"Inuyasha, I'm back!"

The oversized yellow bag fell over the side of the well with the distinguished sound of bags of chips crinkling against the ground, Kagome's dark head following with a slight huff. Hefting herself up, she felt her knee scrape the wood as she glanced around the abandoned clearing, "Inuyasha?"

The half demon had made it a point to never be too far from the well after discovering both halves of the jewel had been completed and both parties were in possession of them. He said it was to prevent any sneak attacks against her and keep Naraku from getting their half.

"Inu—"

"I heard you, quit your screeching!" Inuyasha scowled as he landed in front of her, hands folded in his haori.

"It was your idea to be here when I get back," Kagome rolled her eyes at his tone, dusting her hands off and shooting to her feet. Her head tilted at the quickness he averted his eyes from hers, ears plastering to his head with a soft grunt in acknowledgement.

"What's wrong?"

"Been talking when you left…" he gestured for her to sit on the side of the well, dropping to the ground and crossing his legs under him as his face turned thoughtful, "since the final battle seems to be getting closer and all."

Kagome's head lifted as she braced her hands beside her, they had been anticipating this moment they learned about the vile half-demon that sent everything into motion. "Okay?" the word drew out longer than she meant for it to, biting her tongue to stop the sounds as her eyes widened.

Never in the two years of knowing Inuyasha had she ever seen him acting so different than she was used to. Inhaling sharply, she flung herself from the side of the well as images of being 15 and shoved through the portal circled her head, if he was going to shove her through and take her half he was going to have to fight her kicking and screaming. "What's wrong with you?"

"Can you just shut up and let me try and explain this to you?" unfolding his hands he scratched the back of his head as his ears twitched, "we—"

"We as in who?"

"We… you know; me, Sango, Miroku… and that bastard brother of mine… after you left we kind of called a meeting and well… you're not strong enough."

"Excuse me?" Kagome strode forward as her face contorted angrily, hands on her hips as she glared down at her friend, "I'm not strong enough? I've been holding my own pretty damn well these last two years thank you very much and you're having secret meetings behind my back now?"

Inuyasha's ears twitched as her voice rose in volume, delivering a 'keh' and turning his head with a pout, "it's nothing personal."

"It feels pretty personal here buddy," she nudged his knee with her shoe, digging her fingers through her hair before dropping them against her thighs and shrugging, "so… what do you want me to do? Wha… you want me to go home until it's over and—"

"Silence yourself priestess, your rambling's can be heard miles away."

"Now it's a party, isn't it?" Kagome glared at the demon lord from under her bangs, arms crossing as she glanced between the two half-brothers, never in her life had she imagined the two ever being able to get along enough to stand as close as they were in that moment.

Inuyasha grunted and shoved to his feet, ears swiveling to behind at the rustling of Sesshoumaru's clothing as he drew closer, "you going to listen or just keep yammering?"

'I'm tempted to just go home,' with a huff the thought passed through her head, turning to stare at the well. "What are you talking about that I'm not strong enough?"

"Should you go into battle against the half-breed, you will most assuredly be the first to fall," Sesshoumaru's voice carried across the clearing smoothly, tucking a strand of hair back into place as it fell over his shoulder, "we need for you to be able to hold your own not out of luck but skill."

Kagome pursed her lips and shot her eyes to him as panic settled briefly in her chest, "not with you."

"Let me be clear, should you ever step foot near my lands I will end your life; no, not with me."

"This bastard did find someone else though, someone that he thought you would benefit with…" Inuyasha stood straighter and turned his head, "only you'll have to leave."

"Leave?"

"It's a distant land," Sesshoumaru sniffed the air delicately as his eyes locked on something just behind her, "priestess, this shall be your mentor for the next year. He is considered a master in his field and has agreed to take on an apprentice."

"Unbelievable," Kagome growled as she spun to follow the demon lord's gaze, "you two think I'm going to follow this guy anywhere?"

"It's not Halloween," her nostrils flared as she snapped the words at the silent man in white. Good gods if her mother could see how she was acting she'd be facing repercussions because this was not how she was raised at all. "Over my dead body am I—"

"Non hai menzionato la potenza del suo spirito," the man chuckled and lowered his hood, his dark eyes shinning in amusement as he stepped closer. A sly smirk crossed over his face as his hand cupped her chin and tilted her head back, "Mi piace questa."

