A little Hwang & Nii action there in the beginning for you-know-who-you-are. Otherwise, enjoy the next chapter and thanks for reviewing!

Chapter 12: Assassin

"I can't believe you did that!"

"What's the matter now, Dr. Hwang?" Nii frowned. "I thought you wanted to be his new mommy?"

"I'm too young to be a mother!"

"Don't be absurd, you're a perfect mommy." Nii pushed up from his rolling chair to smile at the furious brunette in front of him. He had really lit a powder keg with his latest bit of fun. "And it's a little late to protest now. The damage has already been done I'm afraid."

"I could tell. He did call me 'mom' this morning, now didn't he?" Hwang huffed. Of all the nerve of that man. To make that brat call her of all people 'mother.'

"Or maybe, it's not the mother thing that has you angry?" Nii lifted an eyebrow and chuckled as her blush deepened. It was too easy. "Maybe what's bothering you is who he called 'dad' this morning? Hmm? You're blushing, Ms. Hwang."

Hwang covered her face furiously with her hands and wished her make-up could hide the tomato red her cheeks were turning as she fumed. "That might have something to do with it."

Wang laughed from his corner. "Oh, I don't know. I think Mommy Hwang and Daddy Nii is sort of cute." He leaned his chin on his clawed hand and grinned. "You two argue like a married couple as it is. Just accept the inevitable and make sure not to forget me when making out the wedding invites."

"Oh shut up 'Grandpa'" Hwang twitched and grit her teeth. They should be working, not fooling around with nicknames the latest experiment of Nii's was calling them. This was absurd and unprofessional. Hwang gripped a counter behind her for support. "And if you think I'd have anything to do with this degenerate outside of Lady Koushuu's project, you're insane."

"That hurts, Dr. Hwang." Nii grabbed his chest for emphasis. "What will we tell the little one when he comes home to see us fighting? He'll think our marriage is over!"

"Please, he's smarter than that." Hwang huffed and twitched her fingers against the grains. "I doubt he stays under this delusion of parenthood for long, even if you did program it into his head."

"He probably thinks he's adopted. Most parents lie to their kids about that anyway, so it wouldn't even hurt your plans. There's no way he's your biological kid." Wang laughed as he started typing numbers into his computer. "I'm sure the hair color gave it away before your petty squabbling does. For goodness sake, the kid's got blonde hair."

Nii nodded. "Exactly, no wonder you're my favorite chess partner."

"I'm your only chess partner."

"You're both morons, but anyway, so he knows we hate each other, and that he's adopted, but he still calls us 'mom' and 'dad'?" Hwang rolled her eyes. "This is absurd."

"I think it's rather cute." Nii wrapped his arms quickly around Hwang's waist and jerked her back. She hadn't even noticed him sneaking up behind her. Such a fun play toy. "Besides, it's not like you have kids of your own."

"Get your hands off of me."

"When you call me 'daddy' I will."

"You're sick."

"Say it, mommy dearest."

"I am going to kill you."

Wang laughed in his corner as the two bickered. Nii had gotten much more forward with his lab assistant ever since this whole fake parent thing got started. He must feel justified now that Hwang's his pretty little wife. A slight knock came on the lab door to distract his musings and he hobbled over to answer. A quick bow from a solider and Wang found himself holding a letter addressed to their favorite human doctor. "Hey, Nii."

"Yes, Grandpa?" Nii laughed as Hwang clawed at his coat trying to pull away. She was just far too much fun to play with when she was angry.

"You have a summons from your mistress." Wang laughed. "Sorry Mommy, but Nii has to go play Sugar Daddy."

"Ah, and I do hate to break up our pretty little family." Nii released Hwang and she fumed to herself in a corner and evened out her breathing. "But the lady summons."

"Just get the hell away from me." Hwang continued with her brooding and plots of murder.

"As you wish." Nii smiled as he grabbed his little stuffed friend and headed outside of the doors. He'd have to make a good impression today, or he would never get what he wanted.

"That man has some nerve." Hwang ran a hand through her hair to straighten it out. But she knew it was still frizzed.

"He's just being his normal freaky self."

"He has no right to drag us down into his little experiments." Hwang growled. "Mother indeed."

