AN: Chapter 5 is here::hears boos:: hey that's mean! TT;; Well here's the chapter anyways. Look, it's longer then all the others! I feel kind of proud, not really. I really wanted to start making 15-20 page chapters but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I don't know why, it could possibly be that even when I write them originally, they're about 22 pages long (I guess I write really big). In the end, they only show up as about 10 pages when typed. All I can say is that it's the computer's fault for making them smaller.

I've said this already in CW - Chapter 3 but I highly doubt all of you read my other stories. I apologize if the first few chapters formatting seem a little off, this story was started before (or was it around the same time...) that QuickEdit was implemented onto I'm still debating about if I should or should not repost the other chapters and fix them up for all my stories, the formatting for CP was really bad to begin with considering it was my first story here.

Anywho, can anyone say 'foreshadowing'? Lots of it done in this chapter for many different parts further in the story. They're pretty easy to pick up, they pretty much tie into the characters making them not to hard to find.

Another thing about this chapter is that it doesn't change scenes very much. It all takes place in the UCS building. Hehe, thischapter makes me wonder if I've watched to many spy movies. Who knows, not me at least. I actually haven't watched any movies for quite awhile. I guess I should stop this note now, I don't want to accidentally end up giving away points that come up later in the story, or at least,more then I have now/already (I have a bad habit of doing that) or to ramble on about myself. I can always do that in my profile instead.

Hope you like the chapter and as always, please remember to R&R!
-Air Angel

Condemn Me for Eternity

Chapter 5 - Member

I waited, and waited, and waited. Sango was still typing away on the report she had to finish and I continued to just sit. Inuyasha hadn't returned from his meeting with his brother, not that I was sure if he was coming back or not.

There was no clock in the room and, lucky me, I forgot to wear my watch this morning. I had no idea how long I had been waiting there for and the room itself added to my boredom. There weren't any pictures on the walls or any interesting furnishings either. I suppose that's why I spent my time staring into the glossy reflection of myself in the hardwood floor. As plain as the room was, the floor was so clean and so shiny I could see myself easily in it.

"Do you find the floor interesting?"

I looked up and saw Sango closing her laptop, "Well it's more interesting then watching you type."

"It's only been ten minutes," She said raising her eyebrow.

"Only ten minutes?!" My eyes widened in surprise, "That was ONLY ten minutes?! That felt like two hours!"

"You're not very patient are you," Sango said holding back a laugh.

"I can be patient...when I want to at least," I pouted then began to whine, "How much loooonnngggeerrr?"

She rolled her eyes, "How should I know? I don't keep track of Kaede, it's not like I'm her mother. Hell, she could probably pass off as MY grandmother."

"Ugh, old people are bossy," I muttered remembering my old theory teacher from the year before. He had always went on about how I should listen to him because he was my elder yet he couldn't even remember what my name was half the time. Not to forget my not-so-completely senile grandfather.

"So I'm bossy then?"

Surprised I swung my eyes off of Sango and onto the old woman standing at the doorway behind her. For a moment the woman also seemed surprised, and then a little sad, before going into a neutral, calm yet gentle, expression.

"Oh I didn't mean you!...As you, I mean," I sighed and stopped myself from babbling though I couldn't help being embarrassed, "I'm sorry, I was referring to some other people I know."

"That is alright, now let's go into my office to speak."

She closed the door as I entered her office and then gestured me to a plush seat across from her own chair which she sat in a few seconds later.

"Now, did you want an overview first or were you already given one."

"I was told a bit but I still don't know much. Can you tell me in your own words, they're probably better then listening to a little here and there."

"Alright then, where do you want me to begin?"

"I guess you can start with what I get out of this," I paused, "Of course that doesn't mean I'm not taking this 'job' after all I don't have much of a choice."

"From what I've read about you, you're currently taking courses at a collage or was it a university...well never mind about that. What I want to say is that you do not need to stop taking your classes. As much as it is easier on all of us if you didn't take them, we can't force you to stop. We can speak to the school board about letting you come and go as you please, we already do it for a few others already anyways. We will also help support you as a normal job would give you pay because it would not be easy for you to get a job and to leave during work hours if there is an emergency. You're family would be added into a protection list so that the rogues, as I like to call them, cannot use them against you. Next?"

I leaned back in the chair I was on, "The deal so far is pretty good though dangerous right? I would need to be trained in something or else," I winced, "I might hurt someone by accident or just be in the way in general."

"You'll get special training," She glanced at the file in front of her, "You are a...miko," she said slowly.

