AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry about the time lag of the update...last week, I was actually teaching a course on anime at my local university (not as kewl as it sounds), and so 1) I didn't have time to update and 2) I was so sick of anime in general that I didn't feel like writing about it, even my favorite series. Yes, Jschu, you can get burned out on anime. After writing a lesson plan around Pikachu, there's no telling what abomination would have come out of writing on that night...

Anyway, I'm more or less back to standards, so I will try and update sooner this time. I apologize for the short length of this chapter as well, but that's deliberate. "Overdrive" will be nowhere as near as long as "The Killers and the Killed"–just long enough to introduce the new merry band of Inu-tachi.

Note that I have reprinted the last paragraph of the first chapter–it makes more sense that way. And yes, all the interchanges and highways mentioned in this chapter (and the last) do exist in modern Japan.

REVIEWER'S CORNER:

Aria-Wolfstar: Glad you like it...as for who Sai is, I guess you'll just have to figure it out.

SnowySilver: I do apologize for the blatant homage to Trinity's "drive the wrong way down the interstate" schtick in Matrix Reloaded for this chapter. The confusion is deliberate, but all will be revealed...

Hawker748: Glad to see you back, and glad to see that someone got the Twilight Zone joke. Just the idea of seeing Bill Shatner (especially the modern version) staring wide-eyed as a catgirl goes bouncing across the wing tickles me. And yeah, cleaning Kilala out of that turbofan would have required a spatula and a garden hose. Ew.

Jschu25: I don't know why I spell Kilala "Kilala" instead of Kirara (which is the Japanese version, and probably more proper). I just sort of like it better. And yeah, it's no great giveaway that Otomeinu is Inuyasha and Kagome's daughter; her name, freely translated, means "Dog Daughter." Glad to see you back as well.

CHAPTER TWO: FIGHT THE WIND

What is it really that's going on here

You've got your system for total control

Now is there anybody really out there

Now watch us suffer 'cause you can't go

What is it really that is in your head

What little life that you had just died

I'm going to be the one that's taking over

Now this is what it's like when worlds collide.

–Powerman 5000, "When Worlds Collide"

The Higashi-Kanto Expressway

North of Tokyo, Japan

6 August 2008

"Otomeinu heading the wrong way!" Kilala said in alarm. She put her arms to her side and left a thin trail of fire as she accelerated, trying to keep the motorcycle and its rider in sight.

"That crazy little bitch!" Sai shouted, as he got a glimpse of a silver motorcycle and a mane of black hair as it whipped past three lanes of northbound traffic to his right. Kagome's eyes were as big as plates as she gripped the instrument panel in front of her, shaking her head at the sight. "Gods, has she lost her mind?" she said, then spotted Kilala in the sky above. If possible, her eyes got larger and she gripped her throat mike in near panic. "Sweet kami, Kilala, LOOK OUT!"

Kilala tore her attention away from Otomeinu as thunder filled her ears. "EEK!" she mewed as she saw the source of the thunder–an engine three times her size. The engine was attached to a gigantic Boeing 777 that was climbing out of Narita. Kilala felt the inexorable pull of the huge turbofan and threw herself upward, somehow avoiding the vortex, then bumped across the wing and rolled down the flaps, promptly being blown nearly a mile away by the jet blast. She spun away, keening.

"Kilala, Kilala!" she heard Kagome yelling. "Are you okay?"

"Kilala okay," the catgirl sniffled, floating. Once she had gotten her bearings, she flew as fast as she could to the south, because now Otomeinu was alone.

Otomeinu was unaware of this fact, and it wouldn't have mattered anyway. She paid no attention to the occasional honks and yells in her direction; she was not yet in any danger, because there was plenty of room between the nearest lane and the retaining wall blurring past on her right. Through the traffic that whirled by, she spotted the two tan SUVs. A smile on her face, she put her head down beneath the windscreen of the bike and pushed it as hard as it would go. The speedometer quickly rose past 100 kilometers an hour, then 110 and 120. If she lost control at this speed, even the fire-rat material of her suit would not save her.

She stole a glance behind and hoped she had gotten ahead far enough. Another glance ahead: the traffic had thinned slightly. Otomeinu closed her eyes for a second, said a prayer, then swerved head on into oncoming traffic. Water sprayed over the windscreen and soaked her face, while her ears–freed from the beret, which had long ago blown away–were assaulted by a cacophony of horns, the roar of the motorcycle, and the scream of the wind. She was seconds away from death, or at the very least serious injury, as she chose clear lanes through the traffic at closing speeds exceeding 200 kilometers an hour. There was no time for fear, only the instinctive movement of the bike, in what the samurai had called muga, action without thought.