"I don't know." Wang tapped a screen. "I sort of like being a grandpa."

Hakkai sipped at a cup of sake thoughtfully at the bar seat. Gojyo was beside him, head buried in his arms and mind dripping with liquor. Hakkai wasn't sure were Goku was, but if he had to guess he'd assume the boy was brooding on a roof or something. It seemed fitting for the situation. The demon sat the drink down on the table when his companion stirred enough to free an eye from his arms.

Hakkai always knew that the trip to Houtou Castle would take far longer than any of them had anticipated. He just wasn't aware that it could feel any slower a journey than it was already taking. Despite pushing Jeep to his limits, Hakkai felt they were making a snail's pace across China. He agreed with Gojyo's plan to kidnap a dragon next time they saw the Kougaiji party if they refused to give us a lift. Pleasantries be damned.

"It's been almost two weeks since anybody's done or said anything to us."

"I'm aware, Gojyo." Which is why they've yet to have a chance at another form of transportation. "You don't need to mention it every other day."

"I can't help it." Gojyo stretched a little. "All we do is drive, and if we take a break the monkey whines. We're lucky we get to sleep at night."

"He just wants to find Sanzo." The demon tipped his cup with his hand and watched the drink slosh around. "As we all do."

"Yeah, but monkey's starting to worry me, Hakkai." Gojyo mumbled and rammed his face back into the crook of his elbow. He just wanted every light in the world to go out and leave him alone. It was too bright in this dank dump of a bar. "He's getting too edgy."

"Goku will keep control of himself, I'm certain of it." While he disagreed out loud to quell Gojyo's fears, Goku was starting to worry Hakkai as well. The boy was experiencing an odd mixture of depression and rage that couldn't be good for him. "You've had too much to drink."

"That weak shit couldn't get me drunk and you know it."

"Oh course, my mistake." Hakkai sighed and downed the last of his cup. It might be a good idea to find Goku and have them all go to bed. "Let's get going, Gojyo."

"Right, just give me a sec." Gojyo forced his head into an upright position and stared at the table. It was moving on him, the jerk. Well this water sprite was going to show that table just who was boss. "Okay, getting up."

At the first stumble, Hakkai reached down to grab Gojyo's arm and fling it over his shoulder. He wish just once Gojyo could admit he was drunk. As Gojyo gave up trying to walk on his own, Hakkai took the first few steps. "Let's take it slowly, okay?"

"Think the monkey's going to go crazy on us?"

Hakkai rearranged his thoughts in his head to find the right answer to that question. "As I said, I doubt it. Goku knows he's useless to Sanzo if he falls off the deep end, just like we're useless in this depressive state."

"Never thought I'd miss the monk so much." Gojyo mumbled into Hakkai's shoulder as he leaned in further. Maybe Hakkai would carry him up the stairs since his feet didn't want to move. "It's no fun with just the monkey to tease and no one to piss off."

"I can't say I'm too happy not knowing what's happening to him at any given moment either, Gojyo. But there's not much we can do." Hakkai found himself slipping into old habits bringing Gojyo up the stairs. Just a few more clumsy steps to go and they'd be at the top of the stairs and ready to move to the room.

"Just get to India, right? Can't be that far away, right?" Gojyo laughed as he tripped on a stair. They just wouldn't stay still. "Damn, this sucks."

"I couldn't agree more." Hakkai smiled softly as he pulled Gojyo up the last rung of the staircase. A quick redirect and Gojyo was leaning on the door to their room. He opened the door and grabbed Gojyo before he could fall over. It might not have been the brightest idea to place the semi-conscious man against a moving surface. After securing the drunkard, Hakkai could see clearly into an empty hotel room. "Seems Goku hasn't returned yet."

"I rather doubt he does anytime soon. He's been disappearing at night like this for a few days. I really doubt if he took our advice to get some sleep."

"I hate to admit that you're right." Hakkai frowned and dropped Gojyo onto the closer bed. Gojyo mumbled something incoherent and dug his face into the sheets. A few moments later, Hakkai found himself alone. "Asleep already?"

Hakkai shook his head and pulled a blanket overtop of Gojyo. As an afterthought, he pulled the man's hair away from his face. "You're hopeless sometimes."

