Sesshomaru and the Trust Fall
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Sesshomaru cracked his knuckles as Thor's waning rainstorm whipped his damp, bloody hair and wet his bruised skin. His thoughts burned in the base of his skull and a headache began to cradle his temples. Not to mention his shoulder absolutely crushed with a dull, blunt pain.
His clavicle was most certainly broken, and shoulder dislocated. His left arm hang loose and it eerily reminded him of his previous scry. If only that wretched poison hadn't hampered his healing and Tenseiga wasn't angered that he was going to slay Fury, possibly others, he would be fully healed by now.
Worthless vassal.
Tenseiga grumbled.
Sesshomaru never more wanted to level a mountain. The whole day was a complete confusing disaster. He should have never told Stark he would stay. Such a promise reduced his freedom, not to mention not only did Stark clearly not want him in his fortress any longer, but he looked down on him.
A human looked down on him! It wasn't as if others, like his father or mother hadn't done so before, but never had a human been condescending towards him. If he wasn't going mad; he was losing his edge. Especially because such a thought twisted his gut in a knot.
'You look like a joke.' 'Can't you just be normal for once?' The words Stark sneered to him this morning troubled him more than he thought necessary.
Loki wore his colors: black and green. Lords and nobility always wore their representative colors when conversing, he had done so the entire of his time in this realm. He conceded to wear the humans' typical garb of this time, only without those 'ties' which Loki also disliked. Polly had noticed he only wore red or white, how did Stark not notice this pattern when he clearly was more intelligent?
'If so, then when he donned the copy of my yukata and hakamas, maybe Loki had been right. Maybe it was in mockery of me. He views me as a mere joke, a trick, a fling.' Sesshomaru frowned, he wouldn't tolerate anyone mocking him.
And normal? He was a Demon Lord, the only Demon left aside from Jaken. He had no chance to be this 'human normalcy' Stark desired and had no wish to be. Sesshomaru would always be elite. He would not lower himself to this human normalcy. Not for anyone, including Stark.
'Clearly he has expectations this Sesshomaru has no inclination on fulfilling. But there are more pressing matters at hand. Such as the portion of the Astral Plane Bakusaiga and I summoned and Barton's awoken purification magic. What in the Four Lands did Loki do to the archer to awaken a power so dormant even I didn't sense?' Sesshomaru landed neatly in the devastated building, leather boots crunching on debris.
Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes and wrinkled his nose, finding the immediate object of his search: Banner.
It wasn't curiosity nor worry that impelled him to seek out Banner. In truth, he wanted to test him in his true form, a spar so to speak. If he couldn't level a mountain, perhaps a good fight with the green giant would suffice.
Needless to say, Sesshomaru inwardly huffed in disappointment when he found Banner had reverted to less 'spar worthy' form. However, he was close to Stark, he may be able to ask Banner what exactly it was Stark wanted now. He clearly had little idea except he no longer wanted him there.
"Your indecency offends me. Cloth yourself properly in my presence Banner." Sesshomaru placidly ordered to the human who was presently clad in little more than rags. He had been transforming into this form for how long and hadn't learned how to fashion appropriate garments?
Sesshomaru's right ear twitched. The bullet destroyed the hearing device affixed to it and had carved large portion out of it. He removed the one on his left ear and immediately a racket clanged in his ears.
He would have to get used to it, Stark would no doubt be reluctant to repair the device. He also had nothing to barter with.
"Oh yeah, next time I'll make sure to transform near an Armani. And it's not like you're looking decent either." Banner smiled weakly and checked the pulse on a soldier who had been knocked unconscious.
Sesshomaru ignored Banner's implication that he resembled anything less than acceptable. He did not dress to impress the humans, nor did he need to.
"The human soldier lives Banner. You controlled your form well enough. Far from perfect, though it seems Loki requires more practice than you." Sesshomaru set his jaw, he hadn't seen Loki creature shift in a long time, and apparently, his friend had made little improvement in controlling the instincts of his forms. He even interrupted his fight with Thor and sided with him.
This would most certainly spark more animosity between the brothers.
"Wow, did you just pay me a compliment? Are you sure you don't have a concussion?" Banner stood from his squatting position. Sesshomaru resisted the urge to crack his whip at the human.
"My teaching methods are second to none." Sesshomaru barely let a small smirk grace his features despite the arduous day and Banner chuckled. Banner, for a typically conflict avoidant human, certainly took a solid stance to prevent Loki from being sent to SHIELD's dungeons. Sesshomaru respected Banner's opinion, any organization so easily infiltrated with spies was one Sesshomaru could not trust.
"Did you know Loki could do that?" Banner asked and Sesshomaru nodded.
"Surely. He seldom creature shifts and when he did so, it was for game playing. He prefers fish, dragons, or large felines. He never once shifted into a snake, and only once for battle before now. This Sesshomaru ascertains he did so to frighten and intimate the humans into capitulating his terms." Sesshomaru's hearing began to sort itself out. He could hear over a great distance, which is why he knew that they were about to be interrupted.
Sesshomaru heard another familiar human approach from the hallway and smelled him long before Banner noticed his approach. Fury.
"It very nearly worked, Mr. Nirvana. It's close to a miracle you helped Dr. Banner this much. You saved the lives this tact team." Fury stepped in the room and Sesshomaru heard Banner's pulse speed up. Sesshomaru took a few steps, ignoring the grinding in his dislocated shoulder.
Two other nameless humans crept by and carried the unconscious soldier away.
"Do not attempt to flatter this Sesshomaru, conniving human. You live by the Gods and Tenseiga's graces alone." Sesshomaru bit also interrupted his attack. He would certainly finish their fight later, he would not let such a transgression go unpunished. Sesshomaru also referenced Loki because didn't want to think of the amount of nagging and annoyance he would have to endure from Loki if he killed Fury.
Tenseiga, similarly, would sulk for months if he didn't revive him, of that Sesshomaru was sure. Sesshomaru had an itching feeling he would need Tenseiga to be obedient when the Mad Titan arrived. Sesshomaru, however, didn't like the feeling that his freedom had become so contained. In his time, if he wanted a human dead, they were dead.
Apparently, not in this time. Well, except that one human Coulson who Barton almost purified. Tenseiga reviled him.
"What are you doing here Fury? I doubt you personally come around to get your agents who disobey your orders." Banner sounded exhausted and weary. Sesshomaru agreed it was doubtful he simply came for his fallen soldier whose selfish comrades left behind.
"I came to set the record straight. I didn't order the tact team, and I sure as hell didn't order a surveillance hack on Stark Tower. I'm going to get to the bottom of this." Fury pointed to Sesshomaru and slid a large bag towards Banner.
"Figured you'd both need a change of clothes, and perhaps a Med kit." Fury added flicking his right ear pointedly and Sesshomaru hid a growl. How dare this human imply he needed anything from them. Sesshomaru's own right ear flicked back as if to say it was fine, but more blood dripped down his neck.
"Yeah, well that's great and all but it doesn't help that Tony's tower was shot up, and that he—" Banner motioned to Sesshomaru. "almost got a headshot because of it. We can't trust SHIELD, or you." Banner said, while picking out of the large bag a pair of trousers. Sesshomaru wished that Banner didn't have to take what this Fury was offering him, but he would not stand Banner in his indecent state.
Sesshomaru also wouldn't stand this Fury speaking to him as if things could be so easily fixed.
