I'm not sure if this needs a trigger warning, but I've seen them for lighter topics and better safe than sorry, so, warning: mention of organ donation.

Chapter 18: Heart

And I thought stressing over entrance exams was going to be the death of me. Kagome managed to contact Sango and explain his situation. Apparently, she didn't have much to say about it but an 'oh', but they managed to schedule a meeting with Sango's father, the branch's head slayer, a meeting which was tomorrow. So here he was, doing his homework, waiting for whatever mess that made. What's the point in writing a five page literary analysis on the novel? Who's to say the author wasn't just trying to write a good story. Maybe there's no intentional symbolism! He was half tempted to shove the papers off his desk in frustration, but the last time he did that, the book ended up with claw marks in it and he had to get a new one while explaining that Kagome's cat clawed up the book. The only thing calming about the whole day was that Jinenji sent him a message saying he was finally out of critical condition and expected to make a full recovery.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

The 'Dog Whistle'! (Rin named his 'hero phone' and Sesshomaru wouldn't drop it. Kagome thought it was cute.)

Major accident completely blocking all lanes… it burst into flames… police on site… paramedics on site… earlier gas explosion in vicinity making some streets unpassable. He kept scrolling through the report, not understanding where he would be of use if all the officials were already there… an ambulance carrying an emergency donor heart between hospitals is caught in the traffic and completely boxed in. The heart was being transported by ambulance instead of helicopter due to the storm in Shizuoka.

Inuyasha smiled. I needed a distraction.

Having gotten used to lounging in his own place in his true form, Inuyasha only needed to throw on the fire rat and beanie, and grab his sword before leaping out the window. Looking at the ambulance on the map, it wasn't that far. He could make it in 10 minutes, 15 tops.

x

Geez, with all this traffic you'd think the whole city's stuck at a standstill. No way an ambulance is making it through. Hopping down nearby with a little subtlety, the crimson vigilante made it to the ambulance. It wasn't exactly hard to walk into traffic. The cars and buses weren't going anywhere, in fact some drivers were simply standing outside their vehicles stretching… and taking out their phone cameras. Ignore them…

"Yo vigilante, what's with the feudal theme and sword?"

"Mom look! It's the crimson vigilante."

"Idiotic hanyou." Asshole gorilla.

"What's he doing here?"

"Good job dude saving that kid."

Walking up to someone wearing a paramedics outfit, Inuyasha gave his best greeting. "Hey." Maybe I should've thought this through on the way over. "Er… I heard you guys are trying to transport a donor heart and are stuck?"

The man looked him up and down, "get lost. We don't have time for kids in costumes."

He held in a growl, "I'm just trying to lend a hand since I can easily make it to the hospital within fifteen minutes. And I am very much a legal drinking age adult, thank you very much." Ok, a slight growl slipped out. "Or does your disbelieving self want to be responsible for the waste of a donor heart and subsequent loss of a life?" Yes, that was a low blow, but he really could help.

The annoyed expression on the man's face didn't change, but he did turn behind him, "Ken, what's the status of that motorcycle transport?"

Rounding the front of the ambulance, another man appeared. "It's a no go, they can't get past the explosion on Akamon Stree- the crimson vigilante?" He finally looked up from his tablet.

The crimson vigilante nodded, "how 'bout I get that heart to the hospital for you? I doubt some street block is going to stop me."

The second paramedic, Ken, looked at the first, "we can't do that. We hardly know you. And there's no way you can do parkour carrying a heart."

"C'mon I saw the police chatter. The heart's coming from Shizuoka, about a three to four hour drive from here. Hearts are only viable for four to six hours for transplant so you don't have much time till it goes to waste." Nice little fun fact from helping Kagome study.

But Ken shook his head, "even if we agreed, the heart won't survive the trip."

"Sure it would! I'll even take it completely on the ground running if you want. I'm fast enough, there were news reports about me running a whole person to the hospital. He had a metal rod literally through his body! I was careful with his wounds."