Hakkai took a seat down on his own bed and just looked outside the window at the dark night. The moon was full and bright against the dark sky. As he laid his head upon the pillow, Hakkai's last few conscious thoughts were of Goku. He hoped the boy could cope to the situation. If he couldn't, than their little group may not make it to India in one piece. That wouldn't do Sanzo any bit of good at all.

Goku had thought long and hard about what he was going to do to the guy who had turned Sanzo into a kid. Well, the kid part hadn't really turned out so badly, but this kidnapping thing was downright unforgivable. The boy shifted a little as a particularly rough tile rubbed his back the wrong way on the roof. He probably should be trying to get some sleep, but it just wouldn't come to him. How could he sleep when he didn't know if his friend was okay or not? It made him sort of bitter at Hakkai and Gojyo for being asleep right now in the room below his feet.

A tile was kicked loose when Goku shifted his weight and he watched it slide down the roof to shatter on the road beneath it. He kicked a second tile and watched it drag two or three loose ones down with it. Goku didn't care how much noise it made, it wasn't like anyone could do anything to him. It was such a fragile thing he was sitting on. Wouldn't take much to break it at all.

Much like a small child.

Goku growled as his thoughts once again turned to Sanzo and his current predicament. The thoughts of what that bastard was doing to his Sanzo even as he sat here alone was enough to drive anyone crazy. Goku could still see that man petting those blonde strands and running grimy fingers down those tiny arms. If he so much as hurt a hair on Sanzo's head, Goku was going to make sure his nerves were so shattered he could never feel a living thing again. Ever.

With that satisfactory thought of revenge, Goku could shove the depression at not being able to help out of his heart as easily as shoving a shingle off a roof. Yes, anger was much more pleasant an emotion to cling to than helplessness and tears.

Goku jumped down from the roof with an extra burst of energy and started walking. The tiles crunched under his feet on the pavement as he crossed over them. Some fresh air might clear his head a little so he could think. They needed a faster way to get to India, and he was sure to find one.

"Hey! Kou!" Dokugakuji shouted as he ran down the hall to catch up with his prince. "There's a flying dragon missing. You don't think Lirin took it, do you?"

"That's impossible." Kougaiji blinked. "Yaone's with Lirin right now. She would have come gotten me immediately if Lirin wandered off. It's too dangerous now to just assume she ran away any more."

"Yeah, but that means we've got another problem on our hands." Dokugakuji had wished it was Lirin who had taken the thing. He somehow had known it wasn't her, but he was hoping that it was. Lirin taking a flying dragon meant something normal was happening for once. But that was never the case lately. "That means one of our own or someone else stole one."

"But who would have taken one? The entire castle knows that they're off limits." Kougaiji thought for a moment. "Nii."

"You think?"

"I would bet money on it that he took one of them for something."

"You think he's acting on his plan?"

"Yes, whatever it is he's planning." Kougaiji clenched his fists. "Damn it. All we know is he's got Sanzo in his lab. This doesn't help us at all."

"Did you ask the stable keep who took the dragon?"

Dokugakuji shrugged. "He said it was some guy in a hooded cape with an official document giving permission."

"And you thought Lirin took it?" Kougaiji lifted an eyebrow. Dokugakuji was usually smarter than that.

"Wishful thinking." Dokugakuji forced a fake laugh. "She's a smart kid, she could have done it if she didn't want us to know she had left."

"I guess. But that still means we don't know who took it." Kougaiji frowned. "I don't like this."

"Me either, Kou." The elder demon sighed. "Leaves a bad feeling in my gut."

"Let's go check Yaone and make sure they're okay." The prince started walking, hair flowing like fire behind him. "It might be paranoid, but something bad is going to happen. I can feel it."

"Right behind you, Kou!"

"You called for me, Lady?" Dr. Nii smirked as he strut into his favorite puppet's quarters. She was draped over a chair in that blue kimono of hers with her hand around a succulent cherry. Her creamy white legs where cruelly drawn together to her side. "May I ask if it's business or personal?"

"Business." Koushuu smirked. Dr. Nii was looking so full of himself. "A little rat tells me you finally brought your little pet project back to the castle?"

