Chapter Twenty-Four
Rin was almost positive this was the worst day she had ever had. She had gotten up later that morning than usual, taking advantage of the last day of the holiday from the center. A chime from her screen had caught her attention. Leaving the bathroom to check it, she was struck dumb at the short message sent to her from her guidance counselor.
'Micah Rozzen has transferred off-ship. Your apprenticeship in the botanical gardens is suspended.'
Toothbrush still in her mouth, all she could do was stare at the message. Panic finally kicking her in the rear, she had rushed through the rest of her morning ritual. Pulling half of her hair back into a ponytail, she was in such a rush she didn't even realize it was crooked.
'Where the heck did Micah go?! And why didn't she tell me ahead of time? What do they mean my apprenticeship is suspended?!'
Her heart was pounding the whole way to the learning center. Clutching her screen with whitened knuckles she walked up to the front desk, her breathing heavy. The secretary behind the counter was eyeing her with trepidation, so she had pasted on the brightest smile she could have managed.
"Hi! Um, is it possible to speak with Mrs. Hamerson?"
Still staring at her with suspicion, the secretary clasped her hands in front of her on the counter. "The center is closed for the holidays, Miss…?"
"Oh, Rin! Rin Inoue!"
Before Rin could explain any further, a flash of understanding had lit the woman's eyes and she had looked down at the touch screen in front of her. "Oh, yes. Mrs. Hamerson has mentioned that you might be stopping by. Allow me to ask if she is receiving anyone right now."
The meeting with her guidance counselor had not gone as Rin had hoped.
"I'm sorry, Miss Inoue. There are no other botanists capable of taking on a student in the civilian class. You will have to choose another field to apprentice in. Judging by your scores and interests, this is what you have available…"
"C-couldn't I ask someone…? I mean, this is the center of-"
"Yes. The center of terraforming research and development. As such, the botanists hired on here do not have the time to hold someone else's hand." Mrs. Hamerson had paused at the crestfallen look on the teenager's face. "I'm sorry that the only one able to take on your apprenticeship has transferred. If it were possible, I would recommend a transfer for you as well, but your circumstances…"
"Because I'm an orphan." Rin cut in bitterly, scrunching her brows and twisting her lips into a painful smile. "I understand."
Mrs. Hamerson cleared in her throat, clearly uncomfortable and transferred multiple files to her screen. "Look through those and notify me of your decision before the day's end. We will have to completely reschedule your lessons."
Rin had bowed out of the office, staring blankly at the ground as she walked out of the center's front doors. Micah was gone and with her, her dream of working in botany. Her screen hung limply in her hand, and she couldn't bring herself to look through the files on different designations. Without much thought, her feet lead her to the lifts and she found herself heading toward the only place she had ever really felt happy. The hothouse laboratories.
Entrenched in her own misery, she didn't notice the unusual amount of uniformed militia lining the halls. It wasn't until she stumbled over a large chunk of the wall that she even realized something was wrong. Snapped out of her thoughts, her eyes took in the scene of destruction that was once the lobby of the labs.
A hand gently grabbed a hold of her elbow, helping her up from the floor, and Rin swung her gaze to the concerned expression on the officer beside her.
"Are you alright, miss?"
"What…happened?!"
Before the guard could respond to her dazed question, another, familiar, voice floated from the other side of the room.
"Rin? What are you doing here?"
Rin again turned her head to catch a glimpse of flashing green eyes under furrowed brows and a long tail of red hair. Shippo gingerly stepped over the debris littering the floor, making his way to the two standing in the doorway. The officer straightened from Rin and retook his position in the hall.
"Rin, you aren't supposed to be here." Shippo muttered, standing in front of her view of the room, but she leaned around him, trying to take it all in. The floor was a mess, the front desk was in pieces, and she wasn't for sure, but the large dark stain on the wall looked an awful lot like dried blood.
"Shippo…what happened?" She asked again and Shippo let out a harsh sigh, scratching the back of his head.
"I was told that a psycho with bombs decided this would be a fun place to blow sh-stuff up." Shippo grumbled. Rin thought she heard him mutter "Bullshit!" under his breath.
"A…psycho? With bombs?!"
Sensing hysteria, Shippo had grabbed a hold of her arm and turned her around. "Be right back!" He shouted over his shoulder, not acknowledging the shouts that came back from the other engineers on sight.
"W-wait…!" Rin tugged on her arm, half turning back to keep the room in sight.