I thought I saw the look of sadness again but just as before, it was erased quickly.

"First we'll have to test you to see how strong your powers are and how much you have. I can set it to be done later today sometime after we finish talking."

"Alright...so does that mean I won't be going out to fight anything until the training is finished or rather, even started?"

"No, you'll be going out still even as a trainee. It's the best way to learn until you use and control your powers, you'll need to stay out of the way as much as possible. You'll be placed with the group that discovered you. The reasons for that are one, they were the people who met you first, it would be easier to work with them since you are already acquainted and two, they are one of the strongest groups that we have in our section. It is better for you to be in a reliable group rather then a group which is new or isn't as well off to being able to keep you out of danger or harms way. Is there anything else you would like to know?"

"Well I've already learned about how this whole thing was formed, I don't think there is anything else really. Would I get a little membership card to get down here?"

Kaede laughed, "Yes you will, you'll also get a few other things. I'll let whoever is giving you them tell you about them though. It's much easier that way plus they keep coming out with new things, it's hard for me to keep track."

"That's all I guess, If I suddenly have another question can I just ask someone if I can speak to you about it?"

"That is alright, though I'm fairly busy sometimes," She pressed a button on a phone on her desk, "Sango, please send someone in to take Kagome to receive her entry card and other things. Also I'd like the damage reports and bills for last week, we need to catch up on those."

I heard a soft yet obviously strained ok and a click, "Stressful work?"

"It's not to bad, the smart rogues know that making a mess makes it easier for us to track them down. Lately though there's been an increase in their activity and they don't seem to much care about keeping themselves hidden or alive anymore," She shook her head, "The bills just keep adding up. We're lucky we are supported by the government."

The door opened and I turned to see Inuyasha walk in, "I'm here to pick up the girl."

I nearly commented on how he had called me a girl, still not my name but not as bad as calling me a wench. Instead I glanced between Kaede and Inuyasha and noticed that Kaede was watching Inuyasha as if waiting to see some kind of reaction for a reason beyond me. I stood up and bowed a little, a habit from helping out at the shrine when I was at home, and walked to the open door.

Once out of the office I noticed that Sango was no longer in the room, "Where's Sango?"

"She's getting the reports that Kaede asked for. Though, she wasn't very happy," He shrugged, "I guess she wanted to be the one to show you around."

Walking into the hallway, we went a few doors down. The room was filled with boxes and other various packages. Inuyasha swiftly shifted through them, grabbed one and opened it, cutting the tape that sealed it closed with a claw, "Here," he said putting down the box on a table, probably set-up just for that reason, "You get everything in the box but knowing the hag, she probably didn't tell you anything about what you get."

He handed me a card, "You saw me use one earlier you, I assume you know what that's for, keep it on you at all times, you and the rest of us don't want anyone that doesn't belong here wandering around under your name."

Next he pulled out a cellphone and battery, "There's a trick to these things," he said while slipping the battery into place and turning the phone on before handing it over to me, "You can call anyone one you want, it doesn't matter, it'll work but you don't get an actual phone number. It's set to only take in calls that come from registered phones for those who work here. I guess they don't want people to use them as a personal phone all the time. Kind of a stupid idea if you ask me, it's not like we get much time to meet people outside of the UCS."

He went back to the small box, "You get two extra batteries for the phone so that if it dies, you can just plug another in, but don't forget to recharge the one you use afterwards. The storage people are stingy about giving out any more then that."

"There's more?" I asked, fingering the phone in my hands as he still rummaged through the small box.

"Just a few more things," he pulled out a plastic wrapped package, "Uniform."

"A uniform? No one was wearing a uniform when we came in."

"It's only for special meetings and such, no one really bothers to use it for any other occasion. It should fit, if not, tell either Sango, the storage stooges, Kaede, or me and one of us will get you a different size."

"How would you know my size," I said raising my eyebrow.

"File folder."

"Ah...," What exactly did they have in that folder about me?

He reached into the box and pulled out a book, "You don't need to read this, it's just a little thing about the history of UCS which you should already know."

"Ok..."

He then pulled out another plastic wrapped package, "You saw us use these yesterday," he unwrapped the parcel, "This little button you attach to the collar of your shirt, it works like a walkie talkie. Press the button to talk, don't press anything to listen. It's only used for our group though, you can't contact anyone else with it."

"I guess it's easier to use when on a hunt or whatever you want to call what you all did last night, instead of pulling out a cellphone all the time," I thought for a moment, "Wait, these phones don't accept incoming calls! How are you suppose to use those phones then!?"