"Your little rat seems to be efficient, if not late in the information." Nii shrugged. It the lady got her information weeks after the fact it was no threat to him. "So I take it it's not Hwang, then?"

Koushuu laughed a little. She wished the man would give her a little credit. "Please, you don't think she's the only one who tells me things, do you?"

"Of course not." The good doctor stretched his shoulder out a little and switched arms that was holding his precious bunny. "But I am in a hurry, my lady. To what do I owe such an audience?"

"I want to know how your little project is going to bring me closer to having my dear Gyumaoh back among us." Koushuu shifted and took a bite out of her cherry treat, placed the stem in a bowl. "You did promise me this experiment of yours would get us both what we wanted."

"I did say that, didn't I?" Nii chuckled as he closed the distance between him and his favorite puppet. Her legs moved in front of her and opened slightly. Maybe if Hwang wasn't up to playing the part of 'mommy' than Lady Koushuu would. "No worries, I've already sent him out to handle the situation."

"And he'll succeed?" The concubine smiled as the man neared her and placed his warm hands on her thighs. She knew this man was good for something when she hired him.

"Without a doubt." A slow stroke down the milky thigh had created the most wonderful look on her face. Her lips pursed together in a frown as she reasserted her so called dominance. "He'll complete this mission and make us both very happy."

The lady reached out a hand to pull Nii's glasses off of his face. She wanted a clear look into his eyes. As usual, they revealed nothing to her but the thoughts of a man who knew what he was doing. Still, they were deep and dark. "He'd better."

"Is that all my lady wanted?" The man moved a bit of fabric out of the way.

"Your lady wants the five scriptures, now." He wasn't going to get what he wanted. Not today. She closed her legs completely and pulled them beneath her on her throne.

"So persistent with your goals." Nii tilted his head and placed his hands on her hips.

"It's how I always get what I want." A pair of claws raked down the sleeves of his coat, leaving little shreds. She licked a droplet of blood off the tip of her index finger.

"What a coincidence, me too."

They both hit the ground with a thud.

"This is such bull shit." Goku smacked his fists down into the huge pile of rocks in the group's way. Someone up in the heavens must really, really hate them to keep shoving all of this shit in their faces. "First we have the forest with all the stupid knocked over trees, than the stupid mile wide river and now we're dealing with a stupid rock slide! What's the deal?"

"Chill, monkey." Gojyo sighed around a stick full of smoke. The water sprite was just glad he was smart enough to pick up extra cigs before they began the delay from hell. He kicked a rock as it rolled from Goku's carnage against the rocks. "Just be glad we've been fighting nature instead of hoards of assassins."

"I'd almost prefer the assassins." Goku snarled as he smashed his cudgel down into the first rock he could reach after his fists stopped being affective. Damn the Jeep for not being able to fly! "At least then I could ditch some of this stress."

"We all feel the same, Goku." Hakkai adjusted his monocle to get a better look at the crumbling rocks. He couldn't fathom why Goku was complaining, considering the rate he was tearing through the rock bed. While earlier signs had pointed to an increase of depression for Goku as time went by, he shouldn't have been surprised by the anger. The longer the monkey was kept from his master the more violent and irritated he became. Hakkai sighed and tried playing the roll of referee one last time. "Let's just get over this obstacle and hit the next town. We could all use some food and some sleep."

"I bet Sanzo could, too." Goku kicked a rock as hard as he could. Though he was hungry, it wasn't what was important right now. "But we don't know because he's not here, do we?"

"I swear, if you mention that damn monk again in the next five minutes I'm going to pop you one!" Gojyo cursed and slammed his cigarette into the ground. Sanzo, Sanzo, Sanzo was all that stupid monkey could think about for two weeks! "We're getting there as fast as we can and we're no good to anybody exhausted and famished!"

"We're not going fast enough!" Goku shouted back. He was at the point of almost full out snarling at his friends.

"Goku." Hakkai put his hands to his temples and took in a deep breath. This was almost worse than when Gojyo had abandoned them. Why couldn't this group function when a member went missing? Were they all that socially maladjusted that a single change in their environment would cause them all to lose it? "Just, calm down."