"You manipulated Loki and Stark for your own gain. You incensed Loki to creature shift, something he is not apt to do, by bartering with me. You waged war in Stark's fortress thus threatening his sovereignty. Your words are worthless." Sesshomaru dismissed with a flick of his right wrist, talons glowing green. He would have to work diligently to build up a better resistance, or even better immunity to Loki's poison, Blitzen.
"You're right, I did manipulate them, and not only for my own gain, but for all of Earth's. If I thought we had a better shot of defeating this threat with you, 'Real Power' and Mr. Nirvana scattered across the globe, and not trying to resolve your issues, I wouldn't have risked my own neck. Look, I'll level with you. I'll give you the intel I got from one of the sniper agents." Fury strode up to Sesshomaru who set himself and pooled his whip to the ground. His left arm still hang uselessly, but he refused to reset it and show weakness.
"…Well, it'd be the first-time SHIELD came clean to me. Why tell us? Why not Natasha or Clint?" Banner had tugged on pants and an oversized t-shirt.
"Think of it as an olive branch Dr. Banner. I need to know we can work together going into the future." Fury admitted, hands at his sides and Banner just crossed his arms.
"Save your breath for Tony and Steve, Fury. They're the ones who need it." Banner insisted and Sesshomaru rather liked that Banner showed backbone towards this Fury, but was not easily baited into a rage.
"I got something else in mind for them. Look at this image one of the SHIELD spotters in this building managed to capture before you scared them out of their skin." Fury held forth his cellphone and Banner's eyes narrowed.
"Now, I may only have one eye, but that to me looks like a space irregularity, not unlike the portal we saw over New York three years ago." Fury turned again towards Banner who straightened. Sesshomaru didn't need to look at Fury's image to know what he had captured had to have been the small window of the Astral Plane he summoned.
He had only seen the Astral Plane window appear twice before. Once when his mother restrained him in her Kingdom, the other when his mother reclaimed a debt he owed her.
"My son, you certainly look more the part of Lord of the Western Lands than before. You still lack much power, but you have Tenseiga so suppose this will do for now." Sesshomaru's mother appraised him with a delicate eyebrow lifted and Sesshomaru couldn't have been more disinterested if he tried.
He eyed the blue sword at his side with not-so-hidden disdain.
"Why have you called for me? This Sesshomaru is busy." Sesshomaru tossed his silver hair over his shoulder. He was indeed busy. He had recaptured much of the land lost when his father fell, but much still needed to be rebuilt and stabilized. While the proximity barrier skill she bestowed upon him did help in the defense of his lands, Loki was far more helpful with his subuing and conquering land that was lost. He had a certain affinity for seeing humans and Demons bow to him, that was for certain.
He was to accompany Loki to the Distant Realm to address Odin for the first time as Lord. Another reason he didn't have time for his mother or her games.
He wasn't particularly looking forward to visiting Odin. He'd much rather visit another part of his own realm, or perhaps another Distant Realm with Loki rather than Loki's home.
"I'd like to bargain with you Sesshomaru. A barter." Sesshomaru's mother smiled thinly and Sesshomaru cracked his knuckles. He should have never trusted that she would ever do anything for him just to help him.
Everything she did had an ulterior motive.
"I gave you a special ability the last time you visited. You've managed to put it to good use, now in return I need you to do something for me." Sesshomaru's mother smirked and he instantly regretted taking the ability and using it. His mother would reap a toll far greater than what she bestowed on him. He watched as impassively as he could as his elegant mother turned on her varnished heel and instantly the great door to the entrance of her kingdom opened slowly.
Out strutted a tall, crimson skinned Demon with jet black hair that had a life onto its own. He was clad in unusual garments, a wide collared violet cape and black, skin tight garments that left little of his brawny muscle definition to imagination. Some would certainly claim the Demon comely, however the upward shift of his thin lips rendered him far to smug for Sesshomaru's tastes.
That and his eyes caught his attention and put him on edge. Shrewd and sharp, Lightning zapped in his keen eyes. They were not gold like his, or amber like that whelp Inuyasha's. They glowed a bright, cold yellow.
"Charmed to finally meet your acquaintance, Lord Sesshomaru." Mephisto smiled, gleaming white fangs. Centuries of being friends with the God of Lies caught him to spot that obvious one. "I have heard much about you. I have served your mother, my Lady for centuries now." Mephisto greeted with a slight bow. Centuries? Why had he just met him now?
"…" Sesshomaru refrained to respond at all. Something about this lowly Demon irked him instantly. It was if he were vying to see what would gain him a favorable reaction, make a hole in his head, and wheedle his way in. He was certainly not to be trusted. The attitude about this Demon reminded him some of Loki: he definitely had an agenda of his own. Only, of course, Loki lied far better, and wore more appropriate clothes.
"Mephisto is my retainer, it would do you well to choose one for yourself. I'd like for him to accompany you on your upcoming trip to the Distant Realm. He wishes to meet Prince Loki." Sesshomaru's mother introduced and Sesshomaru's ears lowered.
"No." Sesshomaru's voice cut out and flames smoked out from around Mephisto's collar. So, he was a Fire Demon, how grating. Fire Demons typically thought they made the very planet rotate.
"No to appointing a retainer or for having Mephisto accompany you? You do not have to take any responsibility for him, I know how you loathe any remote sense of responsibility." Sesshomaru's mother primly sat on her throne, wearing a warning look Sesshomaru was all too familiar with.
"Both." Sesshomaru simply turned to leave. He would listen to his mother once she came to him with a reasonable barter. He didn't even ask for the damned technique and he was paying the price for it anyway. He cursed himself for being so weak the last time he met her.
'Loki would sooner me bring a Scorpion Demon in full bloodlust than this reckless, scheming Demon. He will certainly not abide his presence and I refuse to abide this Fire Demon and Loki bickering like two maidens. No good would come of it.' Sesshomaru took a few, sure strides away from one of the two members of living family left.
"You ungrateful, spoiled, short-sighted pup! You owe your mother a debt which you shall repay at my command!" His mother seethed, which she rarely did. It was most unusual for her to show such unbridled emotion in front of him and Sesshomaru wanted to grin in victory. Whatever his mother wanted from him had to be important.
Which was precisely why he was not vouching for this Fire Demon. Whatever his mother wanted from the Distant Realm this badly could not be good. It pleased Sesshomaru to have the power to thwart whatever small minded power-grab his mother thirsted for.
"I will do no such thing. This lowlife Fire Demon is beneath my station. I refuse to entertain such classless beings, especially in such garments. Find another means to have your retainer meet Loki." Sesshomaru maintained his typical aloof façade. However, he heard the laughter of a deep baritone voice.
"Me beneath you? You're an abomination and an ignorant foo—" Mephisto started but was cut off by Sesshomaru's toxin whip tangled tight around his throat. Sesshomaru, with some difficulty, wound the whip down and brought the spurting, gurgling Fire Demon to his knees.
Him? An abomination? Never. He was perfection.
"Know your place, sniveling filth." Sesshomaru raised his chin and looked down his nose. Perhaps those bulky muscles of his were just for show. The toxin of his whip burned Mephisto's neck. In futility, Mephisto summoned embers of flame that licked up the whip to little effect.