Then she was through the traffic, much quicker than she thought, swerving through light bars and traffic cones. This lane was completely bare of other cars, and she eased off the throttle a little. She noticed muddy tire tracks disappearing under her tires, and spared a moment to brush a few strands of thick raven hair from her face. Then she realized why the lane was closed. The upcoming interchange–where the Higashi-Kanto met the Keiyo Expressway at the Miyanogi Junction–was under construction. Directly in her path was a large bank of muddy earth, put there by workers and robots for tomorrow's work. She had only a few moments to choose: either stop, or dive back into traffic.

Then she spotted a southbound tractor trailer in the lane across the concrete divider, and realized there was a third, even better option. Sorry, Papa, she thought briefly, then pushed the bike as hard as it would go. She made a quick calculation, hoped she was right, and aimed straight for the dirt pile. "Looks like Section 9's gonna get a bill," she said aloud.

The motorcycle hit the pile at 115 kph. As she had prayed, it had been arranged into a loose ramp, and though the mud instantly snatched at the bike's wheels, it retained enough momentum to go airborne. She cleared the wall by about twenty feet, and more by instinct than sight, Otomeinu kicked free of the bike in midair, somersaulted backwards, and drew Tetsusaiga from her back. It was strangely silent, only the wind rushing past her ears and the feeling of unfettered flight. Then she landed hard on the tractor trailer. The thin metal crumpled slightly, and the surface was slick enough that she slid towards the edge. Otomeinu rammed the tip of her father's sword into the top of the trailer and stopped. The bike disappeared off into fields on the far side of the southbound expressway. She turned and saw Kagura's SUV approaching. A brief, predatory smile flitted across her lips as she braced herself on all fours, pulling Tetsusaiga free.

Neither Kagura nor the two other people in her SUV saw Otomeinu until it was too late. She launched herself off the back of the trailer, the brilliant sword flashing silver in the amber lights of the highway as she pointed it in front of her like a spear. The driver bellowed an oath and did the worst thing possible: he slammed on the brakes even as Kagura shouted at him to put on the gas. Instead, she and the man next to her were thrown forward into the seats in front of them.

Otomeinu hit the hood of the SUV hard and slid, but her aim with Tetsusaiga was true. The blade tore through the windshield, the steering wheel, the driver's chest, the seat behind him, and the gunman behind the seat. Otomeinu kept one hand on the hilt of the sword and grabbed the windshield wipers for purchase as she dug in her feet.

"Damn you, Otomeinu!" Kagura yelled. She brought her feet up and slammed down the seat in front of her, giving her a clear line of sight through the starred windshield at a pair of yellow eyes. Two decorated, serrated fans snapped out. "Dance of the Blades!" she screamed. The very air solidified and shot outwards, shattering the windshield. Otomeinu threw herself out of the way, grabbing the hilt of Tetsusaiga with both hands and rolling over the side of the SUV, nearly getting her legs wrapped up in the whirling tires.

Kagura, beside herself in anger and frustration, crawled forward, made a grab at Tetsusaiga and got shocked for her trouble. Noticing that Otomeinu was still trying to keep her feet from sliding off the hood, Kagura gritted her teeth and aimed for her enemy's heels. Otomeinu saw Kagura readying her fans, took a deep breath and rolled back onto the hood; keeping her left hand on Tetsusaiga, she raked her claws at Kagura's face. Kagura reared back, but the edge of one serrated claw still drew blood across an otherwise flawless cheek. Roaring oaths, Kagura threw herself backwards, once more readying her spell. Otomeinu got a good purchase on the edge of where the windshield had been, ignoring the pain as the glass shards sliced into her hand. She would need that blood, now that Kagura was out of range of her claws.

Abruptly, both women realized that no one alive was driving the SUV.

It had slowly begun to drift to the left, and neither had noticed that it was now in the exit lane for the Miyanogi junction. Fortunately, there was no other traffic. Unfortunately, that was because it was under construction. The SUV smashed through a number of plastic barriers, flattened a few traffic cones, and caromed a construction robot off the front bumper, sending it flying into traffic even as it frantically waved an orange safety flag. The SUV then shot up the exit ramp, and both women could see that it was not going to stop until it struck the only barrier in its path–a four-foot thick ferrocrete divider that would stop a tank. They looked at each other for a moment, then Otomeinu shrugged at Kagura, pulled Tetsusaiga free, and tumbled off the SUV into a pile of muddy dirt left to fill in the divider once the exit ramps were complete. Though it was considerably better than hitting the pavement at nearly 90 kilometers an hour, it was not a soft landing. Otomeinu gasped in pain as she felt a shoulder separate. She stopped rolling just in time to see the SUV hit the ferrocrete head on. The car crumpled instantly, tires bursting amid a spray of white steam from the shattered radiator. The SUV came off its back wheels as if to go over the top, then crashed back down. Otomeinu half expected it to explode, but it did not. Of Kagura there was no sign.

