Argh. This chapter is horrible. -hides in a corner- Thanks for reading it anyway! Hopefully the next one will redeem this one.
Chapter 7
"Shit." Sanzo cursed to himself as he looked out the window of the tiny room. He had looked out the window on a whim as he sat down on the firm mattress, but now he wished he would have just ignored it. Sanzo groaned as he lifted himself off the bed and reached for his gun. With a few swift clicks he checked to make sure it was loaded and ready to go. There was a gang of demons just on the horizon of the town walking in slowly, clearly trying to avoid drawing attention to themselves until it was too late for the townsfolk.
Well wasn't that just damn peachy?
The agitated priest cursed inwardly at the scene he knew was going to show up if those demons made it into town and ran into Hakkai. The townsfolk would get all uppity and they'd piss off Hakkai and Sanzo would have even more shit to deal with. Growling to himself with a voice that would make a grizzly whimper, Sanzo kicked down his door and made his way two doors down to the idiots' room. Maybe if they took care of it fast and quiet enough they could all have a good night and he wouldn't have to worry about Hakkai angsting again. Though, considering the two numbskulls he was acquiring, 'quiet' might be too much to ask.
"Oy!" Sanzo used the back of his fist to pound on the door. The pounding was enough to rattle the creaking doorframe and the monk found himself frowning even farther as he waited. After a another minute or so without an answer, Sanzo knocked harder and raised his voice another decibel. "Open up you stupid cockroach!"
"What is it? Geesh, shouldn't you be asleep like a good geezer?" Gojyo moaned as he opened the door. He yawned deeply as he leaned against the doorframe opposite of a very angry blonde. So much for his plans to turn in early for the night. Leave it to Sanzo to ruin a good dream, but that was how things worked. "You look like someone shoved a pole up your ass."
"Get the monkey." Sanzo lit a cigarette while the water sprite degraded himself by scratching under his wife beater. Idiocy seemed to multiply itself upon first waking, so Sanzo deemed it best not humor the man's pathetic insults. Straight to the point, then. "Demons are going to attack soon, they're already filtering into the town."
Gojyo felt himself sober up quickly from his short lived sleep at Sanzo's tone. The man was being serious about something actually important, for a change. This was not a good thing. "Does Hakkai know?"
"I don't know, but I want to deal with it now before he gets involved."
"So, the great Lord Sanzo does care about his servants. How noble."
"Shut up." Sanzo turned and yanked his gun out of his sleeve. He was shooting the first demon he saw in the street. Turning swiftly on his heels he started down the hallway knowing the other two would follow behind. "I want this taken care of now before it evolves into something bigger. I have no intention of getting tossed out of town tonight."
"Well that makes two of us. Last thing Hakkai needs is to get caught up in this shit in a town full of guarded folks." Gojyo snorted and turned back into the room. Gracefully, he kicked Goku off the bed and waited for the resulting grunt. As Goku turned to snuggle into the floor, Gojyo jammed a foot under his ribcage and pressed. Goku waved his hand at it absently as if he was swatting a fly. "Wakey, wakey. Time to kick some demon ass."
"Is it time for breakfast?" Goku mumbled into the floor. It was far too early for demons to be attacking. Had they know sense of time? There should be a rule!
"You can eat later, get up before priestie-boy gets too far ahead of us."
"Alright! Stop kicking me!" Goku snarled as he stood up. He reached behind him to grab his jeans and his shoes as Gojyo wandered over to get his own clothes. If Sanzo had already left for the fight himself, than it had to be something serious. "But we are so eating right after this."
"Whatever." The long-legged Gojyo yawned into his hand as he followed the energetic monkey down the stairs. "Let's try and take care of this one quietly, huh?"
"So Hakkai doesn't know about it, right?"
"So the monkey isn't a complete idiot." Gojyo grinned and ruffled the boy's hair. At the swatting hands he removed his own and held them defensively in the air. "I think his holiness is pissed so let's hurry."
"Right!"
"Wow, I'm impressed." Jeriche laughed. "You can really knock um' back, can't ya?"
"Well, I have a lot of experience. To date, no one's been able to out drink me." Hakkai sipped quietly at his twentieth cup of the evening. His elder demon companion was slowly dropping to the table and Hakkai gave him another five to ten minutes before he passed out. It reminded him a little of Gojyo and he found a tiny, yet genuine, smile start creeping on his face. "I think maybe you've had enough, though?"
