Holy crap…it's been a while since I've updated…I must sincerely apologize for making all of my readers wait so long on this, but school was really a pain (especially final exams) and…well, I don't really have an excuse besides that, (except possibly procrastination,) which isn't really an excuse in the first place, heh.
I hope you all enjoy this chapter; I tried to make it worthwhile!
And just a note to all of you who are a bit squeamish: I think I'm pushing the pg-13 limit on this…it gets a tad bloody, eheh. For most ghost in the shell fans, this shouldn't be too much of a problem, but just an fyi
Anyways, enjoy!
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Ch. 8
Batou's face was a pure grimace as he glanced over their previous records in the section 9 database. Wrinkles on his forehead creased and folded in thought, his prosthetic eyes scanned the computer screens for anything viable.
"Any luck yet?"
"Hasn't changed from 10 minutes ago, Ishkawa…"
The bearded man smirked. "Me neither."
Batou huffed, and continued scrolling down the database lists. "This is just really weird. A sudden interest in recent sword killings without an explanation isn't really the chief's style."
"Well, he's never lead us astray before, I see no reason to now." Ishkawa shrugged. "Besides, this way we get to see all of the sadistic bastards of society…"
"Your sarcasm sucks, did you know that?"
A furry eyebrow quirked. "Someone's panties are in a bunch…"
"Ha. Ha. Ha," the white-haired man muttered, his focus going back to the screen. "You're just a regular comedian tonight…"
"And you need to cool it. At least we have something to DO now, besides playing water balloons with the tachikomas…" he shuddered slightly. "Now THAT was scary…"
Batou's eyebrows (ridges…since he doesn't have any, heheh) lowered in annoyed irritation, but he continued on as if nothing had happened. "Yeah…Anyways, there are a few things that are bugging me."
Ishkawa drew down the eyepiece designed to assist with online pursuits. "And what's that?"
"First of all, I don't like the idea of the Major going off on her own like that all the time…"
"Just jealous 'cause you wanna be with her, lover boy…"
If Batou had had normal eyes, they'd have narrowed. "…plus it's the whole new thing that's all over the news."
Ishkawa immediately switched out of 'make fun of the big guy' mode, and his voice turned serious. "I agree, probably the whole reason why we're investigating is because of that series of homicides in that bar."
"No witnesses, no noise…just people run through with some kinda weapon…my guess would be a sword, I'd think."
"Well, DUH, that's why the chief is making us investigate the old sword homicides."
"You're going down a trail to painful destruction, pal, if you keep this up."
Ishkawa ignored the threat and continued on. "Besides, Motoko is the best of all of us, (at least in theory…) right? If something were to happen, she'd be the most capable of coming out alive."
Batou sighed heavily, his fingers finding their way to his temples. "I guess you're right."
His words did nothing to quell the feeling of fear and concern in his chest. Dammit, why did that stupid bitch have to do everything on her own?
0o0o0o0o0o0
A slim figure stepped across the scene, a slight stagger in her step from the sheer stench of the dead.
This wasn't a homicide, or even a string of them, Motoko reminisced to herself. This was a massacre.
The police were still scrambling all over the scene, attempting to piece together bits of bodies and find out who's hands were whose and other disgusting orientations. Despite all of her years on the force, she could have sworn she actually tasted a wave of phlegm from back in her throat.
Strange, she thought, that a full cyborg would feel that.
She quickly shook the idea from her mind, getting back to the important, though gut-wrenchingly grotesque, task at hand.
Her slender legs swiftly carried her over the area, a few of the local police giving her a look or two as she passed. She waved them off as lustful insects, making sure that a few of them KNEW that, too, (one or two men were thrown into a neighboring wall after a rather…"crude" comment,) and proceeded onwards through the blood-bathed bar.
A quick inquiry of the police revealed no witnesses, no survivors, just this huge pointless slaughter. She sighed irritably. What the hell was she supposed to DO, then? Just sit back and watch or something like that?
She inwardly cursed several times over, and proceeded into corpse-infested bar. A hand covered her wrinkled nose; however it did nothing to hide the grimace that plastered her features.
She was just about to exit, when she suddenly stopped. The major turned on her heels and glided towards a reddened wall. There, she knelt and ran her fingers along the pierced wooden surface. It was obvious that some sort of weapon had pieced it…probably a side effect of running someone through with a dirk or sword. However, it wasn't the fact that the mark actually existed that perturbed her.
It was the fact that the sword had pierced the pipes BEHIND the wood…and quite easily, by the looks of it…Resting a finger on the inside of the hole, she jerked sideways, ripping out a panel with a loud crack and a shower of hardened, crusted blood.
The pipes were pierced easily…FAR too easily. Motoko could vaguely hear the voices of protesting police officers, something about destruction of evidence, but she paid them no mind. In the spots where the blade would have touched, it looked like the bar had…melted…
But how was that possible? Surely a normal sword wouldn't have been able to do that…
She shook her head. She was truly confused, to say the very least. With all the blood, this must have been an attack with a melee weapon, that much was obvious, as well as the constant bickering from Batou and Ishkawa on their com-link was definite proof of that. But what kind of a melee weapon could have done THIS kind of damage?
