October 16, 2005

It was dark already, almost too dark to see. A young woman stood outside Café KoKo, the one Kagome had been in earlier that day. She looked impossibly like her, but slightly older and more sophisticated. In spite of her darker appearance as she was lurking in the shadows, a closer look would show that her maturity gave her a more beautiful look than Kagome including beautifully shaped violet eyes. Flipping open her cell phone casually, she dialed a private number and waited as the phone rang. An hour seemed to pass by before a deep voice answered.

"Have you changed your mind, Kikyo?"

She hesitated as nervousness clogged her throat. "Why are you doing this? You don't need me anymore."

A cold, sinister laugh was her reply. "Don't be silly. I'll always need you."

"I've already done enough," Kikyo persisted. "I already did what you told me to. The deal is over."

"Then what? You think you can buy your freedom like this? Don't be a fool." The flicker of hope inside of her died away, and she fought the urge to break down. "Have a good night's rest; your next mission is going to be long." She choked back a surge of tears and prepared to hang up, but not before his malevolent voice drifted into her ears.

"Don't forget, Kikyo. You're mine."

She hung up, a shiver running down her spine as she pulled her cloak tighter around her. It would be all right though, she assured herself. His schemes, even with her as his pawn, would be foiled in the end. After all, she had found her double.

xXx

A shadowy figure stood in the alley, his silver hair dancing lightly in the breeze. If you looked closely, you could see his strong chin and sharp nose, both of the features only accentuating his handsome face. But that wasn't what drew people to him or what frightened them. His eyes. His cold, empty amber eyes that looked as though they were frozen in place. His lips seemed frozen as well, for they never smiled or frowned. They simply stayed in a thin line, emotionless and unnerving.

The man was clad in a tight, black muscle shirt that showed off his well built body with matching dark leather pants. The pants weren't tight, but weren't baggy either. Chains crissed-crossed across the back of his legs and to anyone examining them, they'd seem heavy and annoying, but to him, they were weightless and unnoticeable. That didn't mean he liked them. After all, his dresser had forced him to wear them. Damn annoying girl, she was. A heavy, black trench coat with imperceptible pockets both inside and out completed the look, giving him an air that told people he was to be feared. And oh, how feared he was.

His amber eyes flashed an impatient red as 3 men approached him, two of which were dressed also in black. The third one, however, was dressed in similar clothes, but in a shade of deep violet and his outfit was devoid of any chains. "Who is he?" the silver-haired man asked in a way that they would never mistake as questioning.

The shorter, stockier man spoke up, his gruff voice cutting into the night air. "Another one a' Naraku's henchmen." He spat onto the ground, his eyes full of distaste for his captive. "I told Hiten to jus' shoot 'im, but he says to show 'im to ya first." Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow, but remained quiet. The two men in black said nothing, knowing the deadly silence was not a good sign.

"Where did you find him?" His voice was colder than usual.

"Saint Street," Hiten said quickly. He was tall, even taller than Sesshomaru, but weaker and slightly stringy. "We found him smugglin' some more of that poison they been making."

"Ironic, ain't it?" the man with the accent commented with a crooked grin. "Saint Street, I mean," he explained, catching the odd look his partner was giving him. Hiten rolled his eyes and elbowed him before nodding his head in Sesshomaru's direction. The obviously superior man was not happy.

Before now, Sesshomaru's slender hands were in one of the many bulky pockets inside his trench coat, but now he brought them out. His left hand was holding a gun, and he pointed it at the captive who was huddling helplessly on the ground, both hands chained back by Hiten and the other man in black. "Look at me," he ordered, and almost immediately the captive's head went up. His eyes were pleading, almost terrified, and his pale cheeks were wet with tears. "Why did you gag him?" Sesshomaru inquired of his two allies.

"It was Manten's idea," Hiten responded, a bland look of curiosity on his face as he cocked a head towards his partner.

"Un-gag him," Sesshomaru commanded.

"Eh. That migh' not be the bes' of ideas, boss," Manten remarked, and neither man made a move to do as he said.

In a flash Sesshomaru's right hand dove into his trench coat and brought out another gun, this time pointing it at Manten's head. "Are you questioning me?" he asked icily. Manten's eyes went wide in fear and surprise. His mouth opened to speak, but no words came out of his blubbering lips.

"P-Please, b-boss," Hiten stuttered nervously, "D-don't kill 'im. He didn't mean it. Don't kill my brother."

"Ungag him." He repeated, "Don't make me say it again."

The two men, now identified as brothers, stumbled in their haste to obey his orders. When the captive had been freed, Sesshomaru grabbed the chains that tied his arms together and pulled them upwards, bringing the captive to his feet. The man was about to beg for his life, but stopped short when he gazed into the infamous eyes of his captor. They were callous and completely devoid of any emotion. There was no judgment in those eyes, only an iciness that made him tremble in fear and caused all coherent thoughts to disappear from his head.

"You work for Naraku," Sesshomaru stated, unfazed by the captive's speechlessness. The man nodded wordlessly and he continued. "What are you called?"

"Juuromaru," he answered in a hushed, awed voice.

"Boss," Manten cut in, a freaked out look on his face. "We betta kill 'im. I think he's gay." Hiten elbowed him and gave him a warning look before turning his attention to a slightly amused Sesshomaru.

"Thunder brothers."

"Yeah, boss?" they answered in unison.

"Undress Juuromaru for me."

The looks on their faces were priceless. Two pairs of saucer-sized eyes stared in disbelief at a still emotionless Sesshomaru. "Boss," Manten finally managed to say. "You should really be a comedy-an. Hell, you'd make a bundle a' money wid' dat mask a' yours."

"Comedian, idiot," Sesshomaru corrected. "And I was being serious. Take off his shirt."

