Chapter Seven

Kagome had been a Militia member for three weeks now. That equated to six full shifts in the house. It didn't take long to learn the ropes but being constantly surrounded by people was new territory. By the time she made it back to her apartment with Miroku, she was socially exhausted. Kagome thrived in isolation, another thing thanks to Mushin's training. Twice a month he would blind fold Miroku and her, drop them off at different locations, each twenty miles from the cabin and they would have to find their way back. As long as the weather was good, Kagome rather enjoyed those days alone, relying on only herself to survive. But now, she couldn't even fucking pee in solitude without someone barging in on her. Even on her days away from the house, Kagome continued to work at Slayers. And more often than not she would see her shift mates indulging in some libations at the club.

Miroku didn't let up on their training on her days off either, the bastard. He told Kagome that Kouga had reached out to him to start his membership process. So for Miroku, that meant to kick his training up a notch. And Kagome was dragged along for the ride. No matter where she was sleeping, Kagome would crawl into bed with aching muscles and wake up to do it all over again the next day. Inuyasha was relentless in their training at the house. Every morning started the same in the gym with Bankotsu but after that their days were constantly changing. Long distance runs with weighted packs or mastering every weapon imaginable or hand to hand combat or 2-on-1 combat or target practice or sniper practice or explosives practice, fuck it was endless. And Kagome secretly loved it. The variety, the diversity, she wanted to be the best at everything they did. Which was impossible, but Kagome loved the challenge anyways. Her friends around her gave her endless competition and fueled her desire to be better.

Some mornings, when her iPhone would buzz at 4:15am, she regretted agreeing to train Shippo. But every morning she saw his drastic improvements and she knew she was doing the right thing. He was also the first member she was able to manipulate into some real answers about the organization.

"How did the Militia even start?"

"It was like thirty-something years ago, I think. A bunch of Shikon community members got together and tried to figure out how to stop Naraku's shitty legislation."

"And is that still our goal today?"

Shippo put down the gun he was about to fire and turned to the older woman, "Are you serious? You don't know what we're doing?"

"I listen to the meetings and I watch the other guys go out on missions but no one has explicitly explained our game plan to me."

Shippo sighed, "Another thing I need to add to the welcome packet." he mumbled. "Naraku's legislation is one tiny part of what we do. That's mainly left up to Inuyasha's brother Sesshomaru."

"Is he on the B shift?"

"He's not technically a member. At least he's not anymore. I don't know, their family history is complicated. But Rin is kind of the go between for them."

"Ok…" Kagome's voice drawled.

"Our objectives lie specifically with taking out as many of Naraku's resources and men as we can. We cut supply lines, sabotage his business dealings, steal his contraband, and destroy his properties. Anything that will stop what he's doing to the state, we do it."

"Is that where all the money comes from?" Kagome waved to the surrounding gun range to emphasize what she meant.

"Some of it, of course. Gotta pay for all our food somehow. But this property wasn't bought by the organization. It's Inuyasha's family home. Obviously there have been some additions but the main house is all original."

That, she never expected. Still, she wanted more answers, "So where does the rest of the money and contraband go?"

"Everything illegal gets turned over to the authorities anonymously. But anything we can cash out and use to help the city and surrounding areas, we donate. Free meals in all the schools, after school programs, handing out prepaid Visa cards at grocery stores. It doesn't get talked about a lot since everyone here is so focused on how we acquire those funds. It's been years since we lost someone on a mission but that doesn't make it any less dangerous. Naraku's associates are on an aim-to-kill command whenever they see us."

That conversation had happened the morning before and now Kagome was standing in her bathroom plaiting her hair into a tight braid, her first mission report on the vanity. She was to leave in the next fifteen minutes for a distribution center three counties over. The drive would take about forty-five minutes and Kagome was assigned to take inventory of Naraku's containers: how many, sizes, delivery addresses. And to take photos of all of them. Kagome was dressed in black head to toe. The Militia-issued outfit was the perfect combination of spandex and leather, giving Kagome enough protection while also allowing her to move freely. A thigh holster held one of her handguns while two more were secured in her shoulder holster. She wore a belt that carried multiple knives, extra clips for her firearms and her team-issued iPhone.