"My lady should have—" Mephisto spat and clawed at his throat. "Never listened to her parents and coupled with your weak father. You are a mistake! An error! A poorly bred stain on my lady's reputation and legacy! Loki deserves a far better liaison!" Mephisto gripped the whip and shot a flare of fire at Sesshomaru who simply endured the desperate attack. How base. Did this Fire Demon desire to produce an heir with his mother? He wrinkled his nose despite himself, he would not abide another half sibling, even if this one would be a full Demon.
Sesshomaru's mother simply laughed, it tinkled like a bell.
"Oh Mephisto, come now, my dear son did not ask to be born now did he? You can hardly fault him for the circumstances behind his birth, no matter how ill-fated or undesirable." Sesshomaru's mother approached her son with an icy grace, but Sesshomaru didn't falter. Maybe he would have if his father hadn't already told him this information before. He was beyond caring now. It was his parents' own folly that led them into their coupling, not his.
"I am leaving." Sesshomaru had endured enough of his mother's games and this fool's ramblings. As far as he was concerned, tolerating his mother's antics was good enough. He released the whip and retracted it back as he turned again to walk away.
"Oh Sesshomaru, while you can't be blamed for coming into this world, I can blame you for making my role as mother so difficult. Do you know what you've had to make me do? You're still so… lackluster and too obstinate to see just how. I suppose you've given me no choice, I wanted this process to be easier on you, but...oh well." Sesshomaru's mother flicked her wrist and Sesshomaru paused.
Just then in front of him, a window of clear, nebulous space opened up and in it he saw a swirling, dark emptiness. He had seen this before and was prepared. He would not be ensnared again by his mother's tricks.
Tenseiga pulsed in fear.
"You have to face your destiny, time to pay the price. Astral Lagoon." A rush of space rushed out before he knew it he was swallowed by it. His lungs clamped, his eyes bulged and dried out. He had no authority over his body, his neural system seized into complete arrest. One by one, his organs drained of blood, his heart stilled.
She wouldn't actually try to kill him over this, would she?
Tenseiga thrummed.
Twitching, the only thing his body could do was send out the very distress signal his damned mother taught him, his proximity barrier.
His eyes bled, his heart faltered and before he knew it he collapsed on his belly, in his lands. How inexcusable. He couldn't move, he couldn't scrap together a coherent thought. He gasped at air he couldn't fully inhale and thoughts he couldn't fully form.
"—you aloof, fuzzy dog? Get up!" Sesshomaru heaved blood onto the dirt, his talons had balled up into his palm and blood ran down his arms, slick and free. His eyes, also had scarlet running over his checks and jaw. He had been bleeding from under his fingernails, mouth, ears, eyes and obviously, his nose. The metallic stench of his own blood in his nose almost made him sneeze. He blinked rapidly couldn't see or feel anything. His nerves jolted and clung together, too hyper alert for any reaction.
How much blood had he lost?
"The Nines, Sho, can you hear me?" Loki? Was that Loki? He would never be able to forgive himself if it was Loki who found him like this. He was the only one who he couldn't bring himself to automatically slay for seeing him such a submissive, weak, and vulnerable state. No. He could not afford to show any weakness as Lord of the Western lands.
He rose up to his knees. It would be the last time he would trust his mother with any gift.
"Sesshomaru, tell who did this to you. I will find them… we will find them. I'll tie them up by their children's entrails and you can feed them their testicles, or ovaries if female. We haven't done something like that in ages." In an instant Sesshomaru had Loki by the throat, claws drawing blood.
His fangs extended long and carnivorous, his eyes red and markings ran jagged. Yet, despite how Sesshomaru knew how menacing he must appear, a Demon that in this realm, and Loki's own would fear, Loki showed none. Sesshomaru shook, his nerves jingling high on adrenaline and his youki spiked out in erratic splashes. Loki didn't attempt to deflect or neutralize them.
"SILENCE." Sesshomaru shouted, a rarity. "If you ever speak of this moment, to me or to anyone I will…" and for once he couldn't voice an appropriate threat. Killing Loki's brother would be overmuch and that would be something his deceitful mother would do. Simply threatening harm to Loki would lack any real true follow through.
They had long past the time where they trusted each other with not killing the other over petty matters.
Loki didn't say a word and Sesshomaru released him, leaving a bloody handprint on his neck that was more his own blood than Loki's. He willed himself to calm, taking three deep breaths and Tenseiga at his hip hummed.
"Tenseiga…." Loki trailed off as well into silence, and Sesshomaru knew their silences communicated just as much as their words did. Sesshomaru noted his clothing was in disrepair and slick in his own blood. He would have to change his garments before going to the Distant Realm.
"I'm in Asgard for three days and I return to find out you have been missing for three Midgardian weeks." Loki informed calmly, but Sesshomaru could see magic coiling around his fingers like snakes. Three weeks? His mother would pay for this. "A Fire Demon sought me out, seeking to replace you as an envoy for the Demons. I almost do think he was attempting to seduce me…I sent him packing. An odd coincidence he was to find me when you were missing." Loki's voice almost sounded humorous but his mouth was taut and severe. That Fire Demon tried to seduce Loki and replace him as Envoy? Like that could ever work.
"A terrible fool, that Mephisto. I dare say, he knew much about me though, he thought he could outright lie to me….No matter. Go wash yourself, I will inform Allfather of your belated arrival." Loki rambled, and Sesshomaru knew that Loki had his suspicions on who did this to him.
Loki and he had a very strict agreement to not intervene in the familiar affairs of the other unless asked. Sesshomaru didn't agree or disagree with Loki's command, he just simply turned his head towards his palace.
"Sho, wherever you were, my magic could not reach you." Loki bit out rigid as a Tree Demon. Sesshomaru whipped around suddenly, eyes wide. Loki did not just sound apologetic!
"I am not yours to reach whenever you wish, Loki." Sesshomaru retorted and Loki relaxed, smiling wildly. He did not just reassure Loki that he didn't care if he didn't find him! Loki and he were growing too close indeed.
"It looks too small to be a portal, but I won't know until I can study it in a lab, and I'm pretty sure I'm banned from Tony's for life." Banner scratched the back of his head.
"It's been looked into. The few star patterns that are visible are nothing like that you can see from this hemisphere. Nothing in this galaxy matches it. It appears the enemy is unlocking a new way to our doorstep." Fury turned to Sesshomaru pointedly and Sesshomaru's uninjured ear rose.
"…" Sesshomaru said nothing, but it spoke volumes.
"Do you know what it is? You do, don't you?" Banner asked and Sesshomaru's gaze turned glacial. As if he would tell these humans anything about this Astral Plane. It would do them no good to know of its existence. He also couldn't tell them what he didn't know himself. He hadn't exactly meant to summon the window, Bakusaiga simply sang to him, and it was the only thing he could think of to not transform.
"It is none of your concern." Sesshomaru's voice turned stony and his ears lowered. He slowly began to heal his ear as his youki finally began to return to him. He looked to Fury, expecting a challenge.
"I have a feeling we will find out soon whether it's currently our concern or not. I will honor my word. I gave you my intel, I never said you had to give me any of yours." Fury strengthened his stance and Sesshomaru relaxed. That answer appeased him.
"Indeed." Sesshomaru nodded, he would not accept this…olive branch of Fury's outright, but he would continue to spare his life. He had smelled the curiosity wafting off the humans, but Fury indeed restrained himself.
"I'm a scientist…curiosity comes the territory." Banner almost sounded embarrassed and Sesshomaru had a feeling that Stark would be interested in such a portal as well. It twisted his gut to know that Stark certainly wanted nothing more to do with him except to amuse him with 'tricks' like these. He would insure that he would make arrangements to stay outside of Stark's fortress.