"I did say earlier that registered phones can go through, I guess you didn't understand. Registered phones are phones used by the UCS meaning all phones in the UCS can contact each other."

"But how do you call someone when they don't have a phone number?"

"All the phones have a member directory on them, you just have press the number button and say the name and group of the person you want to talk to."

"So we have our own operators that connect them?"

"Something like that."

I looked at the opened package in his hands, "Is that the palm piolet I saw you using yesterday also?"

"Yeah but these are also specially made to send messages throughout the UCS."

"Another reason why we don't need the cellphones?"

"Pretty much, I think the main reason why they make us keep the phone is because it's sometimes better to hear someone say something then to read it over a message. It's still stupid though."

"You do have a point about that. Well, at least it's good for ordering pizza."

"Next," he pulled out a paper form and a black box, "You need to sign this form. I'll give it to the storage guys later. It's so they can check off that you got you're stuff and to note which phone code or whatever the hell they use on that phone is set for you. It's also to activate the palm piolet and the communicator."

"What's with that box this time?" eyeing it in his hand, it only seemed around the size of a ring box, it even had a velvet texture on the outside.

"It's a seal for the UCS, the entrance card won't do you any good outside of this building though it's still important. This seal is so you can reach places where only UCS workers can go during dangerous situations like an attack."

"So the entrance card is like our ID for the UCS while the seal is something like...a police badge?"

"Kind of, compared to a police badge though, this is a higher rank."

"Really now, can I use it if I'm speeding down the road to say, an accident and the police try to pull me over?" I mentally thought about the possibilities.

"Yes it would work," He looked at me oddly, "You don't have a car though."

Shrugging I took the form from him, "I know, it was just a thought. Got a pen?"

He passed me a pen which was sitting on the table, "You can put that stuff back into the box and take it with you if you want."

"Hey wait, how do you know I don't have a car?"

"I had to pick you up earlier and the night I took you home you didn't have a car in the parking space for your apartment."

"Well I could've left it at the Café parking lot!"

"Don't forget about the file."

"Damn you that's not fair," I whined, "You all know stuff about me but I barely know anything about you."

"We're working together remember? You'll get to know us all over time."

I finished signing the form, gave it to him, and took my new belongings, "Where to now?" I said sulking, I was still upset about the file thing.

"I guess we can head back to see if Kaede needed to tell you anything else."

We walked back and Sango greeted us, "Kaede said to come back tomorrow for you're testing," she smiled, "You're gonna be in our group soon, let's go get to know each other better now, ok? I'm finally finished for today."

Nodding I turned to Inuyasha, "You want to come? You're in the group also right?"

He made a noise that sounded like a 'keh' and walked back into the hallway, "If we're going to get to know each other, might as well get the lecher also."

"A lecher?" I furrowed my brow in confusion before remembering the other man from the day before, while following Inuyasha out again, "You mean Miroku?"

Sango rolled her eyes, "Miroku is a pervert, no matter how many times he says he's a priest, don't listen to him."

"Oh I know he's a pervert," I blushed a bit, "I figured that out when I was listening to the two of you after the café incident, remember? Not to forget what he asked me yesterday in the alley."

"You mean the 'Will you bear my child?' crap he said? That's his famous pick-up line, he uses it on almost any woman he sees." she muttered.

"Why does he say that?...and why did you just mutter?"

Inuyasha cut in, "No one really knows why he says that, Sango here is just upset that she never had the honor of hearing him say it to her."

"I am not! I just pity any girl who has to go through his little display. Especially when he does it in public!"

Laughing, I almost didn't notice when we entered a room where a few others were lounging around. Some sat at tables where they were snacking on some food and others were sitting in some plush chairs in front of a small TV.

"Oi, Miroku!"

I finally noticed him as he waved us over to a table where he was sitting with the demon I had met yesterday in the apartment building, Shippo. They seemed to be eating cake.

"What is it?" he asked while taking another bite of cake.

"Addition to group, remember?"

"Ah yes," Miroku said, putting his fork down before standing up and moving to stand beside me, "The lovely Kagome, it's a pleasure to see you again."

Sango slapped his hands away from reaching towards me, "Yeah, yeah, keep you're hands to yourself."

"Sango, how can you think I would do anything inappropriate."

"If you remember what you did when I first met you, you'll know why I want you to keep to yourself," she said, staring at him evenly.

"You can't blame me, you were unconscious! I needed to make sure you were ok."

