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The Reluctant GladiatorsChapter 5: Escape
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September 23, 2004: 9:00 PM23 Students Remain
Recently Diseased: Hiten Kotohiki, Mantan Kotohiki
Sesshoumaru led Rin across the island. He had waited for her just 50 yards east of where Sango and Kagome hid. But unlike Sango and Kagome's plan his plan worked. Mostly because Rin came out before Naraku.
FlashbackSesshoumaru kneeled on the ground hidden the shadows of the trees. He was waiting for Rin to come out of the building. About 25 minutes after he came out Rin came out. She looked terrified but immediately began making her way towards the concealing woods. Sesshoumaru tracked her progress and estimated where she would enter the woods. He tore off for that area and managed to get there before Rin.
When Rin entered the woods she looked hesitantly around her. When she saw no one she breathed a big sigh of relief. When she heard footsteps behind her she opened her mouth to scream but a big hand covered her mouth before she could make a sound.
When Sesshoumaru saw Rin was getting ready to scream he moved quickly and covered her mouth before she could alert anyone to their presence. Before his friend could faint from shock he spun her around. When Rin saw him he was surprised to see tears spring to her eyes. His hand that was covering her mouth fell to his side in shock. As soon as he had let go Rin flew into his arms. She clutched him like he was her lifeboat in a sinking ship.
Sesshoumaru stood frozen in shock. He didn't expect Rin to react so strongly when she saw him. It almost seemed like she didn't expect him to wait for her. Rin confirmed this belief.
"Oh Sesshoumaru, I'm so glad you're here! I didn't know what I would do if you weren't with me," she sobbed into his shirt.
Sesshoumaru brought his hands up to Rin's back and hugged her back. "You idiot, did you really think I would abandon you? I could never do that."
"Oh Sess," said Rin using the name only she could get away with, "I love you so much. You're like my big, overprotective brother. Even though I don't have a family you're the next best thing."
Sesshoumaru sighed and held Rin tighter. He also loved Rin as a younger sister and it pained him to hear her talk about her lack of a family. When she was only in kindergarten her parents were killed when a drunk driver hit them. They were driving home from a parent-teacher conference so Rin wasn't with them; a babysitter was watching her at home. After the accident Rin refused to speak to anyone. And no one would adopt her because she was withdrawn. No matter what her teacher or classmates did she wouldn't make a sound.
That all changed when Sesshoumaru transferred into her class. The first day he walked into the classroom he surveyed his new classmates with disdain. Most of them were loud and obnoxious or were whiny. The only kid that didn't immediately annoy him was Rin so he sat by her. For two weeks not a word was passed between them. Then in the 3rd week of Sesshoumaru entering the classroom Rin asked him for the blue crayon. He gave it to her without a word. She then gained the courage to ask him why he never spoke to anyone, so was wondering if he had also lost his parents.
Sesshoumaru shrugged and said he never found anyone worth talking to. This seemed funny to Rin and she started laughing. It was the first time she had cracked a smile since her parents died. After that incident Rin followed Sesshoumaru everywhere and always tried to get him to talk to her. For a week Sesshoumaru tried to get rid of her. It didn't work. So Sesshoumaru finally gave in and started talking to the girl. He was glad he did. They became fast friends and were soon inseparable. And Rin made a metamorphosis. She went from being a meek, mute girl to a social butterfly. Everyone liked her and she was always being invited to parties. But if Sesshoumaru couldn't go she refused to go as well. Nothing could cause her to forsake her best friend. And here, on the island where friendship and trust would be betrayed, they remained true to each other. Rin would follow Sesshoumaru wherever he chose to go and Sesshoumaru would protect Rin until his dying breath.
Sesshoumaru pulled Rin away from him. "We can't linger her, too many of our classmates still have to come out. It would be best if we got as far away from this area as possible."
Rin sniffed back her remaining tears and nodded. "Where should we go?"
"While I was waiting for you I looked at the map of the island. I think we should head to the dock on the northwest of the island. Who knows, maybe we'll be able to get off the island."
"You lead the way and I'll follow."
"Alright, but first you should see what weapon you have. I got a whip so hopefully you'll have somewhat better luck."