"You ready?" Sango asked softly as she walked into the bathroom. It was just past ten o'clock at night and Ayame and Rin were already in bed.

"Shouldn't be too difficult, right?" Kagome gave her a confident smile through the mirror.


Getting into the distribution center had been the easy part. The Militia iPhone was equipped with jailbreaking software to handle all of the security measures without Kagome even breaking a sweat. The hard part was finding Naraku's shit. Her mission assignment said the building was sixty-five thousand square feet, fucking hell, and only gave a general location to where the specific containers could be. It took Kagome thirty-two minutes just to find the right packages and then came the monotonous task of cataloging everything. Twenty minutes later Kagome sensed two different youki energies entering the building. This was strictly a recon mission. Kagome was not to engage. But that didn't mean she couldn't see who it was. The scent concealing beads around her wrist would help with that.

Kagome snapped pictures of the rest of Naraku's containers before she silently climbed the two story shelf behind her to get a better vantage point. There were different sized shipping containers lining the top row of the shelf that aided Kagome in her stealth operation. The demonic auras were getting closer to her but she didn't hear anyone talking. Closer, closer, closer. Kagome held her position, clearly they were coming her way. Which meant they had to have been from Naraku's camp. When the youki felt like it was on top of her, Kagome saw two figures turn down the aisle she had previously occupied. The first one was far taller than any average human and had a purple tinge to his skin. The second looked to be a child, a very small, very pale child. She didn't even reach the waist of the taller demon. Kagome committed their faces to memory, too apprehensive to take her phone out to photograph them. The taller demon made his way to Naraku's crates but the child stopped short.

"We have company." Her voice made Kagome's blood run cold. Kagome peaked her head around a crate only to be met with the youkai girl's empty black eyes staring right at her. Fuck. So much for 'do not engage'. Kagome quickly drew two handguns and started running down the shelf the opposite direction from the demons. She had to get down off the shelf before they attacked. The sound of ripping fabric drew Kagome's senses to the larger youkai behind her. It was as if his youki had duplicated.

Naraku's associates are on an aim-to-kill command whenever they see us. Shippo's words rang through her mind. And with that, Kagome released her hold on her reiki. Liquid power flowed through her veins, pushing her legs faster. She made it to the end of the aisle and jumped. Even though she tucked and rolled with practiced ease, her body jarred against the concrete floor. Thankfully, the adrenaline and reiki pumping through made it painless. For now. Kagome continued to run until the shelf she had just been standing on exploded behind her. Debris flew around her, knocking her to the ground. The demon's previous form was gone, now standing in front of her was a purple beast nearly as tall as the shelving itself. His eyes glowed red and his horns shone in the fluorescent lighting. His laughter was like tires rolling over gravel and he attacked before Kagome could even get off the floor. For his size he was surprisingly fast. She got four shots off but he dodged all of them. Her reiki flowed easily through her hands, to the guns and into the bullets. She just needed one to land and he would be a goner. She needed to get closer to him. Jumping up, Kagome maneuvered around the endless wreckage to make her way towards the demon.

"Stupid human." It was like his voice had some movie effect on it the way it echoed around her.

Kagome saw him lift his jagged claws and she raised both guns, aiming for his chest.

BANG BANG BANG

Six purification bullets was probably overkill but Kagome wanted to be safe. What she hadn't accounted for was the demon finishing his attack on her before he burst into pink flames. His claws sliced into her left shoulder, instantly rendering it useless. The gun in that hand clamored to the ground and Kagome barely kept her footing. The youkai's gravelly voice turned into agonizing screams as his body disintegrated into ashes. Feeling the warm liquid flow down her arm, Kagome tried to focus on the second demon's energy. There. Kagome's eyes landed on the little girl standing near Naraku's shipments. Kagome raised her uninjured arm, aiming to fire. But before she could even get her gun all the way up, the girl vanished into thin air. Kagome's eyes widened, she had never seen a demon teleport before. Her mind searched everywhere but the girl's demonic energy had vanished as well. Kagome was alone.