"Let him!" came the shouts.

"Do it vigilante!"

"Whoo!"

He had actually forgotten the crowd. While the attention before was something he could tune out, hearing it as actual support and encouragement was embarrassing. He couldn't help the blush that appeared.

Both looked at the crowd and for several moments neither spoke. But then, it was actually the first paramedic that addressed him. "Listen kid, this goes against every single one of our procedures, but you're right, chances are this heart is going to end up going to waste at this rate." He looked over at his partner, "Ken, do we have a padlock on the med drawers?" His partner nodded before opening the back doors to the ambulance. There, on the center bench, was a box. A large box which resembled a cooler. The two paramedics maneuvered some things around the ambulance before Ken handed the first paramedic a padlock, who then put it on the box. "Alright, that'll keep it sealed. We'll inform the police of the combination and they can pass it on to the hospital. You'll just need to get the box there and try not to jostle it. Careful, it's heavier than it looks."

So that's his game. Not that a flimsy piece of metal would stop my claws. But he doesn't need to know that. "You have my word." Giving one last sigh at the crummy situation, the paramedic handed the heart to the crimson vigilante. Giving them a nod, he headed towards the side of the street, box in very steady hands. Mentally confirming the direction of the hospital, he took off, slowly getting up to full run speed.

Keeping his promise, Inuyasha only ran along the road instead of jumping over the roofs. Well, he did jump over the one car, but it was blocking even the sidewalk! Running only a little slower than usual, he made the trip in twenty minutes. It would have taken a human a lot longer. Waiting outside, he saw several doctors and nurses.

"Over here!"

He made his way over. "This heart for you? Hopefully it's still good."

The woman nodded, "we won't know for sure until we open it up in a sterile room, but yes, hopefully. Thank you. You'll certainly be our patient's hero."

Hero? He was thinking of replying, but the group seemed to be moving on already. He was glad to help, but this probably wasn't big enough to earn him a full hero title. Really, he might've helped with the transport, but for him that was nothing. The surgery would probably be hours. The doctors were the ones in for a rough evening. Oh well, one victory at a time. "Good luck!" was the best reply he had. One nurse looked up, so he was apparently heard. Time to return to homework.

x

Welcome to News 6 with the evening report. Earlier today the crimson vigilante…

Ring. Ring. Ring. "Yash here."

The heart was for a 42 year old patient …

"It was a good thing you did today. I'm really proud."

Her procedure went well, although her recovery…

"Kagome? Wait, how'd you hear about that? The news report on it only literally just started."

Meanwhile the reported gas explosion resulted in several casualties…

"Social media, duh!"

Authorities are investigating the occurrence…

"Oh…duh."

"Silly! Anyways, are we still good for tomorrow?"

Now onto the weather…

"Not really."

"Alright! See you then."

With the call ended, and apparently the evening news, he let himself fall back across the couch. He always kept up with the news to see what people were saying about him, but it was nice hearing it from Kagome instead. Nothing between them had changed. Even though he was a hanyou and she a priestess, they were still Inuyasha and Kagome.

x

Muso.

The slayers chasing him thought he was an average youkai. One who had gotten a taste for killing humans and was currently being hunted by slayers for it. But they were wrong, he wasn't average.

His instincts were never wrong.

In his investigation into Naraku Inc., he used Taisho Industries' best investigators, both humans and youkai. They intercepted a communication between a certain Onigumo and an individual named Muso, now proven to be a youkai. They were connected. His father's attack, the recent increase in petty crimes, the disappearances of youkai all over Japan, Muso, and Onigumo; it was all connected.

His instincts were never wrong. Dark days were coming.

"Lord Sesshomaru!"

"Jaken." He had only come to deliver a simple message from a neighboring lord, but that tone…

"Yes, milord?"

"Retrieve Bakusaiga from the vaults."

"Yes… milord."

Bakusaiga had not been wielded by Sesshomaru in 400 years since the treaty with the spiritualists.