Rin finally took notice of the whip coiled at Sesshoumaru's side. He had it going between his belt and waistline so that he wouldn't have to carry it but he still he had easy access to it. Rin knelt down and unzipped her bag. When she pulled it open she gasped in surprise. She reached in and pulled out her weapon.
Sesshoumaru stared in awe at their luck. Rin was holding a double-barreled, sawed-off shotgun. "Wow, well that definitely beats my whip."
Rin climbed to her feet still clutching the gun. She held it out for Sesshoumaru. "You take it. I have no clue how to use it and it's too big for me."
Sesshoumaru nodded in understanding and too the gun out of Rin's hands. He moved to remove his whip but Rin stopped him.
"No, you keep that too. Even if I knew how to use a whip I'm not strong enough to actually do any damage with it."
"Well you can't be weaponless, it's not safe."
Rin scanned the ground and found a thick, two foot long, stick. She held it up proudly. "Will a club work?"
Sesshoumaru chuckled in amusement. "So do you actually plan on getting close enough to someone to use that?"
"I would actually prefer it if I didn't even see anyone."
"So do I. Well let's go. We've already stayed here too long."
End FlashbackSo now they were making their way towards the dock. Sesshoumaru held the shotgun in his right hand and at the slightest threat he could be ready to shoot in a second. He had also filled his pockets with spare bullets so he wouldn't have to rummage through a bag to reload his gun. Rin was following him but her left hand was grasping a fist full of his shirt so he always knew she was directly behind him.
And so they continued on their silent trek. Sesshoumaru was keeping them in the woods for as long as possible but the trees were beginning to thin and they knew their cover was almost over. Sure enough they walked out of the woods ten minutes later.
When Rin lost the cover of the trees she left go of Sesshoumaru's shirt. She quickly walked to his left side and slid her hand into his free one. She clutched it until her knuckles turned white.
When the familiar touch of Rin on his back left Sesshoumaru tensed up. He was about to swing his gun up when he felt Rin's hand slide into his own. He looked down to see her shaking and her eyes darting from side to side looking for danger. He squeezed her hand in a comforting manner and continued guiding her towards the dock.
Rin saw an outline taking shape in the distance. She realized it was the dock a few minutes later and breathed a big sigh of relief. She and Sesshoumaru reached the dock a few minutes later. Her face plummeted when saw there were no boats moored to the dock. But when she saw twinkling lights in the far distance she grew hopeful. Maybe they would be able to swim to the mainland.
Sesshoumaru was thinking much the same thing Rin was. He walked a few steps onto the dock to try and better gauge the distance to shore. He walked right past a small huddling of trees but thought nothing of it.
Rin moved to follow Sesshoumaru but when she stepped past the trees there was rustling of leaves. Before she could shout a warning to Sesshoumaru she felt a blade of cold steel press against her throat. She became completely still and waited for the slice that was bound to come. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a tall shadow step out of the trees.
"Drop your gun and slowly turn around," said the shadow coldly.
Sesshoumaru froze when he heard the voice. "Rin..." was the first thing that escaped his lips.
"She is fine. But if you don't obey me she won't be."
That was the only thing that needed to be said to get Sesshoumaru to listen. He lowered his right arm and let his gun clatter to the ground. To be extra cautious he brought both hands up to rest on the back of his neck. He turned around and visibly flinched when he saw Rin being held at knifepoint. At that moment he wanted nothing more than to the rip bastard's head off who was threatening Rin. When he saw the other person standing away from Rin his eyes narrowed in anger. "Kouga..." he grounded out.
Kouga slightly grinned when Sesshoumaru noticed him. "Yeah, it's me all right. Now if you would be so kind as to walk this way."
Sesshoumaru clenched his teeth in anger but did as Kouga said. Kouga was one of the last people he would have guessed to play this game. Kouga always seemed so laid-back and cheerful, but here he was threatening to kill Rin if he didn't obey him. When Sesshoumaru stood two feet in front of Kouga he stopped.
"Now if you could sit down."
Sesshoumaru stiffly sat down. He had no idea what Kouga was planning.
With a slight nod to his comrade holding Rin she was released. She rushed to Sesshoumaru's side and sat down as close to him as she could get. When Sesshoumaru felt her trembling one arm when around her shoulders to comfort her.
"Well are you going to kill us or not?" spat out Sesshoumaru.