The blood dripping down her arm was steady, effectively soaking what was left of her long sleeve in the sticky substance. Kagome's head was still clear but as her adrenaline was wearing off and the pain was setting in. She knew her reiki would protect her but that would only last for so long. She got back to the car as quickly as she could. Rummaging through the trunk of the SUV she had driven, Kagome was relieved to see a first aid kit strapped to the side wall. No wonder she was required to drive this vehicle for her mission. Only able to use her right arm, Kagome struggled fashioning an effective tourniquet for the awkward spot on her shoulder. After what felt like another battle, it was mostly in place. It would do for the forty-five minute drive. Kagome just had to stay conscious.

Forty-five minutes dragged into an hour and Kagome's vision kept blurring dangerously. She was so tired and just wanted to rest for a little while. No! Drive! Her mind would remind her as she jolted back into focus, straightening the wheel that had drifted. Finally she made it to the long gravel road leading to the compound and her mind rejoiced. She did it. Kagome could let go now. Her foot slipped off the accelerator and Kagome welcomed the darkness.


Inuyasha was about to head up to his office when the metallic scent of blood filled his nostrils. His body moved subconsciously before he could even realize he was running down the driveway. His dress shoes and pants restricted his movements but the coppery smell was growing stronger with each step he took. The black SUV was moving strangely slow and the tires were starting to drift off the path and into the manicured grass. Even as Inuyasha approached the Suburban, the driver did not break. Sensing something was wrong, Inuyasha got in front of the vehicle to stop it with his hands. It didn't take much of his strength but his clothes were effectively ruined. Paying no mind to his appearance, Inuyasha ran to the driver's side to yank open the door. Kagome's body was slumped over and the smell of her blood overwhelmed him. He threw the gear shift into park and pulled her from the seat. As fast as he could, while minding her injuries, Inuyasha ran towards the medical building.


Inuyasha paced the linoleum floors of the recovery room. He hated it here. The lights were too bright and the sterile smell hurt his head. But it was better than the smell of her blood. He couldn't stop moving, he couldn't stop checking to see if her eyes were open yet. Suikotsu's blue scrubs had traces of Kagome's blood on them as he checked her vitals one more time. A blood bag was hanging from the hook next to her bed, dripping through the IV stuck into her arm.

"You know this takes time to work. Come back in two hours." Suikotsu spoke softly as he removed his rubber gloves and washed his hands in the sink across the room.

Inuyasha knew the human doctor was right and if he kept this up there would be a hole in the flooring by the time she did wake up. "Call me the second anything changes." He needed to hit something.


Kagome tried to open her eyes but the room was so bright. Her mind was still fogged but she tried to recall where she was. She remembered getting ready for her mission. The music she listened to in the car and wandering through the distribution center. And...a little girl? The youkai! Kagome's eyes shot open although the lighting made it impossible for her to see properly. She trashed her arms searching for her firearms, or knives, or anything that would help her.

"Kagome! You're in the medical wing at the compound! You're safe, you're safe." The voice registered in her brain even before her eyes could acclimate to the room. She continued to blink her eyes until everything slowly came back into focus. A man in his thirties, dressed in scrubs stood at the end of her bed. He had a kind face, but looked tired. Medical wing? Kagome looked around to see an all white room equipped with hospital beds. Rin hadn't taken her inside the medical wing during her tour the first night but she had met Suikotsu on a few occasions.

"What happened?" Kagome asked once her heart rate returned to normal.

"You were injured on your left shoulder. You lost enough blood to need a blood transfusion. That bag was filled with youkai blood which will help you heal exponentially faster. You should already be feeling the effects. The blood will only stay in your system for a day or so. I'm prescribing rest. So no training in the morning, got it?"

"Got it. Thank you." Kagome paused looking down at the tank top she had worn under her mission top, "Do I have to stay here tonight?" Suikotsu was right in the fact that she already felt the healing powers of the demon blood coursing through her. Her shoulder was throbbing but nothing like it had been when the purple demon had attacked her. However, Kagome was concerned how her reiki would react to the foreign blood. So far she felt a little hot but nothing too alarming.

"You should be fine to go up to your room. But if anything feels off, call me immediately."

"Ok, thank you aga-" Kagome had started to stand from her bed when she was cut off by the door to the recovery room being yanked open. Inuyasha stood in the doorway in black athletic shorts and a sweat stained red shirt. His silver hair was haphazardly thrown into a bun and he was breathing forcefully through his nose. Both occupants remained silent and they just stared at him.

