Chapter Twenty-Three: Survive
As Tora and Kagome swept through the door into the stairwell, the beam of the penlight tracked across the chest of a man in a dark suit. Matte black, his gun came to bear on them.
Dropping the light, Tora brought his staff up and across, striking the man hard at the wrists. A spark flashed at the tip of the gun, and the deafening pop of gunfire echoed in the stairwell. Moving with the force of his swing, he slipped to the man's side and punched him low on his flank. He felt him give under the blow and finished him off by slamming his head into the wall.
"Get back!" he shouted to Kagome.
Her ears ringing, he sounded distant, as if there was a wall between them. His hand reached out and grabbed her by the vest, and he shoved her back through the doorway as he fled into the basement hallway.
Another series of pops shattered the air. And in the beam of the penlight, chips of concrete flew.
"Shit," Tora muttered, leaning just inside the doorway.
Safely in the hallway, she peered past him as far as she could. Like the basement, the stairwell was pitch black except for the penlight and the diffuse glow of a light source somewhere above them on the stairs.
"We need to get out of here," she said, the ringing in her ears slowly subsiding.
He nodded. "And before they get something better than a cellphone flashlight."
Her gaze fell to the penlight.
"Bad idea," he said, shaking his head. "That's the only thing they can see to shoot. To use that to get out of here is like wearing a bullseye. Hell, crossing the light beam would probably get us killed."
"In that case, if they're using a cellphone flashlight, that also makes them easy to track too, right?"
"Well, I'm not going to run at a bunch of armed yakuza assholes just because I can see their flashlights. Darkness is no one's friend here except for Sesshoumaru's."
His flippant reply hung before her and she started to twist and turn it in her mind, sensing a plan.
"What if we could do the opposite?" she asked, talking her way through the idea as it formed. "What if we blind them not with darkness but with light?"
He scoffed. "With what light? Are you packing a flash bang grenade somewhere?"
"Hold on," she said, taking an arrow from her quiver, "It's been a while." Nocking it to her bow, she took a deep breath and reached deep into her core. Feeling almost like euphoria, a flicker of power ignited and slowly swirled inside of her. Like electricity it coursed up her spine, prickling her skin. Then it streamed down her arms and into her hands. Bright like a firecracker, the arrowhead burst with pink light, dribbling sparks at its tip.
"Holy shit!" he exclaimed, his eyes wide as he tried to lean away from both her and the doorway.
Her mask concealed her smirk, but she couldn't hide the smile in her voice. "I'm going to fire this into the stairwell. As long as it strikes close to them, it should give you a few seconds. Is that enough?"
He glanced back and forth between the burning arrow and the doorway. "You're not going to miss?"
She chuckled. "No, I've had plenty of practice. And in combat no less. Trust me."
The sound of footfalls inched their way down the flight of stairs above them.
"All right," he agreed, and he squared his body a few steps in from the doorway, ready to sprint.
"Close your eyes. And on my signal, open them and run. Look down and you should be fine."
"Got it."
She breathed in deep, hardening her nerves as she drew her bow. And then she darted forward into the doorway. Sighting the point of light that marked the cellphone, she aimed in front of it. She heard their gasps, the bewilderment of her appearance. The fraction of a moment where surprise gave her an edge.
And with a soft whip, the arrow flew. Brilliance instantly enveloped it, turning it into a scorching beam of light, its afterglow chasing it like a comet's tail. It struck the wall beside the approaching men and exploded. They stumbled back, tripping on the steps and each other, the blinding flare burning their retinas.
"Go!" she shouted.
Squinting, Tora bolted forward, racing up the stairs. Above him, the light flickered, dying slowly. Then he was upon the two men as they helplessly fumbled and felt for their eyes. Sweeping his staff, he struck them both across the jaw and followed it with a kick to the head for good measure.
The arrow winked out.
Swallowed by darkness again, the stairwell was a void, lit only by the errant penlight. Even the glow from the cellphone was gone. Somewhere, Kagome could hear the rapid pace of Tora's breathing.
"Are you all right?" she asked, letting doubt worry her now that it was over.
"Yeah," he sighed and wiped the sweat from around his eyes. "That was scary."
"Is there anyone else out there?"
