Disclaimer: I claim no ownership to Inuyasha and other related things.


Fusillade

Tidal waves they rip right through me

Tears from eyes worn, cold and sad

Pick me up now, I need you so bad

Chapter Six: Defiant

Miroku watched in relief as Sango's eyelids fluttered open and attempted to focus on her surroundings.

"Sango?" he asked hesitantly. "Are you awake now?"

Alarmed, Sango quickly sat upright and immediately grabbed her head as a wave of dizziness passed over her. "What's going on?" she asked, her voice muffled from her hands.

Miroku helped adjust Sango's position so that she could lean against the headboard and offered her a cool, glass of water. She took a slow sip, and then leaned back, staring blankly at the glass in her hands, still clumsily bandaged.

"We were going home, remember? Someone on the street bumped into you, and you just fell. I brought you back to the school."

No sooner did he say the words did the sound of heels on linoleum signal the entrance of the school nurse, a middle-aged woman whom they never saw often, being that they had never had to report to the infirmary.

"You're a little hot," she said as she placed a hand on Sango's forehead. "Have you had anything to eat today?" Sango shook her head. The nurse handed her some pills. "They're multivitamins; I think you've been neglecting your health, young lady."

Without a response, Sango swallowed the vitamins and washed them down with water. "Can I leave now?" she requested quietly.

"If you're feeling better, then you may. It's nothing serious. Just make sure you get something to eat, okay? Three full meals."

Sango pushed back the blanket that was draped over her and hurriedly swung her legs over the side of the bed.

"Wait Sango," Miroku said as he secured an arm around her shoulders. "Why are you in such a rush? I'm taking you home, and we're going to go as slow as necessary, whether you like it or not."

She kept her head down, making no indication that she heard anything he said. He said a quick thank you to the nurse and steered Sango towards the street again, and she reluctantly let herself be led home.


Sango had been eerily silent the whole time they walked together. And no, it wasn't the comfortable, mutual quiet that sometimes rose between them, it was the kind of silence that made Miroku tense.

"I'm fine from here," Sango said shortly, before turning on her onto her good ankle and pressing the elevator call button.

"Let me just come up with you to your apartment," he answered, moving to stand next to her as the elevator doors slid open.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I can get in there fine. I've done it many times before." Her voice dripped with impatience. "And I have places...to be."

She fished her keys out of her bag and unlocked the door. When her eyes took in the state her small apartment was in, papers and garbage everywhere, and heaven forbid, shards of glass, she quickly stepped onto the other side of the door and closed it part way, standing in the small space between the door and the frame.

"Aren't you going to invite me in?" Miroku asked cheekily, trying to peer over her shoulder.

"No," Sango replied crossly. "Thank you for what you did for me today," she said in a rushed voice. "I'll see you tomorrow."

She attempted to push the door closed but Miroku wedged his arm in between. "What are you doing!" Sango groaned.

"I just don't think that was an adequate enough thank you," he replied with a shrug, and tried to squeeze the rest of his body through the small space, which was becoming increasingly difficult with Sango leaning all her weight onto the door. "Besides that, I've never seen your apartment."

He had nearly squirmed inside when Sango shoved him out and bolted the door. She leaned on it, sighing, as she listened to his exaggerated pleading with her to let him in.

Deciding that if she just left him outside begging, he would eventually get the message and go away. She was about to take out a brush and dustpan and get to work on the broken glass when she noticed the red message indicator on her phone blinking. With slight curiosity, she pressed it and bent down to sweep at the shards.

"Hi Sango, it's Karin. I just wanted to see how you were doing, and tell you that you can call me if you ever want to talk."

Sango's lips formed a bitter smile as she remembered the last time she had spoken with her. She picked up the dustpan and was poised to deposit the broken glass into the trash when the second message, short and informal, filled the silence of the room.

"Tonight at nine."

The dustpan fell from Sango's hand and clattered onto the floor as she cursed loudly and stomped her foot. That meant fighting. "Why tonight, of all nights?" she moaned as she placed a hand over her forehead. She walked over to the small refrigerator and sighed in dismay at the empty space inside. 'I should get something to eat,' she thought, and with a quick glance at the clock, gauged how much time she had. Opting just to get something on her way to the league from work, she shrugged her coat on again and tucked the green apron under her arm.

When she opened the door, Miroku fell back and was lying on the floor slightly stunned. "Were you sitting here, leaning against my door, for the last fifteen minutes or so?" asked Sango, her foot tapping irritably next to his head. He grinned up at her lopsidedly as he sat up. "I think I did," he answered.