"Follow me." Inuyasha's amber eyes burned into Kagome's.

"Captain, she needs to rest." Suikotsu tried to interject.

"Thank you doctor. I'll make sure she does." Inuyasha's voice was even but Kagome could tell he was restraining himself. Suikotsu only sighed and began straightening up the room as Kagome followed Inuyasha out.

Inuyasha led her in silence back into the main house and to a door she had never seen before. It slid open to reveal an elevator. Inuyasha entered first and then made room for her to step in. She watched his claw press the number three button and the doors closed. Kagome didn't even know the house had three stories. When the elevator opened again, Kagome stepped into a short hallway with only two doors. Inuyasha opened the first one on the right to reveal a dimly lit office.

This room had a completely different design than the rest of the house. And now that Kagome knew it was Inuyasha's family's, she couldn't help but think this was his father's den. Directly across from the door was a thick oak desk in front of a huge dark window. A leather rolling chair sat behind the desk with two matching wingback chairs in front of it. Kagome stood in her place as Inuyasha made his way around the desk to sit down. She could feel his eyes on her again but Kagome focused on the detailing of the room. Dark wood bookcases were built into the two side walls and were filled with books. There were also beautiful rustic beams that curved below the ceiling in an intricate formation. The dim light coming from a floor lap in the corner washed the room in a warm hue and Kagome tried to relax. This was the first time her and Inuyasha were truly alone, without the possibility of someone interrupting them, since the hotel room. She had effectively avoided him the past three weeks, only speaking to him when absolutely necessary. It wasn't ideal, especially if he had answers about her parents, but she was easing into it ok?

Inuyasha gestured towards the chair in front of his desk. Kagome silently walked over, suddenly self-conscious of her appearance. Suikotsu had cleaned up the blood on her arm and torso but she still felt horribly grimy and sure she smelled just as bad. All she wanted was a proper shower and a few hours of sleep. As she sat, her injured shoulder rubbed against the back of the chair and she visibly winced.

"How are you feeling?"

"Good all things considered."

"Youkai blood tends to do that."

"Quite the set up the doc has down there."

"Hmm." There was an awkward pause before Inuyasha continued, "I need to know what happened."

"Shouldn't this all go into my mission report?"

"Whenever a mission goes so off the rails that a member is injured, I take it to personally get the report."

Kagome took a deep breath, "I arrived at the designated location at 11:22pm. Found the packages at 11:53, and heard footsteps enter the facility at 12:17am. I was wearing the scent concealment bracelet but somehow they knew I was there."

"So they were demons. How many?"

"Two."

"What did they look like?"

"The first one was a child. She couldn't have been older than twelve. She was unnaturally pale and had white hair. And her eyes-"

"Kanna. Did she attack you?" Inuyasha asked already assuming the answer.

"No. The one that attacked me started in a humanoid form but quickly shredded it and became a large, purple orge-like youkai with two long horns." Inuyasha visibly tensed, clenching his teeth and fists. "You seem familiar with this pair?" Kagome prodded when Inuyasha did not speak.

"The demon who attacked you is named Goshinki. He is ruthless but evasive." Inuyasha had to stand up. Kagome was lucky to be even be alive.

"Well we won't have to worry about him anymore." Kagome replied, trying to lighten the mood.

Inuyasha turned back to her, concern and confusion clear on his face, "What do you mean?"

"I eliminated him." Kagome said simply.

"That's impossible." The certainty of his words agitated Kagome.

"Clearly not." She cracked a knuckle to try and release some tension.

"Goshinki is a ward of Naraku and has regenerative powers. No matter how much you attack him, he just keeps coming back." Inuyasha scratched his claws at his hairline, this whole night was giving him a headache.

Kagome inhaled sharply, "I see." She now realized her mistake. She had purified him before she saw him regenerate. No regeneration could overcome her spiritual powers.

Inuyasha now realized she wasn't just mistaken in thinking she killed Goshinki, "Tell me what happened. The truth."

Kagome closed her eyes. She couldn't even make it a month without revealing her powers. Fucking amateur. "I purified him."

