Sesshomaru and the Leyline.
*(*
Sesshomaru's lungs clenched together, both grinding and cramping. She crossed a line by interfering directly with his mind, showing him images she herself scryed.
Or simply fabricated.
Now she planned on showing others what she burdened him with. What right did she have? What madness had afflicted her since he last saw her? He should have known coming to see his mother would result in nothing but time wasted and more difficulties. His new scrying gift perhaps wasn't worth this exhaustive effort.
She had no right to reveal his thoughts to anyone, especially to Bakusaiga, who in these ludicrous visions had been killed. It wasn't a foreign phenomenon for his mother to show himself such brutal scenes, quite another to show such a young pup them, especially her own kin.
Especially a pup whom she'd never met, and his very own progeny.
He'd also rather Barton, who had been slain by his intended's brother, not witness such barbarity. He had so far had a rather comfortable arrangement with the human, and was content with his company. He shouldn't have to be at the spear's tip of his mother's meddlings.
Even Tenseiga, whom was no maiden to war and violence, didn't deserve to witness such fictions. He knew that Tenseiga would take his abduction by Loki, and inability to protect him, quite poorly.
Sesshomaru sighed through his nose. They'd surely take them the wrong way. How tiring.
"This quest of greatness, this empty-headed desire to defend this realm by cooperating with the humans and those two Gods, is false and ultimately futile. Perhaps, it's something that our dear late Inu no Taisho wanted for him when he grew a heart for that Izayoi. But, it was never, and has never been his true destiny." Inukimi's words iced over the room and pointed to the moon on Sesshomaru's head, it turned black. Behind them, projected the beginnings of the scry that he saw from his failed scry attempt.
"In every outcome of this invasion, in every future I have seen, you die Sesshomaru. In different ways, by different allies, different foes. Most of your companions die, some live. In scant few scrys is the invasion is thwarted, mostly by Odin's hand; in most scrys it is not. This version is the one that came to me most frequently." Inukimi turned to face the vision, as did everyone else who did not immediately face it. Sesshomaru growled, unable to suppress it, how dare his mother pass off her own mind fictions as predetermined facts?
"Barton, you may not want to watch." Sesshomaru cautioned uncharacteristically. Barton turned back to him, face scrunched in annoyance.
"So now you are treating me like a kid, trust me I'm a SHIELD agent, I have probably seen much worse." Barton turned back to see the first death, the evisceration of their leader, Rogers from behind by Loki and the color drained from his face.
He hadn't expected Barton to entertain Bakusaiga nor accept her, nor Tenseiga's humanoid form readily. Barton had initially been one of the ones who insisted they were mere swords. This unexpected outcome pleased Sesshomaru. It would be good for Bakusaiga and Tenseiga to become more acquainted with others besides himself.
Maybe they would cease prattling on and on to him, and instead chatter to Barton.
He also hadn't expected Barton to accompany him this far. Sesshomaru was certain that when he transformed that Barton would attempt to shoot him with arrows, like most humans did aside from Rin and Kohaku.
But he didn't. He didn't even scream or make a scene; he was certain he even heard him joke about it. Sesshomaru respected Barton for that. He also respected him for not showing fear in front of his mother. Sesshomaru much disliked visiting his mother, but it had to be done. Perhaps he should have given the Archer more credit, he had introduced him to that red metal dragon.
"Fa-Father, how could I have been shattered? What devilry is this?! This cannot be true; I cannot be killed! I'm stronger than any weapon…the best…." Bakusaiga ran to Sesshomaru and clung to his leg, looking up to him with fear clear in her eyes.
He gazed down at her placidly, his breath paused. She reminded him of Rin in that small instant. He reached down to pat her on the head like he would to Rin, but caught himself in the movement. Bakusaiga wasn't a human, she was a Demon and seasoned warrior, he couldn't afford to be soft with her before the coming armada. He had to be firm with her, yet he couldn't allow doubt to creep into her head that she was anything less than worthy.
"What do you believe, Bakusaiga?" He questioned and her gold eyes hardened. It was almost staring at himself. A vaguely eerie feeling blanketed him.
"Grandmother's scrys are quite accurate, she wouldn't lead us astray…would she?" Bakusaiga murmured. Her voice sounded thin, and as immature sounding as, strangely enough, Inuyasha when he spoke of their father whom he never truly met.
"No, Nat!" Barton called out as he saw Romanoff get struck by Thor's thunderbolt, not to move. Superb, he had forgotten about Romanoff's demise.
"My Lord, I cannot fathom my forger would betray you like this! He helped forge me to guide and protect you. He wouldn't forsake that!" Tenseiga's ears, which reminded him so of Inuyasha, flattened onto his head in horror. He stepping back subconsciously to stand beside Sesshomaru and his posture reminded him of his father.
Barton gasped when he saw Banner get shot by the golden rod, not to move. This was why he didn't allow anyone into his thoughts. Now they were all getting emotional over nothing. He wouldn't allow this future to happen.
"Loki….Oh I'm going to be sick." Barton put a hand to his mouth, face pale as he witnessed his own demise, Mjolnir pulverizing his body, it slapping the pavement. Sesshomaru remained silent; there was nothing to say. Yet more evidence that he failed his first scry to find the Other. Embarrassment clearly followed him like a shadow recently.
He should have known his mother would find and exacerbate any weakness, any failure of his he could make and bring it to light.
Sesshomaru cracked his knuckles when Loki cleaved Stark in two, and Barton dry heaved once when Thor pulped Loki's head off his shoulders. Bakusaiga let out a sharp cry.
"Ok, I can see why you may not have wanted to eat venison after seeing that." Barton bit his lip and Sesshomaru quirked an eyebrow.
"Teennnnsseeiiigaaaaa! This is your fault. I told you. I told you. I told you! These Gods, these humans will only bring harm to my Father! They are false creatures. You saw what that Storm God did to his own brother and the hilarious Barton! You saw what the Magic User did to our father's former intended and the leader of their clan! You are wrong; grandmother is right! I will not let you lead us down this path!" Bakusaiga ratcheted up her youki, fangs lengthened, claws extended. She lunged at Tenseiga who retreated to the side, face flushed. Barton backed up, clearly trying to avoid the fight.
"Bakusaiga." Sesshomaru warned. "Tenseiga does not control my actions, nor does mother see ones I have yet to take. I will not allow this vision to come to pass." Sesshomaru glared at his mother who simply sat there with a satisfied look on her face. Bakusaiga's trembling ceases and Barton coughed, clearly trying to gain back composure.
"Hmph. You deserved a worse death than that for allowing my precious Granddaughter to be slain as such. I gave you this vision to educate you Sesshomaru." Inukimi stated primly, which simply rankled Sesshomaru.
"Ok, I know you don't like humans but he should at least know all the facts before you go and manipulate him into doing what you want. That blue…err…woman, in the background in Shanghai? She has the mind control scepter. The same one Loki had during the first invasion; the same one that turned my twisted my loyalties and controlled me. Thor and Loki didn't betray anyone. Didn't you hear him yell 'no' when Thor was about to kill Fancy Pa—I mean Sesshomaru. Obviously, Loki was fighting the mind control. The enemy somehow got a hold of the scepter and turned Thor and Loki against us with it." Barton shouted sternly, voice strong as if to confront his mother. She cracked her knuckles and Tenseiga's ears pricked up, as did Sesshomaru's eyes widened and pupils constricted. His claws produced his signature toxin and he clenched his fists.
'So, Storm God and Loki didn't betray us. They were forced to kill the humans and myself. It is why Loki hesitated to attack Barton in the scry. It is why Loki didn't kill me himself.' Sesshomaru didn't let the relief show on his face, but his ears twitched, releasing the tension in his neck muscles.
