Inuyasha X
Chapter 3
"What would he want?"
By MEGAMANX411
Kagome was looking at Zero curiously. She smiled at him, as if she were trying to get him to warm up to the group.
"You know Zero, you and Inuyasha are actually alike!" she said with a happy grin.
"Explain," Zero muttered, with a not-so-happy grin.
Kagome perked up at the sentiment, because she felt that if she could talk to Zero, maybe they could become friends.
"Well, you both have really long hair, only Inuyasha's is white, and yours is blonde. You have really soft features, and you both wear a lot of red. Plus, you're personalities are kind of alike too!" she observed proudly.
Zero shrugged.
"Merely a coincidence," he said quietly.
Inuyasha, not wanting anything to do with Zero, threw in a snide comment.
"For once, Zero, I'm with you..." he muttered under his breath.
Zero must have heard the sentiment, because then he let out some sarcasm of his own.
"Great," he muttered.
Inuyasha wheeled himself around, and looked Zero straight in the eye.
"You know, I'm sick of your attitude!" he shouted.
Zero wasn't one to take things lying down, so he he did the same.
"I could say the same!" he shot back.
Sango positioned herself between the two.
"Break it up you two!" she said in a motherly tone. "Sheesh, I think you're merely hiding the fact that you can be friends by putting on this whole act."
Zero and Inuyasha looked at each other with contempt.
"Whatever," they sneered.
Miroku tried to lighten the mood by making a reasonable suggestion.
"We should get some sleep," he proposed. "It would be wise to be refreshed."
Shippo gave Miroku a stange look.
"Why so worried, Miroku?" he asked.
Miroku, usually the logical one, spoke his piece.
"Just think about it..." he stated. "This Sigma person managed to get one of his cronies here. If that's true, then-"
Zero interrupted him, not out of rudeness, but out of worry.
"He could bring a whole army...." he observed.
Inuyasha shrugged in response.
"Why are you so worked up over this Sigma guy?" he said boastfully. "He's probably nothing."
Zero looked at Inuyasha as if he just said the biggest lie he had ever heard.
"X and I have killed him over and over. He won't die. He keeps coming back. Not only that, but friends we hold dear, as well as the entire human race is in jeopardy as long as he's alive!" he shouted. "Does that explain anything to you?"
Inuyasha maintained his attitude.
"I could cut him down to size easily," he boasted.
Zero looked at Inuyasha with a superior smile on his face.
"You know Inuyasha," he observed, "I think I agree with Sango. You do seem to act as a different person at times. Right now, for instance."
Inuyasha got straight in Zero's face.
"What are you trying to say?!" he shouted.
Zero never backed down from a challenge before, so he did the same.
"I'm saying you're only acting tough, moron!" he shot back.
"Is that so, idiot!?" Inuyasha yelled.
Shippo was clearly not amused, like the rest of the group.
"Oh jeez," he muttered, "come on, you two."
Zero decided to end the argument with Inuyasha by going with Miroku's suggestion.
"I suppose we should just go wth Miroku's decision and rest, although I don't really need to. I'll just keep watch," he offered.
Kagome gave Zero an innocent look.
"Don't you need to sleep, Zero? I've noticed you haven't been eating either..." she observed.
"It's not really necessary," Zero replied, with a somewhat proud tone in his voice.
Sango looked at Zero with admiration.
"Wow...a warrior who doesn't need food or sleep...that's impressive Zero!" she commented.
Zero felt as though he should return the favor by returning a compliment.
"Well," he began, "for a group of humans, you have certainly impressed me as well."
"Actually," Kagome interrupted, "Inuyasha is a half demon, and Shippo is a full demon."
Zero's eyes widened a little.
"Hm, a half-breed?" he observed intelligently. "That's interesting. I assume it would be logical to think that Inuyasha is somewhat of an outcast because of that. And Shippo is a full demon? I could hardly picture such an innocent child to be a demonic creature."
Kagome looked at Zero, visibly impressed with his deduction.
"Wow..you're really smart too!" she commented.
Shippo looked at Zero, trying to look tough because he was a full demon, but it was mostly for amusement. Meanwhile, Inuyasha was fuming over the fact that Kagome was praising a total jerk (or at least in his mentality). Zero looked back at Kagome.
"Um, well, thank you," he stammered. "I guess. I don't usually receive compliments.""
Inuyasha had a smirk on his face.
"I can see why!" he mocked.
Zero looked at Inuyasha with narrowed eyes.
"In your case, maybe," he muttered.
Miroku decided to change the subject.
"So, your homeland..." he began. "Tell us more about it."
Zero actually opened up a little.
"Well," he said, "I don't really have a village like this. I live in a centralized base, or to be more precise, in Hunter Base, where we organize all of our operations. I've been with them ever since I was reformed."
Shippo interrupted, clearly interested in the last part of Zero's story.
"Reformed?" he repeated.
Zero looked down to the ground as he began to narrate his past.
"I was originally a Maverick," he observed, almost painfully. "Bloodthirsty, ruthless...I don't remember too much of it, other than one fight. It's kind of ironic, actually."
Sango's curiosity picked up.
"What happened?" she asked.
Zero looked up, but looked past the group, as if he were staring into the past.
"I remember fighting Sigma," he observed. "He used to be the leader of the Maverick Hunters. I fought him with reckless abandon. I didn't have a weapon at the time, so I just used my fists. I could barely land a punch, he merely teleported back and forth. Later in the fight, I managed to rip off his arm. That's when things went downhill for Sigma. His whole body was ravaged, and I was attempting to rip off his head. However, something stopped me. I don't know what. Something...just kind of snapped. At that point of weakness, Sigma rose up, and knocked me out with a last ditch attempt he made. A little later, I was rebuilt, and reformed, and Sigma and I practically switched places."