Chairs had been completely sliced in half like a hot butter through cheese; there were several long (and incredibly bloody) slashes along the wall, not to mention that piercing of the pipes in the wall…
She grimaced again as her foot stuck to the floor from drying blood. She felt sorry for the bar owner…even if he HAD survived this serial killer's excursion, there would have been several thousand dollars in cleaning and damage costs, not to mention he'd probably go out of business, anyways, since no one would want to drink at a place that had been a previous slaughterhouse.
It only took a moment to relay the information she had found to Ishkawa and Batou. Shortly thereafter, she departed, heading for her apartment.
If nothing else, she needed a shower to help cleanse her thoughts.
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The man with no name swung the sword freely, squealing with glee as the unholy blade struck another innocent target, sending another splatter of blood across the pavement. Oh wait! There was another one! Another stupidly happy grin carved out his lips.
Stupid! Didn't these funny people ever realize that he was just going to kill them if they came near?
Sou'unga sighed, if a demonic sword could. Seriously, didn't this man ever tire of being evil? Okay, every man after they had found the legendary sword of hell went on a bit of a slaughter right at first, but they they'd have started plans of world domination by now, wouldn't they?
Man…being a diabolical genius sucked sometimes…
He felt himself being swung through another neck recklessly, the decapitated head bouncing down the street comically and into a screaming group of people.
Gods, this man was an idiot…
Sou'unga's blade glowed for a moment
Come, we waste time here…
"Aw…but you said you'd let me have my FUN, Shiny…" the man said with a pout, whirling with the image in mind that he was a ballerina dancer, sending a few more dismembered bodies flying.
You need to keep their bodies intact, otherwise they're useless to us, the sword murmured inside the man's brain. Just keep to stabbing them.
"Aw, but then you don't get to see their organs rearranged, Shiny…"
The sword of hell sighed once again. Why couldn't being evil be easier? And why did he have to be called "Shiny"? All humans look the same on the inside, why does it matter that ALL of their bodies be dismembered?
"Because it's FUN!" the man laughed, the sadistic grin on his face splattered with blood as he continued his pursuits.
YOU WILL LISTEN TO ME NOW! The glow of the orb on the handle of the blade turned red-hot, and the man with no name stopped in his tracks. Tentacles emerged, and in a tangled storm, wrapped themselves around his right arm with a sickening crunch of bone.
The man screamed in pain, and tried in vain to push the tentacles off. Listen to be now, BOY… the blade started. I'm giving you power beyond your wildest dreams, and all that you can think to do with it is to do an endless slaughter of anyone who passes by!
The man whimpered, too afraid to speak.
Sou'unga sighed once more in irritation. You disgust me…however, you are still of use. Now you can either obey me, or I can FORCE you to do my bidding…
"Not force is good…"
Good. Now, take me to his grave…
"But I don't know—AHH!" the man shrieked as the mental onslaught of information ripped through his mind, the experience leaving his body quivering on the ground.
"Y-yes…Shiny…" He winced again suddenly as the blade glowed again, and quickly added "M-master…"
If Sou'unga had had a face, a sinister grin would have been his expression. Soon, he mused, his purpose would finally be complete.
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"34 bottles of beer on the wall….34 (hic) bottles of beer…"
"Pass one down…pass it around…BRAP!"
"33…bootles ah…beards…on da…"
Thud.
Ayame sighed as the sight of a trio of wolf demons passed out drunk met her vision, the palm of her hand finding itself soon plastered to her forehead with an audible smack. Hakkaku and Ginta had never been good influences on anyone before, but this was just laughably pathetic. The two morons sprawled all over one another, drooling small lakes beneath them in little gleaming fountains of youth…
Or just puddles of dumbass-ism, depending on opinion.
"Come on, Kouga, today we need to get you a job!"
"….."
"Kouga? I'll make you wear the bunny suit again…" she said tauntingly.
"…." Belch.
"Ugh! Kouga, SIT!"
WHAM!
"…." Another muffled burp came from between Kouga and the floor.
"Ugh…Kouga, did you guys really go through 60 bottles of beer?" She knew it was a stupid question, due to the gigantic pile of bottles distributed carelessly about the room, but it was still sadistically humorous, to an extent.
Kouga gurgled happily in his state of unconsciousness.
Had she really promised herself to THIS man, all in the world? When they had first met, he had been so kind, so heroic…even romantic to an extent, carrying her all the way back to her village, and then to the point of seeing a lunar rainbow, something that she doubted she'd ever see again.
Or Kouga, for that matter…the bastard claimed that he didn't even remember. Despite that, she had continued to be faithful to him…
Was she stupid for that?