"Don't be stupid." Jeriche grinned and threw his head back with a laugh. "No way in hell I'm letting a young'in like you out drink me. No'on's out drank you my ass!"
"You sound like my friends when you do that." Hakkai chuckled as he watched the other man's face turn pink. "Can I ask where I should drop you off when you do pass out?"
"Smart ass." Jeriche hiccuped and nursed his beer for one more good swig. "Right here. I got a room upstairs and bar keep doesn't care if I pass out down here or not."
"How very convenient. I was afraid I'd have to carry you."
"Psh, like I'd let you."
"Hey! Jeriche!"
"What is it, Xiaowen?" Jeriche turned from his drinking companion to see the bartender waving at him. The man had a concerned look on his face and that never meant something good. "Something happen?"
"No, but it looks like it might." Xiaowen sighed and set a few glasses down before jumping the counter. Walking a few feet over to the two guests he leaned down next to the older gentleman's ears and lowered his voice. "Miao from the hotel just called. She said you can see a large group of demons heading into town from the back window."
"You don't say." The old man took a slow swig. "That can't be a good thing."
"Yeah, you might want to make yourself scarce for a while before things get nasty."
Jeriche smiled softly through his sigh. Xiaowen was a good boy, a touch of a pessimist, but a good boy. "I just might do that, thanks kiddo."
The barkeep rubbed the old demon's shoulder softly before standing up straight. Last time something like this happened Jeriche couldn't show his face for a few weeks. This was the last thing the old man needed right now. "No problem, though you might want to do the same, too."
Hakkai looked up from his drink as the young man addressed him as well. Remembering the claws on his hand he licked his lips a little and smiled. The night was looking so pleasant there for a moment. But all good things had to come to an end sooner or later. He could feel his headache returning, that ever obnoxious churning. "Thank-you for the warning, but I think I'll handle it myself."
"What are you talking about?"
Hakkai pushed himself up from the table and put some money on the table, enough to pay for both tabs, before smiling. "Do excuse me."
"Where are you going?" Jeriche tried to stand up after his new young companion but found himself being caught by Xiaowen when he swayed. Maybe he was drunker than he thought, but that other boy must be smashed if he was going to do what it looked like he was. "You're not going to confront them are you?"
"No worries, I can promise you that I will be the one who lives." Hakkai smiled and cracked his knuckles. He could feel the adrenaline pumping in his veins and it felt good. "I've been looking for something to release all this stress on anyway, so maybe it's for the better."
"Sir, it's not one or two." The younger man did his best to hold Jeriche up completely straight as he talked. If he wasn't scared the old guy would hit his head, he'd be walking over to stop the other guest. "No disrespect, but even if you are a demon you're going to have trouble taking on twenty or so other demons."
Hakkai chuckled to himself at the warning. He wondered what the other man would think if he knew that Hakkai was hoping for more than fifty. "No worries, I'm not out of my mind just yet. I practically do this for a living. Twenty or thirty is merely," Hakkai paused to think of a good word. "Practice, maybe?"
"Couldn't be." Jeriche tightened his grip unconsciously onto Xiaowen's arm. "You're not one of them are you? Dear gods above what have you brought into this town?"
"I do apologize, but you are correct." Hakkai ran a hand through his hair. He had hoped to keep this little part of his identity a secret, but ah well. "I am indeed a member of the so called 'Sanzo Party' or maybe 'traitors' is a better way to put it?"
"Well I'll be damned." Jeriche laughed a little and pushed himself out of the poor bar keep's arms. He leant on the table instead. "Well, I guess something like this is a trifle for a guy like you, huh? My bad for doubting your skills."
"I can understand if things are a touch awkward at this point, but I do thank you for the company." Hakkai put his hand to the door and pushed as gently as possible. His fingers itched at the door for action. "It was nice, and I can honestly say it was better than I had originally expected."
"Aw, just git' out there." Jeriche plopped down into the chair next to him. "Maybe if you're fast no one in town'll notice anything happened."
"Have a good night, Mr. Jeriche, Mr. Xiaowen." Hakkai plastered a fake smile onto his face. At the young man's sudden hold of breath he imagined his face quite intimidating. Well, good. Hakkai had liquor in his system, a full moon over head, and a pounding headache that had returned full throttle at first mention of another damned attack. A little exercise would be good for him.