He held his breath, listening. Then he let out a deep sigh. "Not that I can tell."
She headed out further into the stairwell and picked up the penlight. Following the light, she trotted up the flight of stairs until she found the unconscious men and Tora standing among them.
"What now?"
Somewhere among the limp bodies, the refrain of a lively pop song played.
Kagome and Tora looked at each other.
The refrain played again.
He knelt. Underneath the flap of a coat, the face of a cellphone lit with an incoming number.
They looked at each other again.
"It's for you?" she offered, shrugging.
He picked up the phone and took a deep breath. Then he pressed the speakerphone icon and answered it. "Yeah?"
"Did you find out what happened to the power?" a man asked. Gunfire popped in the background.
"Yeah."
"And?"
"Uh…" Tora searched the darkness around him. Then he settled on some semblance of the truth. "There were a couple intruders down here. We took care of them."
Silence.
He swallowed.
"And the power?" the man asked, irritation apparent in his tone. Louder through the phone, a series of booms rumbled through the building.
"We're working on that."
The man growled with a rage that slowly turned into a hopeless sigh.
"How are things there?" Tora asked.
"Complete shit. We're evacuating the boss. Keep an eye out for him and the others with him. They're heading for the stairs."
"What about the girls?"
There was a pause.
Kagome bit her lip under her mask and waited.
"They're on the tenth floor. If this monster gets that far, then he can have them."
"Understood."
"Make sure the boss gets out. He's the only one that matters."
"Don't worry," Tora assured. "We're on it."
Pressing the red icon, he hung up and tossed the phone over the rail. It tumbled into the black and struck the flight below them with a painful clatter. He looked to Kagome, and they both nodded wordlessly.
Then both providence and misfortune burst forward as the second story door above them flew open. A flashlight beam caught them as she shined her penlight up. There were three men: two guards and their boss, Kawano. The stillness of mutual surprise lasted only an instant before their guns tracked down. A hail of gunfire erupted.
Tora grunted.
Grabbing him by the arm, she fled down the stairs, dragging him behind her. Reaching the basement entrance, she shoved him into the hallway and clicked off the penlight.
"Are you hurt?" she whispered as she leaned out to trace the enemy flashlight beam back to its source. They were still on the second floor.
"I think the vest caught it," he replied, wheezing, "But damn, it hurts."
"We're back where we started," she muttered.
"They're not going to come down here. Their job is to get their boss out, not risk his life. If we wait, they'll escape."
"We can't let that happen."
"I've just been shot in the chest and it's two flights of stairs."
"That bastard's not getting away," she growled. "Get ready."
"Shit," he said and slapped his cheeks, "All right." With his staff in hand, he assumed a running stance and closed his eyes.
Like an old habit, spiritual power flowed through her easier as she drew on it a second time. The tip of the arrow ignited. Then she stepped out into the stairwell and aimed above the men obliquely lit by their own flashlight. The arrow flew. A rod of solid light, it collided against the wall and exploded. Crying out in shock and pain, they fell back.
"Go!" she yelled.
Tora sprang forward and bolted up the stairs. Still wheezing, he climbed the first flight and headed for the second. What remained of the arrow started to flicker and the men found their footing. His pace growing sluggish, he scaled the last flight and jabbed his staff into the gut of the first guard. The guard bowled forward and Tora brought his fist up, punching him in the face. Sensing Tora, the second guard threw himself at him and they grappled. Behind them, Kawano squinted and brought his gun up, aiming for Tora's head.
Another arrow flew.
Kawano yelped and his gun clattered to the floor. Through his forearm, the arrow protruded. Then he collapsed to one knee and discovered yet another one piercing his outer thigh.
The purification arrow winked out, and except for the dropped flashlight, darkness filled the stairwell again.
Scuffling and grunting continued above Kagome. Someone slammed into a wall. It was followed by the wet sound of punches to the face. Then there were only heaving wheezes punctuated by muttered expletives.
"Tora?" she called out hopefully.
"Yeah?" he answered between pained gasps.
"Are you all right?"
"Relatively speaking, I think so."
Clicking on her penlight, she headed up the stairs, wading past unconscious bodies until she found him sitting on a step, crumpled against the wall. Worried, she shined the light on his face and noticed swelling around his eyes and jaw as he winced away.
