Kagome's eyes traveled the length of Ezio's body, glancing around the busy port and shifting her bag higher over her shoulder with a frown. Was it customary in Italy to take women from their home country back for… whatever training he had in mind? 'I've survived this long without any special training and how do they know this guy won't kill me on the boat or worse?'
Her breath hitched in her throat at the thought, glancing down at her skirt with a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach; she didn't particularly trust Sesshoumaru's judgement their meeting in the clearing being the most he'd ever spoken to her.
The yellow bag fell from her shoulder, the sound louder than she anticipated as she ignored the Italian man's rumbling words. Whirling on her heel she shot forward, turning this way and that as she darted between the crowds gathered, 'I can't do it.'
"Sorry, excuse me!" the jolt that shot through her body made her inhale sharply, stooping to pick the bag up for the older man that she collided with. "Forgive me, sir."
She chanced a quick bow with a smile, eyes sweeping the direction she had come from before darting forward. If she could put enough distance between her and this Ezio guy… a strangled 'no' left her lips as she found herself tackled from behind, staring into the shining eyes of Ezio as he kneeled over her.
"Sei veloce, uccellino; va bene, dovrai essere veloce." He chuckled lightly and trailed his finger over her cheek, shifting his knees to keep from cutting circulation off her arms, "Mi alzo e non corri più, capito?"
Ezio shoved to his feet with a grunt, holding his hand down to help the woman under him. He retracted it with thinly veiled exasperation as she shoved his hand away and scooted from between his legs to climb to her feet, dusting herself off and avoiding his eyes. "I don't want to go, I'd rather die at Naraku's hands then go with you."
"Rilassati uccellino, entrambi dovremo fidarci dell'altro. Giuro che non arriverà alcun danno a te mentre sei con me," Ezio braced his arm over Kagome's shoulder as she leaned against the building at her back in an effort to look casual to lessen the amount of eyes they had drawn. "Ti darò gli strumenti per essere uno dei miei migliori protetti nella Fratellanza ... ma devi fidarti di me."
"I really have no idea what you're saying," Kagome grumbled, "and I doubt you know what I'm saying…" shifting uncomfortably under his gaze, she nodded reluctantly and dropped her arms with a shrug, "alright fine, clearly I can't lose you in a crowd like I thought I could. Where's our boat?"
Present Day
Kagome rubbed her eyes as she dodged the people on the streets, her destination nestled nicely on the edge of the block making her move faster. She hoped Souta wasn't too upset about her being gone for the last week and a half, she had hated it as much as she was sure he had.
"Hi Janice."
"Good morning Miss Higurashi, you're here later than normal."
"I was apartment hunting all morning," Kagome supplied with a tired smile.
"Poor thing, you're absolutely drained," Janice pointed to the visitors pass on the edge of her desk with a sympathetic look. "What've you got there?"
"Contraband," a twinkle in Kagome's eye matched the receptionist's, she may have brought him a little apology gift to make up for her being gone. "It's going to be a good day for him Janice, I can feel it!"
"I hope so, that brother of yours is a sweetheart," Janice waved as Kagome all but skipped for the elevator.
Kagome sagged against the wall of the lift, watching the numbers climbing higher as her chest clenched in worry. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't worried about what she was about to walk into, Souta's condition had been so all over the place since their transfer from Japan and there were moments she half expected him to be dead on her next visit, especially when time had passed between them.
"Hello Miss Higurashi, the doctor's just finishing up with your brother."
"I can wait," she smiled and signed onto the visitor's log, "How are you Geri?"
"Ready for my shift to be over," Geri tucked a ginger lock of hair from her face and pointed to the brown bag, "what's in the bag?"
"Cannoli's," Kagome's smile turned sheepish, "Souta was asking for something with flavor and what's better than—"
"He's on a strict diet," Geri drummed her nails on the counter, disapproval on her face before shaking her head, "but I also know the circumstances… if anyone asks I never asked what was in the bag."
"Thanks Geri, I'll bring you one tomorrow."