"Think he'll be okay?" Xiaowen whispered softly as he watched the young demon leave the pub.
"Physically? Sure." Jeriche sighed. "But that's all I'd put my money on if I were you."
"Why don't we get you to bed."
"Stop being such a damn mother, Xiaowen. I'm over ninety years your senior."
"Sure, sure. But you're drunk."
"So I am."
"And it's late."
"Not to late, not for you, and sure as hell not for me."
"Hmm."
"Get me another drink, Xiaowen."
The priest took in the scene before him and had to sigh. Placing his gun in his sleeve he cursed himself for taking the time to get the other idiots. He'd been too slow, too damn slow. All he could do was pull out a cigarette and curse to himself. "Damn'it."
"Well, if this doesn't look familiar." Gojyo had to cover his mouth from the smell of rotting corpses that littered the streets. Standing in the middle of the carnage, was a certain demon companion of theirs, once again covered head to toe in blood. From the looks of it, these guys got worse goings than that last time Hakkai fought on his lonesome. "Guess we were a little slow."
Goku swallowed as he stared at the sight with the others. Looking to his side he noticed that Hakkai had drawn the attention of some of the townsfolk as well. Not that he was surprised, they could hear the demons' screams from across town when they were heading out to confront them. He just wished they'd all go inside now before things got twitchy. "Looks like the whole town watched him."
Sanzo had a feeling in his gut that nothing good was going to come from this situation. Hakkai had single handedly taken out a mini-army of demons and kept them from hurting the town, but he doubted the village would see it that way. It might be in everyone's best interest to grab Hakkai and get out of town.
"Monster."
Sanzo watched as Hakkai's hands twitched at that soft proclamation. He cursed to himself and thought about shooting the person that lit the powder keg. The culprit happened to be that inn girl the demon had met earlier. He nearly flinched as Hakkai turned to look at her. His eyes looked dead inside, and Sanzo wondered just what could have gone through his mind during that fight. Sanzo prayed it wasn't what he thought it was, or they were all in way over their heads.
"Forgive me, but it was them or me." Hakkai stated simply. The bloodshed had calmed his racing heart slightly, but there was still a distinct pounding. It was almost like a little voice that told him to kill things. The thought of the Minus Wave brushed by but he shoved it away. He merely did what he always did: kill the demons. "Or to be more honest, them or the town."
"That I can understand." Miao breath was shuttering between her words. The images of that man tearing through those demons as if they were tissue paper couldn't leave her mind. There was so much blood. So much more than she'd ever seen any of the other demons shed. He was a monster. "I think, but it doesn't change how I feel or what I saw."
Hakkai's eyes widened as Miao turned away from him and walked slowly down the street. There was a slight sway to her step as she moved, probably from the emotional exhaustion. Hakkai couldn't find himself with the will to care, despite the tiny bit of shock. He didn't regret what he had done.
However.
He was not without exhaustion of his own. When he first confronted the inexperienced group of demons all was as usual, but as he tore each one down one after another, things changed. The blood on his claws, the senses filling his nose, the ecstasy of ripping the life out of their bodies was like lead on his heart. This weight that was settling down into his gut and his being was more than anything he had experienced before this damn thing had gotten started. Hakkai was positive that anything could be better than this frustration burning in his belly and he would never complain about his condition again.
This experiment needed to end. Now. "Sanzo."
The monk lifted his eyes slowly to the slightly shaking form standing next to him. As much as he hated to admit to himself, things might have gotten farther out of hand than he had initially intended. The crowds surrounding them seemed to be keeping their distance from the four of them. He doubted any of them were stupid enough to take Hakkai on after witnessing the ease in which he killed those other demons. Hakkai himself was looking shaky, but still seemed to be in one piece. That was a good thing at the very least, and what Sanzo was hoping for. "What is it, Hakkai?"
"Give me back my limiters."
"No."
The demon felt as if the other man had rammed a spike through his heart with that single piercing syllable. Hakkai tried desperately to keep his voice from cracking. "Please, give them back."
Nothing good would come from letting Hakkai duck out now. The man was about to break, and once he shattered into a thousand pieces he could put himself back together again. And only then. This Sanzo knew from experience. So the only thing he could do for his friend, was to keep jaw set firm and keep to his resolve. Closing the distance between the two of them to keep prying ears out, Sanzo came up to Hakkai's side. He had to have faith that Hakkai could do it. "They won't help you."