They did as he said, but with quivering fingers and sidelong glances at him to see if he would faint at any moment from sickness or fever. It took them an unbearably long time, but when they were finished, the thunder brothers suddenly realized what was going on. "Oh," they chorused.

Juuromaru looked at Sesshomaru in confusion. "Oh? Oh what?"

Sesshomaru ignored him, so Hiten answered for him. "You have Naraku's spider burn on your back. It means you're an elite member, doesn't it? I read once that Onigumo likes to mark the elite members of his gang. Quite an honor for you, ne? Plus, it means that couldn't have been just poison you were smuggling. A job like that would be for one of the lesser henchmen." He glared at him, "You were stealing our supplies, weren't you?"

Sesshomaru looked at one of the thunder brothers for a minute before saying, "Good job, Hiten. I'm glad you figured it out. You can have a night off." A compliment wasn't easy to get from his boss, and Hiten glowed with pride. Manten mumbled something inappropriate but didn't get angry in fear of getting his tongue ripped out.

"So, boss," Hiten began. "What do we do about the elite?"

"Please don't kill me!" Juuromaru begged. "I'll join your side! I'll be real faithful, I promise!" A gunshot rang out in the alley and Hiten watched in horror as a dead body slumped to the floor.

But it wasn't Juuromaru who was shot.

"Brother!" Hiten screamed, lunging himself at the lifeless shell that used to be his cheerful brother, and gazing mournfully into his dull, empty eyes.

"Get up," Sesshomaru ordered coldly. Juuromaru, who was just as surprised, stared silently up at the heartless figure towering over him.

"Why?" Hiten croaked helplessly. "Why?"

"Get up," he repeated and this time, the lone thunder brother, though shaking with shock and devastation, complied.

"Please tell me why…"

"Check his back after you've finished with Naraku's filth," was all that he said, but somehow, Hiten knew it was enough.

"You're going to kill me?" Juuromaru asked quietly.

"Yes," came the icy voice.

"Please. Please let me go! I have a wife and kids at home waiting for me!" the captive pleaded shamelessly.

"You should've thought of that before joining Naraku's gang," Sesshomaru said remorselessly, slipping his twin guns back into his trench coat.

"I-I can be a good hostage!" Juuromaru suggested desperately. "Naraku hates it when he loses his elites! You can get something from him! He'll trade!"

"We don't take prisoners." And with that said, he spun sharply on his feet and, ignoring the piercing cries of the soon-to-be dead captive, he began walking away. As Hiten brought a gun out from his own trench coat, Sesshomaru's frigid voice drifted into his alert ears.

"Kill him."


October 17, 2005

The smoke was so thick and the stench so strong that Kouga nearly called off his suffering men. Only an incredible sense of will power and a persistency that lingered on the brink of stubbornness kept him from giving up at this point. They were attacking the enemy base, but to no avail as he lacked the men to penetrate a defense so strong. When one of his men collapsed from the heat and bitter air, Kouga knew he had no choice but to fall back. Instead of retreating completely, he waved to his men to head towards the shores. The waves of the Pacific would help a little if not a lot and he intended to win this battle and return home to his family and friends. And don't forget Kagome.

The pungent aroma died down a little as they grew closer to the water and then disappeared completely when he ordered his men to dive in. Suddenly, without warning, a shower of bullets flew through the air, and cries of agony came from every direction. Kouga, nearly forgetting his training, began to panic for his men before pulling his act together. He tried desperately to shout above the noise for order, but to no avail.

The shower of bullets grew worse as bombs began bursting around the troops. The screams and gunshots continued, every second the chaos growing worse as Kouga struggled to help his men. A searing pain shot through his right arm, but he ignored it, lifting up his rifle to shoot down two more men. Another bullet dug itself in his left thigh and yet another in his shoulder until finally, with a bitter cry, he went down in the mud.

Ginta and Hakaku, two of Kouga's most trusted soldiers (who he also liked to think of as his right and left hands) ran to him. They had, quite luckily, only minor wounds, but there was a wild, scarred look in their eyes that Kouga was sure could be seen in his own. The two fighters hauled their leader away from the worst of the fight, and thrust his half-conscious body into the sand by the shore. They worked quickly to uncover a secretly hidden boat they had stored there the day before.

"What are you doing?" Kouga mumbled, drifting in and out of awareness.

Ginta approached him with a half smile. "We're savin' you, man."

"Now why the hell…would I need savin'?" As the blood seeped out of his wounds, his word began to slur, and his alertness fell to an all time low that would be shamed by even the worst of his men.

Hakaku grinned. "'Cuz, boss, you got a girl at home. And we're nothin' but a bunch of – what was it he called us on the first day, Ginta?"

" – Scoundrels with nothin' to do but get 'em selves killed 'cuz we ain't got no place even touchin' guns wid da skill we got!" Ginta grinned back at his friend and they began carrying Kouga to the boat.

"Guys…no time…jokin' aroun'…get back…kill Ijannn…"

"Man, he dun even know wud da name of da enemy is no more," Ginta commented, a muddy eyebrow raised.

Hakaku gave a hoarse laugh. "Yeah…"

"You chokin' up?"

"'Course not…just wanted to see my momma again, thas all."

"You will, Haku…I'll bet you on it. Now come help me heave dis damn thing in da water. Stupid Kouga's been hoggin' the food for himself or no way he would way dis much."

Kouga, unable to oppose, as he had blacked out during their conversation, was left only to groan and moan as they bound up his wounds. When the two mean had finished, they pushed the boat as hard as they could with the strength they had left, and it floated away, quiet as a ghost into the calmer parts of the river.

"You ready to die, comrade?"

"Hell, man, I've been dead for ages."

"Then let's go kick some Ijin ass!"