Geri smiled and nodded, "I'll hold you to that Miss Higurashi, but I prefer donuts."
"Yes ma'am, I can do that." Saluting the nurse with the bag, Kagome turned to the hall that held her brother's room, poking her head inside with a shy smile, "how's he doing today?"
"I'm not on my deathbed," Souta answered quickly before a coughing fit overtook him.
"He's not out of the woods yet," the doctor confirmed, bracing his hand on the footboard of Souta's bed with a smile, "but he's stable."
"No more seizures?"
Souta drew a ragged breath at the question, settling back against his pillows as his hollow eyes dragged to his sister's face; mouth twitching to give a weak smile. "I'm okay."
"No more seizures," the doctor turned his attention to Kagome and moved closer. "A word?"
Kagome gave a shallow nod, setting the bag to the chair in the corner and following the man into the hall nervously, "is everything alright?"
"I'm growing increasingly concerned for him, we got the results from the echocardiogram and it showed his heart is enlarged; I want to do surgery in an attempt to rectify the coronary artery disease before it becomes a larger issue."
Kagome inwardly winced and glanced away; she shouldn't have been so surprised as his old doctor's said there would be a possibility of this happening in the future. Surgery meant more money… "He's only 14…" she berated herself internally for how quickly her mind turned to the financial aspect when her brother was fighting for his life just inside of the room, plus she had that down payment now, they weren't hurting too badly again just yet. "Doctor Blackwell isn't there—will he survive?"
Doctor Blackwell rushed to answer her question before shutting his mouth and sliding his hands into the pockets of his lab coat, "it's… he may live longer after surgery."
"No guarantee?"
"Nothing's a guarantee with how severe his condition is," Blackwell glanced at the door and back, pulling a hand free and laying it on her shoulder, "take a day or so to think it over."
"No, I don't need to… he needs it so," she nodded and forced a smile as her answer trailed off. Doctor Blackwell stared a moment longer before nodding, "I'll have the papers drawn up for you to look over on your way out."
"Thank you," she turned for the door and exhaled the nerves she suddenly felt before shoving through the barrier. "Sorry about that, how are you feeling?"
"Like shit, the same way I've been feeling for the last five months," Souta's head lolled to the side and eyed the brown pastry bag that had been discarded on the chair, "what's that?"
"A treat," Kagome cleared her throat and brought the bag to him, "only because I'm starting to feel sorry for you."
"Screw you and your great immune system."
"One of us had to take after grandma… and the universe must think they did enough sending me hurtling through time for three years." She smiled and retreated back to the chair before dragging it to his bedside, "this is also an apology for leaving like I did."
Souta made a strangled noise of delight in the back of his throat at the treats staring back at him from the inside of the bag. "I'm used to it sis, after those three years—sorry two I forgot you weren't around that third year, not your fault! Besides, I'm sure you've got a life outside of my hospital room, at least I hope you do," he mustered a shaky smile before giving his full attention to the treats Kagome had smuggled into the building, "you brought me cannoli's; I thought the nurse was going to shove tapioca pudding down my throat for lunch yesterday."
"Disgusting."
"I tried telling her that," Souta exhaled his held breath around the treat in his mouth, eyes closing as he allowed the taste to wash over him. "I should have died in the house with mom and gramps."
Kagome inhaled sharply and lunged from the chair to his bed, her hands overtop his as she leaned closer, "don't you dare ever say that again."
"It's better than this!" he leaned forward and glared, "I'm dying here slowly… and I should have died there."
"You're not dying, not if I can help it," her fingers gripped his chin gently, wishing not for the first time she had something more useful to offer him other than her purification abilities. "I'm not going to lose you, I will do everything I can to save you, okay?"
Souta groaned softly and fell back against his pillows as he turned his eyes to the window silently.
Kagome tilted her head in an attempt to bring her brother's attention back to her, fingers faltering against his hands before tightening her grip, "okay?"