"Give them back."
"I can't do that. Not now, it would be nothing more than running away with your tail between your legs. You're better than this, Hakkai."
"How kind of you to look out for me." Hakkai's hand acted on it's own as his veins pulsed. His blood lust had yet to fully dissolve, and dear Lord Sanzo seemed to be volunteering his services. The man's throat felt good clenched in the palm of his hand. He tilted his head up to fully look at Sanzo's face as the man's hands shoved at his wrist. He tightened his grip enough to feel Sanzo's heart pulsing against his palm. It wasn't so soothing anymore. "Now if you please."
Sanzo found himself trying to force air down his windpipe under Hakkai's crushing grip. He hadn't even blinked and he found himself hanging a good foot off the ground. Just perfect. "Not a chance."
"Is this what they call 'tough love' or 'stupidity'?" Hakkai smirked and tightened his grip even farther. Little droplets of blood started pooling around the points of each claw tip. "You're going to stop breathing soon if you keep this up. And then there won't be enough oxygen in your brain for you to make the right decision. I would suggest behaving."
"Screw…" Sanzo had to gulp at the air and force it for that shaky breath. "You."
"I think you've already screwed me over quite well, thank-you." Hakkai squeezed even tighter. He wondered if he'd actually kill the man before him. Part of his brain was screaming at him to put Sanzo down and go hide in a corner. There was no way he'd ever be forgiven for this and he deserved to go drown himself. The other pounding half was currently winning with its screams of 'hurt him!' and it's drive to throw caution to the wind. All in all, he found himself surprisingly apathetic about the whole ordeal with these two extremes canceling each other out; it was a rather surreal sensation.
Sanzo wasn't the only one with trouble breathing at the moment. It was as if Goku's lungs a turned as traitorous as Gojyo's legs had been before. Watching Sanzo's feet kicking and the man struggling so hard he wanted to run and beat the shit out of who was hurting him, only. Only. It was Hakkai. Damn it all, why was this happening? "Hakkai! Put him down!"
Hakkai looked down at the grip that had encircled his free arm. Goku's fingers were sure to leave bruises, but he kept Sanzo aloft nonetheless. "I'm sorry Goku, but Sanzo and I are having a nice conversation. Would you mind kindly waiting for a moment?"
"Holy shit, Hakkai's lost his mind." Gojyo's eyes could have rivaled saucer plates. The water sprite may have wanted Hakkai to punch that stupid priest's block off a few times, but he sure as hell didn't want it to go this far. Not to mention hearing that overly polite tone being used while he was strangling someone was sending shivers down his spine. Gojyo swallowed hard himself before taking a few steps carefully toward Hakkai. He'd knock the man out if he had to. "Hey, buddy this is a bit much."
"Back the hell off. Both of you." All three sets of eyes turned the blonde struggling to speak through his crushed windpipes. Hakkai had loosened his grip enough from the distraction for the man to talk and it was a much welcome break. "This is between me and him so just stay out of it."
"Sanzo!" Goku shouted as Hakkai ripped his arm out from Goku's grip and pushed him back. The younger one was too concerned with Sanzo's glaring eyes to notice Hakkai's rejection of his request. "You can't be serious."
"Back off!" If Hakkai couldn't stop himself now, than he'd never be able to and everything would have been for nothing. Sanzo squirmed a little in the tight grip and ignored the drops of his own warm blood sliding down his back, probably staining his robes again. Those two idiots just didn't get it. If this was the damn minus wave, than Hakkai needed to beat it or there'd be no going back.
"It's a bit crowed here, let's take this elsewhere, shall we?" Hakkai smiled and dropped Sanzo's throat to punch him below the rips. The force was enough to knock the man out and have him it the ground with a dull thud. Thankfully the move was enough to shock both Gojyo and Goku into stillness. The perfect opportunity to take his fight somewhere private. It was about time he settled this matter anyway.
Goku cursed himself as he watched Hakkai grab Sanzo and essentially run. He wondered why his own legs refused to follow and he felt a little hollow inside. "Gojyo, did that just happen?"
"I think it did."
"Hakkai won't kill him, will he?"
Gojyo listened to that tiny voice coming out of Goku's mouth and he found himself praying to every god he'd met to date. "I have no idea."