Just because Stark capitulated to Fury's terms did not mean that Stark wanted him in the tower. He had born witness to, and been subjected to tense invitations from other Lords, and even Odin himself, and knew when the invitation was a formality only. This was one of those terms. Sesshomaru, while not exactly sure how, managed to be on the receiving end of one from the one being he never wanted to receive one from.
"I have places to be, but I'll be in touch." Fury ended the conversation. "Oh, and just a suggestion, you may want to put on the sweatshirt in the bag. You aren't exactly undercover material and judging by the flowers being left on the barricades and fences blocking Stark tower, 'humans' know what you look like." Fury added and Banner took out a red hooded sweatshirt from the bag. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at Fury and determined the human was no longer worth any of his energy and allowed him to retreat.
He did, however, make the mental note that Rin liked flowers and that they had been hard to find in this metropolis. He had little idea why humans were leaving flowers for him, but if Rin would enjoy them, he would entreat to show them to her.
"Your dislocated shoulder is only gonna get more inflamed." Banner prompted and Sesshomaru sighed through his nose. "It's hard putting a shoulder back into place, and I owe you from giving Loki and I an out from the tower with your sword. Let me help reset it." Banner offered coming closer and inspecting the shoulder. "Your collarbone looks broken too. Geez, how did that happen?" Banner winced for Sesshomaru as he ran his hand over the swollen joint.
"Storm God interfered with my defense of Stark's soverignty. Do as you wish, Banner…" Sesshomaru was about to respond that he would fetch his own clothes, but from across the way his sensitive hearing a particularly familiar voice shouting out mid-rut.
Loki and Barton finally coupled. He allowed himself a small smirk, he may just inform Polly of this when he collected Rin and Jaken from her Ice Cream Store.
"That would do it…Wait is Thor…" Banner started then stammered and he sighed harshly again through his nose.
"He lives, Banner." Sesshomaru, knowing what Banner would say next about his shoulder, he shredded off the already ruined shirt.
"That's reassuring. I think." Banner winced himself when he saw the black and purple bruise that puddled across his whole shoulder to his neckline.
"Alright on three, one, two…" on two, not three, Banner wrenched the shoulder back into place. Sesshomaru, taken the slightest bit off guard stiffened slightly and his pupils slimmed thin.
"Banner." Sesshomaru growled out, flexing his wrist, ignoring the grinding of his broken clavicle. Banner moved to his back, he assumed to examine the exit wound of the bullet.
"It works better when you aren't expecting it. You better clean this out, I know you're… well, you, but this could still get infected. I can clean it for you." Banner offered and Sesshomaru quirked a delicate eyebrow and debated for a moment.
"Fine, Banner." Sesshomaru debated if he was truly losing his sanity allowing Banner to clean his wound but it would serve as a good test to see if he could adequately heal Rin if such a need arose.
"I haven't seen wounds like these since I worked near the Pakistan-India boarder. You said you could regenerate limbs?" Banner, fascinated, examined the ragged, cratered wound which should on any human be profusely bleeding, or causing a terrible amount of pain.
"This Sesshomaru is unparalleled in his control of his abilities. There is little I cannot do." Sesshomaru refused to wince this time as what he had to assume was anti-infectant stung his wound.
"And so modest too. You and Tony both." Banner swabbed the sluggishly healing wound and Sesshomaru's ears lowered and he cracked his knuckles. Stark and him together in a sentence.
"Ok I'm going to put on a bandage…then you're good to go back, I guess." Banner patted on the bandage and an odd feeling tingled in Sesshomaru's mind. It seemed that Banner genuinely cared about his welfare despite knowing his healing abilities. He was either daft or sentimental, but nonetheless he secretly appreciated the help.
Not that he would ever admit that.
"I need to collect Rin and Jaken." Sesshomaru informed unnecessarily and bent down to retrieve the clothes from the bag Fury provided. Inside was a white t-shirt which had to be some sort of attempt at humor since it had a stylized Mjolnir emblazoned on it. Maybe he should have at least collected some fingers from the human.
"Wow, Loki can wear his Hulk shirt and you can wear thi—" Banner started and stopped when Sesshomaru swiped at him half-heartedly with his talons, which Banner easily avoided.
"I think I'll hold onto it." Banner continued and instead of arguing Sesshomaru just zipped up the red hooded sweatshirt. It didn't fit well, it was far too bulky and his hair stuck out the bottom hem. Also, the fabric of the hood felt strange against his ears. His ears twitched and poked the fabric out.
At the bottom of the bag was a sunglasses case. He picked it up and opened it to reveal his preferred his aviator sunglasses. His eyes gleamed in approval and he slipped them on his head, ears up, moving the hood around.
"I think that's Fury's way of saying 'thank you'. Do know where Loki is? He probably needs someone to look into his wounds." Banner chuckled and Sesshomaru's ears poked the fabric again. If Banner wished to locate Loki to assist his healing, he must care for him.
"Loki and Barton are currently coupling in my quarters; I wouldn't disturb them." Sesshomaru stated blandly, attempting to tuck his long, tangled hair into the baggy garment. He ignored Banner's wide, bulging eyes.
"Great. Sounds like Loki's healed enough for the both of you. Now I just need some bleach to wash my eyes with. Maybe the isopropyl alcohol will work?" Banner grimaced as if he ate something rancid.
Ping.
The fading proximity barrier alerted him. It was faint, and if he didn't already know the general vicinity that Jaken and Rin were in he would have some trouble locating them.
Jaken was in peril, which meant Rin was in peril. He eyed Banner, if Rin was injured he would need a healer he could trust.
In an instant, Sesshomaru's pelt coiled around Banner and Sesshomaru with every ounce of agility a Demon Lord like him possessed, he bounded out of the decimated room. With Banner in tow, he flipped from tower to tower as a red and white streak.
His ears twitched and strained, trying to sift and filter through the loud, clamoring noises in the air. His hearing had woefully decreased in efficiency without the devices, but he couldn't think about that now.
He must to get to Rin and Jaken.
He could vaguely hear Banner's muffled voice but he paid it no mind as he landed finally outside the alley near the safe location he designated for Jaken.
Bakusaiga hissed and Tenseiga pulsed in response to the scene.
Inside the squalid alley Jaken scrambled for the staff held by Lady Potts, who Sesshomaru honestly forgot had left to locate Rin and Jaken. She and Jaken stood in front of Rin with their hands out wide. In front of Sesshomaru, with his back facing towards him was a human with a firearm of some kind. Bandit.
He must have cornered them here before they reached their destination.
"There's no way this is all the money you have! And just what kind of fancy phone is this? Slide the jewelry over too ya broad." The bandit in front of Sesshomaru sounded young. He was too dressed in a hooded sweatshirt.
"How old are you? Fourteen? Put down the gun before you hurt someone or yourself. In fact, if you give it to me, I'll forget this whole thing ever happened because I could really use less bravado today." Lady Potts put her hands on her hips, apparently not afraid of the bandit. Sesshomaru uncoiled the pelt from Banner, who unhappily staggered, skin a shade green.
Sesshomaru watched from the street, if he acquiesced and gave into Lady Potts reasonable command he would allow him to walk away, somewhat unscathed.