"C'mon." Shippo tugged back. "I'll explain it to you in the cafeteria. I haven't had any caffeine and I've been up to my eyeballs in garbage all morning."
Rin's stomach had chosen that moment to protest its own forced fasting and Rin had blushed. As they got on the lift a thought struck her. "Oh, no! What about the botanists? Is Dr. Higurashi alright? W-what about Kohaku-kun?!"
Shippo scowled at the mention of Kohaku-kun, but before he could say anything, she continued her questions.
"And what about their research? The plants?! Are they okay?! Why would someone want to bomb the research labs?!"
"Hang on, alright?!" Shippo shouted over her and sighed at the sheepish look she gave back. "Let's get some food and coffee, and then we can talk. Quietly." He muttered the last as he took in the way the cafeteria was packed with people.
They had chosen a table in the corner of the room, and Shippo had begun to explain things as they sat with their food.
"I was told last night that there had been an attack on the labs. The psycho had, apparently, walked into the lobby and decided to blow things up. There had been a few damaged pods, and the botanists in charge of the research have already been notified of the destruction."
"Was anyone hurt?" Rin asked slowly, taking a sip of her tea and eyeing the younger engineer closely.
Shippo frowned, setting his own coffee down. "Yeah. Kagome, Taijya and a Dr. Rodgers were admitted to med-bay last night. Kagome was released soon after, but the other two were in pretty bad shape. Rodgers is in a coma and Taijya was pretty cut up. They were both in intensive care, but I heard Taijya was moved out this morning to the regular medical wing."
Rin looked down at the table, fighting back the tears filling her eyes. "Well, at least Dr. Higurashi is alright, and Kohaku-kun is recovering."
The silence between them was almost painful and Shippo shifted uncomfortably in his chair. Rin took a deep breath and lifted her gaze, finally feeling like she had beaten back her tears for the time being. "So, what were you doing there?"
Shippo puffed himself up a bit, arrogance lining his face. "I'm head engineer, of course! It's my job to direct everyone when stuff like this happens."
A disbelieving look crossed Rin's face as she stared back. "You are head engineer?"
A scowl crossed Shippo's face and he crossed his arms. "Why does no one ever believe me?"
Rin sighed and shook her head, deciding to let the matter go. Glancing to her half-finished plate she decided she wasn't hungry anymore. She had lost her designation; the hothouse had been destroyed and her secret crush had been in intensive care. Her shoulders drooped and her breath left in a long silent sigh.
"Hey…is something else wrong?" Shippo's question had her looking back up and pasting on the fake smile that seemed to be getting more use these days. The frown he shot back told her he wasn't fooled and she let out another sigh.
"I'll be alright. It's just been one of those days."
"You know, you can tell me." Shippo mumbled his cheeks taking on a slight flush. Rin allowed a genuine smile as she shook her head.
"Thanks anyways, Shippo. You're a good friend." Shippo's shoulders slumped. "I think I'm going to go see if I can visit Kohaku-kun. Make sure he's alright." If anything, this had Shippo scowling again.
"Right. Kohaku-kun." He muttered as they both stood. A loud clatter and startled gasps had him looking over to see that Rin had backed into someone and something that resembled pea soup was currently dribbling down her hair and over the back of her pink sweater.
"Oh, man! My bad! You alright, little girl?" The man, that had lost his lunch over Rin, asked in astonishment as he bent to pick up the tray and bowl on the floor.
Rin swallowed back the onrush of tears, again, and let out a shaky laugh. "Yeah. Sorry about that." She apologized and bent to help him pick up his utensils. The feeling of someone wiping at her hair had her looking up to see a scowling Shippo holding onto a bunch of napkins.
"Jeez. You really are having one of those days, huh?"
A strangled sob slipped from Rin's lips and she ducked her head. Shooting to her feet, she made a beeline for the cafeteria doors, running down the hall until she made it to the lift. Her ride to the residential area had seemed to take forever as she fought off more sobs and tried to ignore the pitying glances.
She had let herself go in the shower as she washed the green gunk from her hair, allowing her tears to be washed down the drain as well. Though she was tired afterwards, as she pulled on a new set of clothes and pulled her hair back into a ponytail, she decided she would go check on Kohaku-kun after all.
As she opened her door, she was startled to see an anxious Shippo standing in front of her. Seeing her red eyes and tired expression, he looked away and held up his hand.
"You left your screen behind." He said by way of explanation and Rin took it back hesitatingly. Her eyes shifted from her screen to the averted face in front of her.
"Thanks."