After locking the door, Sango hauled him to his feet with a sigh. "You're not going to leave me alone, are you, until you know everything about me."

"And is that a bad thing?" Miroku said with a raised eyebrow. "It has both good and bad points," she responded, looking away. "Depends what you want to know."

"Well, what I want to know right now," he began, leaning down to her level, "is where you're going right now."

'It won't hurt him to know this,' came her comforting thoughts. 'It's just your extra job.'

"I'm going to work. I'm a cashier at the grocer," she said with a small smile.

"The one near my building," Miroku said slowly. "Are you sure?"

She nodded.

"Then, let me walk you there."


"Before I go, Sango, could I just ask you one thing?" Miroku asked, as he held both her hands loosely between his own.

"What happened to your hands?"

Caught off guard, Sango pulled her hands out of his grasp and stuffed them roughly in her pockets.

"Cooking accident," she mumbled incoherently.

"You said you haven't eaten."

"That was today. This morning I was trying to cook up some breakfast and I accidentally burned myself. Didn't have a chance to eat since," she lied through her teeth.

He looked unsure of what to say. Sango mentally willed him to accept the untruth.

He left her at the front of the automatic doors with a quick peck on the cheek and a promise to see her the next day.


As she mindlessly bagged groceries, her thoughts were jumbled as they constantly flitted from one thing to another.

Her mind seemed to keep track of the time left to go until she finished work. Hours passed, which dwindled down to minutes, until finally she signed out from duty

She had purchased some food during her first break, not wanting to eat too close to the match. Pulling her coat taut around her body, she couldn't help the feeling of slight excitement and adrenaline as she walked the familiar route towards the underground league, located in the basement of an old office building rented by the league manager and a few of his friends.

A few streetlights illuminated patches of light on the sidewalks and the familiar pungent scent of cigarette smoke burned in her nostrils as she rushed down a steep staircase and swung open the heavy, beaten, asparagus green doors.

Few acknowledged her arrival, as there was another fight currently happening. She made her way to the small, clumsily roped off area for participants, and began her ritual of stretching and taping her wrists and ankles.

The first different thing she noticed was the large white board posted high on the wall near the ring. A diagram showed names in boxes with some eliminations and advancements filled in, which led to the championship. 'Sango' was clearly marked in large red block letters, and connected to another box labelled similarly as 'Jinto.' A line connected the winner of their match to a spot as a contender in the final round. But that wasn't what drew Sango's attention the most.

Next to the winner box on the top of the chart was a large sum of money, and a heading above it read grand prize. Never before had she been this close to winning an abundance of money. This would cover it all, food, rent, school, the small debt that remained after the burials. She was forcefully reminded of everything turned upside down in her life, and was happy when the announcer declared the ongoing match finished. She'd never felt more pumped for a good fight.


The familiar catcalls erupted around her as she stood stiffly in the middle of the ring opposite her opponent, a built, older man, with large veins pulsing through his arms. The bell clanged and the showdown began.

He immediately lunged at her, catching Sango by surprise at his aggressive technique, mostly men were unsure of what to do with her since she was a female. This man obviously didn't care, as he hoisted Sango above his head by her arms and slammed her onto the ground. Pain erupted through her back as she struggled to gain the advantage.

She ignored the pain and swung her heel to his face, snapping his face to the side on impact. She dodged as his fists flew continuously in her direction, and was able to hit another direct kick to his gut.

He held his stomach for a split second before seizing Sango's arm and snapping her forward, causing her to land forcefully on her stomach. She scrambled to her feet, but was not fast enough as she felt his monstrous arms encircle her waist and lift her onto his shoulder. He stopped to show off to the crowd before Sango felt the room spin as she was again dropped onto her back.

She grit her teeth and rolled back onto her feet. He was aggressive, that much she knew. Most of her opponents were, but aggressors always had the same weakness: stupidity. But she couldn't get a good hit on him, he recovered too quickly.

Running forward, Sango planted her hands on the ground and flipped her body over, bring both feet squarely into the opponent's face. The chain fence rattled as he stumbled backwards into it, and Sango brought her feet down again, preparing for another offensive.

In a display of agility, Sango strafed forward and backhanded her target across the stomach with her right hand, and mirrored the motion with her left. She ducked and forced her elbow as deep into his left rib as possible, not wasting a second to wipe the sweat off her brow.

He crumpled, and she seized him forward into a headlock before bringing him to the ground with her, slamming him face first into the thin canvas. She smirked inwardly as she heard a muffled groan.

She moved to stand but was caught by surprise when he grabbed her freshly healed ankle and twisted it painfully with a bend of his wrist. With a wince, she lost balance and fell heavily onto her side, allowing him time to regroup.