"Shut up you bitch! Hand over the stuff, including that creepy cane, or I'm gonna put you in the ground and the little girl too." Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed and he strode into the alley with a quick, fluid movement. The bandit whipped around and he appeared to be Kohaku's age for a human. Old enough to know the consequences of his actions.
Those who threatened Rin died. That simple.
"I told you! You are in big trouble now! My Lord is here and he isn't happy!" Rin sounded from behind Jaken, waving her bone. Jaken bounced in relief and Sesshomaru's talons grew and glowed a venomous green.
Even though the hood was still placed on his head the bandit's eyes widened in recognition of the figure in front of him. Perhaps Fury had been right, even the scum of this realm realized who he was easily.
With a crack of a whip he wound his signature whip around the firearm, melting half of it into slag which the bandit dropped instantly.
"Fucking shit Mr Nirvan—" The bandit was silenced with a fist of his talons through his gut. A wet, guttural cry oozed from his mouth. The firearm clattered harmlessly to the ground and Sesshomaru made sure to pump toxin into his blood stream to kill him quickly.
The bandit's body crumpled to the ground amidst the screams and protests of Lady Potts and Banner. Lady Potts dropped the staff of two heads which Jaken quickly reclaimed.
Sesshomaru flicked the gore from his talons; he hated smelling like humans. He heard Banner run up from behind him and he knelt down to the bleeding corpse.
"That's what you get when you mess with us, you brainless bandit!" Jaken exclaimed and Sesshomaru locked eyes with Lady Potts who had turned white as an Ice Demon. Odd.
"He doesn't have a pulse. There isn't anything I can do for him." Banner rose, shaken, covered in the bandit's blood. Sesshomaru fought the urge to roll his eyes. Of course, he didn't have a pulse. Where his gut should be, there was a substantially large hole. Even Inuyasha would have a hard time surviving such a blow.
"Oh god. Oh god. That didn't just happen. You didn't just kill a kid in an alley. I… I need to call 911. I need my phone, he has mine. What made…you can't just do that!" Lady Potts protested in a panic and her hand trembled to her cellphone. 911? What was that?
"But he was a bandit Lady Potts. Bandits are terrible! They killed my family…." Rin trailed off, clearly confused as was he. He had threatened them, and he took appropriate action.
"Rin, I am so sorry. I know you grew up in a different time, but you just can't kill kids because they want your phone, or money. That's what the police, and jail and the justice system is for. Not…claws and poison and… God we trusted you! How could you?" Lady Pott's voice turned shrill as she pointed to Sesshomaru whose eyebrows rose.
Trust? Trusted him to not harm humans? When did he make that declaration? He did recount he refused to eat any of the plump humans from this time…
Tenseiga cried from his side. He wanted to save this morally deficient human but refused Kagura? For what reason?
"Yeah, we could have definitely done without this today. Smooth." Banner, too, paled, and Sesshomaru silently assessed the situation. He did still owe Lady Potts for his outfit, and his fine garment and this vagabond's life weighed about equivalent in his mind.
"Banner, Jaken, leave and take Rin to see the flowers. I will repay my debt to Lady Potts here." Sesshomaru evenly, and placidly stated and Tenseiga thrummed.
Pause.
"Lord Sesshomaru you couldn't possibly be serious about using Ten—" Sesshomaru cut Jaken a look that could cleave through stone and Jaken froze.
"Let's go Banner I want to see the flowers! Don't worry, Lord Sesshomaru is going to fix everything, and I'm going to make a flower crown for you!" Rin beamed a smile that could have warmed any heart and Banner faulted.
"Oh. Okay…." Banner cut a hesitant glance to Lady Potts who just put her head in her left hand and shooed him off with her right.
The trio left and Sesshomaru walked purposefully towards the cooling body of the bandit.
"I don't know what you mean by repaying a debt but I'm certain there is no way you can fix this. I'm going to call 911, and try to figure out how not to have you in handcuffs in full view of the lower east side." Lady Potts fished her phone out of the satchel of the bandit. She finally retrieved it only to drop it as it was coated in congealing blood.
Sesshomaru unsheathed Tenseiga. He glowed a faint blue and he immediately saw the spirits of the underworld manifest, collecting the bandit's soul.
'She said she trusted me. Trust. If these humans trust me to be what they need me to be, I shall require the same in return.' Sesshomaru's throat closed as he recalled Loki's bold laughter that if humans of this time were to discover Tenseiga's true ability they would hunt him down for it.
Against a world of them, against Fury and his helicarriers, Rogers and Romanoff's prowess, Banner and his true form, Barton and his purification magic, Thor and Mjolnir…
Stark and his ingenuity and weapons.
He could lose that battle.
No, if executed properly, and Loki remained neutral, he would lose that battle if the invading forces arrived in tandem.
"You, what you think hacking him into bits like a serial killer is helping me? That's a whole other crime!" Sesshomaru ignored Lady Potts as she stormed towards him. With a flourish of his right wrist he cut down the underworld spirits and their small cries filled the air. Sesshomaru sheathed Tenseiga with an equally impressive flip and waited.
The gaping, venom oozing wound instantly had knit itself closed and the bandit groaned and grunted. Slowly, he pushed himself to his hands and knees, blood still staining his garment.
With a small pulse of youki, he vaporized the viscous blood cleaning the whole area.
"Oh. Holy Moses. Did you… did that just…" Lady Potts trailed off, Sesshomaru smelled anxiety and shock waft from her.
"Rise bandit." Sesshomaru commanded and the bandit did, and his knees shook in his soiled pants. Eyes wide with tears streaming down his dirty face he sobbed.
"State your name for Lady Potts." Sesshomaru left no room for negotiation.
"Lou—Louis." He stammered and Sesshomaru allowed it. He narrowed his eyes down at the boy, his tan skin was mottled with bruises and his white teeth clattered. He took in a deep breath through his nose, memorizing the bandit's pungent scent.
"You owe Lady Potts a life debt. Lady Potts, would you like to collect this life debt now?" Sesshomaru cracked his knuckles and he heard the boy swallow as he nodded.
"What?! I'm not accepting a life debt, that sounds like slavery or at least incredibly morally deficient…Though I'm sure you mean well, Sesshomaru. No, I'm fine, and please just call me Pepper." Lady Potts rambled. He would not call her a food item. He doubted she really understood what he meant by 'life debt', but she did not have to accept it.
"Leave. Do not interfere with this Sesshomaru or those under his protection again." Sesshomaru evenly hissed and the boy, this time, didn't hesitate at all as he sprinted off into the street.
Pause.
"That video. The first one, of you and Loki on the roof. It's true about the sword. You can bring people back to life! That's incredible…this is a miracle. Wait." Lady Potts' eyes narrowed in comprehension. She was no fool of a woman. She fully comprehended the gravity of wielding such a power.
"I entrust to you this secret. As you are aware, you are the only being in this time aside Rin and Jaken who know of Tenseiga's true abilities." Sesshomaru took a step forward squaring up to the human woman, still white knuckling her purse. She locked eyes with his. Surely, she understood that with one message she could have him hunted.
"The doctor visit… you brought Rin back to life didn't you?" Lady Potts pursed her lips and Sesshomaru fought a look of surprise. Of all the realizations she could have voiced, she thought of Rin's healer visit. Odd woman. Sesshomaru inclined his head as a nod.