"Ho pensato che potresti," Sesshoumaru inclined his head slightly, almost rolling his eyes at the desire that rolled from the priestess's body.

"You speak that?" Inuyasha blinked at Sesshoumaru in surprise, curling his fingers into his arm. He ignored the biting of his claws through his robes; nostrils flaring slightly as his blood gently wafted through the air to him, "guess your fancy upbringing finally came to good use."

"Jealous little brother?" the demon lord glanced over his shoulder, a hint of a smirk pulling at his lips. The glare Inuyasha delivered satisfied him enough to turn back to the pair in front of him, "this is Ezio Auditore; Ezio questo è Kagome."

"Bellissima."

Kagome blushed at the unfamiliar word as his thumb moved from caressing her cheek, ghosting down the side of her body to grab her hand and bringing it to his lips. Kagome inhaled sharply to keep from giggling like the other teen's of her time and tore her eyes from his tanned face as she hungrily drank in his features. She had noticed the small cut on his lip where no facial hair grew and to her it made him more attractive, blushing harder as her mind wandered into what she considered to be dangerous territory. "Nice to meet you too."

Ezio's brow lifted as he glanced to Sesshoumaru as his native tongue rolled from his lips, his dark gaze flicking down to Kagome and back again as she turned to look between them in confusion.

"It's time to leave," the demon lord translated easily, "there's a ship that'll take you to his homeland where you will train under him for the next year, after that tim—"

"Year?" Kagome's eyes darted to Inuyasha, his ears flush against his head as he continued to avoid her eyes, "we can't even understand each other."

"That is something you will ultimately learn then," Sesshoumaru glared at the interruption, "you will undergo his training for a year and return to aid in the defeat of Naraku as you are the reason we are in this mess with that trinket that was torn from your body. I will drag you there kicking and screaming myself if I have to."

"What kind of training am I even-"

"The kind that will change you from being the weak little priestess that you are into a formidable opponent that doesn't need as much protecting," Sesshoumaru offered.

Kagome sputtered and snapped her head to the silent man at her side, as much as she didn't want it to betrayal welled in her chest and she was sure it was all over her face as she openly stared. Ezio's face seemed to soften, almost as if he could see through her pained expression to what was going through her head. Crossing his right arm over his chest as he hinged slightly at his waist before straightening in a series of soft mumbles and holding his arm out palm up. Swallowing hard at the sharp point that was poking out of the gauntlet at his wrist, Kagome's mouth opened and shut, 'who exactly is this guy?'

Her hazel eyes met Ezio's darker brown ones as she shook her head sadly, "fine..." the word left her mouth before she meant for it to, ignoring his hand and crossing her arms as she shifted to stare at the two demons behind her. "Sit tight," she didn't flinch when Inuyasha slammed into the ground in a series of angry shouts, head lifting and blinking the tears of anger away, "and I'll be back in a year. Inuyasha, make sure you go home for me and tell mom and Souta what decision you chose behind my back."

Satisfied at her parting words, she moved closer to her fallen bag and hefted it over her shoulder with a final glare, determination and annoyance still clearly visible in her eyes as she chanced a sneer at the demon lord that to her seemed the master mind behind this plan, "I'll show you weak... and I'm taking my chips with me!"

2 Years Later—Present Day, Germany

Boots crunched against the glass scattered across the floor of the room, arms crossing as the figure gazed at the man in the corner, his eyes blank and unseeing as his arms hung limply at his sides.

"Sorry about this… I'm sure your friends will give you a wonderful funeral and talk of how great you were," a smile curved Kagome's lips upwards as she stared at the body from under her hood, "but you shouldn't have visited that girl, you knew whom her father was and how young she was."

The nails of her right hand drummed lightly against the white of her pants, index finger of her left hand tapping her mouth as her head tilted in thought, "I was only too happy to take him as my new client when he told me what you did… I may be an assassin but there are some things even I don't condone."

'I should have demanded more money,' pulling the burner phone from her pocket, she flipped it open and aimed the camera forward and snapped a picture before sending it to the no named number in her log.