She stomped out the room, white-hot rage boiling in her veins that she didn't understand coursing through her body. He was a focused, blunt freak who was out of his time, and would never care for her; even now that Kagome was gone…
"BURP!"
More maniacal laughing and drooling could be heard.
Not to mention his means of expression were absolutely atrocious…
0o0o0o0o0o0
InuTaisho's expression was grim as he stared out the window. His ancient eyes narrowed in thought and a clawed finger rested on his chin, his unfocused gaze traveled from window frame to window frame.
"Something troubles you?"
His son's emotionless words were a statement, rather than a question.
"Yes."
Both stood in silence for a moment, both watching the bustle and squabble of the city below, all oblivious to one another yet coexisting in a bizarre and arguably corrupt way of living.
Sesshomaru's hand rested on the hilt of Tetsaiga, quelling the slight quivering of the living blade. "It's Sou'unga, isn't it?"
InuTaisho said nothing, only the slightest dip of his chin of a nod indicating his answer.
"How big of a threat is it?"
"I don't know."
Sesshomaru's eyes widened slightly in surprise, his gaze snapping over to his father. "You don't know? It's your own sword; surely you know its capabilities...Additionally we have both Tenseiga AND Tetsaiga on our side. We can defeat it again…" his voice fell.
He sighed. "You have more secrets…"
His father nodded solemnly. "Sou'unga is the sword of hell: it is always at its most powerful in the netherworld. Thus, what happens after it returns there?"
"It would get more powerful…" Sesshomaru said slowly, not quite sure what his father was getting at.
"Exactly. It's not supposed to get back here, Sesshomaru. I truly don't know if just our swords can stop it this time…"
He paused, a heavy sigh swelling and promptly deflating his chest. "We need the powers of the demon and miko…"
"The mikos are extinct, father," his son stated sourly.
"I know…believe me, I know…"
Both fell silent for a moment, neither able to puncture the pungent mood.
A plane flew by outside, its trail a long icicle of cloud against a smoggy sky.
"What will Sou'unga do next?" Sesshomaru finally asked, more of a rhetorical question than one that demanded an answer. "He'd seek a powerful puppet to overthrow…" with a slight smirk, he added "he might even be so uncreative as to use my discarded arm again…"
"Perhaps, but he'll seek a means of being able to use the dragon twister attack, no doubt about that…"
"Well, you're the most powerful tai-youkai in the land, certainly he'd seek you."
"Another possibility, however it's doubtful."
A slight pang of impatience hit Sesshomaru square in the chest. Even after all of these years, he still spoke in riddles…"How so?"
"Think. I suppressed him for millennia, it's doubtful that he'd seek to return to my hands, even if I DID use his power from time to time. He probably thinks that he can control me now…but…No, he'd want a power-hungry demon to be able to use to his will, and go on with whatever plans he had in mind from there. It would be a far easier course of action, especially since very few demons here would hesitate to kill me if the world's safety were at stake…"
"The only demons of which you describe are long deceased, or are too weak for him to use properly."
"The line between the living and the death is no barrier for Sou'unga, Sesshomaru, you must remember that…"
Both sat once again in silence, a horrific undertone seeping from the air around them.
The dog demon could only think of one being that could control Sou'unga, and if the damned (literally) sword resurrected him…
He shook his head. For the first time in his life, Sesshomaru could feel the first grips of panic setting in on his heart.
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A/N: ok few things for those of you who haven't seen the 3rd Inuyasha movie.
Sou'unga is the sword of hell, and as such is extremely uber powerful and bent on world domination and/or destruction, offering power to humans and making them slaughtering each other pointlessly. Tetsaiga is the sword of man; Tenseiga the sword of heaven. Tetsaiga and Tenseiga alone are no match for it, however together in a combined attack it's possible for them to overpower Sou'unga, which is what happened in the movie. This is also what Sesshomaru is referring to in his line of having both swords on their side.
After this was done, it was sealed, along with Sesshomaru's left arm (presumably) into the netherworld for the rest of eternity.
The swords were the three swords of InuTaisho, Inu and Sessh's dad, and were called "the three swords" (creative, huh?). Being that they all belonged to his father, they can somehow "sense" one another, by vibrations, which is the significance of Tetsaiga vibrating on Sessh's belt.
The story behind the lunar rainbow: You can find the complete story in any Ayame/Kouga fic in the Inuyasha section, but here's the jist of it: Kouga saves kid Ayame from a bird of paradise, a freaky bird monster thing, saves her life, and then takes her back home to her village, they both see a lunar rainbow (thus it's romantic significance) saying that he'd take her as his wife sometime in the future. He forgets, and thus a weird slew of humorous events unfold…and despite Kouga's "engagement" with Ayame, he still remains loyal to Kagome.
Wow, that chapter sucked, didn't it? (Sigh) Well, I'm going to update ASAP, so I hope you enjoy the story thus far!
Constructive criticism welcome, please review!
Peace out
Dak