him, he instinctively caught her and held her. Oh yeah. Now I get it. He let go a second later, and began trying to 'dance'. After a few minutes, he really got the hang of it.
Not so for Tobias. Kagome was desperately trying not to laugh when she saw his outrageous attempts to dance to the music. He did a complete 360, tripped, and fell flat on his face. He leaped back up and resumed. "Here!" Tobias shouted. He grabbed Kagome and started to dance with her. "Let me have a turn." His prodigious strength allowed him to try complex maneuvers. He twirled Kagome through the air, he leaped over her head and landed on the other side. All this without any style at all, but he was giving it a good effort.
Inuyasha, however, seemed to think differently. When Tobias caught Kagome, Inuyasha's ears flattened down and he bared his teeth. What does he think he's doing? Dancing with Kagome! He's got some nerve, taking her from me! He stopped and realized. What am I thinking?
"Inuyasha!" yelled Tobias. He shoved Kagome back towards him. "Your turn again." Inuyasha caught Kagome awkwardly and stood there for a second. "Come on, Inuyasha!" Tobias bellowed. "Have some fun! Flip around! Jump up and down! Do a loop-the-loop!" They remained still. "Well, do SOMETHING already! I'm falling asleep here!" Tobias roared.
"K-Kagome?" Inuyasha said. "What do you want to do?"
"Well, dance! Look at everyone else. They're not embarrassed! You shouldn't be either."
"Okay..." Taking her hand, Inuyasha began to dance to the beat. He picked up fast, and was soon twisting and twirling as he and Kagome pirouetted around the stage. Once or twice, he caught himself actually laughing. He didn't do that a lot. When the song ended, Kagome was breathless with exertion and laughter, but he was barely winded, being a hanyou and all. The band started another song, this one was slow. Tobias walked up to them.
"What a wonderfully humiliating experience! I must have had everybody in the place staring at me. These slow songs aren't my style, I'm gonna get a snack at the bar. Do whatever you want." He hurried off. Kagome looked at Inuyasha.
"Inuyasha? Do you want to slow-dance?"
"What's slow-dancing?" he asked.
"I'll show you," she said, blushing slightly. She took his hand and wrapped her other arm around his back. She began to lead him in a slow circle. "Do you get it?" she whispered.
Hmm...I could get used to this. "I get it," he whispered back. He began to move with her. (A/N: I don't know any good romantic songs to make this chapter a songfic, just think of a good one playing in the background as you read.) They slowly moved to the tune of the music playing in the background, as thoughts flew through both of their minds.
"Inuyasha?" Kagome whispered.
"mm?"
"Tell me what you think about me." The question hit him like a fierce slash from a youkai. What I think about her? What can I say? If I tell her what I really think, she'll run away. "Kagome..." he began.
"Kagome, at first when I saw you, I saw Kikyo. I saw a shard detector, and nothing more. I didn't care about you, or anything." He looked down at her face and saw her lower her head in sadness. "Kagome! I'm not done." She looked back up at him. "That was before. Over the time I've known you, I've learned a lot more about you. I know you're not just a miko who could help me, I know that you're..." He trailed off.
"I'm what, Inuyasha?" she whispered.
"You're...my..."
"Hey guys, want some punch? I think somebody spiked it, but one or two cups should be fine." It was Tobias again. He had appeared at their side, carrying cups of punch with him. Inuyasha clammed up and looked away. Kagome blushed.
"What is it this time? What's with you two anyway?" Tobias tried to move in closer, but Inuyasha firmly and deliberately steered Kagome away. Tobias stood there. "What did I say?"
"Tobias again," Inuyasha almost growled. "Is he determined to always come between us or something?"
"No, I think he's just a dork sometimes," Kagome said. They both smiled at that. "Let's just enjoy the rest of the dance." Inuyasha inhaled deeply of her scent, then smiled again and resumed dancing. The song ended later. They left together and walked over to Tobias, who was snacking by the bar.
"You two done yet?" Inuyasha nodded slightly. "Good. Let's go home. It's midnight, and you especially, Kagome, you need to get some rest." She shot a glare at him.
"And why me? Am I just some weak girl?"