"Yeah. No problem. Uh…I gotta…get back…" Shippo mumbled out and turned around, waving his hand awkwardly in the air and escaping back down the hall. He never could deal with crying girls. Rin watched him go with a blank expression before shaking her head. She was going to see Kohaku-kun.
The nurse behind the counter in the lobby had been all too helpful, shooting her sympathetic glances that Rin could only surmise was because it looked like she had been crying.
"Since Taijya has no family on-ship, I'm sure he'll be thrilled that his girlfriend is here to see him." The nurse had gushed as she pointed out the room he was in and directed her to the back doors. Rin had blinked several times and looked around in confusion.
"His girlfriend?" Her question went unanswered as the nurse was already back behind the counter and dealing with another person. A blush fired up her cheeks and she slapped her hands over them. Now was no time to slip into a fantasy! She berated herself as she turned and followed the nurse's directions, stopping before the room Taijya was supposed to be in.
She placed her hand on the scanner and marveled at how silently the door opened. Her eyes trailed over the nearly barren room, stopping at the bed in the center and the bandaged boy lying in it. Taking small, quiet steps, she made her way to the lone chair by the bed. Kohaku-kun was asleep, as she had thought, so she sat down in the chair, allowing her eyes to take in the damage.
"Guess you're having a bad day too, huh?" Her voice echoed slightly in the room and she allowed herself to slump in the chair. Her screen let out a soft chime and she looked down to see another message from Mrs. Hamerson in her inbox.
"Ah, Kohaku-kun. What do I do now?" Rin asked quietly, his slow even breathing was her only answer. She studied his facial features, leaning forward to rest her arms on the side of the bed. "I don't want to choose another designation." She whispered as she rested her chin on top of her arms, keeping her eyes on his face.
The soft beeping of the machines he was hooked up to, as well as his deep breaths, were soothing and she found it hard to keep her eyes open. Deciding it wouldn't hurt to close them for a few minutes, she did just that.
The sound of running footsteps and alarmed voices had her shooting up in her seat. She must have fallen asleep because the lights in the room were slightly dimmed. Rubbing her eyes, she turned her attention to the door and where the ruckus was coming from. Standing from her chair, she made her way to the door, opening it to find out what was going on.
A cluster of four nurses stood a little way from Kohaku-kun's room.
"I'm telling you, they saw it!"
"You're lying! There is no way that a whole fleet-"
"Dianne! They've already locked down the medic ward! All the outside doors have been shut and an evacuation plan has been put into motion!"
"But…this is impossible!"
"What's going on?" Rin interrupted the flustered women and felt her stomach drop at the alarmed expressions on their faces. Instead of answering, each woman looked to the other before one of them took a step in her direction, raising her hands as if to placate her.
"Um. Nothing to worry about. Just…go back to…"
"Oh, Jillian, please! She's not stupid!"
"I don't want her to panic!"
"Well, she will anyway! Hell, we're panicking!"
"Will someone please tell me what's going on?"
Rin took a step back as the more aggressive of the four whirled to face her. "There is a fleet of enemy ships above Eden and we're all going to be boarding escape pods."
Rin ignored the protestation of the other nurses as her heart dropped to her toes to join her stomach and her breath left in a whoosh. Apparently, this was, indeed, the worst day she had ever had.
Bankotsu peaked around the large storage container. The panicked and frenzied masses had him biting back a groan. He had known that the port would be a mess, but this was beyond what he had imagined.
Finding out the botanist's boyfriend was a part of that…cult…had been a setback. He had known, if they were patient, they would eventually get a hold of that chip, and thus get paid. However, no amount of patience would get them through a freaking Baasratu attack! As soon as word had gotten to him and the ships had been seen with his own eyes, he had decided his team would cut their losses and get the hell out of there.
They could always threaten their client for the money later.
Standing in one of the hangers now, watching the uncoordinated militia and port-side workers, he knew they'd never get out. Not before the Baasratu made their move.
"Bank! Let's just get on one of the escape pods! We can come back for Banryu after this madness! When the Baasratu are gone. And we're still alive."
He ignored the whining coming from Jakotsu as he thought over their situation, but grabbed a hold of his arm when he began to shake his shoulder.
"Shut up, Jakotsu! Your whining is giving me a headache." A harsh voice came from behind them and Jakotsu turned to glare at Renkotsu. Before he could open his mouth to begin his own volley, Bankotsu turned his attention to the both of them.
"Jakotsu. Head up to the observation deck overlooking the launch."
"Okay, Bank. But what am I watching for?"
"You'll know it when you see it."