Sango was clearly fascinated by the story.
"Wow," she said enthusiastically. "So, how does he keep coming back? Does he reincarnate himself?" she asked.
Zero looked like he was in thought for a minute.
"Kind of," he replied finally. "Whenever we defeat Sigma, he exists as a virus. A bodiless entity which is impossible to trace. He then corrupts other reploids to build him a new body. His power and ruthlessness are only outmatched by his clever trickery."
Kagome was taken aback by the statement, clearly reminded of someone else.
"Sounds like someone else I know," she said quietly.
Inuyasha joined in her sentiment by finishing her thought.
"Naraku," he spat.
Zero heard the name Naraku, and was slightly curious.
"So, if I'm going to be working with you," he reasoned, "I may as well know something about this Naraku."
Kagome came in, with a harsh tone in her voice.
"Naraku was originally a human named Onigumo," she said almost angrily. "He gave his body to demons in order to become more powerful. Using his new demon form, he set up a trap for Inuyasha and the priestess Kikyo to betray each other, and lose the Sacred Shikon Jewel. He's constantly trying to get his hands on it."
Zero then eyed Kagome.
"You aren't from this time period at all..." he observed. "You say you got here by falling down a well?" he said while raising an eyebrow.
Kagome blushed from being a little embarrassed.
"Well...yeah," she said. "I don't really know how it happened. I came here, and the Sacred Jewel came out from my body, because I am the reincarnation of the priestess Kikyo I guess."
Miroku decided enough was enough.
"I suppose that's enough chit-chat for tonight. Let's get some sleep," he suggested.
The group fell asleep after a long night of discussion. Morning came soon enough. They left the village, and continued on their path. Just then, they saw that a whirlwind was following them. Zero looked at it with wide eyes.
"What...is that?" he asked. The whirlwind subsided, and it revealed Koga, the wolf demon.
Koga went straight to Kagome, and kissed her hand.
"Kagome!" he said happily. "Great to see you!"
Koga eyed Inuyasha.
"Hey mutt-face!" he teased.
Inuyasha wasn't in the mood for Koga's insults, so he replied with the only response he could muster.
"Shut up Koga!" he shouted.
Koga shrugged off Inuyasha's insult, then eyed Zero.
"Who's this guy?" he said with a sneer.
Kagome answered for him.
"His name is Zero," she stated proudly. "He's from the future!"
Koga seemed largely uninterested.
"Oh really?" he said, raising his eyebrows. "What kind of armor you wearing? It's too fancy. You're no fighter."
Zero shot a look at Koga.
"You wish to challenge me?" he said coldly.
Koga smiled at the challenge.
"Sure, why not?" he said arrogantly. "I could use a nice training session."
Zero looked at Koga, and then shrugged.
"I won't use my saber on you," he said in a low tone. "I don't wish to cut you in half."
Koga looked at his challenger with a smirk.
"Pretty arrogant too, eh?" he teased. "Looks like mutt-face has rubbed off on you."
Zero rolled his eyes.
"Fight," he commanded.
Koga rushed up to punch Zero, but Zero merely tensed, and prepared to block it. He could tell Koga wasn't using full strength, so this attack was going to hurt him more than it would hurt Zero. Koga's hand was throbbing, causing him to grab it and hunch over.
"Agh! My hand!!!" he yelled. "What the hell kind of armor is that?"
Zero closed his eyes and sighed.
"It's my body, moron. I'm not a human," he said.
Koga whined frantically.
"I don't smell a demon scent. You must be human!" he yelled.
Zero gave another shrug.
"I'm neither," he said quietly.
Kagome butted in to stop them from fighting anymore.
"Don't fight you two!" she pleaded. "Koga, Zero is a...well..kind of like a metal puppet, who can think for himself," Kagome added.
Zero's eyes narrowed as he looked at Kagome.
"A puppet?" he said in a confused tone.
Kagome smiled.
"Well, it's a lot shorter, dont'cha think?" she replied.
Zero shrugged.
"I suppose...." he said, rolling his eyes.
Koga looked at Zero one more time, giving him a little approving nod.
"Hm..I may want to challenge you again sometime Zero," he thought aloud.
Sango was getting a little tired of Koga hanging around.
"Why are you here Koga?" she asked.
Koga was taken slightly off guard, but responded quickly after he regained his composure.
"There have been some weird rumors going around, about strange metal creatures slaying huge demons, and taking their carcasses," he announced. "I'm thinking they might have jewel shards."
Zero was rubbing his chin.
"Metal...creatures...?" he questioned.
Miroku gave a look to Zero.
"Perhaps these are more reploids?" he asked.
Koga, in the meantime, was at a complete loss.
"What are you guys talking about?" he said in a confused tone.
Zero completely ignored Koga at the moment.
"Sigma no doubt has a plan to do something with those demonic bodies..but what?" he asked.
Koga, trying to get some answers, repeated his query.
"Sorry, but I'm lost...what are you talking about?" he asked again.
Kagome shrugged. She knew it would take way too long too explain this.
"It would take a while to explain," she said, sounding a little embarassed.
Koga gave up.
"Well, no use staying here chatting, I'm going to get going!" he said aloud.
Koga left as quickly as he came, leaving the group, especially Zero, pondering.