"Pleasure to meet you, by the way." she gave a sharp nod as she stood, striding back through the apartment to the window, scaling down the wall with ease and landing silently on her feet.


"Here, as promised."

Kagome blinked down at the case beside her stool and inclined her head slightly, slowly climbing from her perch as she sipped her water, "I appreciate the chance to serve… thanks for your business."

Saluting the man with her glass she smirked at his annoyed huff, bending for the case and turning to make her way through the seedy bar they agreed to meet in. A hand closing on her wrist had her stiffening, glaring from under her hood and lifting her hand as her blade slid free; inhaling sharply when the man's hand knocked hers from where she was directing it to his face.

"Cute, have a seat before I decide to draw some real attention to our table."

Kagome's tongue darted out to wet her bottom lip before complying silently, she didn't want to admit that the ease he knocked her blade from target had shaken her, that hadn't happened since… "can I help you?"

"You can actually," he leaned back into the bench, keeping special care to ensure she couldn't see his face. "I'd like to hire you."

Kagome arched a brow knowing he couldn't see the movement from under her hood and remained silent, waiting patiently for him to continue as she crossed her arms.

"I'm Doctor Elliot," he held a hand across the table before smirking from his spot in the shadows when she refused to take it, "are you familiar with Gotham City?"

"The city with all the issues?"

A chuckle that made her skin crawl reached Kagome's ears, pressing further against the bench as her eyes darted around the darkened bar. The door was close enough, if she didn't worry about the case beside her she could make it easily; she couldn't exactly pinpoint what it was about this man that had her so jumpy, but she didn't like it.

"That's the one, I want you to kill someone for me," Elliot's voice held a small tinge of amusement in his words, seeming to enjoy watching the Assassin squirm before him. "Are you up for it?"

"That comes with a price, I'm not cheap."

"I don't doubt that, how about… $4 million dollars for the death of Batman, is that a suitable sum for you?"

Kagome blinked rapidly at the price that was more than she had made since she started being a killer for hire. 'It would pay off all of Souta's medical bills and then some,' the idea warmed her insides, she'd be able to put away the blades and relax for a bit… "What's the catch?" her arms lowered to the table, leaning closer and tilting her head; that kind of money for one person had to mean nothing good to come with it.

"None, with how many people that have tried and failed to kill the Bat I thought perhaps the newcomer would have a better chance," Elliot grabbed the glass on top of the table and shook the ice, eyes catching the light and glinting at her from the shadows, "what do you say, have we got a deal?"

His hand reached across the table, fingers splaying in the air as he waited for her to grab the appendage. Kagome's mouth twisted as she bit the inside of her cheek, staring at the man's hand as her fingers began to drum against the table nervously. As much as Kagome wanted to jump all over the job, the vibes she was picking up from the man was distracting, "I don't like to be placed on a timeline and I don't like to be contacted."

"All at your pace, I'm a patient man." Elliot shifted his arm and shook his hand at her.

'Not worth it… something's not right,' Kagome winced as she bit too hard against her cheek, blinking out of her thoughts and dropping her right hand reluctantly to grab his, "this could take weeks or months, I mean it—do not attempt to contact me, I'll reach out when it's finished, if you start attempting to search for me or contact me you forfeit our agreement and the deal is off."

"I understand completely."

Kagome gave a nod of finality and yanked her hand away, grabbing the case she had set on the bench beside her and slide from the booth; her head snapping to the hand that was once more wrapped around her wrist. "Unhand me before you loose it."

Elliot's chuckle reached her ears, stiffening as he passed a small piece of folded paper her way, "when you get to Gotham, I've got $500,000 at this location for you; consider it a down payment, it's all yours."

"Generous," she plucked the paper from his hand and tucked it into her pocket as she moved for the door. Kagome glanced over her shoulder the further from the building she moved, inhaling sharply at the man that seemed to be watching her every move as the familiar feeling of unease gripped her. 'I think I just made a deal with the devil…'

Non hai menzionato la potenza del suo spirito—You failed to mention how fiery her spirit is

Mi piace questa—I like this one

Ho pensato che potresti—I thought you might