She seemed to flare up in anger, "I was not unconscious, I was half asleep and since when was feeling someone up a sign of checking if someone was ok?!"

"He felt you up while you were sleeping?" I asked surprised, "I already knew he was a little perverted but to do something like that, you must have problems."

"I told you, I thought she was unconscious!" he whined.

I blinked, "How did you manage to feel her up when she was sleeping? Wouldn't she have been in her own room or something?"

"I'll explain," I quirked my head and looked over at Inuyasha, semi-ignoring the now furious Sango who was attempting to kill Miroku with a fork that she stole from Shippo, "If you listen to them, you won't get anywhere. Sango will over exaggerate while Miroku will make it seem like it was an act of god."

"Shouldn't we stop them first?"

"Not unless you want the fork to be turned on you,"

I shuddered at the thought of the enraged woman stabbing me with the pointy, cream and cake crusted utensil, "She won't kill him at least will she?"

He snorted, "As long as a woman walks on earth, nothing will keep him down."

I took a seat at the now empty table as Shippo had left to find another fork to finish his cake, "So how did they meet?" my curiosity had returned.

"It was around the time Sango first started her training in this base," he said slowly as he also sat down, he paused as if it was a memory that took awhile to pull back to the surface, "Sango used to work in the base in Nagoya, she was transferred over her about three years ago."

"Why did she transfer?"

"I don't know, I never really thought about it then," he shrugged, "We probably were short on people or the base in Nagoya had to many. Anyways, she hadn't been assigned to a group yet at the time and spent most of her time training."

"Training? If I'm a miko, what is she?"

Sighing, he looked at me in the eyes, "Do you want to know what happened or not?"

I nodded, "Obviously, why would I have asked what happened if I didn't?"

"Well then let me finish, you can ask all you're questions after ok?"

I nodded again, this time not saying anything.

"Alright then, there are about ten training areas in this base, each one is used for different types of people and demons. Each area obviously has locker rooms, one for the girls and one for the guys. From what I heard, she had a habit of taking naps on the benches in the girls locker room after a hard work-out. The day that Miroku met Sango was the day that she had been assigned to our group. Miroku and I worked solo up until, hell, I didn't even know that he existed until I walked into Kaede's office and saw him sitting on a chair. We waited for about ten minutes for Sango to arrive but she never did. Kaede ended up telling us about our new partnership and then sending us off to find Sango and tell her. We asked around for awhile on where she was until someone told us that they had seen her training about an hour earlier. We went to the area but she wasn't there. I sat down, sick of having to walk but Miroku wanted to check around a bit more. It was kind of obvious that he was inching his way to the girls locker room."

"You let him go in?!"

"Hey it's not my fault if he goes in and gets beaten up for it! It's not like I followed him...and what did I say about interrupting?"

I shook my head, "Continue."

"Well I don't have much else to say. A few minutes later I heard a scream from the locker room and then less then a minute after that I saw him run out of the locker room with a girl chasing after him ready to kill. Miroku has said that he had gone in to see the passed out Sango lying on a bench hardly breathing an had attempted to help her while Sango told me that she was resting on the bench from her work-out, which of course meant sleeping, and he had felt her up which is, out of the two stories, more likely what happened inside the locker room."

I laughed, "Poor Sango never saw it coming did she."

"Poor Sango?! Poor me!" I looked away from Inuyasha and watched as Miroku literally crawled over to the table and pulled himself onto a chair, "I feel like I've run a marathon...twice!"

"Did she actually get you with the fork?"

"No, Shippo convinced her to give the fork back to him so he could finish his cake," he pouted, still catching his breath before sighing dramatically, "Unlike me, she'd never hit Shippo. I find that so completely unfair."

"You know that she still holds a grudge from when you met her, it's your own fault that she hates you so much," Inuyasha said offhandedly while leaning back, tipping his chair a little.

I glanced around, "Where did Sango go? Wasn't she chasing you?"

"While you two were talking and making no attempt to help me escape her wrath," he said panting while glaring at Inuyasha who, in exchange, keh'ed, "I ran out of the room and down the hall and hid behind the big fern plant near the conference rooms."

Inuyasha yawned, "You're lucky she's not a demon, she could've sniffed you out easily if she was."

"I know."

"Wait, she didn't see you hiding behind a plant?" I asked skeptically, hiding behind a plant was pretty pathetic within itself yet I couldn't really complain, I hid between garbage the day before.

"Kagome," Miroku said looking at me seriously, or as seriously as a guy who looked like he was going to pass out could, "When I say a big fern plant, I mean a BIG fern plant."