"No...but you looked exhausted after all that dancing. Besides...well, let's just go home." Tobias walked away and the two followed him. Inuyasha's hand edged closer to Kagome's; when they touched, she recoiled instinctively. This caused him to pull back as well, and they left, keeping their distance from each other. It was as if they were embarrassed for what had earlier happened.
All three of them walked out into the cool spring air. A faint breeze blew, whipping some discarded newspaper along with it. The harsh light of the streetlamps was outshone by the soft glow of the full moon. Tobias pulled Inuyasha aside.
"Remember that little kid that attacked me before we went in?" he muttered.
"Yeah. What about it?"
"Well, I recognized the insignia on his pistol. He's part of the 49th Street gang that lives around here."
"So?"
"So the members of that gang don't deal well with those that fail their missions. They often torture and kill them. Especially for messing up such an important job like going after me."
Inuyasha stared. "Does that mean...they..."
"Not exactly. Remember how I came in to the club a minute or so after you and Kagome did? During then, I snuck him over to a vacant alley and finished him off. Quick and painless. The best fate he could have had, considering."
Inuyasha looked at him. Killing demons was fine and dandy, but defenseless, harmless boys? Tobias seemed to hear his thoughts, and spoke up again. "One of my many qualities, good or bad, is that I have no qualms about killing. I won't go on a massacre, but if it needs to be done, I'll do it. I didn't tell Kagome because I don't think she'd like to hear it."
"Yeah...she probably wouldn't." Inuyasha was deep in thought. Just what is this guy? He'll kill people just like that. Even I'm not that bad! At least, my human side isn't. My youkai half... He shuddered involuntarily at thinking about the death and mayhem his demonic side had caused.
"Another reason I wanted to go is that more people from that gang are probably out to get me too, and I want to leave before I attract any more attention."
"It's a little late for that." Tobias turned slowly to find himself, Inuyasha, and Kagome surrounded by about thirty men in suits. The words 49th Street were clearly emblazoned on their vest pockets. Kagome squealed and clung to Inuyasha. Inuyasha was surprised, but not too scared. After all, these were just men. What could they possibly do?
Tobias looked at them all and smiled. "Evening, gentlemen. What can I do for you?"
"You could die," one of them barked. Kagome trembled. "We've been trying to get rid of you for months, Kyoten. Or should I say, Tobias." A flicker crossed Tobias's features. But an instant later, he was back to normal. "We sent a boy out to get you a while ago, but it seems he failed. When we looked for him, we found he had already been...taken care of." Kagome's eyes widened. Did he...did he kill...that boy?
"Do with me what you will, gentlemen," Tobias began. "But leave these two-" – he jerked his head in Inuyasha and Kagome's direction – "out of it. This is between you and me."
Inuyasha grumbled. "Tobias, I can fight just as well as you and you know it. I'm not gonna stand on the sidelines while you hog the glory."
Tobias gave him a long look. "Will you be prepared to kill all these men?" he whispered. "Because that's what I'm going to have to do." Inuyasha glared at him, then pulled Kagome away. The circle of men parted as they went through. Kagome hid behind a dumpster. Inuyasha stood, watching the fight.
"Well, gentlemen, are you prepared to fight? Because if you do, you realize you are facing a mighty foe indeed." He gave them all a long, hard look. "If anyone wants to leave now and be spared, they may do so. I will not follow them." Three men broke ranks and fled. The rest shouted at them.
"Fools, cowards! We will kill you when we finish with him!"
The fleeing ones shouted back over their shoulders. "You'll never survive fighting him!..." They vanished into the gloom. Tobias faced the remaining gang members.
"The wise ones leave. But I will give you one last chance." He unsheathed his sword, which glittered strangely in the lamplight. The breeze picked up and his cape fluttered in the wind. He did look very impressive. "My promise holds. Leave now and live." Two more people ran from the circle. The remaining ones started to yell again.
"Traitors! We will have you gutted!"