Kouga, looking like a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders, shook his head. He rubbed his eyes tiredly and relaxed. "No, I'm not going to kill you. That was all an act to get you to drop your gun. I don't want to play this game but I also don't want to get killed. So the only thing I could think of to get you to drop your gun was to threaten Rin. You don't know how hard it was for me to act like I didn't care. I'm really sorry," he said softly. With another slight nod two guys came out of the shadows. One was the guy who held Rin captive and the other must have been hiding in the trees. Sesshoumaru recognized them as Ginta and Hakkaku. To show that they meant no harm the three of them sat down in front of Rin and Sesshoumaru.
"So what you're saying is that you guys are friends?" asked Rin.
Kouga nodded his head. "Yes, we mean no harm to you two. It was all defensive what we did."
"What are you doing here?" asked Sesshoumaru.
Kouga took it upon himself to answer that as well. "Well back when we were in 3rd grade we made up our own language, sort of like our version of sign language. Luckily we still used it frequently during PE games to gain the advantage over our opponents. As soon as Kazuhiko drew the map I signaled left, up to Ginta and Hakkaku. We didn't have signs for northwest so I did the only thing I could think of. It seemed to have worked as we all met up here. We were going to attempt an escape but we can't. And as we were about to leave we heard you two. You know the rest."
"Why can't you escape?" asked Rin.
Ginta, who had held Rin captive, decided to explain that part. "Do you see those lights about a hundred yards offshore? It's a ship. It has been sitting there since we've arrived. It must be there to make sure no one tries to escape by sea. We're stuck on this island."
"But it's dark out, there's no way anyone onboard would be able to see us," pressed Rin.
Kouga sadly shook his head. "You're forgetting about the collars. Kazuhiko said that if we go into the dead zones they would explode. So they must have some kind of radar devise in them. Right not there's probably some monitor in the law office that shows the five of us sitting together."
"Then what's the point of the ship? If they can just blow up our collars if we try to escape why do they need a ship?" asked Rin.
"It's because they're sick creatures. They want to see us kill each other. After all, what fun is there in this game if everyone dies by exploding collars when they try to escape? The ship is just there to show us it is hopeless. To spit in our face. If we try to escape our collars will explode, a guaranteed death. But if we stay and fight there is a slight chance we will survive."
"So there's no way to escape?" said Rin sadly.
"No," whispered Kouga so softly he could barely be heard.
"At least you can't escape by swimming," interjected Ginta.
"What do you mean?" asked Sesshoumaru. "What do you guys plan on doing?"
"First, definitely not get in any fights," piped up Hakkaku.
Kouga smiled ruefully. "Yeah, let's just say you guys got a bit more luck than us. Our best weapon is a butcher knife that Ginta got. I got a pair of brass knuckles and Hakkaku got a club."
"Ouch," remarked Rin.
"Rin got a shotgun which she gave to me. I got a whip," informed Sesshoumaru.
"Well it looks like you guys have a chance for survival," said Ginta.
"We're just going to hide out and attempt to come up with another plan of escape," said Hakkaku.
"But with these two boneheads as my companions it may be useless," teased Kouga with a smile.
Ginta punched Kouga's shoulder. "You better watch your mouth or I'll take my knife and leave you with your brass knuckles."
Kouga mocked a stab wound to his heart then turned back to the other two. "So what do you plan on doing?"
Sesshoumaru shrugged his shoulders. "Remain hidden I guess. There's nothing much else we can do."
"Yeah, we're also just trying to stay alive. That's it. Survival. Everything else is just something to do when we're not running for our lives. That's why we reacted the way we did to you two. We didn't think you'd just shoot us without question but then we couldn't be sure. Who knows, we may have just surprised you so much you would have pulled the trigger without thinking. I hope you don't bear any grudges against us," said Kouga, his eyes hopeful.
Rin smiled warmly. "Of course we don't. I really can't blame you either. You did the most logical thing to insure against any senseless deaths."
Kouga smiled in return and then stood up. "Well it's been nice chatting with you two but we really must me going now. We have a plan to attempt to come up with."
Everyone stood up as well. Ginta walked to the dock and brought back Sesshoumaru's gun. He handed it to him meekly. "Friends?" he asked tentatively.
Sesshoumaru gave him a small smile. "Yeah. Just don't threaten to slice Rin's throat again."