Souta's head turned to hers slowly, the desperation that was clinging to that one word making him cringe; he couldn't ever remember hearing her sound so pleading and scared, even when he saw her emerging from the well house as he stood with Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru covered in blood. "Fine."
Nodding at the forced answer, Kagome grabbed the balled up brown bag in her brother's lap and crossed the room. Not for the first time she found herself staring at the scarred ring around the fourth finger of her left hand before frowning as guilt washed over her, if he could see her now…
"I'm sorry Souta, I spaced," she turned with an apologetic smile, "what were you trying to say?"
"I'm falling asleep," he inhaled deeply as his lashes fluttered, "I guess this is my way of kicking you out."
Kagome snorted a laugh at his dismissal as she closed the distance to his bedside, "get some rest, brat. I have an interview anyway to go and get ready for."
"No way!" Souta blinked himself awake and struggled to sit, falling back against his pillows in defeat, "where?"
"Um… The Iceberg Lounge in Gotham?"
Souta snorted at the location and shook his head before shrugging, "you know… the guy that run's it is a surprisingly good employer to the women he hires so I hear. Don't give me that surprised look, I don't have much else to do in here but read."
"I'm impressed that you actually looked into the city is all."
"Been looking into a lot of things lately… like the hits the wealthy and elite in the world keep getting from the Assassin."
Kagome arched a brow and pursed her lips; it wasn't escaping her notice the accusatory look he was giving her. He was a smart kid and he had marveled at the gear she wore her last trip through the well, it was inevitable he'd put two and two together. "Yeah?"
"You know anything about that? This Assassin person?" he mumbled softly. He coughed from deep in his chest, grimacing at the flecks of blood that landed on the sleeve of his hospital gown before folding it just so that his sister's worried gaze couldn't see it.
"Get some rest Souta," Kagome's voice hardened, signaling the end of his inquiry as she reached up to brush his hair back from his face. "I'll be back tomorrow."
"Good luck on the interview."
Kagome whispered a thanks and paused in the doorway to watch him snuggle deeper into his blankets before her fingers drummed the doorframe, head leaning against the entry way as she leaned lazily against the wood.
"Tell me, why do you want to work for me?" Oswald Cobblepot gazed at Kagome carefully over her resume, setting it down slowly as his beady eyes narrowed in anticipation of her answer.
'I don't, but I heard Batman's easy to find when you're at the center of a criminal empire…' Kagome smiled and dashed the silent answer from the forefront of her mind before it threatened to fall from her lips, "I feel like it would be a great experience to work for one of the top businessmen in Gotham. I also possess a combination of skills and experiences that make me stand out from others and I know I would be a great addition to your team."
Oswald hummed and drummed his fingers on the top of his desk, leaning back in his chair with a thoughtful frown before lifting his hand to remove his monocle and clean it with the square in his breast pocket. "What makes you think that?"
"I thrive in a high-pressure environment."
Fixing the monocle back in place Oswald picked her resume back up and scanned the words she had written hours ago, "going from a martial arts instructor to waitress is a bit of a stretch… I'll give you a chance though. You'll be on the evening shift tomorrow, be here early to fill out your paperwork and get your uniform."
"Thank you so much for this opportunity Mr. Cobblepot, you won't be disappointed." Kagome shot to her feet and bowed low, giving a slight wave as she backed out of his office. "Thank you again!"
"Lark, see Miss Higrahi out."
'Higurashi,' she corrected internally with a grimace, the guy may treat his women well but he didn't do much for trying to correct how badly he had been butchering her name throughout the interview.
"Be here at three, there are some things that we'll need to go over before doors open at seven. Wear your hair however you want to, bring your ID and—" Lark's face hardened at the ringing that sounded from Kagome's pocket, "no phones."
"Oh… uh… my brother's in New York, he's at the hospital and it doesn't look good can I have it on silent?" the priestesses hand pressed the button to silence the sound, "please?"
"I'll talk it over with Penguin, no checking it on the floor though if he says yes." Lark shoved the back entrance used exclusively by the employees open as she mulled the request over, "although, I don't know where you'll keep it."