"My goodwill ends now," said Tobias sharply. He struck a fighting pose. The men closed the gaps in the circle, closing in on Tobias. They pulled out swords, knives, guns, various weapons. "Now you will understand why I am the most feared assassin in all the world. And you will also understand why sneaking up behind me is a very bad idea." As he said this, he flipped his sword over his shoulder and pressed the blade into the throat of a man who was about to stab him in the back. Tobias pulled down on the hilt, causing the man to rise up into the air as the tip of Tobias's blade lifted him up. But for all that, he had not drawn any blood.
"Gentlemen, you see before you a man balanced on the point of my sword. With just the lightest twitch of my blade, I could rip his head off. So you tell me. Shall he live, or shall he die?"
The rest of them looked on, stunned. The man behind Tobias had absolute terror written all over him as he tried to remain perfectly still. "Well?" Tobias asked. "No response? Very well. He shall..." He looked at Kagome, who gave him a death glare. "...live." Tobias slammed the hilt of his sword against his shoulder. The man behind him went flying through the air and landed in a heap outside the circle. He shakily stood up, took one look at Tobias, and ran as if the devil were after him.
"So, gentlemen. Shall we dance?" The men charged him with a roar. The gunmen let loose a fusillade of bullets, the swordsmen closed in menacingly. But Tobias was long gone. He leaped high into the air, slaying one man on his way up, and two more as he came crashing down. He slipped in and out of his pursuer's reach, cutting down men all the way. Tobias grabbed one swordsman and yanked him in front of him just as another man unloaded his machine gun on Tobias. His human shield took the bullets, and the gunner soon fell to Tobias's sword. Soon, all the gunmen were dead and only the sword-wielders were left. They formed another, smaller circle around Tobias.
Tobias looked around him. About fifteen swordsmen, thoroughly enraged, circled around him. None seemed willing to make the first move. A wide grin broke out on Tobias's face.
"This is excellent! This is my second major fight in as many days! I haven't had this much fun in years!" He threw his head back and laughed wildly. Inuyasha stared at him. Either this guy is insane, or...no, he's definitely insane.
They all attacked at once. Tobias swung his sword around a full circle, blocking all their attacks at once. Tobias ducked low and slashed the legs out from under one man; then barreled through the circle, slicing another as he went. He parried, dodged, lashed out with his sword as he bobbed and weaved his way through them. Tobias dove, rolled, leaped up and skewered two men on his sword. He pulled the blade out just in time to slash another approaching from behind.
Eventually, there was only one left. He stood, trembling at the sight of his fallen comrades, while Tobias didn't even have a scratch.
"Wh...what are you?" he whispered.
"I am the most powerful swordsman you will ever meet in your soon-to-be-cut-short lifetime." Tobias said assuringly. He turned away. "There's several reasons why I don't ever lose." While his back was turned, the remaining man lunged at Tobias and thrust his sword right into Tobias's back. He heard a dull clank as something very hard blocked his way. Armor. The bastard was wearing armor!
"That's one reason." In a flash, Tobias had the man balanced on the tip of his sword by his throat, like he had before. "This is another one." Kagome couldn't watch. She squeezed her eyes shut as she heard an awful ripping sound. She opened one eye slightly to see Tobias cleaning the blood off his sword. She came out hesitantly.
"Tobias?" she squeaked. "You killed...that boy?"
"Which boy?" he asked.
"The one with the gun. The one who attacked you before we went into the club," Inuyasha broke in.
"Kagome, he was part of the 49th Street gang. Let me explain what they do to people who fail. They-"
"You killed a helpless little boy!" she shrieked at him.
"KAGOME!" Tobias shouted. She quieted down. "If I hadn't killed him, this is what would have happened. He would have been tortured for ten days, had his arms and legs broken with a club, and been drawn and quartered."
"Tobias...I didn't know."
"I know you didn't know. What I did for him was the best thing I could have done. Kagome, you have to understand." He approached her. "I did that because I didn't want him to suffer. He didn't feel a thing. I'm sorry I had to do it, but there was no other way." He turned to Inuyasha. "Take her home. I'm going back to my place. I'll see you in the morning." He sheathed his sword and strode off into the dark.
Yeah, he's not all peaches and cream. And he is most definitely NOT a Gary Stu-type perfect character. Believe it or not, there actually is a plot to this story, but it'll take me awhile to get there. Just bear with me. And please review.