"You have a thing for bright lights," he complained.
"Sorry," she apologized.
A man groaned behind him.
Her light tracking to the source, she discovered Kawano fumbling weakly at the arrow in his thigh. Slipping past Tora, she approached the yakuza boss, relishing his pain and disorientation. It was fitting for all the young women he had drugged and kidnapped. It wasn't enough. Only a taste of what he truly deserved, but it was the best that she could do right now.
"You know, I've spent a lot of time learning about human anatomy and physiology over the last couple of years," she said coolly and knelt beside him. "In part because the healing arts are essential to my profession. But just as importantly, it's good to know where to shoot someone so that you won't necessarily kill them." Taking the shaft of the arrow in his thigh, she drove it in a little deeper, and he wailed in agony. "Don't take either of these arrows out unless you can't live with the shame of your crimes, you piece of shit."
The building rumbled again.
Kagome looked up into the dark stairwell and the tenth floor that waited for her somewhere deep in it.
"I'm heading up," she told Tora, "Are you coming?"
"I need to rest for a bit or else I'm just going to get myself killed," he replied, still wheezing. "I'll tie these guys up and follow shortly."
"Got it."
Turning towards her, he reached out and grasped her gently by the wrist. "Don't do anything stupid."
She smiled. "Relatively speaking, right?"
He chuckled, which turned immediately into a groan of pain, and he let her go to feel at his chest.
Standing up, she gave him a nod. And then she started the long climb ahead.
OOOOOOOOOO
The rhythmic cry of sirens wailed in the distance, growing louder as flashing red lights closed in. Perched out on the sill of a shattered window high up on the hotel, Sesshoumaru watched the impending approach of the police as they sped down the grid of streets, heading for the chaos he had created. Behind him, a few men groaned but most were in the silent throes of unconsciousness. Their weapons broken, he had little regard for them even if they could move, and so he crouched with his back to them. The evening breeze caught his hair, ruffling it and the shredded tails of his tunic and coat.
Then he leapt up. Twisting in the air, he spun to face the building and grabbed the eave hanging over the next story up. Placing his boots on the window, he pushed off just enough to give him the momentum to shatter it. As he went through it, he landed silently except for the tinkling of glass.
He looked around. The room was small with a bed and little else, a layout that was excessively familiar at this point. With a light sniff, he scented the air. There were fewer enemies with every floor he cleared. Still, the mass of humanity that frequented this place muddied it with their stench. Listening, he could distinguish a half dozen racing heartbeats. They knew he was here.
Focusing on one group of heartbeats, he launched through the wall into the adjacent room and continued punching through, leaving chunks of drywall and splintered studs in his wake. Exploding through the final wall, he burst in on three men. Darting to the side, he dodged the barrage of gunfire that filled the hole that he had made. Grabbing the mattress off the bed, he flung it at the men. Thrown back by the force, they collapsed into each other. Pulling the crowbar free from his sash, Sesshoumaru hooked it around the neck of the first man and sent him flying into a wall. The next man's face met his fist, and the last one lay senseless under the weight of the mattress.
As he crushed their weapons, his gaze drifted to the hole in the wall and the bullets that had perforated everything around it. His tactics hadn't aged well, turning a once clever maneuver into a liability. And as hard as he tried, he couldn't bring himself to care. Even the power outage had diminishing returns as the enemy opened curtains, letting in enough city light to see by. Still, he felt nothing.
'Risk,' he thought, reflecting on Kagome's accusation, 'It didn't matter to him.' How long had he felt that way? The risk assumed by others drove him to action. But the risk to himself? To his life? The spider-shaped scar on his chest itched.
Shoving the thought away, he slipped past the incapacitated men and opened the door to the hallway. Listening carefully, he tracked two heartbeats down to the far side of the hotel. They were in a corner room, waiting for him. And he caught himself as he considered blowing through the walls to get to them. Instead, he padded noiselessly down the hallway. The open room door betrayed their confidence, and inside, he spied them facing the wall, their guns ready for his strike. They had scarcely the time to imagine the irony when a white blur flew into their room and threw them through the wall they were watching.