Sango gingerly assessed the damage by pressing two fingers lightly on the side of her ankle. When pain shot straight up her leg, tears burned the backs of her eyes and she bit her lip harshly. She tried to mentally dull the pain as she adjusted the bandages, oblivious to the moves of her opponent.

By the time she looked up it was too late.

He had been facing slightly away from her while he fiddled with something on his hands. When he turned around to fully face her his expression was one of malice as he stared her down.

Instinctively, she stood, but as she did her entire leg convulsed and she stumbled dangerously, however she still kept the determined face pasted on.

He raised his fist slowly, and her eyes widened. Upon them shone the unmistakable metal of brass knuckles. She backed up slowly as he approached, and finally brought his fist down with significant force. Managing to roll out of the way, Sango heard the angry cries of the spectators. Weapons were prohibited. This warranted a disqualification.

She took a chance to glance at the personnel pushing towards the crowd towards her, but the distraction cost her. In a flash, he was holding her by the throat, and his metal-covered fist had collided with her stomach. She did not scream, or cry out, but only inhaled sharply as she felt pain explode within her. The sounds surrounding her seemed to fade out and her vision blurred and doubled.

He was punching her, again and again, with the metal wrapped around his fingers, and every time the muscles in her stomach tensed as they were beaten. It had become repeated and rhythmic, until it suddenly stopped, and he was restrained. Someone was next to her, trying to talk her into maintain consciousness, and she only vaguely felt blood coming up her throat and dripping down the corner of her lip.

"Do you want to go to the hospital Sango?" Someone was asking her, but she couldn't really make out their appearance.

"No," she answered slowly and groggily.

"Sango, this is looking serious. We can call an ambulance, you just have to make no mention of this place."

Her head pounded a little as she shook her head from side to side.

"You're absolutely sure you're okay like this?"

She tried to sit up slightly and masked the pain in her face unsuccessfully. "I'm fine. I can take care of this myself."

Forcing her vision to focus, Sango tried to stand but immediately stumbled and fell against the fence.

"I just need a crutch or something," she said through gritted teeth.


The ceiling of her bedroom swam in and out of clarity as her eyes opened. She felt somewhat cold, due to her foot hanging off the edge of the bed into a bucket of ice. Trying to sit up, her stomach muscles contracted, sending a fresh wave of pain through her body. She groaned loudly and laid back flat onto her bed. She ran her fingers slowly over the injured area and felt slightly raised skin and stinging pain even though her fingertips barely skimmed the surface of her body.

Carefully, she turned her head and was greeted with the sight of splotches of dried blood staining the fabric around her head. She touched the corners of her mouth and felt the hardened blood there, cracking as she moved her lips.

"I'm a mess," she said aloud into the empty room.

Luckily it was the weekend, and she fortunately forgot to take any extra weekend shifts, so she had a couple of days to recuperate before she had to make any public appearances.

She tried as hard as she could not to move any part of her abdomen, which really didn't work in the long run since every muscle contraction in her stomach caused great spasms of pain to shoot through her sides.

She managed a shower and a meal before deciding that if it hurt that much just to get around her apartment, then she wasn't able to work today. After putting the call through to her supervisor, she settled on lying across her bed for the rest of the day. She was not ignorant enough to now know how serious her injury was. She could barely move, she was coughing up blood, and her vision swam in and out of focus. But what could she do? Show up at the hospital with a severe injury and no explanation, along with no money? Hell, she couldn't even remember how she got home in the first place.

And so she dwelled on vain hope that she would heal on her own.

Until she heard noises at the door.

Panic rose faster than ever before as she heard his adamant calls.

"I know you're in there Sango. Open the door!"


Fusillade: Defiant - June 11th 2004

Long time no see, eh? Sorry for the long wait, but now that schools almost up (still got exams to go) I hope I'll be updating more frequently. I'm happy that reviews picked up last chapter, so here's some recognition to you.

LiL psYchO

SM together

animatedtears

kitsune-lover105

Katsume Takahashi

IceSugarHigh

Irasuto

Blade of Fire, just a note to you. I haven't been actively reviewing since I'm trying to get back on track story-wise, but your fic 'Picture Perfect' is really amazing, and I'm honoured that you like my story this much. Just wanted to make sure you know.

And last but not least, a lovely reviewer anonymously named, "update now."

Ooh, and before I get sued, song used last chapter was 'Are You Sad?' - Our Lady Peace, and 'Down' - Blink 182. Don't own either of them.

Thank you for all your support!