Kagome giggled nervously and shrugged; it wasn't like she could leave it in her locker in case the worst did happen, "I'll figure it out; see you tomorrow."
Her phone ringing a second time had her digging for the device, glowering at the screen and silencing it once more as she shoved it back in her pocket. 'Let him worry.' Rolling her shoulders back she made for the entrance of the alley she was released to and inhaled deeply, glancing around the streets, "how… do I get to my place again?"
'You would get lost,' groaning softly Kagome started forward, wishing she could scale the fire escapes for a better view of the city. Her phone vibrating against her hip had her closing her eyes in annoyance, pulling the device free and bringing it to her ear, "Inuyasha, when someone doesn't answer your phone calls it means they don't want to talk to you."
"You ever going to stop being mad?"
"No."
"Come on, I didn't… Kagome I don't know what you want to hear from me. I don't know how—"
"I didn't ask for a lot Inuyasha, just that you would go back and tell them what happened. Souta said they hadn't heard anything for the entire year that I was gone and by then someone had come in and killed mom and gramps. I have a right to be mad."
"Yeah but—"
"Let me be mad, stop calling me." Kagome stopped at the crosswalk and glanced around in confusion. Why did every street in this city look the same? "I mean it, I have enough going on in my life right now I don't need to be dealing with you too."
"Can we help?" the question was soft and filled with guilt. This had been the first time she had associated that emotion with the half-demon since that day beside the well when it was written all over his face before she left with Ezio.
"No." the answer left her mouth before she could even think about the question. Pressing the red button, the phone slid easily in her pocket as she moved to cross the street. Screeching tires made her snap her head in the direction as she paused mid-step, brow furrowing as she watched the speeding car hurtle in her direction.
'Gotham, so far you're not disappointing.' Her eyes widened as the other pedestrians rushed past her, eyes narrowing at the old woman moving slowly as others passed her by. "Watch it, grandma."
Guilt crashed over her at the surprised look on the woman's face as she fell over her own feet into another pedestrian; hazel eyes swept the area quickly, stepping back as she coiled her body in preparation to jump out of the path. Her body lurched as something slammed into her back, sending her tumbling to the edge of the street before being pulled to the sidewalk as the car careened past.
"Sorry, you weren't moving."
Kagome grunted and nodded, to anyone that wasn't in her head she supposed it looked like she froze, "it's okay… thanks…"
"Dick Grayson."
"Nice to meet you," she gave a tight smile and moved slow to climb to her feet, she wasn't exactly looking for a name. Her breath came out sharp as her ankle throbbed with the weight she placed on it, groaning low in her throat as she shifted.
"Your hurt, let me help you to—"
"It's fine, just a sprain."
"Let me get you to a doctor."
"Not necessary," Kagome waved him off and wobbled on her solid foot, "I don't like hospitals."
"Can I offer you something better than a hospital?" Dick suggested with a shrug, hands shoved deep in his pockets, "he's a lot better than a doctor too."
Hazel eyes assessed him easily, brow arching as she looked over his GCPD uniform and her head lifted. What was it about her that seemed to scream for random guys to drag her places? 'I must have that sign on my back…' "Really it's not that bad." She moved to place weight on her foot, her knee buckling as her hand shot out to grab the nearest steady object, it was much worse than she thought.
"What um… what'd you have in mind Officer Grayson?"
Sei veloce, uccellino; va bene, dovrai essere veloce—You're a quick one little bird; that's good, you'll need to be quick
Mi alzo e non corri più, capito?—I'm going to get up and you will not run again, understand?
Rilassati uccellino, entrambi dovremo fidarci dell'altro. Giuro che non arriverà alcun danno a te mentre sei con me.—Relax little bird, we both are going to have to trust the other. I vow no harm will come to you while you're with me.
Ti darò gli strumenti per essere uno dei miei migliori protetti nella Fratellanza ... ma devi fidarti di me.—I will give you the tools to be one of my best protégé's in the Brotherhood… but you have to trust me
