Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or its characters; that right belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. Nor do I own One Piece or its characters; that right belongs to Eiichiro Oda.
The sound of many feet rushing around in the hallways as the ship dove had her blinking her eyes. She knew his crew was not that big, just a little over a skeleton crew to man the submarine. But then again, her last-minute information she had acquired had them all rushing still. It had not been fair to make this situation end as it had. But Marie Joles was looking for her, and she refused to go back. She would not be a tool for those pompous, inflated ego dick sucking bastards. Escaping them had taken a lot.
With a long-suffering sigh as she sat on the edge of the cold metal table, her eyes looked at the rooms only other occupant, who had been rather staunch about not letting Sehomaru into a medical room. Something she understood completely. Not that Sehomaru was just any old animal, but she'd leave it up to the two males to work that out. Until then, this man, Trafalgar D. Water Law, was now her Captain, and she had to obey him.
"You can quit staring, it won't make me go any quicker," he said his back still to her as he finished doing whatever it was he was doing.
Rolling her eyes, she stuck her tongue at him.
"And stop acting like a child, Lady Kagome," his voice came mockingly at her.
Pulling her tongue in and narrowing her eyes at him, not quite sure how he knew what she was doing. But then again, with all the shiny, reflective surfaces in the room, it was not a big surprise. The man had to survive this long, so he had to have some inherent instinct. If he knew that the 'Devil' fruit he had eaten didn't just give him powers but also made him something mythological, she wondered how he'd react to that knowledge.
Stifling a giggle behind her hands as he turned to look at her. A tray in his hands as he just let his yellow eyes stare at her. Making it even harder not to giggle at him. The hiss of annoyance that left his lips as he strode towards her had Kagome sitting up a bit straighter as she met his gaze head-on. It was a pretty intense gaze, but after her adventures with a certain demon lord in feudal Japan, this was nothing.
"If you are done with whatever amused you, we can begin," he said bluntly.
Sighing as she arched an eyebrow, Kagome spun and laid down on the table. Her eye was never leaving his as she waved her hands along her body.
"Do your thing," she quipped.
The narrowing of his eyes as he smiled at her had her feeling as if the blood in her veins was freezing. It was predatory and promised something dark.
"Then open your shirt enough to bare the area above your heart. I do not wish to take your clothes," Law said, his voice oozing disinterest.
That was fine as she smiled up at him, complying with his request quickly. Which only seemed to incense him. Not that she cared at this moment.
"Is this good enough, Captain?" she asked, making her voice polite and sweet.
The twitch she got out of him as he lifted his hands and muttered a single word. When nothing happened, Kagome felt her eyes widening in shock as heat suffused her face, neck, and ears.
"Sorry..." she mumbled as she released the bind on his ability.
The way his body visibly relaxed as she did let her know that he was suspicious of her. Which was good, since to everyone else on this tin can, she was easy pickings. At least with him, she could halt him for a bit... at a cost... Soon enough, he spoke the word again, and a bubble appeared around them. Next, he spoke as he curled his hand again, so only his point and middle finger were left out as she felt an odd tugging at her chest.
Gasping in surprise when a square rose from where her heart was, Kagome looked utterly amazed. She could see it pulsing with the steady beating of her head, but also the power of the jewel that was hidden in her heart. Casting a glance at Law, she saw that he was focused on it as well. His face blank, though those yellow eyes told her that he was curious about the power it radiated.
"I can answer your question, but you have to ask it. Also, don't let that power lull you. It's all a lie," Kagome said softly, a hint of sadness in her voice.
The look he gave her was nothing but utter contempt. He was telling her that he was intrigued but didn't need the power. Not aware of it until he looked surprised that Kagome realized that she was relieved, and it showed.
"You can answer questions tonight in my cabin. This is where I will be keeping this under lock and key, along with all the other hearts I have in my collection," Law stated before putting it on the tray, then spinning and leaving the room. "Go to your cabin and get rest. This can be exhausting for most people."
It was not kind, but she took it that way as she nodded her head to his back as it vanished.
"Are you okay?" Sehomaru asked her mentally.
Smiling as she sat up and fixed her top, Kagome gave her reply, "Yes. A little tired. He said to rest in the cabin, and we'd talk later tonight..."
The soft huff she got as she strolled to the door, where Sehomaru was sitting. His large head tilted to the side as she reached out and stroked his muzzle, earning a pleased, yet grumpy growl before standing up and walking to their cabin, which was near the Captains of course to rest.
The woman was infuriating, saying the least, and very childish. But as he sat there at his desk, looking at the cube that contained her heart, he wondered just what kind of secrets she had. The power that this thing gave off was not to be ignored. He had what he needed and a plan in place to get his revenge. So the way the power tried to ensnare him as if it was alive, was not working.