"My forger, controlled by another?! By the enemy?" Tenseiga's aura pulsed, ears lowering, throat growling. Bakusaiga crossed her arms, not liking any of it.
"It matters not under what duress they cut you down my son, only that your death is unavoidable. Your father never quite understood that the destiny he had in mind for you was short-sighted and made you weak. Your destiny has always been ultimate conquest, to rule supreme. Since your creation, I remained confident you would ascend to rule and protect all the Demons. Not any and all lifeforms to wander into Western Lands and fall under your dominion and your responsibility. Your destiny no longer lies in the past, in the Western Lands." Sesshomaru stilled, upon hearing his mother make the same point again, ears flat against his head.
'Stay? Here? My Lands, Ah-Un, what of Inuyasha, my responsibilities? How can they both change what they want from me so easily? The reason for my creation was to conquer the Four Lands, now it is to find some worthless Demons and rule them? In what land? First father changing his mind about protecting humans and Half-Demons, now mother and her hunts.' A dark pit of crushing weight began to pit deep in Sesshomaru's icy chest.
"Don't give me that look Sesshomaru. What a petulant, spoiled son I have. You were meant for far greater feats than owning a bit of land in Honshu." Inukimi giggled slightly and Sesshomaru suppressed a growl. How dare she mock him and falsely praise him so in the same breath?!
"I have had enough of your false flattery." Sesshomaru pulsed out his youki. "Tell this Sesshomaru of what you conspire." Sesshomaru's voice fell like a guillotine on his mother. Barton gave him a hidden thumbs-up and he had no idea why.
"Conspire is such a strong word. I prefer guide. I intend to guide you to even greater heights, to show you what your potential is. To show you that toppling that Titan is a waste of your time and efforts." Inukimi smirked, and Sesshomaru refrained from showing any reaction.
"Father, Tenseiga, and I have gotten much stronger on our own! I totally swatted one of their vessels from the sky no sweat! We are the strongest being, nothing can stop us!" Bakusaiga jumped and tugged on one of Tenseiga's fussy triangle ears.
Sesshomaru raised his ears at the antic and Barton's laughted at Tenseiga's dismay.
"Ever confident aren't we my precious one." Inukimi smiled warmly at the girl then turned back to Sesshomaru, gaze icy. "All so confident, yet oh so careless." Her voice dropped the temperature of the room.
"Is this really how you as a family interact? No wonder Fanc-Sesshomaru never bring the grandkid for family game night." Barton huffed, Sesshomaru noted his sarcasm, something he and Loki both had in common. Inukimi ignored Barton and instead approached himself.
"Sesshomaru. Show me your left arm now." Sesshomaru glared back suspiciously, his mother was up to something he knew it, but the gaze in her eyes seemed serious.
"For what purpose?" Sesshomaru bit out, was she trying to humiliate him? Inukimi approached him, though shorter than Sesshomaru, and feet and ankles dissipating into thin air, stood solid and demanding as ever.
"You were seen on the Astral Plane. It was the other reason I showed you that scry, to keep him from crawling into your mind. I need to see what he wrote. His signature." Inukimi demanded and Sesshomaru's eyebrows lifted slightly.
'So, she knows of that mark. I healed it long ago, how does she know of it now?' Barton and Bakusaiga, who now held onto his belt loop as if sheathed to it circled around. Tenseiga also looked to him.
Sesshomaru pulled back his yukata sleeve and to his well suppressed horror, the name 'the Other' was carved deep, as scrawling, hatched letters into his under arm. The blood began to drip, and coagulate.
"That's one ugly tattoo...but seriously, what the hell? Does Loki know about that?" Barton exclaimed and Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at him. Of course he didn't know. He would never hear the end of Loki's overprotective nagging. He also thought it was taken care of.
"Father, the Other has seen you! This is most troublesome; he knows you can access the Astral Plane!" Bakusaiga's voice cracked and Inukimi placed her palm on the carved name and with a flash of white light, it disappeared. Her lips were tugged in a slight frown.
'This makes sense, if the Other saw me on the Astral Plane, that is how his minions found me in the Central Park so easily. I have allowed the enemy a critical advantage, I must rectify this.' Sesshomaru's expression darkened slightly.
"Oh Sesshomaru, you must enjoy having a death wish." Inukimi stated quite non-chalantly. "You have let him, him of all Sorcerers, find you on the Astral Plane. I can fade this mark, but heed my warning: if you are near a magic source of his, he can enter your mind with his own magic. He may even find your exact location. You won't be able to interfere with his magic until hone your gifts. He will have to be destroyed, or you will have to get much stronger to fully erase the signature. Neither of which I see you doing. Oh well." Inukimi flippantly smirked and Sesshomaru wanted to strike her.
"This quest of yours, this senseless defense of the human realm, you will surely fail it." Inukimi continued thinly, her voice light and airy as if she invited Sesshomaru over for tea. Sesshomaru suppressed another growl. He did not care what this sorcerer thought he saw; he did not care about his mother's predictions.
"I will not die. The Mad Titan will kneel in fealty before me, and I will cleave off his head." Sesshomaru pulled the sleeve of his yukata back down with a solid yank and Inukimi simply laughed.
"Yeah, we are the most majestic, powerful being in existence Grandmother! We will surely trample him!" Bakusaiga insisted once more, tossing her hair like he would. It was peculiar seeing someone look and act like him so. Tenseiga wore a wary expression, triangle ears low, he didn't appear to be liking what Inukimi had to say.
"Inukimi, what causes you to say such things? His destiny, entwined with those of the humans and the Gods, point to a victory. What do you know? There is something you aren't telling us, isn't there?" Tenseiga demanded, fists clenched. Inukimi swiveled her head over to Tenseiga and jutted her chin up haughtily.
"Your true destiny is to redeem your previous failure in this time! You were created to rule all the Demons with the power of the Astral Plane. You are tasked with finding our kind that were spirited away from our world by Odin. You also need to keep separate the two halves of the Soul Gems of the Greater Cosmos. The Meido stone and Sounga are not what they seem." Inukimi insisted, fangs bared in anger. Sesshomaru's eybrows furrowed. What about Sounga? Hadn't she said something in reference to Sounga before? That he hadn't known what Sounga truly was?
What was Sounga truly? What was the Meido stone if not a mere portal?
Barton straightened.
"Odin? What does he have to do with any of this? Are you going to actually be straight with us? It seems like you got one hell of a narcissism complex and you're hell bent on this whole smoke and mirrors thing. Wake up Vanna White, you're not helping anyone by playing guess the puzzle! God, and I thought Loki was bad." Barton finally exploded, face flushed and the veins in his forearms bulging from gripping his bow. It even glowed a faint purple.
Sesshomaru was a little taken aback. He thought that restraint and discipline would be two things that Barton wouldn't require to hone his purification gifts being a solider. Perhaps he was mistaken, this encounter had definitely riled him. Maybe it was a mistake to bring him after all.
"Grandmother, I want to know what's going on! What is Sounga?" Bakusaiga's voice got high, but spirited. He wasn't too sure if he wanted to see her in her humanoid form more or not. A small kernel of himself welcomed the idea, but it would present its own problems.
He had to focus on training, her humanoid form would be a distraction from that.
"Sounga is a wicked thing, the Sword of Hell itself. A vile creation that has no place by my Lord's side nor tampered with in anyway. My Lord, I know of your previous zeal for Sounga, but you have Bakusaiga now. She is much more valuable than your father's cursed sword!" Tenseiga's seethed, blue aura bright. It lashed out unpredictably and while he knew his mother felt it, and it had to have burned her, she showed no sign of discomfort.