"I've been calm!" The sage smacked his staff into the ground and gripped his fists. The tears were building from his frustration, but he refused to cry. Sanzo wouldn't want him to cry over something so stupid. "Why is it taking so long to get there?"

"It's always taken too long to get there." Hakkai sighed and dropped his arms to his sides. Getting angry wouldn't help anything. He had to use logic to attack this insanity. "We'd been traveling over a year before all this started and were no where closer than we are now."

"Shit, makes you wonder how Red and my Bro make it back and forth so quick with just those little dragons." Gojyo pondered in an attempt to lighten the mood. Or at least remind them of the hope that a visit from their favorite prince would bring. "You wouldn't think they could travel that far."

"Yes, well they can." Hakkai tapped Jeep on the head and signaled for him to turn back into the motor vehicle. Goku had cleared the path quite efficiently during his little fit. There was an open field on the other side of the little pass which was just perfect for driving. "And we do not, so please don't dwell on it."

Goku swung his legs over the Jeep door to settle down into the back seat after letting out a big breath. As Gojyo sat down across from him he leaned his head into the front seat back. "You think Kougaiji would lend us a dragon?"

"I think he'd want a scripture for it." Hakkai sighed and moved the gear shift. The sound of the accelerator calmed him and he subconsciously stroked the dash board. Jeep was such a good sport to put up with them all. "I doubt he'd just give it up."

"We could take it." Goku hummed to himself as the breeze filtered through his hair. "It wouldn't be too hard."

"Yeah well, we don't exactly have him hear to ask for it anyway." Gojyo leaned into his seat and stretched as far as he could. If they weren't driving, they were sleeping. This was way too much time to be cramped up in a small space. Even if he did miss the monk. "Which is weird. I wonder why Gyumaoh's cronies have been leavin' us alone for so long."

"As much as I hate to say it, Gojyo." Hakkai broke in. "I think it's because they have something big planned for us."

Gojyo looked up over the seat to see out the windshield and nearly groaned as he pointed. Damn Hakkai for being right so often. "Something like that?"

"Yes, something just like that." Hakkai pressed slowly on the brake as he watched the hooded figure standing in his way. It was only one person, but at this point in the game it either meant one of two things: he was amazingly strong or he was stupid. The man's face was hidden by the hood, but the slim body was dressed in leather or some other tight black material that easily covered his torso and legs. The boots were well made and looked worn in, which told Hakkai their friend was a fighter. The arms were bare, save for a pair of leather gloves which nestled neatly on the hands at the strangers hips. "We should greet our visitor."

Goku glared at the man standing in front of the Jeep. He couldn't tell if it was a demon or human with him standing downwind, but there was something dangerous about this guy. He kept his eyes trained on the hood the wind was threatening to peal off. Then they'd know what they were dealing with. "What the hell do you want?"

Gojyo cringed as the figure chuckled and a very familiar vocal tone filled the air. The child of taboo almost started believing in his own bad luck. "Shit."

"You guys get straight to the point don't you?" The gloved hand reached up to the hood to untie the knot and pull it off his face. Was no point in fighting with that thing on. Screw what Dad says, he wanted to fight these guys face to face. "But that's okay, it makes things more interesting."

"Sanzo?" Hakkai found himself staring and had to step out of the Jeep to get a closer look. There was no mistaking that blonde hair and set of violet eyes. The face was even the same, only it was twisted into a cruel smile. He even had the chakra in the middle of his forehead. Mocking them.

"Nope, not a Sanzo, but man, I don't even think I want to know what type of Sanzo you guys know if you think a guy in leathers is one at first glance." The blonde put his fingers to his cheek and pushed up a bit in thought. "But then again, sounds like that could be fun, too."

Goku's breathing was picking up slowly as he stared in front of him. It was Sanzo. Just standing there and smiling. Goku's brain was screaming at him to run and tackle the man and never let him go again, but his body was frozen in spot. It refused to move. "Sanzo."

"Okay, getting weird now, but maybe if I introduce myself we can get down to business and forget this Sanzo bullshit." Tightening his gloves and shifting the weight on his hips, the man continued with a slight smirk of the mouth. "My name is Kouryuu, and I'm here for the Maten Scripture. Hand it over or die."