Inuyasha rubbed the bridge of his nose, "You have no reiki." He sounded tired which only pissed Kagome off more. Her irritation bled through with an empty laugh and a challenging look at Inuyasha. He just continued to glare with the slightest hint of scepticism. Without warning, Kagome released her hold on her reiki. The air in the office literally crackled around the two and Inuyasha coughed from the force of it. A million thoughts went through Inuyasha's head at once and he had to move away from her to try and focus. Her reiki made it feel like he was walking through mud. He felt Kagome's reiki retreat back until it was gone completely and his head cleared.

Inuyasha moved to the front of his desk to lean against it, "You're a miko."

"I am."

"A strong one." As if he was clarifying his previous statement.

"You flatter me." Kagome jeered.

"And you killed Goshinki..."

"With a purification bullet." She finished for him.

"Fuck." Inuyasha swore into his hands that covered his nose and mouth. It had been almost eight years since Naraku killed Kikyo. He had targeted her specifically because of her spiritual powers and Inuyasha had to sit back and watch as she died. He never wanted that to happen again.

"What happened to Kanna? Did she see you?" Inuyasha asked urgently.

"Yes. But she disappeared before I could shoot her too."

"Fuck fuck fuck!" Inuyasha swore again with more vigor. Kanna would have known what Kagome did to Goshinki and she would report back to Naraku. The bastard was probably already trying to identify Kagome as he spoke.

"Can you tell me the problem sir?" She hadn't known Inuyasha for long but his behavior was not putting her at ease.

Inuyasha whirled on Kagome, "Don't call me sir."

Kagome gritted her teeth, "What would you like me to call you then?"

"I don't know! Just- just shut up and let me think!" Kagome's annoyance spiked but remained silent while Inuyasha paced the length of the office. After what felt like an eternity he stopped in front of her and pinned her with a look, "How confident are you in our powers?"

Kagome scoffed. This man hadn't even noticed the smallest amount of reiki she had used on him when his youki took over in the hotel room, "How about I show you and we can see what your human form looks like."

The cheeky threat should not have made blood rush to Inuyasha's groin but he was a weak fucking man. He debated responding in kind but decided to save it for a less serious moment. Instead, Inuyasha focused on her reiki he had felt earlier. Naraku feared Kikyo because of what she could do to him. And Inuyasha could easily tell that Kagome was a far stronger miko than Kikyo had ever been. Kikyo hadn't been able to defeat Naraku but maybe Kagome could...

Kagome could tell Inuyasha's aura had changed. He no longer held the tension in his body and his eyes looked more determined than worried. "Congratulations Kagome, you just got your first promotion."

"Pardon?"

"Any mission we suspect we'll run into Naraku or his people, you'll be there." So more people will know about my powers was all that meant to Kagome.

"Who else will be on these specific missions?"

"Sango, Kouga and myself." Kagome was surprised the team was so small. But the less people that knew about her powers the better.

"Clearly you don't want everyone to know of your reiki. I will call Sango and Kouga into a meeting here tomorrow and I can tell them privately."

"Ok." Kagome paused. "Thank you sir."

Inuyasha rubbed the heels of his hands into his eyes, "I said-" he started in tired frustration.

"You are my superior. What else am I supposed to call you?" She snapped back. Kagome stood to put more space between them unable to deal with his proximity anymore.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you!" Inuyasha threw back, finally breaking the unspoken agreement they had about referencing that night.

Kagome tongued her teeth in her closed mouth, "You are the Captain, that was your prerogative."

"Cut the shit Kagome, you have every right to be angry." They both stood on the side of his office now, ten feet between them.

"What do you want me to say? Of course I was fucking angry. And humiliated! So what?" This was the first time Kagome was putting a voice to her internal thoughts.

Inuyasha lost all of his gusto, "I don't know. But I'm sorry." She could tell he meant it.

"Well, thanks, I guess." Kagome paused to reign in her emotions and then asked timidly, "Is it always this weird between new members and their initiators?"

"I wouldn't know."

Kagome snorted humorlessly, "Right."

"You should get some rest." Inuyasha didn't know what else to say. Words wouldn't be able to make her feel any more comfortable around him. Only time could do that.

"Right. Goodnight-" Kagome stopped herself, "Inuyasha."

But this was a start.