"What?! You want to replace me Father?! Who is this other Sword?! I will best him, then Mjolnir!" Bakusaiga's golden eyes ignited.
"Silence." Sesshomaru sliced his gaze over to all of them. Would he be the only one present to show any modicum of control? If they became so incensed over his mother's antics, would they be so apt to lose their cool once the enemy arrived. He hoped not.
"Allow me to begin from the beginning. Long ago, beings called the Celestials tampered with the bloodlines of Demons, along with supposedly other races. Why they did so, I know not, however it had resulted in two races of Demons, the Deviants and my superior line, the Eternals." Sesshoumaru's eyes widened slightly as an image appeared of his mother's kingdom, only instead bereft and desolate of Demons, the paths were lined with groups of them, bustling markets, a full royal guard.
Then slowly, the crowds thinned out.
"The Eternals, while potent with ability, were weak in body. We were plagued with illness, disorders, and shortened lifespans. My parents, seeing our inevitable decline, had tried to strengthen me, but my body couldn't handle the strain of accessing more than a portion of the power of the Astral Plane. Eventually, they wished for me to mate into the Deviant race, to produce an heir to combine both races." Sesshoumaru's expression didn't change as it revealed his mother's parents: her father was golden haired and golden eyed with magenta markings, while her mother had the same color markings, and was silver haired and violet eyed. She much resembled Bakusaiga. He didn't know he subconsciously made the comparison until it happened.
"However, it had never been done before. The Deviant race wanted nothing to do with us. They wanted us to die out. Our power to reach the Astral Plane, though heavily guarded in secrecy, was rumored by the Deviants, and curiously enough, the Aesir, to be malevolent." An image of his mother, much younger, and his father as well, a bit older than himself he supposed but not by much, appeared. He thinned his lips.
"So, you're basically used to create someone to extend your race…that's some eugenics stuff right there." Barton imputed and Sesshomaru glared back icily.
"Your father, Inu no Taisho, stumbled upon a Gem of the Greater Cosmos. This one he discovered was the Soul Gem of the Greater Cosmos. It nearly consumed his soul. It was fortunate for my parents' plan really, because they were the only two who could save him, and seal the stone away into two halves." Inukimi explained, curling her fingers around her long, silver hair. Sesshomaru's eyes sharpened. The pieces fell into place.
"The Meido Stone, and Sounga. They are each one half of the Cosmic Gem." Sesshomaru, despite his mother's insistence, didn't need her to spell it out to him.
"Maybe you do catch onto somethings quickly. Yes. One half of the gem was sealed in the pommel of Sounga, and the other half became the Meido stone. My parents saved your father's soul in exchange for you. And well, I must say, so far you have been far less than anticipated, and created more harm than good." Inukimi knit her mouth into a tight, unattractive bundle. It as if the words she said were acidic, or weren't ones she necessarily wanted to say.
Was she being purposely condescending to him? If so, for what purpose?
"Grandmother are you to say that you regret our existence? You just said we were destined for greatness!" Bakusaiga interjected, Sesshomaru allowed it. An out of place protectiveness caused his chest to rumble, hopefully unheard.
Tenseiga shot him a knowing, warm stare. Not unheard.
"Of course not my dear, What I meant was that by splitting the stone, it released energy, and thus and attracted some entities who endeavored to collect it. It took them a long time to find us, I tried to keep it hidden, I thought sealing it away would prevent them from finding us, but using the Meido Stone on Rin, hastened their location of the Soul Gem." Inukimi's voice softened unexpectedly.
"It was your decision." His ears lowered and his knuckles cracked. So. That was why she was so hesitant to use it to revive Rin long ago. She knew that it would be a beacon to find them.
"Yes, yes it was. And one I do not regret making." Inukimi supplied, almost warmly, and Sesshomaru believed her.
"So…if I'm catching everything correctly, the people who were after the gem, they came to earth to get it?" Sesshomaru almost forgot Barton stood beside him.
"Perhaps you humans have evolved some brains after all. The very Titan you want to defeat now, came here, to this very planet, five hundred years ago. He came, actually, not long after Loki summoned you here with the magic gate. He came to search for the gem, and he ended up starting a war. A war against the Demons, a war, Sesshomaru, you would lead and you would lose." Inukimi's own moon turned black, and the images of Demon and Chitauri corpses. Crimson drenched fields, shredded flesh, splintered bone, and fire, so much fire.
Hovering in the smoking sky, two long cruisers loomed and a ringed battleship idled.
"The Mad Titan my forger spoke of has already been here once before, and my Lord, Bakusaiga, and I lost to him?" Tenseiga asked, transfixed by the image he had been shown. His triangle ears flicked nervously back and forth.
"No. Tenseiga, that wasn't us. Those guys were just posers, fakes." Bakusaiga's words rang strongly as she often tried to portray herself. As he, Sesshomaru supposed, he did when he was her age, but the tremble in her hands, showed her trepidation. A tell he also too had when he was young.
"This Sesshomaru has never led a war I did not win. This other Sessshomaru you speak of, was not me and was indeed weak." Sesshomaru's voice landed hard, much unlike Tenseiga's and Bakusaiga's and it almost sounded like it would convince his mother.
Inukimi's face paled to a color of bleached bone.
"It was every bit you. I gave birth to you and I know my son. I know you, whether you want to believe it not. You have a duty Sesshomaru, a duty to rectify your failure, not only to me, but to our people." Inukimi's voice leaked out like a stream of dark silk. She implied something there, something he was missing.
Five hundred years ago…right after Naraku.
Barton however didn't.
"Wait, wait, wait. wait…are you saying he's to blame, even though you knew an attack was coming and didn't tell your own son? What about Loki and Thor? Didn't they help him?" Barton asked, voice trailing. Loki. Storm God. He would have insisted for them not to help, but if Loki Storm God together willed to defend a domain that their father claimed to be a protectorate of he could not have stopped them from assisting him in some capacity.
"I paid for my mistakes, he needs to pay for his. That Magic User and the God of Thunder have no impact in this." Inukimi bit out. Tenseiga barked.
"How how did you pay for yours Inukimi? By dying? It seems as if my Lord paid with his blood too." Tenseiga growled out, ears flat.
"I paid by proving myself incapable of protecting the Soul Gem of the Greater Cosmos, I paid by proving myself a fool to Odin, and I paid by watching my only son die." Inukimi's eyes rimmed with blood. Sesshomaru scoffed, she never once held any affection towards him. She was simply blowing a smokescreen to the real issue at hand. What did she mean about Odin?
Alfheim. Loki and Storm God were sent on an extended excursion to Alfheim.
"You warned Odin and advised him not to interfere on our behalf, didn't you Mother? It is why Loki and Storm God sent to Alfheim." This was the first move Sesshomaru deemed wise by his typically overconfident mother. Whoever this other Sesshomaru was would have certainly not wanted Loki and Storm God to get involved.
"So, again, let me put this in plain words. You knew an all-powerful titan was coming to track you down and kill you and everyone else, and you told Odin to shove off?" Barton pressed, face flushing.
"It didn't take much. Odin has never had love for our kind, and while we spoke semi frequently, we were never friendly." Sesshomaru hadn't even known his mother and Odin exchanged words, much less regularly. "I informed him that this Titan's wrath was merely a grudge between old foes. I didn't lie, our ability to access the Astral Plane was very tempting for the Mad Titan to harness. It is truly a unique gift we have solely in yours and my possession. It is why after you were slain I had strike a deal with Odin to take other precautionary measures to prevent the Mad Titan from getting his clumsy, unworthy hands on the Soul Gem, and on our people to enslave them." Inukimi straightened her robe. He noted her legs were becoming more and more transparent.