"Of course not. Never again," laughed Ginta.
Kouga turned to leave but changed his mind and turned back around. "Be careful. At least one person is playing this game. Someone shot Midoriko. Don't use that shotgun senselessly but be prepared to use it. There are traitors among us."
Before he could make to leave again Rin ran to Kouga and surprised him by throwing her arms around his neck. "Thank you Kouga. And you three better be careful too. Figure out your plan of escape and then get out of here. Don't you dare look back." Rin pulled back from Kouga, tears sparkling in her eyes.
Kouga was surprised at Rin's display of concern. He suddenly wanted anything but to see this girl die. "We'll think of a way off this island but we won't leave without you two. That's a promise."
"Don't worry about us. To worry about us will cause you to die," said Sesshoumaru walking up to join Rin.
"Nah, I'll be fine. Plus I'm the fastest in the class. I could probably find you in 30 minutes." Kouga sent Sesshoumaru a cocky grin. All he got in return was a pair of eyes rolling at him.
Kouga flashed them a thumbs-up sign and then in his best Arnold impersonation he said, "I'll be back." With one last look Kouga, Ginta, and Hakkaku disappeared into the night.
Rin stared off into the distance to where the three guys had left. "Do you think we'll ever see them again?" she asked.
"I hope so, but only in good circumstances," replied Sesshoumaru.
Rin nodded in agreement. Sesshoumaru didn't explain what he meant but she knew. She knew it was quite possible to see them again, alive. But she also knew it was even more possible to come across their lifeless bodies. She knew the next time she saw Kouga he could be dead. She knew she might never see another of his cocky grins. Never hear him boasting about his speed. She never really talked to Kouga in class and didn't know him that well. But suddenly the last thing she wanted was for him to die.
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I could not make Sess and Rin anything more than like brother/sister, it seems to weird too have them be going out. Plus I like their relationship being like this so I hope you do as well. And I also realized something-no one died this chapter! Wow, a death free chapter. There will be death free chapters sprinkled sporadically about this story but don't expect too many of them. Well I shouldn't have to remind you to review, but heck I'll do it anyways. Review!
Review Responses:
Tanoliko: Yea! Another awesome review from you. And nope, I won't be skipping around deaths, after all they only have 2 days to kill everyone so I can't really slack on the killing! And I don't think I could just have them kill each other without a reason, that wouldn't seem right since they're only 9th graders and aren't use to just killing people without cause. And thanks for trying to get your friend to read it, even if she didn't I still appreciate you trying to recruit more readers! And don't worry, even though I let the story write itself I still constantly go back and read my whole story over. I think I've read it straight about 5-6 times now, after each chapter I like to go back and read it to make sure I'm not leaving any loose ends or I said something that contradicts something that happened in a previous chapter. And you're not strange, I've gotten a ton of ideas while in the shower, they just sort of pop into my head!
Moonglow gal: Phew, I guess than I can safely put away my pads and weapons. And I'm so happy that I've written one of the most evil stories! I'm so proud now. And I agree, Inu/Kik fics are wrong especially since she's dead. Creepy that people like them together.
Draconic Ban-sidhea: Yes, dark is very good. And I'm glad you checked this story out but even more glad that you like it. And I try my hardest with the frequent updates. This story is actually pretty easy to write (easier than Mind Reader) so frequent updates are easy to do.
Mewie: Yeah, the situation is changing eveyone into someone they would probably despise in normal circumstances. And I can see your point with the brother's scene being more emotional. I actually didn't even think about giving them a background. Bangs head against wall. And I actually know how it will end (pretty amazing coming from me since I don't know what 'planning ahead' means). But no hints for you, you'll just have to continue reading!
Lady-of-the-darkness: Yea! I'm glad you like it and even more glad that you're hooked! And I see that you're also morbid, probably a good thing if you're reading this story! I'll see what I can do about more gruesome deaths, only 3 people have died so far so there is quite a lot of chances for bloody deaths!
Raven222: Well now you'll just have to wait and see what weapons they got! I actually have a class list with each person's weapon listed beside their name, but that's my list, I won't share it with anyone! But I will tell you're one guess is pretty close.
Rae-wolf-demon: Thanks for the review! And glad you liked the map, I try my hardest!