"Bikini Girl would truly be disappointed in the quality of construction here," he commented dryly as he regarded the men now hanging motionless from the fresh holes.
He left the room and headed down the hallway. Then somewhere below him from the other end of the building, a whistle sang. He counted ten notes. The absence of a distress call meant that his allies were well enough to not require his aid. Instead, they had discovered the location of the humans in need of rescue. Whether that included the girl was unclear.
A heartbeat filtered through his thoughts. Had there been six men?
Two pops echoed down the hallway.
His leg giving out from underneath him, Sesshoumaru collapsed onto one knee. Blood poured from the back of his left thigh, and he felt more flowing from his right shoulder.
"I got you, you bastard," a man snarled. "I'm the last one standing."
"Careless," Sesshoumaru said.
"Who? Me?"
"Both of us."
In a flash, Sesshoumaru twisted to the side and threw his crowbar, striking the man in the hands before it bounced up into his face. The gun fired once more as he fell back, the wild shot hitting the daiyoukai in the side of his head. Sesshoumaru dropped to the floor, blood streaming down his cheek and throat to pool on the carpet.
Time passed.
oooooooooo
"Do you hear me? Youkai are dying," Inuyasha growled, his gold eyes glowing with an impossible brightness, especially under the summertime sun.
"It's not my concern."
"Then what does it mean to be a youkai lord, huh? Aren't lords supposed to protect? Aren't they supposed to be guardians?"
"You bore me."
He scoffed and shook his head. "I don't know why I'm surprised. I thought maybe with everything that happened with Naraku that you had changed. That maybe you cared now. But you don't. Not unless it's personal."
Silence.
"Fine," Inuyasha spat angrily, and he undid the ties of his coat, opening it wide to reveal his chest. Across his tanned skin lay a scar shaped like a spider. "I don't know which half of me you care about, if any, but if I've got it despite our father's blood, it's gonna get you too. I hope that's personal enough for you."
ooooooooooo
Throbbing pain pulsed through Sesshoumaru's brain, wrenching him away from the peaceful numbness of unconsciousness. He woke with a start, but as he sat up, a sickening wave of nausea struck. He vomited the bile of an empty stomach inside his mask. Pushing it up and out of the way, he spat out the rest onto the floor. His fingers trembling, he felt through his headdress for his scalp underneath. As he did, a squashed piece of metal tumbled down onto the carpet. Where it had been, he discovered a neat hole that went straight through to the bone but no further. His youki began to swirl in it, healing the wound.
"I suppose my skull is indeed thick enough," he sighed.
He slid over to sit against the wall, and he hissed as he stretched out his left leg. Gritting his teeth in anticipation, he felt for the hole in his pantleg, and through it, the wound in the back of his thigh. Using his thumb and forefinger, he dug into it, stretching it as he went deep into the muscle. A snarl erupted from his throat as the pain in his head and leg rose to new levels of excruciating, and his vision fogged at the edges. Then he felt it. The lump of metal. Grasping it with his fingernails, he dragged it out. After tossing it onto the floor, his fingers brushed over the wound again. Tendrils of youki stirred, and he sighed with relief.
Next he reached for his right shoulder and growled in dissatisfaction. The angle at which the bullet had become lodged under his shoulder blade made it impossible for him to remove. Still, it hadn't gone as deep as the one in his thigh. Aside from some weakness in his arm and a limited range of motion, he would survive for now.
Survive.
Bracing against the wall, he slid up its surface to stand on his feet and pulled his mask back into position. Then unsteadily, he started to walk down the hallway, dizziness swirling behind his eyes. But with each step, he felt his body coming back to him. His youki was working and the pain slowly subsided to a dull throb. He stopped beside his assailant and picked up his crowbar.
Through the window at the end of the hallway, a massive beam of light slipped past, illuminating everything in soft blue for an instant.
He approached the window. Below, he could see a galaxy of spinning red lights, and through the eroded weather stripping, he could hear the noise of humanity. The searchlight swept by again, aiming higher, nearly to the crest of the building.
Then he sensed her. The girl who smelled like the doll in his pocket. She was outside.
Knowing that, the rising commotion on the street below took on new meaning. A desperate urgency.
And when their collective gasp silenced them, he burst through the window.