"Meh, who needs Storm God and that Magic User anyway." Bakusaiga scrunched her nose and crossed her arms.
"Enslavement of the Demons?" Tenseiga echoed, suddenly intrigued, wrath cooling. Sesshomaru stilled, if the Mad Titan had indeed enslaved all the Demons it would certainly explain their absence.
"The Titan thirsted for an army, one he could easily control with the Soul Gem of the Greater Cosmos. In my final hour, I spoke to Odin through the Astral Plane. I implored him to act, otherwise the humans on Earth, and perhaps Asgard would be lost as well. He and I acted together, I hid Sounga on the Astral Plane, and he used the World Tree to seal all of our people in an ice realm far from here. Together, we magicked away all memories and evidence of Demons to deter the Mad Titan from returning. With no prize, and Odin's power amassing, the weakened Mad Titan and the Other left this planet be. Well, I suppose until they got their hands on the former Prince Loki and learned of the other Cosmic Gem located here." Inukimi sliced a thin smile that ironically reminded him of Loki's smirk.
Sesshomaru frowned slightly. Odin reviled his people, his mother was leaving out a key component of this story. He would have never agreed to help his mother prevent their annihilation without something valuable in return.
"So, all the other Demons are alive in an ice realm? We aren't the last of our kind?" Bakusaiga jumped in the air, green aura spiking.
"No, you aren't. Which goes back to Sesshomaru's real destiny. Your destiny is to free them from their icy sleep and bring them back to their former glory, away from this accursed planet. Leave this dying planet to its repulsive humans who have dug their own grave and free our people from theirs. You led them to ruin, now it is time to save them from your own weakness." Inukimi passionately barked and Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. How dare she still try to pin him into a corner? How dare she imply he was to abandon his word, to turn his back on the people he had given his word to protect?
He clenched his jaw. Yes. Protect.
"No." Sesshomaru stated curtly.
"Your father's spawn of his human weakness, the Hanyou, Inuyasha, is among the frozen. Him along with some of his friends who helped you in the war. Are you saying you'd abandon him to his icy fate?" Inukimi's lips curled upwards and her sharp eyes danced.
"Inuyasha." Sesshomaru whispered unintentionally. He lived. If he was sealed again, he would be the same age as he was five hundred years ago.
"Father, your annoying brother is alive? Why bother saving him? Ugh." Bakusaiga's opinion mostly went ignored.
Inuyasha was alive. He was frozen by of all the repulsive entities, Odin. He didn't know what to make of this. Should he care? He was never really supposed to be responsible for him. He knew not even his father would want him coddling Inuyasha, and he never did. However, Odin interfering with his family was intolerable.
"Does that mean Tessaiga lives as well?" Tenseiga replied which was shot down with a sharp look by Inukimi.
"Wow, you're a real piece of work you know that? I thought his old man was a bad example of narcissistic parenting with the whole 'weapon of perfection' bit, but you're just as bad, if not worse. You've been trying to manipulate your own son for your own gain from the start of all of this. You basically say you never wanted him, then try to say that him failing a war was on him when you knew it was coming. And now this? You're trying to convince him to let everyone he cares on Earth die just so your perfect little dream comes true? You've set himself up for failure at every turn then expect him to fall in line when it's convenient. Just because your own parents made you get with his dad doesn't mean you can hold it over him." Barton's own purification energy began to ebb out in fuchsia sparks. His own demonic energy reacted, yet he controlled his own.
"You pathetic, dirt bathing Priest! You have no idea what it takes to have real responsibility. Your lifespan is but a blink to us." His mother, enticed to battle again, seemed to be weakening.
He didn't need anyone to speak for him, but he had never met a human who could rankle his mother so. He only could imagine how it would have been if Stark had not betrayed him and he came in his stead. Would he say the same things? However, his mother was right. Barton was untrained and his mother was enfeebled, this altercation could easily go overboard.
"Clint speaks the truth. You have been out of line Inukimi, both my forgers would agree you have been trying to sway my Lord with your own wishes." Tenseiga stepped up, triangle ears flat.
"Grandmother, if you think Father can rule over all the Demons, why do you doubt us defeating this titan?" Bakusaiga stamped her feet. Sesshomaru unspooled his whip and tied up all three of his burdens.
"…" He gave them all a stern glare.
"I really, really should have just waited by the bikes. You know I am going to take a shot in the dark, because you know I'm actually really good at those, and say that live action Jerry Springer isn't what you and Loki did while 'treasure questing'." Barton struggled against his restraints, and his ears pricked up at the mention of the metal dragons.
He would obtain a metal dragon for himself. Perhaps Polly can show him where to acquire one. The machine incited long dormant excitement in him. He didn't see why humans would want to travel any other way. He let all three of the rather infuriating tagalongs loose.
"This is bigger than these humans, the Aesir, and your magic using friend, Loki. Sesshomaru, your father left us a grand burden: the Soul Gem of the Greater Cosmos. Sounga is locked on the Astral Plane and you are the only one in existence who can access it on the Astral Plane. Its other half, in the Meido stone is…." Inukimi trailed off, too sufficiently calm for his tastes.
"Where is the Meido Stone, mother?" Sesshomaru's tone was flat. He was through with her cajoling him into what she wanted him to do. It is his life, not hers, nor his father's any longer. He was done being told what to accomplish and when. This Sesshomaru would do as he pleases.
"Mephisto stole the Meido Stone from me when he cut me down out here in this wasteland. Surely you remember him, the Fire Demon who was so eager to go to Asgard as your envoy? He betrayed us at the eleventh hour. He seized an opportunity to betray his own kind when I was working with Odin to erase the human's memories and spirit away our kind. He wanted save his own spine and cut a deal with the Titan… Are you intent on getting revenge for your poor murdered mother?!" Inukimi's eyes lit up mockingly and Sesshomaru's ears lowered in warning. He had no such desire in the least. If she found herself on the edge of Mephisto's blade it was due to her own folly to trust such obviously unscrupulous filth.
Fire Demons. Really. Loki would be sure to remember him.
"Do you offer me anything of worth mother?" Sesshomaru cracked his knuckles. What a waste of time this has been. The enemy having the Meido Stone was just confirmed, and his mother, in proper fashion, and struck almost every one of his last nerves.
Inukimi clenched her fists, as if contemplating something and instead reached deep in her elaborate yukata sleeve and pulled out a long strand of snow white beads. They shone like ocean pearls and resembled a rosary that a monk or priest would wear.
His mother approached him, and held out the beaded rosary. Sesshomaru recognized it instantly as the beads that once held the Meido Stone.
"This strand is called the Cosmic Leyline, is made of the fangs and bones of our ancestors and has been passed down our bloodline to guide us on the Astral Plane. Bakusaiga can lead you on the Astral Plane. With this, you can perfect your true power to guard Sounga and awaken our people." She handed the beads to Bakusaiga who wound them around her left wrist just like a Monk would. Sesshomaru looked his mother in her eyes, gold on gold.
"Oh my dear son, I simply wish to save you from an untimely death. This ardor you hold for these humans, it's your father's vice. His absurd idiosyncrasy of loving them will spell your demise as well." Inukimi accused. Sesshomaru's ears rose. Love? What an audacious claim!
"Now just a momen—" Tenseiga was cut off by his mother.
"Bakusaiga was half right Sesshomaru. You do have an intended mate, but he is not a former intended at all." Sesshomaru stilled. He had hoped that his mother had thought Bakusaiga was speaking in exaggeration when she brought it up earlier and had missed it. She had not. She had waited till the opportune time.
Love though? Outlandish.