Painfully, Otomeinu dragged herself out of the mud that now covered her, head to boots, and hefted Tetsusaiga over her uninjured shoulder. She hobbled on shaky legs over to the wreck, hoping she could swing the sword one-handed if Kagura was still inside and waiting. A glance inside the shattered interior showed no Kagura, and for that matter, no briefcase either. That meant Kagura didn't have the nuke.

She heard a thump behind her, and turned. Kagura half-floated, half-crawled over the opposite wall of the bridge. Her suit was badly torn and matted with blood, her hair was as bedraggled as Otomeinu's, and she dragged one leg behind her in obvious pain. "Otomeinu," she hissed with more hate than the other woman thought possible. "Will your family ever leave me in peace?"

Otomeinu levered the sword off her shoulder; the blade struck the pavement with a thunk and a few sparks. "What do you think, Kagura?" she replied. "Naraku still lives, and you still serve him, so that makes you my enemy."

"Do you think I have a choice in whom I serve?" Kagura cried.

"I don't care," Otomeinu snapped. "You're a terrorist. It's my job to stop people like you." Her fingers involuntarily twitched, her claws seeming to itch for Kagura's demon blood.

"Terrorist!" Kagura scoffed. She held out her hands in front of her, as if for handcuffs. "This isn't the Sengoku Jidai and you're not your father. You can't simply be judge, jury, and executioner, puppy. You're the law, so arrest me! You'll find that you have nothing on me!"

Otomeinu sniffed a laugh. "Sure, Kagura. Not a bad idea. I'd love to hear you explain to the high court of Japan how you think a briefcase nuclear weapon is 'nothing.'"

"Briefcase nuclear weapon?" Kagura repeated, eyebrows beetling together in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, give me a break, Kagura! You just came back from Kazakhstan on a trade mission for the Economic Planning Board, which Naraku's got in the palm of his hand. There's nothing in Kazakhstan that the Onigumo Group is even remotely interested in. Except for one of those nice little nuclear weapons that Russia keeps misplacing. And it just so happens that a little bird tells me that one went missing during your time there. Diplomatic immunity keeps you from being searched. Am I warm, wind bitch?!" Otomeinu, despite the waves of pain radiating from her injured shoulder, gripped Tetsusaiga with both hands and raised it off the pavement.

Kagura made no move to open the fans she still carried in both hands. Instead, she was looking at the ground, obviously in thought. "Otomeinu," she said slowly, "I swear to you on the name of Buddha that I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Yeah? So what's in the briefcase? A change of diapers for Kanna?"

"I don't know what's in the..." Kagura's voice trailed off as she suddenly realized where her train of logic was going. Their eyes met, red on yellow, and knew the other had the same thought: Naraku didn't tell Kagura what she was carrying.

"You'll excuse me," Kagura said. "It seems my presence here is no longer required." She reached up for one of the feathers that still hung askew in her hair.

"Kagura, wait!" Otomeinu put out a hand, retracting her claws. "Naraku's played you for a fool. Help me stop the other SUV. I can help you!"

Kagura shook her head, with a sad smile. "You're definitely Kagome Higurashi's daughter, Otomeinu. Trying to change the world." She tossed the feather to the ground, even as it grew under her feet. "It's too late for me. Stop the other car if you can." And then she was gone in a billow of feathers and the rush of wind.

Otomeinu watched the feather fade away and sighed. "Dammit." She reached up to her throat and was half-surprised to find the mike still there. She tapped it. "Sai, are you still there?"

"O! I thought you were dead or something." The relief in his voice was obvious. "We just passed the Miyanogi Interchange five minutes ago. Looks like something smashed up the construction site."

"Yeah, that was me. Where's the other SUV?"

"Still going like a bat out of hell for Tokyo. We're still with him. Kagome's trying to get Section 9 to set up a blockade at the Kasai Interchange. We've been hanging back in case they get too jumpy." Otomeinu summoned a mental image of a map of the area: Kasai was inside Tokyo. Too late to not cause massive property damage and loss of life if the nuke went off.

"Sai, listen. You're going to have to take them now. Those guys have no idea what's in that case."

"How do you know?"

"Because Kagura and I just beat hell out of each other and she told me!" Otomeinu shouted in frustration. "Sai, they might try to force the roadblock. Those briefcase nukes are unstable, and even if it doesn't go off–"

"–it'll spread radioactive material all over the damn place. Okay, O, we'll do our best." Sai paused. "You okay?"

"I'm fine."

"I'll send Kilala–"

"Kilala helps you," Otomeinu ordered. "I'm fine. Take that other SUV before they get into Tokyo."

"Roger that. Oh, by the way, Kagome wants to know what happens if they pull the plug on the nuke when we pull up."

"Tell her that Naraku's boys don't know what's in the briefcase."

"What if you're wrong?"

Otomeinu gripped a rapidly throbbing headache. "Then I guess we'll get to find out how good Rin really is with Tensaiga, won't we?"