Curling his lip and snarling at the cube, Law moved his chair back and unlocked a hidden floor panel under his desk. There beneath was a collection of hearts from several naval marines as well as prominent figures in the government. Carefully he set Kagome's heart separate from the others. Not sure if that power it emanated would have an irreversible effect on them.
Once it was secure, he closed and locked the panel back into place. He pulled papers across his desk. The paperwork he should have had plenty of time to get done before they had left. Again he felt that tic under one eye; he didn't like his plans being modified last minute or ruined. Avoiding the Celestial Dragons from Marie Joles was important. That was the trouble that he didn't need. Even as a Shichibukai. The head of the Naval Headquarters still had to kiss those asses feet.
Time passed by before he knew it. A knock on his door had him calling enter. Seeing a crewman come in with a tray of food for him had Law glancing at the clock he kept on hand. Time had passed by, and still, he had a bit of work left to do.
"Has the woman been fed yet?" he asked.
The simple Yes, Sir, he had him nodding his head as he continued to do his paperwork. The man not moving at all, waiting for dismissal.
"Bring her and the... mutt to me. Then you are off for the night," he muttered as he stared at the invoice. Wondering how the food bill just kept getting bigger and bigger each time they docked, before realizing the time of the year it was, Bepo.
The man left after giving a sharp salute. Knowing he didn't have long to wait, Law stacked and sorted his paperwork. The finished getting put off to the side to be filed, while the rest remained next to his tray of food, which he was tucking into when a soft knock came on the door.
"Enter," was all he said, knowing who it was already as he finished his food.
When the door swung open, and the dark-haired woman stepped in, dog right behind her, he indicated she should sit in the chair across from him — not saying anything until she did sit down.
"About what you said earlier after the surgery. What did you mean by that?" Law asked. Pushing the tray from in front of him, before resting his elbows on his desk and steepling his fingers as he stared at her.
"Ah... which part?" she asked, acting innocent.
He didn't think she was innocent in any shape or form. So, raising a single eyebrow as he spoke in a monotone voice, "All of it. I mean, you were rather relieved to have it taken out of you. Then the power and the fact you warned me."
The slight drop in her shoulders as she leaned back told him a lot. She was far too open with her expressions and emotions. So as her hand dropped to the large head that was now resting (and looking comfortable) in her lap, he waited.
"It... is what I guard. A thing that is a part of my body, but not by choice. And it is sentient, hence the warning. It is an ancient artifact I was born within my body," Kagome said. It was sufficient but didn't explain anything. And from the look in her eyes and set of her jaw, she would not elaborate further.
It finally made him realize why the contract was worded the way it was. So deciding to move on to a different thing, Law smiled darkly as he asked his next question, "You implied that you were being chased. By whom? And why?"
The way she sighed as she watched him, her eyes reminding him of the ocean at night, dark and fathomless. "The Celestial Dragons from Marie Joles. And you have your answer locked up here in this room. And from where that annoying power is coming from somewhere in the floor near your desk," her words were hollow.
It struck him as odd that the Celestial Dragons would hunt her of all people, but then again, that power could be a source that they'd covet. Law now had a few new puzzle pieces to work with.
"What is the extent of your abilities or powers?" he asked, keeping the questions easy for now.
Kagome sat up under his watchful gaze, a small smile on her lips as she shook her head, hand stilling for a mere second or two on the dog's head as she did so. "Well... that depends on what you know about Mikos and priestesses, Captain," she drawled out.
The way she said Captain had him wanting to strangle her. But what she said had him wracking his brain on that topic. He knew that monks and priests existed, hence religion. The knowledge he had was meager. Just that they were there to cleanse and heal.
"Not much. That they cleanse and heal others based on their religion," Law replied. They were watching as she snorted and flopped back, disappointed.
"You are not wrong, but that is not correct either, Captain," She said, again voice hollow. "Priestesses and Monks that is their basic functions. Mikos, though, is another story. We can summon our spirit or soul, depends, manifesting it. That is what I used to seal your devil fruit ability the last two times. I can also use it to bind things, create barriers, real fuda's that work and arrows to shoot. On top of healing and cleansing."
He couldn't be stopped his other eyebrow jumping upon his forehead at what he just heard. A person with that unique power was both unheard of and dangerous. No wonder the Dragons wanted Kagome back. Since he already made the logical leap that they came to that port looking for her. But it was how she got the information that they'd even be there and about what time.
"How did you know about the Celestial Dragons arriving?" he asked.
"Again, my abilities... Miko's can talk to spirits, bot elemental, and the dead that linger. I have friends in lofty places if you will," she said, smiling at him, through her eyes said she would speak no more on that one.
Feeling perturbed, Law motioned for her to leave while pushing his tray towards her. Already his attention was focused back on the paperwork he had left to do. The soft huff from her was barely heard as his tray left the very edge of his vision. His mind was already shifting and sorting through all the information she just gave him. It was not a lot, but it was very potent and useful. But what struck him as odd, it was a show of trust she gave him because he could use it against her.
TBC!