"When I looked at your left arm I confirmed it, the magenta markings on your wrists and arms have changed color, as they are apt to do when one finds a mate. My markings would have changed if your father's and my mating was a true match. Yours are now crimson. They must be symbolic about your chosen human mate." Inukimi iced over the word human, and Tenseiga bristled again.
Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed in thought; Stark did mention that his markings matched his armored suits after their spar in the grass field.
Sesshomaru had wanted this revelation to evoke more of a shocked reaction out of him, but in reality he was not that surprised. It was as if something in his blood craved seeing Stark. His youki also thrived in him as it had no one previously before. He deduced that something primal, something driven by his youki instincts had chosen him as a mate. It was confirmed with him when he coupled with Stark the second time and he told him that he was his anomaly.
Anomaly. It wasn't a word he used often. Yet, it was oddly appropriate.
Stark was most certainly an anomaly for a human. He was also most certainly an anomaly for himself. Never before had he thought he would choose a mate, let alone a human. Sesshomaru understood himself to be a solitary Demon; he preferred avoiding the company of others. Especially a race he understood to be weaker than himself: humans. Yet, Stark, a clearly social human was his anomaly.
Was.
He ceased to be when Stark made the glaring error of coupling with another human. Yes, Stark had initially conveyed to him that their relations were a mere dalliance, however he was certain the other night had amended that. He was confident that Stark had returned his intentions, and had understood he had been serious in his inclination, and dedicated to pursuing an actual courtship.
He was mistaken, but he was confident that he had not misread what Stark implied the other night. He was positive something had changed Stark's mind about him, and about a committed courtship. Loki had been correct, and most assuredly was secretly gloating about it. Sesshomaru should have listened, and not had given into his unruly and unfortunate emotions and instincts.
He loathed not trusting his instincts. He relied on them; they had saved him from countless battles. When he had no one, he had his instincts. They were at times, all he had.
"And according to Bakusaiga, your intended has decided you were a disappointment and left you for a human. All the more better. You are too young to mate, especially to a human. Were you struck on the head? To choose an individual of not only inferior breeding, but an inferior species of second-rate intelligence and strength? Obviously you chose poorly since he decided to bed another human instead of staying true to you. What a witless simpleton, that Tony Stark." Inukimi's face, for the first time, twisted into a truly ugly sneer. She spat Stark's name as if she knew who he was.
How dare she say his name?!
Sesshomaru clenched his fists; his talons punctured his palms, drawing blood.
"Whoa, Tony is a lot of things, but simple isn't one of them." Barton challenged. He didn't need his defense, and neither did Stark. Maybe it was for the best Stark didn't come himself, deep down he knew his mother would never approve of him. His ears lowered in anger.
How dare she speak of Stark as if she had an inkling of what they had?
How dare she speak of Stark as if she had any idea about him?
So what if she managed to see him get slain? She knew nothing of his boundless intelligence, his passion for defending his realm and his friends and…once himself. She knew not of his loyalty to those under his protection, and his ingenuity, his strength, his odd humor, the effort he put into finding him when he would go off alone, which he hadn't really thought about until just now. The fascinating D.E.M.O.N.S. device he made from his youki, not even to admit the hear devices he made on his own volition.
Sesshomaru's youki spiked, blue and true and swirled around him as he approached his mother.
"This Sesshomaru chooses my couplings as I see fit. Your opinions on them do not matter to me." Sesshomaru chose his words carefully. He didn't want to give his mother any more ammunition.
Beside him, he could feel Tenseiga's youki bristling.
"Clearly. You are who you surround yourself with Sesshomaru. Maybe that's why you continue to be weak and a disappointment. They're holding you back." Inukimi's eyes sliced over to Barton and Tenseiga had finally had enough.
He knew all too well of his mother's prejudice against Hanyous and humans. Before his mother retorted, Tenseiga stepped forward, youki spiking.
"You are the true disappointment Inukimi. I've born witness to many a time where you could have aided your son, YOUR SON, with defending the Western Lands from the North, battling against Naraku, or at very least informing him of his abilities. You did none of those when we saw you when he went into the Demonic Underworld. You showed no emotion when he was about to be slain from it. You imperiled Rin to teach my Lord a lesson and then saved her as if it was a favor! You speak of poor choices in friends, but it was your trusted companion who forsook you and stole your precious Meido Stone! Just because you have made poor choices in your life and who you surround yourself with does not mean you should project them onto YOUR SON." Tenseiga's words were laced with a poison more potent than was contained in the bullets that struck him the other day. His cerulean youki coalesced into a dragon and his gold eyes bled a sinister scarlet. Sesshomaru swore he saw his father's markings flash on Tenseiga's jaw. It was rare to see Tenseiga's dragon strike form; it remained impressive.
Sesshomaru unclenched fists and his ears raised back up.
His mother's eyes widened and she took small step back. She should. Tenseiga could slay her spirit. Over the years Tenseiga had proven his worth time and time again. Tenseiga voicing an opinion to his mother that he could never say was one of those times. He appreciated Loki's gift to him now more than ever. Yes, he still resented Tenseiga's praise of all things human and his empathy of them, but his merits more than made up for those irritating tendencies. Aside from Loki, Tenseiga had been literally by his side the longest. Even if he couldn't or wouldn't save Kagura.
"Tenseiga, stand down, that is sufficient." Sesshomaru's voice rippled like silk and almost instantly Tenseiga calmed, though the dark look loomed over his features, much like Loki's did when scorned.
"Man Tenseiga, remind me never to make you angry." Bakusaiga murmured, eyes large as plates that Stark served dinner upon. Tenseiga would never harm Bakusaiga; she should know that.
"What he said, and she said." Barton agreed sternly, and Bakusaiga lifted her small hand for a high five which Clint delivered. So, Bakusaiga had picked up Storm God's bizarre ritual as well.
"You're strong Sesshomaru. The strongest Demon crafted. You have a duty to protect the two halves of the Soul Gem from being reunited. You have a duty to free our people, including your foul Hanyou brother. You cannot uphold your duties and defend the humans. Let Odin defend them." At his mother's request Sesshomaru's eyes hardened.
"Odin, defend what is mine? Never." Sesshomaru's voice held a dark, obsidian-sharp edge; his own aura swirling. Odin, that despicable, weak, blind, old fool dare hope to topple a Titan? Steal his triumph; his kill? Odin couldn't hope to do so. He should have bitten his head off in his true form when he had the chance all those centuries ago.
The Mad Titan's head was his claim. The defense of the realm was his uphold. Stark was his to...his no longer.
"You choose the responsibility of those dirt eaters, whose life span is but a candle flame, over the kind you led to war and personally failed? One path leads to certain destruction and death, the other to glory and power! Do not…let me lose my only son twice!" Inukimi's shocked voice flowered high in the air. She was being purposely dramatic, but he caught a glimpse of a deep melancholy in her voice. He doubted that he cared that much about his own personal welfare. However, on the other hand, she did suspend her soul for five hundred years just to speak to him. She did prevent the Other from interfering with his mind, unasked.
She did save Rin, unasked.
She did save Inuyasha, unasked.
Regardless, why was he still here anyway? He got what he wanted, the Cosmic Leyline to the Astral Plane and answers about the Meido Stone.
"Tenseiga, Bakusaiga to me. We are leaving." Sesshomaru had more than enough of his mother's instruction and ploys. Tenseiga nodded and immediately went back in his sheath, waiving at Barton as he transformed back into his sword form.
Sesshomaru saw Barton head bobble as he opened and shut his mouth a few times, mimicking his mother's babbling. Sesshomaru suppressed a smirk.
"So soon? We have more to discuss. Like about your friend Loki and the Tesseract." His mother's legs had now almost faded away. Was she that concerned about dying alone that she brought up that nonsense about some other Cosmic Gem and Loki?
