The dark haired girl looked up from where she was sitting and stopped sharpening her blade. She wordlessly slid the sword into the sheath on her back, crossing it over its twin katana. She stood silently and watched as her partner, Sango, entered the room, forcefully shoving a young man in before her. He fell to his knees on the dirt floor, and met her gaze defiantly, though obviously in pain. His mere presence made her head hollow and her heart ache. What foreign emotions were these? Her eyes widened slightly as she took in the beauty of those defiant yellow eyes.

"Oi, bitch, what are you staring at?"

She reacted without thought, and he spat blood on the floor. Now his head hung, his flowing silver hair hiding his face.

Sango quickly secured the door before tossing a red haori and a rusted sword onto the wooden table in the middle of the room. "Not much to look at huh, Kagome-chan?" her partner replied, referring to the sword.

"No," Kagome agreed when his feral eyes again met hers.

The boy turned his face away and cursed deeply. Sango hauled him to his feet and relocated him to the far corner of the room. The hut contained no windows and only one door, limiting his manner of escape. His skin began to tingle and itch as Kagome placed strong wards about the place. They felt like white noise in his head, distracting. She placed sigils for protection, for secrecy, and for binding. He jerked angrily as Sango wrapped silver chains around his ankles similar to the ones which held his wrists behind his back; already they burned his skin.

"Damn your magic." He spat the words with venom and hate, though the girl seemed not to notice or care. Sweat tricked down the side of his face, and he groaned from the nausea of it all. Sango walked away upon completion, uninterested in his pain.

"The chains drain his strength efficiently," Sango called over her shoulder to Kagome. "I am pleased with your work."

Kagome finished placing her wards and joined Sango at the wooden table, a wary expression on her face. "It bothers me that this one is to be kept alive. We are not babysitters–we are exterminators."

"Oi, bitch, I can hear you."

She turned and looked over her shoulder at him, her chestnut eyes nearly expressionless regarding his scornful words. He felt a sharp ache in his chest and gasped. He felt naked before her gaze which penetrated him, vulnerable to her stare. Was this her magic?

"He bothers me," she said to Sango, voice empty of emotion.

He lifted his chin in defiance, gritting his teeth. "Keh! If you feel so strongly about it then let me go."

She seemed amused by that, her lips playing in a small smile and rose from the table to near him. He watched as she subconsciously brushed her long, dark hair from her shoulder, letting it flow down her back, her hips swaying as she neared him. She bent to examine him, her head cocked inquisitively to one side; something about him was just so unsettling to her. She felt she should sense it, but right when she thought she had it, it would elude her. She brushed his silver bangs aside to get a better view of his face. His hair was softer than she expected it to be, and she noticed his skin was slick with sweat. He let out a low growl as she leaned closer to peer into his yellow eyes. There was anger there. His eyes startled her with their strong emotion. Why did this fearless boy bother her so? She reached up, rubbing his dog-like ears and suddenly grasped what had felt different about him.

"He's a hanyou," she called out, feeling certain of this fact.

He let out another growl and she rose to her feet, walking away from him. Anger wracked his body. Hanyou. Too filthy for even a youkai exterminator to bother with. How dare she walk away from him. This pain was worse than any physical torment he knew.

"So what?" Sango asked.

"He's half-human, and that feels wrong to me," Kagome answered truthfully. Now that she knew, she was already beginning to feel guilt from her actions. Their purpose was to protect humans, not harm them.

He gritted his teeth at her answer. What was she saying?

Sango shrugged. "He's half-youkai, and that feels right to me." Her demeanor was casual, but her tone was firm, settling the argument effectively.

Kagome nodded, but already the idea of it worried her. So later, she casually took it upon herself to make the hanyou more comfortable, despite the steely looks from her partner. She took him a cup of water, but became easily angered when he snapped at her hand. "You tried to bite me, while I am trying to make it easier for you!"

"How can you make it easier on me to die?" he yelled back, eyes dark with emotion.

"Do you want the water or not?" she huffed impatiently.

With a snort, he turned his head away in defiance and swallowed hard; his throat was agonizingly dry.

She touched his shoulder and a wave of nausea hit him. Weakly, he leaned his head back against the wall and cursed. There were too many buzzing sigils, some even for dulling his sense of smell and hearing. "Bitch, why do you do that to me?"

She hadn't realized her touch would affect him so adversely when she was upset. She pulled her hand away, careful to hide her remorse. "Drink."

When he had finished the cup, she rose to leave.

"Wait." His voice was low and somehow softer.

A plea for her? She should just keep walking. "What?" Kagome asked quietly, as she looked over her shoulder, again surprised to be met with anger and not fear. Who was this boy that held no fear? She knew his reputation as a youkai, and yet the reality of its truth was startling–even more so that he was a hanyou.

"Who ordered you to kill me?"

"I have watched you fight, Inuyasha," she answered, "and I could not kill you. A man named Naraku has commissioned us to capture you only." She bristled at her own use of his name. Using it was something she knew to be unwise. Best to keep emotions out of these things, but still, he held human blood–he deserved something at least.

A deep, cackling laugh burst from his throat, allowing her a glimpse of his fangs. "Fool," he spat at her, "a taijiya working for a youkai!"

She re-opened his mouth wound, again causing him to spit blood, before walking away.

"Really," Sango sighed, "we should muzzle him."