Shrugging his shoulders, Jakotsu turned to follow orders, shooting a nasty glance at the narrow-eyed Renkotsu. He sashayed across the hanger, deftly dodging the panicked masses, and made his way up the staircase leading to the large observation windows facing outside the port. Finding a spot away from the clusters of others, he set about looking for whatever it was Bankotsu wanted him watching for.
A dull roar caught his attention and he turned to watch as the first of the fleeing ships left the launch. He continued to watch as the ship left the port through the large window. He narrowed his eyes as something strange caught his attention.
"What the fuck?!"
A port-side worker beside him clutched the railing as the both of them leaned forward, making sure their eyes weren't playing tricks on them. In front of the port launch was the ship, thrusters on full, yet it wasn't going anywhere. Jakotsu clenched his fists and took a deep breath, burying his panic.
"Is…is that a…?"
"Yes. It's an energy net." Jakotsu affirmed, staring grimly at the dark black energy barrier the ship was stuck in. "We aren't going anywhere." A flash caught his eyes and he turned to watch as escape pods were launched from the side, only to get stuck in the same barrier. Like flies on flypaper. His eyes scaled up the window, catching the tell-tale flicker of the barrier, trying to see if there was an end to it.
Not seeing an edge, as far as the window allowed, resignation settled in his chest. They had surrounded Eden with a large barrier. Turning from the window, he made his way to the staircase. He ignored the loud exclamations of those around him, calling to those below, as he jostled his way down the stairs and back to his teammates sides.
Seeing the expression on Jakotsu's face when he returned, Bankotsu let out a silent curse and turned back to watch as a new wave of alarm swept through the over-full hanger. "I knew it. The Baasratu would never let the enemy escape. Not when they went through the trouble of appearing right on top of us."
"What do we do, Bank?"
The desolate tone in his effeminate teammate's voice had him turning back. He took a deep breath and looked over to Renkotsu. "I'm going to call back Mukotsu and Suikotsu. I want you to get on Banryu and make sure Ginkotsu is online."
Renkotsu gave a short nod in affirmation before quickly making his way to where their ship was docked. Jakotsu watched him go with a frown and turned to Bankotsu when he was sure the taller man was out of earshot.
"Is it a good idea to have that cyborg up and running?"
Bankotsu turned a sardonic eye on Jakotsu and gave him a sharp grin. "If the bastards are going to attack, we better have as much firepower as we can. We ain't dying here."
Jakotsu let out a sigh and put his hands on his hips. "I swear, Bank. This is the last time I agree to leave my safe, cushy job to go on a mission with you!"
Miroku watched as more pods were launched in a futile attempt at escape, only to get caught in the net stretching over Eden. After the initial shock of seeing the enemy at their doorstep, Miroku had immediately made his way back to his room and attempted a call out to Mushin.
It never went through.
Their etherlink was jammed, and a few attempts to other numbers he had saved told him that local communications were also out. He had overheard from a few of the militia that they couldn't get a hold of the higher ranks and the doors to the helm of the ship were firmly locked. Due to emergency protocol, many of the ships branches had been locked down as well. The medical ward was sealed off, and this was his biggest problem.
Kagome was somewhere in the center of the sealed off ward, and he was left in the residential sector.
The sound of someone shouting over the din caught his attention and he turned to see what was going on. A uniformed officer, probably the highest ranking of those milling about, was calling for everyone's attention.
"Quiet please! Quiet! Everyone! I would like to ask that everyone make their way to the northern cafeteria. We are trying to get a count of everyone, before-"
"Before we're attacked?! What does that matter?!" The shout came from the crowd anonymously and Miroku watched as things began to escalate once more. The officer was shouting again, but the crowd wasn't going to be tamed this time.
"Enough! Shut the hell up!" The ferocious roar came from behind and everyone turned to face a scowling woman wearing top-brass regalia. She stomped her way to the trembling officer on his "soap-box" and turned to face the intimidated crowd.
"You wanna live?" Hesitating at the implied assent, she continued before anyone could make a sound. "Then get your asses over to the northern cafeteria. You run into anyone, you tell them the same. Now, move!"
As a whole, everyone scattered. Small mutterings were heard here and there, but no one was making eye-contact with the woman. Miroku allowed an appreciative smirk, before he turned and slipped into the dispersing crowd. Before he could get far, a hand clamped onto his shoulder and jerked him around.