"That does not concern me. This Sesshomaru does as he pleases." Sesshomaru stated blandly and tossed his hair.
"Yeah, we don't need any stupid gems. We are strong enough on our own and we will prove it. We are gonna smash that Titan, blast Mjolnir to pieces, and make my Father's FORMER intended to think twice about coupling with a human!" Bakusaiga grinned, flashing her tiny fangs. Tenseiga turned his back on Inukimi to face Barton, surely a measured sign of disrespect.
"I will say my Lord, it may be well due to at least speak with Stark. He cares intensely for you, I can feel it, otherwise I would have never let him wield me." Tenseiga advised and Sesshomaru nearly rolled his eyes. "It was lovely to finally meet you Clint." Tenseiga smiled warmly, triangle ears twitching before transforming into a ball of light and resuming his sword form on his left side where he belonged.
"Same Barton! You rock, keep practicing your magic, I'm sure you will get at least sort of good at it, or die trying!" Bakusaiga grinned and gave Barton a 'thumbs up', another pose she had surely observed the humans do. She too glowed green and jettisoned to her sword form on his hip
"Yeah, thanks for the vote of confidence Fancy Pants Junior. Let's get out of here, graves always gave me the creeps. Besides, the Ducatis are waiting, and I'm sure SHIELD is going to wonder where I am since apparently I don't get reception in a Demon Tomb. I should switch providers. Nationwide coverage my bow-hand, Sprint." Barton rubbed his palms together. He didn't think Stark had a motorcycle. Sesshomaru inwardly frowned. Why did all of his thoughts constantly circle back to Stark?
'I don't want to entertain the thought that his mother was right and I made a poor decision, but I should have considered making Stark my intended more carefully. Courtship is a complicated game to him, not straight forward like Demonic Mating. Monogamy is perhaps a thing of the past with humans. Clearly he had no intention of seeing me for who I am. I was a foolish pup to take what he said to heart when we last coupled, that he saw me in any way a special lover. I cannot believe I shared that part of myself while washing, or assisted him in his nightmares which are so similar to Rin's. Tenseiga suggesting I speak to Stark rings of desperation.' Sesshomaru slipped off into thought, regretting his vulnerability.
"Sesshomaru!" his mother called from behind him. He turned slightly, she had never said his name like that before, with such an urgent, dark beckoning. "Don't be like your father. Don't die in a battle over your lover. If you stay and fight the Titan on Earth...I will...I...I will see you in the afterlife soon!" Inukimi waved, fuchsia lips curled in a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Fight for only his lover? She indeed was working hard to bait him.
"Goodbye, Mother." Is all Sesshomaru said as he walked out and through the barrier. It was if to say her prediction could not possibly be true. The milky white Cosmic Leyline dangled from Bakusaiga's hilt, clacking.
"Your mom definitely seems like the type to bake Christmas cookies with you, then throw them all out in front of you saying she just then went gluten free. I mean, she could put sociopaths to shame." Barton offered and Sesshomaru tilted his head at him.
"You are the first human she has met to address her so. You got under her skin." Sesshomaru watched as Barton shot a cabled arrow high up in the air, anchoring it in the salt and with a good tug he began to walk up.
"Well from the sound of things she eats most humans she sees… Wait have you eaten one? No. Actually. Going to take my own advice for Bruce on this one, don't tell me." Barton turned his head and Sesshomaru flashed a fang and purposefully let his eyes bleed red in the corners.
"You're a cruel son of a bitch you know that?" Barton edged away from the Demon Lord who was matching his slow pace out of the hole.
"The statement is accurate." Sesshomaru ghosted a smile, he approved of Loki's lover and his oddly appropriate word choices.
"…oh. Yeah, Fury said that too. Oh wait this reminds me. When Loki was you, Thor admitted that even though he never tried 'to bed' you, he did find you lovely and worthy." Barton sniggered and Sesshomaru's eyebrows shot up. The Storm God said that to Loki who he thought was himself?
"…As he should. He, however, shall never have the honor." Sesshomaru's eyes glinted and Barton laughed so hard he almost lost his footing.
'If I recall correctly, Storm God always chased partners far exceeding his own merits.' Sesshomaru suppressed a dark grin.
"I shouldn't have said anything; you don't need the ego boost. Though he was right about you giving birth to a bouncing baby girl—" Barton dodged a whip strike at his side, he just smirked cheekily.
"Watch your tongue Archer." Sesshomaru and Barton had nearly reached the top of the steep grade to a brilliant blue sky.
"Or what? You'll eat me? Because I know I won't taste good, and my temperamental, over protective lover may ju—" was the last Sesshomaru heard as he cut the arrow cable with his claws and he heard a curse and a long scrape of salt.
Sesshomaru dodged an arrow, then another. Then watched as another one with a cable flew up and attached to the salty slope. He allowed it to gain purchase; he wished to leave.
"I'm gonna push your prissy, Fancy Pants'd ass back down the hole you dug. Just wait till I get up there." Sesshomaru looked at the mountains in the distance and the expanse of salt. He let his sense of hearing flood outwards. The mountains near stood crisp and clean, though rocky and snowcapped, much dislike his Lands.
'Maybe I will stay here, Maybe I won't. I promised Rin I would retrieve Ah Un, yet I also promised I would stay.' Sesshomaru, seeing that Barton was still struggling up the steep incline, allowed himself a long silent sigh.
"That was a lot more fun the second time." Barton slapped salt off of his hands, putting his sunglasses back on, Sesshomaru, instead took to air as a ball of light and transformed again into his true form.
He curled his giant paws into the tacky, but smooth salt. It felt oddly refreshing. His gaze settled on a human who darted upwind.
'Hmmm. Ally. Barton. Intended of Loki. Must not harm.' Sesshomaru's thoughts came through as spurts in his true form as he reburied his mother's grave. Her tomb, the pearl had long disintegrated away. It didn't take long, even with allowing his saliva to drip over the slightly mounded entryway, sealing it. He transformed back as quickly as he could, standing now before Barton, who was on his phone.
"Yeah, just got done treasure questing….he buried a few bones. No actually we got a necklace made out of baby teeth or something stereotypical demonic. Oh, and I think I met the one woman who might be more terrifying than you." Sesshomaru eyes narrowed. "We will be wheels up soon, gotta get back to the Jet, we should be home by dinnerish, maybe 19:00 hours. Out." Barton grinned, hanging up and walking to his motorcycle. Sesshomaru allowed him that luxury, he did after all agree to come out to this salted wasteland to speak to his insufferable mother.
"You ready to head back?" Barton inanely asked. of course he wished not to linger in this place, although the air was far more fresh than in New York. It reminded him of places he found when he left on his excursion for a few days.
Sesshomaru nodded once and approached his motorcycle, insuring the staff of two heads rested on it where he left it. The metal dragon was indeed exquisite and the precise color red he wanted.
He straddled it, like he would occasionally Ah-Un, and gingerly turned the key. The rumble and throttle of the engine beneath him reminded him dearly of Ah Un's breathing and movements, though much louder and obviously mechanical. He looked through the wind visor and watched as Barton pulled out in front of him.
Sesshomaru didn't look back as he did the same. His adrenaline jetted through his veins.
His pulse raced and his youki tingled, he allowed it to spill out, leaving a blue streak behind him. He allowed his eyes to glow, pupils set ahead. He pulled up on the reins and let metal dragon buck in the air. Changing through the various speed settings was challenging at first, but he had a hang of it now. Sesshomaru allowed the smallest of smiles creep onto his face and Tenseiga, surprisingly hummed.