"Listen, I understand you are trusting me with this. Just give me a moment, I didn't expect you to literally fix this…I thought you'd, I don't know, just clean up or make an excuse or something." Lady Potts scrunched her nose deep in thought. She nodded thinking to herself.
"I have repaid your debt of the clothing. I am going to go collect Rin and Jaken." Sesshomaru announced. Lady Potts rolled her blue eyes.
"Ok, what? Those…I can't. I can't even go into how those two things aren't equivalent with you right now. Phew. Ok, so, I know SHIELD can't find out, they'd try to steal it, or imprison you, or something out of a Jason Bourne movie. You should tell Tony, maybe when the time is better. He'd want to know that you did this. He'd appreciate it." Lady Potts collected herself and retrieved her phone from the ground. Sesshomaru studied her handling it, and she sighed in dismay when it remained ruined despite him dissipating the blood away.
Sesshomaru didn't say anything. He sincerely doubted Stark would appreciate slaying a human in front of Lady Potts, no matter how he resolved the issue. It was something certainly no normal humans did, and Stark wanted normal. Together they left the alley, walking together in an unfamiliar, strained silence.
"Oh, please no more killing humans, ok?" Lady Potts pointed a finger his way and he didn't dignify it with a response, except his ears twitching and poking the hood of his sweatshirt.
They came upon the flowers soon enough, fenced and walled off sections of street had been decorated with flowers, various signs, some he had trouble reading, and of course, swarms and swarms of humans. His ears rang and shrank against the sides of his head.
"Well, be careful what you wish for…." Lady Potts started and immediately three figures found them, most likely Jaken sensed his youki. Many humans had their cellphones out, some had other devices and candles. He wanted to leave soon, his shoulder and his ears hurt and he didn't really understand what this was about.
'In my time, when I would defeat a Demon near a human village, or a human scourge, the other humans would accuse me of similar nefarious acts, not mourn me.' Sesshomaru remembered a time a group of monks once tried to cross him and unsuccessfully attempted to convince Rin he was evil.
Rin had indeed made Banner a flower crown, along with Jaken.
"Lord Sesshomaru! There are so many flowers and pictures and music! I even saw a few of Uncle Loki! It looks like a party, but everyone is sad or angry. Can we stay?" Rin bounced enthusiastically, Banner now held her bag of her belongings.
"No Rin, we are leaving now." Sesshomaru paused, through the muddled noises he heard a song, a song he knew well: Serve the Servants by Nirvana.
'If she floats, then she is not, a witch like we had thought.
A down payment on another one, at Salem's Lot.'
"Oddly appropriate song." Banner heard it too. "I thought Fury was exaggerating the turn out but people here really care. How…did the um, kid situation go? " Banner adjusted his flower crown.
"He lives." Sesshomaru informed. All of this made him want to just go home. Back to his lands where he had much to do, and didn't have to answer to any humans or deal with any undue complications. Banner was about to respond with a furrowed brow when Rin beat him to it.
"So, you care about Lord Sesshomaru along with Jaken and I too, Banner?!" Rin piped up, picking up Sesshomaru quirked an eyebrow at Rin's question. Banner toyed with his flower crown.
"Uh, yeah, sure Rin. I mean, it looks like Loki's strategy succeeded. Just look at all this stuff!" Banner assessed, looking pointedly at Lady Potts as if anticipating a rebuttal.
"I am, again, cleaning up someone's mess. We are arranging a private press briefing off site at SHIELD headquarters to confirm they both are fine." Lady Potts informed and Sesshomaru's eyes widened. He caught someone on the edge of the crowd walking away. She shuffled away slumping her shoulders with crested dark blue hair, and her head down. Polly.
Flash.
"Why are you here?" Sesshomaru sped in front of her, his question more of a demand as she jumped back, face surprised, her usual pristine facial paint now smudged on her eyes and lips.
"Mr...Mysterious! you're alive?! Everyone thin-" Polly slapped a hand over her mouth as she realized her yelling attracted attention. "Everyone on Reddit thinks you're dead and that SHIELD is covering it up! I snuck in to the press conference and I saw Loki and you get shot, and I thought you were too! Omg. Thank god you're ok!" Polly threw her thin arms around him and embraced him. Sesshomaru stiffened. This was unexpected.
"This Sesshomaru will not die here. Remove yourself from my person at once." Sesshomaru reassured, arms out, eyes wide at the blue head buried in his chest. Humans in this time are so peculiar!
"Polly! We brought our friends chocolate swirl, and Vanilla! Lord Sesshomaru shot himself so everyone would like Uncle Loki!" Rin skipped up to Polly, with Banner and Lady Potts following close behind her and Jaken. Polly straightened out of her hug, looking at him, then Banner, then Lady Potts then Rin. Her face filtered through an assortment of emotions before landing on anger.
"You, Mr. Mysterious, have a lot of explaining to do. Like how you can destroy spaceships, and I totally saw your vid of you in Central Park owning those aliens. Killer. C'mon let's get out of here before someone sees you or something. We can go back to the shop." Polly hit Sesshomaru in the chest and he suppressed a growl. Polly turned to Banner looking at him like one would a hard strategy problem.
"Ok well, this has been fine and all but I am going back to check on Tony. I would…I would give him time before coming back. It's nice meeting you, Polly..." Lady Potts reached out her hand and Polly, with her many rings, shook it.
"Polly Tanaka. It's awesome to meet you, CEO of Stark Industies and everything. If you ever want free ice cream, or tattoos let me know, Mr. Mysterious has my number, my cards are at the shop." Polly ran her fingers under her eyes in an attempt to remove her smudged make up.
"I'll keep it in mind, the ice cream, not the tattoo." Lady Potts' lips curled up in a strained smile as she left.
"Let's go." Polly kept her voice low as she filtered through the crowd around them. Sesshomaru followed her blue crested figure as she ducked and weaved, and ducked through a building.
"Shortcut. It's where I used to protest for Occupy Wall Street." Polly waved them on through 60 Wall Street, an indoor park, with white columns, stone sculptures and trees. Humans milled about, but most seemed to be intent on getting to their own destinations.
"You protested?" Banner asked in a weak attempt at conversation.
"Duh. Corporations own America and greed will be our country's downfall." Polly stated seriously and Sesshomaru had little idea what she was referring to. Humans themselves, not The Mad Titan, would likely be this time's downfall.
Eventually they made it back to the ice cream shop, the safe point Sesshomaru instructed Jaken to take Rin to. Polly turned on the lights and he took his typical seat, hood finally falling off.
'Why was Polly even there? Could it be these humans, because I shot down that vessel, laud me as some sort of protector of this realm? Did they all mourn or express fear in my wounding?' Sesshomaru looked at Rin, Jaken, and Banner. Polly had just gone through a door and up some stairs only to come back down with some sort of fragrant food.
"Leftovers! Hope you guys like rice and pork cutlets! I can obviously scoop some ice cream for dessert. I don't know if you eat human food, Mr. Mysterious but I'm sure I can find something for the new protector of NYC." Sesshoumaru half listened as Polly put down the bag and took out her phone from her pocket, putting it on the table. He could hear Rin's, Jaken's and Banner's empty stomachs rumble. He frowned slightly, he should have had insured Rin was adequately fed before the tactic this morning.
Sesshomaru's eyes widened as really absorbed what Polly had said.
Protector!
It was what he had become to the humans, unintentionally. It is why Lady Potts became so distressed, they trusted him to protect the humans, not kill them, and every action he had taken up until that point had proven her true.