"You a psychic?" Miroku allowed his eyes to focus and found it was the uniformed woman gripping his arm. Before he could answer, his clothes speaking for him, the woman went on. "Head to the battle-link sector. We gotta get prepared before the Baasratu start their attack."
Not waiting for him to say anything, the woman spun back around and marched off down the hall, a group of simpering militia following in her wake like lap-dogs. Miroku frowned as he watched them and waited for her to turn a corner before continuing in the direction he was going. Now that he knew everyone would be out of his hair and preoccupied elsewhere, it was time he put his hacking skills to use.
He had one job on this ship that overrode all others: protect Kagome. And that was what he was going to do.
"So, you're on this weird mission, in this equally weird asteroid, and you get attacked by a weird unknown alien, that may or may not be, related to the Baasratu?"
"Jeez, lady! Are ya deaf?! That's what we've been telling you!"
Lydia turned to the younger Taisho with her nose in the air and a disdainful look in her eye. "I'm just making sure I've got the facts straight, junior. Keep your panties on."
Before this could explode into another argument, Midoriko placed a hand on Inuyasha's shoulder, effectively silencing him. Her eyes, however, remained trained on the elder Taisho. "What happened when you were attacked?"
The flash of pain in amber fire and the way he hesitated told Midoriko more than he probably thought. Before he could answer, the door to the overly crowded medical room opened and a pale Kaede stepped through.
"I'd like to hear this as well." She said softly, moving to take an abandoned seat by the bed. "Please, Captain Taisho. What happened to your link when that thing attacked you?"
Sesshomaru's hands clenched into fists and his eyes trained on the blanket thrown over his legs. The echo of Kagome's agonized scream reverberated in his ears and he grit his teeth. Haltingly he described the way it felt: like slick, burning oil, sliding along his nerve-endings and racing through the psychic link he had with his partner. His voice was monotone, as if reciting from a script, but the brief pauses interspersed throughout said more.
Sango felt a shudder work its way up her spine and looked away from the emotion burning in the captain's eyes. Beside where she stood, Kaede let out a sigh, her eyes screwed shut. The silence was a living thing in the room, as if no one dared to even breathe.
"You know something."
Kaede looked up to Sesshomaru's piercing stare and bit her lip, wondering if she was allowed to say anything. The narrowing of the captain's eyes made that decision for her and she took in a deep breath.
"Baasratu energy is currently…pulsing from the wound Kagome received in the attack."
Sesshomaru stiffened and his eyes remained trained on the medic, though Kaede knew his sight had turned inward.
"The hell you mean it's pulsing from her wound?!" Inuyasha nearly shouted and Midoriko again put a hand on his shoulder to restrain him.
"You are sure it was pulsing from her wound?" The question caught everyone's attention and all eyes swiveled to stare at the rather calm, middle-aged psychic. Kaede blinked, a frown pulling the corners of her lips down.
"Uh, yeah. They placed her in quarantine and measured the energy. The place of origin was definitely the scar."
"Scar?" Sango interrupted, confusion evident in her tone. "I thought Baasratu energy bruised the psychic partner?"
Kaede, frown still in place, shrugged. "This attack scarred Kagome. Like she had been the one to take the actual hit."
As the conversation further derailed, Midoriko stood back from the others, lost in her contemplations. She didn't notice the narrowed amber eyes watching her like a hawk. Before he could call attention to the psychic, the door to the room was opened once more and a winded Butch stood leaning heavily against the jamb, breathing as if he had been without air for too long.
"The hell's wrong with you?!" Kouga got out before the large man stumbled into the room and made his way to the screen fixated on the wall in front of the bed. Switching it on, he mumbled out: "You gotta see this shit! Couldn't believe it, myself!"
Before anyone could ask any questions, an ether news report was blaring through the room, the sight of Baasratu warships hovering over a barely seen black orb filled the screen. Brows raised in confusion, Inuyasha turned to a wheezing Butch. "And what the hell is this?"
"That," Butch began, "is Eden."
The words coming from the screen managed to make sense at the same time, and Sesshomaru felt as if all the air had been sucked from the room. Kagome was on Eden.
"How the fuck did they get to Eden?!"
"Dunno. Report said they just appeared above it."
"Oh, God." Kaede mumbled, her face bleached white and her hands clasped in front of her. "It was a beacon. They used Kagome as a beacon."
Sesshomaru grabbed a hold of the medic, giving her a sharp shake to gain her focus. "What are you talking about?"
"T-the pulsing! From her back! I-I thought it could be possible…! I mean…it wasn't doing anything but pulsing…!"