The wind rushed past his ears, reminding him of Kagura. He didn't hear her voice here either. The ride back to the Jet was entirely too short. Were he a thief he would try to stash his steed in the Jet somehow.
"You're all prepped and ready to go Agent Barton, and gotta say, Mr Nirvana, I'm a big fan." Sesshomaru turned his eyes at the well-built human in an icy glare. He did not need more human attention.
"Yeah, he isn't a big talker, thanks for prepping us." Sesshomaru followed Barton into the jet, and he replicated every step he did just like before, and he noticed just as Barton did that they didn't properly fuel the Jet.
"Ugh, new recruits can't do anything without hand-holding, we should be fine on a half-tank. We will just have to refuel the Jet properly in New York." Barton sighed and Sesshomaru nodded.
They took off, slightly less shaky than previously. Sesshomaru praised himself inwardly; this skill may be useful later. He picked up a slightly different sound coming from the rear of the Jet. They cruised in comfortable silence for perhaps an hour or so, listening to music of Sesshomaru's choice since Barton chose the music on the arriving trip. Sesshomaru chose Stone Temple Pilots, Interstate Love Song.
'Leavin' on a southern train
Only yesterday you lied
Promises of what I seemed to be
Only watched the time go by
All of these things you said to me
Breathing is the hardest thing to do.
With all I've said and
all that's dead for you
You lied-Goodbye.'
"Has anyone straight up asked you what you want to do?" Barton asked out of the blue and Sesshomaru's ears pricked up in pure confusion. What did he mean by that? Inuyasha may have asked him that a few times when he attempted to acquire Tessaiga. The vibration noise still hadn't ceased, odd. Perhaps the Jet incurred damage, but no gauges read any abnormalities.
"Like, your mom and your dad seemed hell bent on making you do what they want. Has anyone asked you what you want?" Barton supplemented and Sesshomaru shifted his gaze to him. Why was he asking this?
"It is a needless question to ask." Sesshomaru still heard the noise, it remained steady even though the engines were operating at much higher speed as they continued to cruise East.
"It should be asked it's your life, not your narcissistic parents' to use as a rook on a chessboard." Barton snapped but Sesshomaru could tell it wasn't directed at him. It was quiet for a few moments.
"My parents both loathed strategy games. It may have been their one commonality." Sesshomaru mused.
"Yeah, my parent's were more of a fan of NASCAR's Chase Elliot than Chess too. New topic. Were you close with your brother? You seemed concerned about him back there." Barton stumbled and Sesshomaru's ears flicked. His curiosity was beginning to wear thin on him.
He raised an eyebrow.
"I mean apparently he tried to cut off your arm and was sealed to a tree. Are you gonna go find him on Hoth? If so, bring Cap, it's right up his alley." Barton asked two questions and Sesshomaru nearly sighed through his nose.
"Those are inquiries I will not answer." Sesshomaru replied evenly.
The vibrations he sensed had now increased in velocity.
"Don't know you yourself huh? Well, I all I know is if I had the chance to see my brother Nate again I'd—" Sesshomaru put a finger to his lips. He needed Barton to concentrate on the present, not the past nor future.
"I hear a continued vibration. It comes from the rear of the Jet. It was not present upon our arrival." Sesshomaru cut a gaze over to Barton and he sighed heavily.
"I'll check it out, one of the recruits must have jostled something lose or broke something." Barton moved to the back of the plane and Sesshomaru attempted to maintain their course smoothly. He heard a shimmying of metal and a clank. His ears picked up a staggering step back on the metal.
"Oh fuck…fuck it's a bomb. We got no time!" Sesshomaru didn't need a reference to know what that meant. He whipped around to see a pale Barton. Sesshomaru cracked his knuckles, toxin flooding out of his right hand as he sprung back in a flash, grabbing Barton around the waist with his left arm. Swiftly, he carved a hissing, bubbling green circle on the bottom of the Jet.
'This may have been exactly where Stark and I coupled on the floor.' He willed his toxin to corrode faster, as if to destroy any evidence it ever happened as well as ensure their survival. The circle worked its way through and with a strong kick he punched the metal circle from the jet's hull and flung them both through it, getting clear of the engine backwash.
The deafening explosion above them reflexively caused Sesshomaru to place his back towards the Jet as they freefell through the sky, his youki shielding him from shrapnel. He could hear Barton curse and yell as he angled his fall. Sesshomaru calculated his height, around 6,000 meters. He should be able to land without much injury to his person without revealing his flight capabilities.
Sesshomaru buffered their descent somewhat with his youki but he knew due to the force of the explosion they were falling too fast for him to absorb the impact enough to protect Barton.
"I should have written my obit!" Barton screamed as Sesshomaru righted himself so he was feet first going into the forest. Right as he descended into the canopy of oak trees he wrapped Barton up in his pelt like a cocoon and threw him into the air. Sesshomaru took out some branches hard, but they did not injure him beyond a small bruise or scrape.
Sesshomaru hit the ground in a kneel with a branch quaking thud. Broken ankle. He immediately sprung back up, grabbing the pelt and landing gracefully on the ground with it, favoring his left leg.
As he unwound Barton from the pelt he healed his broken right ankle with his youki.
"Let's never repeat that." Barton stood a bit wobbly and Sesshomaru looked up at the smoke cloud and the wreckage that fell around one hundred fifty meters from their location in a field.
"Hmmm." Sesshomaru hummed, he couldn't think of a time he had to fall from such a height before.
"Thanks, I would have never been able to 'chute out in time." Barton jumped a few times, taking a deep breath and Sesshomaru quirked an eyebrow, did he thank this Sesshomaru?
"I would not allow any damage to befall you, despite your interrogations." Sesshomaru pulsed his youki out faintly to detect only humans roaming about.
Not unusual.
"That's sweet, my knight in fluffy armor… But seriously that bomb, I've seen them before. It was connected to the fuel line. It's why they only filled the jet up halfway with fuel. Jet fumes are more flammable than the fuel itself and it was set up to explode when we reached a certain coordinate, with a certain level of fuel." Sesshomaru turned to Barton, he could hear noisy humans filter in formation through the trees some distance off, he could smell their urgency, seriousness, and nervousness.
Not usual.
"I know who did this." Barton's voice hard like steel. Sesshomaru lowered his ears when Barton clenched his fists; he could not afford the archer to get emotional here. "SHIELD were the only ones who knew we were at the Salt Flats, and that bomb was SHIELD standard. Something shady is going down." That caught Sesshomaru's attention. So this SHIELD sought to slay this Sesshomaru? Sesshomaru put his hand out to still Barton. He would capture one of these infantrymen.
"We should contact your Captain." Sesshomaru murmured, barely audible and Barton put his back to a tree, hearing the advancing forces now.
"They'd have already tapped my phone and the Tower by now." Barton destroyed his phone in case it was being tracked through GPS. "We would tip them off to whatever they are planning if we called from my phone. For all we know this is a trap to lure Loki here. No doubt SHIELD sent a collection and sweeper team to collect our bodies or to finish us off. I doubt this is Fury though." Barton whispered and Sesshomaru hid, waiting for an unfortunate infantryman get too close. Barton seemed to pick up on what he was attempting and also got low.
"You might find this funny, but if you go East from here like two miles you'd reach the hick town, Marengo, I grew up in. It's just a day of family reunions isn't it?" Barton chuckled huskily, but it sounded brittle. It was obvious he had no desire to return there.
Did humans in this time mistreat their offspring, and if so, why? They had enough food and entertainment at their disposal and no need for many warriors.
"You know, there are towns called Thor and town called Hawkeye in Iowa. Shame we didn't land near those towns." Barton's face lit up in mischief. Loki was indeed a poor influence on the archer.