He could have let Banner go mad, at any occurrence, the first, second, or third before he trained him. He could have ignored the baiting Chitauri and let them ravage the humans. He could have shot the vessel down over the city rather than in the harbor. He could have used Bakusaiga on Fury when Rin and Jaken were safely out of the tower, potentially harming everyone in the room, save Banner and Loki.
'If I had done any one of those things it would have dismantled their entire goal of defending this realm. I held back to protect these humans. When did this occur? When did assisting Loki in his revenge coincide with protecting this realm and all its inhabitants, and not just the ones he values? When did their livelihood matter as much my conquest? Why did I feel so strongly to defend Stark's sovereignty of his tower?' Sesshomaru focused at a point on the wall, face revealing nothing of his pensive nature.
'If this is the case, why did Stark take so negatively to Loki's tactic? I had even worked with his team, like he harped on the previous day.' Despite his heightened hearing, Sesshomaru retreated farther into his own thoughts.
"So, welcome to my family's shop, we live above it. I'm Polly Tanaka, ice cream scooper by morning, tattoo apprentice by afternoon. You're the Hulk right? Nice job in central park by the way!" She put out her black, skull marked hand for a handshake, Banner just looked shell-shocked, but grabbed her hand and the card. Polly's eyes lit up.
"Yeah, that's me, and uh, thanks I try." Banner stammered with an awkward grin. Sesshomaru didn't understand how such a fearsome fighter could play so humble.
"An Avenger just shook my hand! If you ever want any ink here's my card." Polly's eyes went wide under her smeared grey eyepaint as Banner took the card.
"Yeah, thanks you can call me Bruce. I think I'm set on body modifications, I tried one on myself a while back, didn't work out so well. It's good to meet the music bartering ice cream vendor we've heard so much about." Polly looked to Sesshomaru in disbelief. Sesshomaru simply looked back at her.
"I can't believe you're telling me the other people in 'The Sundae' are the Avengers! And they know about me? Oh, this so badass. So, that must mean Lime Sherbet is Loki?!" Polly's metal ringed eyebrows shot up and her smudged black lips dropped. Sesshomaru nodded once and Polly threw her ringed hands in the air in shock.
"Yup! My Lord and Uncle Loki are friends! Uncle Loki is ok too!" Rin announced, unwrapping her chopsticks and eyeing Jaken's piece of meat.
"Wow, so your crazy ass devised a plot to shoot yourselves? You're so not right in the head. I was right, you were in some deep shit. You could have told me." Polly frowned pointing a finger at the Demon Lord.
"Loki and Romanoff," Polly looked at him expectantly. "Strawberry, included only those necessary." Sesshomaru explained, and Polly sighed. Sesshomaru rolled his broken clavicle, hearing it grind. He willed his youki to mend the bone quicker since Tenseiga remained obstinate.
Polly reached for her phone, glaring at Sesshomaru while she did so before she raised a finger.
"Waiiit. So. If Lime Sherbet is Loki, then is this guy…" She thumbed her phone "Mint Chocolate Chip? Is he Hawkeye? He looks undercover." She held out her phone to Rin, showing photos of them all sitting on the stage. Loki and he stood at the podium, staring out at the crowd like the Lord and Prince their fathers had raised them to be. He noted in the photographs Barton had his eyes on Loki the whole time, and Stark on himself.
"Yup! Uncle Loki likes him a lot! Even Romanoff thinks so!" Rin piped up, eating some of the kimchi and Banner's eyes bulged out of his head. Jaken squirmed.
"They are currently coupling in my former quarters." Sesshomaru informed neutrally and Banner choked on his drink.
"That improper God did not even ask your permission, Lord Sesshomaru? Hmph! Good riddance we aren't staying in that fortress any longer!" Sesshomaru was somewhat inclined to agree but he would not voice that opinion to Jaken since it was not like he usually slept in a bed.
"Way to go Mr Mysterious! Or should I say Mr Matchmaker!?" Polly poked her red star marked elbow into his ribs and Banner began to recover.
"Wait, you tried to hook them up? Loki and Clint?" Banner incredulously asked.
"...I may have helped put set into motion a series of events." Sesshomaru simply said and Rin gave him a wide smile. Banner just put his head in his hands.
"So…gotta ask then. Who is Chocolate? I thought it'd be Brucey here since he was the first to get to you, but if not then it has to be one of these two." Polly smirked, eyes alight, she fiddled with her black lace shirt, her metal ringed lip bent up in an anticipatory grin, showing him her phone which showed Thor and Stark.
"As I was getting carried away by the crowd, I saw those two go completely batshit. Didn't snap a pic but I'm sure they're on imgur or Instagram or something." Polly opened a new screen on her phone and Sesshomaru's eyes went wide.
"I'd never couple with the Storm God." Sesshomaru's weak youki spiked in alarm it was considered a possibility. His eyes hardened as Banner across from him chuckled and Rin rocked from side to side happily.
"Aha! So, you do admit it! You and Chocolate! He must be Tony Stark then. Man, he is totally nuts about you then. Look this photo someone put on Instagram." Polly showed him a photo of Stark, thrown to the stage by Rogers (smart of the Captain) eyes wild, screaming something, He was reaching for him. Sesshomaru eyed himself on the stage, face up. He did indeed look seriously wounded.
Could Stark have actually had been concerned about him beyond his role as protector?
"He stated he wanted a casual relation only. He also, unwisely, views me as beneath his station." He heard himself say unnecessarily, voice somewhat distant, looking at the photo, then remembering how Stark looked when he entered the room, seeing him sitting up, extracting the poison bullet.
He looked stricken, as if he himself had been poisoned.
"This guy looks down on you? Pffft, yeah right. Have you looked in a mirror, or seen youtube? I can't say I know Tony Stark, like personally, and I get he is some super genius billionaire guy, but no way could he look down you. Look at his reaction here, the guy totally digs you. Like this is above casual status. Look at this one photo, I think he literally kicked Captain America like twice. Captain America, who by the way, has to be Butter Pecan." Polly thumbed through numerous photos of different angles, quality and distance. Sesshomaru simply gazed neutrally.
"Usually I would stay out of stuff like this, but maybe you should talk to Tony. He is definitely fixated on you. I haven't seen him act this way with anyone else." Banner said in between bites and Sesshomaru hummed. He could get some clarification on some matters, and he would like his yukata and his hakamas back.
"Stark was just worried about you, Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin informed and Polly laughed, cheering to herself before becoming serious.
"...So, the aliens are coming back. Are they coming to New York again?" Polly asked, this time tone serious. Sesshomaru regarded her, sensing her fear. She need not worry, he would not fail.
"Doubtful. They sought Loki and I, not this metropolis. This is an economic metropolis of little militaristic value, they are likely to have other targets." Sesshomaru explained without any emotion, calculating in his mind the best places to conduct a trap. The one large naval base would work well.
"Well, don't get yourself shot to shit anymore or kidnapped ok Mr. Mysterious? Or I guess Mr. Nirvana now. And look out for Lime Sherbet too, he seems decent enough. I think we all know how it feels to be forced to do something you don't want to do." She shot a knowing glance at Banner who merely pulled his lips back in a thin smile. It pleased Sesshomaru that Polly did not show distain for Loki. She even showed approval. Polly scooped out ice cream for Rin, Jaken, and Banner.
