A/N: MAJOR PLOT CHANGING CROSSOVER WITH SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED.
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Return to Me
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"I can't explain more than that. Just…just don't go anywhere with that attorney. He's not who you think he is."
Well that certainly left him between a rock and a hard place. Not only that. It made his skin crawl at the thought that he'd just delivered Chiyo into a very dangerous, potentially life threatening situation. Above all other questions that raced through his mind, however, was how the hell would Haichi know any of this information. A bodyguard with little to no experience in espionage somehow discovered that the attorney who had handled much of his business in the past, had lived in such close proximity for years….was somehow tied up in a larger conspiracy against a woman Ryo had just met. That somehow he'd become involved in. To say that he was overwhelmed would be the understatement of the century.
As if on cue, the buzzer sounded announcing the attorney's arrival and Ryo couldn't help but cringe. Their meeting yesterday had ended with the agreement that he voluntarily check himself into a facility for the required twenty eight days. That, however, now seemed like a very unfortunate life decision.
The buzzer rang again. And again. And again. Each sound more jarring than the last. Taking a deep breath, Ryo walked over to the system Haichi insisted he install and locked the elevator door. No doubt whomever the attorney allegedly was working under would try to take him by force if need be. The bigger question now was who the hell….
Another buzz of a different kind nearly had Ryo jumping out of his skin. Taking a steadying breath, Ryo fumbled with his pocket for a moment before pulling out his phone and breathing a sigh of relief. The investigator. It was only the investigator.
"Ryo!" the voice on the other end breathed anxiously as he held the phone up to his ear, "I've discovered something. Something I can't quite believe myself. I'm going to e-mail it to you now. It sounds crazy! It's absolutely insane but….but…"
"Slow down," Ryo sighed heavily as he watched the attorney pace agitatedly in the hall on the small monitor attached to the call button, "And don't e-mail anything. I have a feeling it's being monitored. Just tell me."
"I've dug deep into the archives. Called in a couple favors and…and there's a group. No, more than that. Your cousin has been making payments to them. No small sum either," the man began – the words tumbling out of his mouth in a rush, "This group. That's who Chiyo's father was investigating. And…and her brother. There's no record of his death. A tombstone yes, but according to vital records, he's alive and being kept in a facility on the edge of the city. The same facility that Chiyo was checked into yesterday. Why didn't you tell me? I mean, you're paying me enough and I haven't heard from…"
Mind reeling at all these new developments, Ryo's mouth fell open and his eyes glazed over in shock. The man's hurried voice continued.
"Anyway, it also turns out that when you were kidnapped you received quite a bit of help from some strange man, Arioka Inuyasha, who until recently didn't exist. Like at all. Just appeared out of thin air," the man breathed in a mixture of awe and confusion, "And he's got some friends that don't exist either. That fellow that kidnapped you? He's dead. No doubt in my mind. Hasn't been seen or heard from in months and was taken straight off a train platform just outside of the city. This group that you're dealing with now? Last time they were seen was almost a hundred years ago and get this! From what I can tell, they're fucking vampires straight out of that Twilight book. Before you ask, my daughter is into it. They have to be the same people. Have to be. I've crossed checked all their passports – traced their histories. They've gone by so many names but it's them. I know this sounds crazy but…"
- BOOM –
"What the hell was that?!" the voice cursed loudly into the phone before whispering into the phone, "Is it there too? Do you hear that?"
As the floor rocked beneath his feet, Ryo tried to jump start his frozen mind as he collapsed onto the shifting ground and the walls groaned around him. The phone disconnected a moment later, followed by the power as a screech – an utterly inhuman screech – reverberated through the walls. A wave – an utterly terrifying translucent wave – suddenly rushed through the building and in that moment, everything went dark.
A lifetime of images – several thousand images – suddenly rushed through his mind. As confusing and disjointed as it was, as lifetime after lifetime soared through his mind like a tidal wave, one face was always there. Always. Everything swirled and twisted like the world's worst merry-go-round until his mind landed on one lifetime in particular and with a strangled gasp, Ryo sat up – his heart pounding erratically as he looked at the world through new eyes. One word, no. One name reverberated through his very soul as he stared with wild eyes at the world around him.
"Sango."