"Indeed." Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes. Ever patient, he waited for around ten minutes for a hapless scout to get too close. He looked to the lowest branch of the tree in front of him and got an idea.
In a graceful, deft movement he sprung out his whip of light over the tree branch and caught the infantryman by his neck, lifting him up to his tiptoes, fingers scrabbling at the whip in an attempt to scream or get free. He dropped his gun and Barton immediately kicked it away.
The captive agent spun to face Barton, a pink pallor forming on his face and Barton smirked.
"Hey there buddy! You know how this works, you tell me what you know or we play a game. And let me tell you, I've been playing a lot of them today." Barton caught on quick, Sesshomaru remained hidden from the captive.
"Go to hell Barton. You're a brainwashed, washed-up, has been!" The captive rasped out and Sesshomaru lifted him by a centimeter. His feet basically dangling now.
"Aw, see this is classic 'good cop, bad cop'. I'm the good cop, this is my backyard after all, almost literally. The 'bad cop' is the Demon Lord over there. And honestly, he isn't really a cop; he's just bad." Barton thumbed towards Sesshomaru who stepped out from behind the tree, left hand full of whip, the other dripping of toxin.
"You don't scare me, Barbie!" Sesshomaru cocked his head to the side and decided to employ an unused tactic. He opened his eyes wide, pupils constricting and released a gust of invisible Killing Intent at their prisoner, catching Barton a bit incidentally in the crossfire.
The prisoner's pants darkened and dampened. Liquid ran down his leg and the stench of urine filled the air. The captive's pupils were pinpricks in fright and he flailed in the air. Barton shivered unintentionally.
"Barton, would you like a leather jacket? Or perhaps a chair?" Sesshomaru deadpanned and lengthened his talons, running them along the chest of their captive, slicing through his knife-proof Kevlar like a laser through cotton. The captive's face turned purple.
"I told you no clothes remember! I told you that when the 'Scamtastic Four' left!" Barton stammered a bit, and the captive shook his head vehemently.
"Chair then." Sesshomaru drew blood and the captive found his strangled voice. Sesshomaru lowered him back down the centimeter so his feet touched.
"Project Ultron! Project Ultron! He wanted Barton dead, not you. He wanted you alive! Barton and the Blue Duck were loose ends! He's after Merlin because he made a deal with the Chitauri!" The captive wheezed and sputtered, body writhing.
"Who is he?! Why did he make a deal with Thanos? What for?" Barton barked, pursing his lips in palpable anger.
"I don't know who he is, that's all I know, please!" Sesshomaru side eyed Barton who motioned him to let him down. Sesshomaru was about to slay him when Tenseiga pulsed.
Tenseiga, too soft-hearted for his own good.
Sesshomaru instead knocked him out and released the whip. Why Barton and Tenseiga wished him alive Sesshomaru had no idea, but he wouldn't awaken for a while.
"This isn't good. Those are code names. The Blue Duck is Doctor Selvig…blue for Tesseract, duck because he's a quack…it's ok I'll explain the reference later. Merlin is the scepter that Loki used to control everyone. We have got to move, if they're trying to off me then they're definitely gonna try to kill him too. Someone in SHIELD betrayed us and is going to give the Chitauri the damn scepter. Loki…what if they're after Loki? The Tower could be in danger…" Barton's eyes unfocused, staring at nothing, wide and wild. Sesshomaru straightened, so some of his army had defected with the spies.
"Where is this scepter? If you don't know, I can scry it here and go intercept it." Sesshomaru asked flatly, preparing for a scry. Barton began rifling through the agent's clothing, coming up with nothing. He will prevent that scepter from falling into their enemy's hands.
"Only Nat would have clearance to know where it is, and I bet it's nowhere near Iowa so save the crystal ball act for later. We need to contact her. If I know SHIELD they're making their move now. Loki can teleport to the scepter's location, but he should stay away from it. The scepter is no joke. I won't let The Other get his hands on it again. " Barton ran his hand through his hair and Sesshomaru could smell the faintest whiff of panic come from Barton. He frowned and dug into his yukata, standing over Barton.
"Can you use my phone?" Sesshomaru held out his cellphone and Barton bolted upwards, eyes wide in surprise.
"You have a cellphone?! Since when? No, we will get into the how later. Yeah I can use it, SHIELD probably doesn't know about it, but we still need to call someone to call the tower. They will know our voices; SHIELD has upped their voice recognition game." Barton took the phone, looking through it and his face lit up.
"You said Bruce met Polly right? You think he'd take her call? We can call your ice cream lady; I have a code that only Nat and I use. I can tell it to Polly and she can call Bruce." Barton's pulse began to lower and Sesshomaru listened, the other infantryman grew closer.
"Leave your message with Polly, we should make haste away from here and back to the tower, it would be best if they believed us dead for as long as possible." Sesshomaru toed the passed out captive into a nearby shrubbery.
Barton called Polly and got an answer in two rings, he explained the situation, and left the message, telling her to write it down word for word.
"She called me Mint Chocolate Chip, I have you to blame for that." Barton crossed his arms and Sesshomaru remained expressionless. "So we need to steal a car, or something, then make our way to an airfiel—" Sesshomaru cut him off by first grabbing back his phone, then Barton roughly by his shoulder.
"We need no jet to fly." Sesshomaru squared his shoulders to Barton.
"Well, I guess a helicopter could do, but it would take ages though… wait, what do you have in mind?" Barton tilted his head in confusion.
"I have had enough of your metal vehicles. I shall take us back." Sesshomaru flared his youki out into a perfect blue pool beneath them.
"You can fly?!" Sesshomaru answered Barton's eyebrows hit his hairline. Sesshomaru wasted no time in grabbing his other shoulder and turned them both into a white sphere of light, shooting off like a comet to the East.
"Who knows you can fly?" Barton's voice came from all over; their bodies glowed and somewhat translucent. Sesshomaru hadn't traveled with anyone in this form ever before; it was exceedingly taxing and slowed him down considerably.
"Rin and Jaken." Sesshomaru answered simply then Barton's eyes burned in realization.
"Wait so not only does Loki not know, but we could have flown out of the jet instead of free falling, and me oh-so-manly wrapped in your fur boa?!" Barton face palmed. "I should just really hand my man card over to Nat." Barton groaned and for the life of him Sesshomaru had no idea what he referenced. He had seemed satisfied with the way he handled the fall from the jet just minutes ago.
Fickle humans.
"I only use my abilities if absolutely necessary. Flying, even by myself, drains me, and the more of my abilities that are secret the more advantageous it is." Sesshomaru's eyes glinted in slight mirth, accelerating towards the East, letting his nose guide the way.
"Paranoid, prissy Fancy Pants." Sesshomaru eyed Barton critically. He did not need his opinion on his ever-ready battle alertness.
"Would you prefer to walk?" Sesshomaru challenged, voice holing no venom and Barton sighed.
"I'd prefer if my own team didn't want me dead and my favorite bow didn't get blown up. I'll take what I can get." Barton's sharp eyes strained to see the semi-translucent light that streaked by them leaving a slight glittery trail in the afternoon sky.
Sesshomaru could smell the confusion and slight anxiety waft off Barton and his ears lowered.
'His anxiety could be from thinking Stark's fortress is a target as well. I best make haste back to assist in its defense.' Sesshomaru urged his light form faster, stopping only once to pick yellow daffodils for Rin.
Hello! I live! I have found my groove again after going through a pretty rough spring. I hope you enjoyed this one :)
Also, there are actually towns in Iowa called Hawkeye and Thor, hilarious.
Thanks for all who have continued to review and favorite and follow my story, it means so so so much. I'm finally getting past some anxiety and personal issues so please stick around!
Please let me know what you think!
-TL