"I'm gonna head back and try to smooth things over with Tony. I think after today I'm probably on some sort of 'Tony Stark hit list'. You coming with me?" Banner stood and Sesshomaru shook his head.
"No. This Sesshomaru is no fool. While he did acquiesce in allowing us to stay in his fortress to Fury, I know when an invitation is forced." Sesshomaru straightened, fighting a deep twisting in his lungs that somehow rivaled the pain in his shoulder.
"I told you Lord Sesshomaru! These humans are nothing but trouble. We don't need them!" Jaken announced and Sesshomaru cut him with an icy gaze.
"Jaken, take Rin back to the tower. Do try to not get ambushed by bandits this time." Sesshomaru ordered and Jaken deflated. He knew better than to argue.
"So, you're avoiding him cuz ya pissed him off? That's real helpful." Polly supplied and Sesshomaru glared her way. What exactly was he supposed to do instead? She began to scoop out three ice cream cones and the urgency to spar again sparked in his mind.
"I need to replenish the proximity barrier and train." Sesshomaru's stomach sank with an emotion he could only identify as unease.
'Stark had called me a squatter before, even if in jest, he must believe it true. I am an outsider in his life, and now no longer wants me there. It is unfortunate I have the opposite desire for him.' His ears dipped and he willed right ear to finally heal.
"Ok Lord Sesshomaru. I'll continue to train with Romanoff too!" Rin set her facial features and nodded. It wasn't that Sesshomaru didn't want Rin by him, it was that he had to figure out his tumultuous emotions and needed to be alone to do so. Yet, with the bandit today, he now knew that the tower was the safest place for Rin and Jaken.
"Fine by me, I'll walk them back, and if you ever wrap me up in that fur thing again and slingshot me around the city, my other form will make that bruise on your shoulder look like a blush." Banner jokingly threatened and while his true form certainly could certainly wreak havoc, he doubted he would be in a position to sustain such damage from it.
"Your threats ring hollow, Banner." Sesshomaru almost smirked as they left the ice cream shop, Rin with two cones, one a rainbow swirl of some sort, the other chocolate. Jaken had a rainbowed one as well.
Polly ran up and put a small, stretchy, bright red, fabric ring in his hand.
"Hair tie. See you Mr. Mysterious. Stay in one piece and kiss and make-up with Chocolate alright?!" Polly called out and Sesshomaru's ears shot straight up, tenting the hood of his hood.
"She's…interesting. Can she be trusted?" Banner finally inserted his opinion. Sesshomaru stretched the fabric tie.
"Yes." Sesshomaru bit out, perhaps too forcefully and quickly.
"Lord Sesshomaru, do we have to go back to that wretched tower?!" Jaken pleaded and Sesshomaru sighed through his nose.
"Do not whine to me, Jaken." Sesshomaru bit out, suddenly weary. His ears rang, his shoulder hurt, and he just wanted to be alone.
"Alright, I'll see you. C'mon guys." Banner must have sensed his unease as he led them down the street that danced in blue and red flashing lights, news vans and crowds. He could hear Jaken's grumbling and Rin's humming along the way.
Sesshomaru wasted no time taking to the air, pulling the string of his hooded sweatshirt tight to avoid it flying back.
He made a sharp turn, rebounding off a skyscraper, and headed to his preferred one for summoning his proximity barrier.
He sat for a while, letting the voiceless wind whip around him until he finally decided to tug his tangled hair into the elastic band, securing it low on the nape of his neck. Useful device, even though he preferred his hair unbound.
'No, not happening. You aren't taking him anywhere, much less touching him.' Sesshomaru recalled the short objection Stark made when he agreed to go with Fury. Sesshomaru, of course, wouldn't have allowed SHIELD to harm him, much less touch him. Sesshomaru stood straight on the antenna, prepared to spring skyward when he heard a massive shrieking noise originating at the tower.
A smoking projectile ascended rapidly into the air from the tower and Sesshomaru watched wide-eyed at the display. His barrier didn't alert him, in fact…
He sensed his own youki!
The projectile shot far into the sky, Sesshomaru could no longer see it, however, he could still hear it. It soared much higher than he could leap.
A second later a firework of blue shimmering youki, then from the flares of that firework, more explosions fanning out, the radius, perhaps five times greater than the original expanded far above the metropolis and beyond.
"..." Sesshomaru remained speechless as the shimmering, blue and green youki slowly drifted down like snowflakes across the city.
'So, Stark has not only replicated my proximity barrier but has improved it. Maybe this display is to inform me that he no longer wants my assistance in defending his tower. I have been rejected.' Sesshomaru cracked his knuckles and lowered his ears. Something in Sesshomaru faltered, a stinging prickle of disappointment and melancholy.
Sesshomaru had no time to react as an explosion to his immediate right rocked him off the antenna. His eardrums burst with a blot of blood at the sound and he flipped back to see a familiar suit of armor rocketing towards him.
Stark wanted a spar!
His ears rang, and all the sounds muddled together but that didn't mean he couldn't fight back. He twisted in the air to avoid another volley of projectiles and summoned his whip. Bounding off the skyscraper, he slashed his whip through the air, cutting more blasts out of the sky before launching himself at Stark. Sesshomaru smirked despite himself, this was a form of communication he could get behind. He refused Bakusaiga's pleas for attention, he would not use her against Stark, he could spar just fine on his own.
He avoided using his left arm while spinning through the air after the evading Stark. He almost looped his whip of light around Stark's armored ankle when Stark stopped short and fired down at him with his youki infused projectiles.
He artfully dodged them and rebounded off a shorter building to counter-attack when the hair on the back of his neck pricked up in alarm.
Ping!
The new, stronger barrier resounded.
Stark's suit fired off an onslaught of projectiles that Sesshomaru's close range he couldn't avoid. He dipped and spun from most but an energy bolt caught him on the left shoulder. That. Stung. Maybe he misread Stark again.
Stark pursued him with another overwhelming array of blasts. Uncharacteristically, his thoughts about his mother and the second Astral Plane window crashed through his head. 'He wouldn't actually try to kill me over this, would he?'
No. Stark wouldn't. He somehow knew it.
Sesshomaru visibly winced and corrected his trajectory. He tried his hardest not to show weakness as the barrage intensified. Pops of pain that he would have usually been able to deflect with youki blossomed across his body from the blasts. He couldn't maneuver himself as well as Stark could without giving away his flying ability, which he still wanted to keep secret.
Spinning in a sloppy, haphazard spiral, the Demon Lord fell, but not before finally lassoing Stark's right leg with his whip and slinging him into him. He took a point-blank blast to the chest, but that was acceptable because he extended his talons long and slashed at the back-propulsion unit on the suit, rendering it inoperable.
Together in a tight dive they careened straight down and broke apart at the last minute. Sesshomarru landed hard in a patch of well-maintained grass, in a ruined sweatshirt, hair tied back, skin bruised.
Stark advanced immediately, and Sesshomaru readied himself. A spar he wanted, a spar he recieved. Lady Potts was correct.
Be careful what you wish for.
A chapter in which: Sesshomaru has mommy issues, Pepper has to keep a secret, and poor Bruce is taken for a ride.
Yikes! sorry this update took so long. Things have gotten crazy busy for me lately and this chapter was sort of a trainwreck at first that I slowly had to sort out. Thank all of you for all your wonderful support! I hope this was a good chapter for everyone...no kiss and make up this chapter...
...but maybe the next. maybe. ;)
-TL