Ch. 14
Inu Faceness: Thanks for reviewing!! ::smiles::
Inu-Babe666: Wow, I love that idea of Ryu turning into InuYasha! I would use it, but I already wrote the ending... darn. Great idea, though.
Dark Firestorm: Thanks! And I love your penname! I'm changing mine pretty soon, but I'm keeping this account of course.
Lonelylulaby: Yep! Three more chapters, counting this one!
Tia: We'll see, won't we? ::smiles::
DarklessVasion: Thanks! You're a great reviewer.
I can hardly believe this is chapter fourteen already. This story is going by so quickly, yet I update so slow... Ah well. Anyways, this chapter is meant to be pretty short... it's setting up for the next chapter, which will be the last one, and then an epilogue, and then 'gasp' the end! I have two stories in progress as of now, a two part Gravitation fanfiction, which I promised my friend Kikyou that I'd post it next, and a sweet little InuYasha one. Both angst. (Um, what did you expect?) I'm really excited about the Gravitation one; my first time branching out to another anime! Wish me luck! ((Also, like I mentioned above, I'm changing my penname fairly soon, but not my account. ))
The ventilator was freezing. Absolutely freezing. Kagome, Ryu and Hikaru had been crawling along it for the past twenty minutes, or so she estimated. Her legs were cramped and sore, and her hands felt bruised from the cold metal. Kagome's long black ponytail caught on a rut in the ventilator and she let out a muffled shriek, causing Hikaru and Ryu both to flinch and make shushing noises.
"Could you be anymore loud?" Ryu asked, narrowing his eyes in her direction.
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I could!" She snapped back, her eyes fiery.
"Can you two shut up?" Hikaru whispered vehemently, before turning around and continuing down the ventilator. "We're almost there, so hurry up!"
"How do you know we're almost there?" Ryu asked, cocking an eyebrow. His own long hair was tied in a loose ponytail, and Kagome had been staring at the red tips for the past twenty minutes.
"I'm guessing." Hikaru paused to push his glasses further up his nose, leaving a dust trail on the bridge of his nose.
"That's real helpful..." Ryu mumbled.
"Yes, and I suppose arguing is more helpful?"
"...." Ryu did not answer. Hikaru sighed and continued down the path. After about ten more minutes, the three spotted a trail of light shining up from the bottom of the metal snake. Kagome sighed in relief, and even Ryu cracked a grin. Hikaru put a finger to his lips, and they crawled slowly and silently toward the small window. When they reached the window, Hikaru peered down, his face ashen with worry and tiredness. Thunder cracked overhead, and Kagome would have shrieked again, had not Ryu put his hand on her shoulder.
"Don't." He mouthed, and she nodded silently, her face pink. He left his hand on her shoulder as Hikaru continued to stare down the shaft. Faint voices could be heard from the hole, and Hikaru winced.
After about thirty seconds, he looked up at the two. Instantly, he noticed Ryu's hand on Kagome's shoulder, and Ryu yanked it off, embarrassed. Hikaru smirked, though his eyes were dark and sad, and motioned for the two to join him around the shaft. They did so, obediently, peering down into it.
Kagome gasped as her eyes fell on the room. The walls were a dark, ashen gray, and there was nothing in the room, except for a large chair with straps and a helmet. That was, without a doubt, the electric chair. Midori was positioned in the chair, her usually vibrant face pale and terrified. Kagome could feel Hikaru recoil in disgust next to her, as Nayamo fastened the helmet around her head.
"Now then, this will only hurt a bit..." Nayamo said, voice dripping with poison. Midori shot a look of pure venom at him, and he sighed. "You haven't said a word since I snapped you away from your boyfriend."
"Boyfriend..." Hikaru said the word almost silently, but Kagome caught it anyway. She stared at Hikaru, glasses low on his nose and face flushed with anger and wear.
"What now?" Ryu mouthed to Kagome, who shrugged and inclined her head toward Hikaru.
"Ask him." She replied. Ryu turned to Hikaru and opened his mouth, but was interrupted by Nayamo's smug voice.
"Okay! Anything you want to say before I plug in this thing?" He asked, letting his voice hit a disgustingly cheery note.
"No." Midori's eyes glowed with rage, and Nayamo stared blearily at her.
"No need to be so touchy; it's not going to kill you..."
Hikaru flinched again.
"And if it did, it's not like it's my fault, anyways. You were the one who had to run off your smart mouth when I was speaking of my eldest's death."
"And you were the one who was talking about how you didn't care that she even was dead!"
Nayamo's eyes widened and he turned back to Midori, his hand still encasing the plug. "I never said such a thing!"
"You sure as hell implied it!"
"Implications don't matter here, Midori-san. Nothing does." His smug eyes had turned worn and tired, and he carefully drew the plug near the socket.
"No!" Hikaru's voice shocked Nayamo into dropping the plug. Ryu rubbed his eyes and Kagome bit her lip. There went their cover.
"What the-" Nayamo looked up in surprise, his eyes immediately landing on Hikaru, who flinched. Nayamo narrowed his eyes. "Come down here right now, young man, or I'll make sure your friend gets the worst treatment possible.
Hikaru paled. He turned to Kagome and Ryu for help, his eyes dark and helpless behind his thick glasses. Ryu pushed his hair violently out of his eyes and stamped hard on the metal bars. Rusted, the bars gave in after four hard kicks, and crashed to the floor in front of Midori's chair. Hikaru jumped down in with some effort, his knee cracking when it hit the ground. He winced and stood up steadily, eyeing Nayamo with vengeance. Ryu turned to Kagome.
"Go. Get out of here, keep going through the tunnel and try to get out."
"Ryuichi, I'd like for you to be down here as well!" Nayamo yelled up.
"Listen, Kagome, I don't think he saw you yet. Just go!" He said angrily. She shook her head.
"I'm not leaving you." She said stubbornly. He rolled his eyes.
"Come on! Get out before he realizes!"
"Ryuichi-san, I'm waiting!"
"Kagome! Go!"
"No, I'm waiting for you!"
"Get down here or I'll plug this thing in right now!" Nayamo's hand moved closer to the socket, and Hikaru's eyes grew huge.
"No!"
With that one word, a torrent of actions emerged. Nayamo, his hand being dangerously close to the socket, moved up quickly, causing the plug to fit neatly inside. The chair sprang to life, causing Ryu to fall backwards inside the vent and Kagome to fall forwards out of it. Right before she hit the floor, she saw Hikaru's horrified expression, and heard the machine's roar of life.
The thunder cracked. The lightning hit the institution with such force, that even Nayamo looked up, nervous. The chair began to shake more violently. Against her will, Midori screamed, her eyes filled with pain and terror. Ryu's eyes fluttered, and he jumped down from the vent, his eyes going instantly to Kagome's motionless figure on the floor. Hikaru ran for the plug. When he was inches away, a strong hand stopped him, grabbing the back of his collared shirt.
"I didn't say she was done yet!" Nayamo hissed, his eyes aflame. Hikaru jerked and twisted, trying to escape the grip Nayamo had on his shirt.
"Ryu! Help me!" Hikaru yelled, tears welling in his large eyes. "Pull the plug!"
Ryu, with some difficulty, pulled his eyes from Kagome's figure and started toward the plug. Nayamo attempted to grab for Ryu as well, but the boy twisted away from his fingers and continued toward the plug. Lightning struck again, but Midori did not scream this time.
She was silent.
Ryu pulled the plug. He looked over at Nayamo, whose eyes contained triumph. He looked over at Hikaru, whose eyes were still filled with unwilling tears. He looked over at Kagome.
She was silent, too.