"They got to Eden." Midoriko stated calmly, turning the volume of the screen down and facing the sets of eyes aimed in her direction. "Lydia, I need to get in touch with Hideaki."
"Already on it, boss." Lydia murmured, her fingers flying over her screen.
"Kitakawa." Sesshomaru demanded silently and Midoriko let out a sigh.
"I can answer all your questions later, Taisho. For now, I need to know if you are able to act. Is that wound on your back going to slow us down?"
His furrowed brows smoothed and an arrogant light flashed in his eyes. Sliding his feet over the edge of the bed, he slowly stood, as if in answer. Kaede let out a harsh sigh and glared at the faint stitching she could see from his profile. "Those stitches won't hold the way you'll want them too. We got some industrial stuff here that should hold better. Hang on and I'll grab it."
Inuyasha moved over to Sesshomaru's side as Kaede left the room, putting his hand on his half-brother's shoulder and pushing him back down onto the bed.
"Yeah, yeah. We know you're a badass, now sit down so the doc can fix you up."
"Midoriko. I've got a line to the Inu no Taisho."
"Patch it through to the big screen, please." Midoriko requested as she turned from the mini-drama taking place in the room. She schooled her expression into one of poise and folded her hands in front of her.
"Kitakawa, you better have a damn good reason for interrupting me right now." The smooth rumble filled the room before his image appeared and both brothers sat at attention.
"Yes. I've just seen the report on Eden." She kept her face neutral as she studied the way the Western Commander seemed to be up in arms. "I think it's time it was used."
The long pause on the other end had the silence in the room filling with anxiety.
"And who will be manning it." He not quite asked as his eyes slid from the psychic to the people clustered around her. His narrowed gaze slid seamlessly over his sons and their teammates. "I'll not have a damaged team sent into such a delicate situation."
Inuyasha and Kouga both opened their mouths to refute his claim, but Midoriko managed to cut them off.
"Then it's a good thing we are on short supply of damaged teams." She answered curtly, gaining a raised brow from the commander.
"Two of this team have partners stationed on Eden."
"Conveniently, we have psychics on hand they can use."
The Inu no Taisho's lips quirked into a faint smirk. "You always have a smart-assed retort, don't you?"
"Learned from the best. Have to cover all of my bases." Midoriko allowed, sensing the largest hurdle in this had just been cleared.
Inu no Taisho again allowed his eyes to rove over the collected group, finally settling on a pair of amber orbs much like his own. The hard resolve, and something extra burning just behind it, had him letting out a sigh of acquiescence.
"Very well. Permission granted. The rest of the fleet will be duly noted."
Midoriko curled her hand just below her shoulder in a salute and the link was dropped. Lydia let out a loud whoop, effectively breaking everyone from their tense stances.
"Heck yeah!"
"What is it." Sesshomaru interrupted Lydia, his eyes trained on the older psychic. Midoriko turned to the wounded captain just as Kaede came rushing back into the room.
"Alright, Taisho. This is going to sting." She said shortly as she stepped around the side of the bed, kneeling behind him. "It's not going to look pretty when it heals, but it's the only thing that will seal this thing up." She paused and leaned around him to look up at his profile. "Still want to go through with it?"
Never breaking eye contact with Kitakawa, he gave a short nod. Kaede took a deep breath and let it out as she lifted the gun and proceeded to seal the wound closed. The smell of burning flesh filled the room and Sesshomaru flinched, but his eyes stayed focused on the psychic.
"Jeez. You're just burning it closed?!" Inuyasha yelped, covering his nose with his hand and backing away from the bed. Kaede sent him a sharp glance and finished up.
"Not like how you think. It's a chemical compound that fuses the flesh together."
"Looked like it was melting his skin!" Kouga gagged, having watched in horror.
Sesshomaru ignored the burning in his back and stood. Midoriko took this to mean he was getting impatient and gave a small nod.
"It is a ship. And it is called Tetsusiaga."
Sesshomaru shrugged into the uniform he had been given, ignoring the pulling pain from his back as best he could. As he left the private use bathroom adjacent to his medical room, he realized everyone else was gone. Only Kitakawa remained seated by the bed.
"The others have gone to freshen up themselves. They have been given instructions on how to reach the hanger."
Midoriko kept the anxiety she was feeling from her voice. The look the young captain was giving her made her more nervous than when she had gone into "battle" with the Inu no Taisho a few minutes previous.
"You know more than you let on."
His statement was accusatory and his stance aggressive. Midoriko broke her gaze from his, silently admitting her guilt.
"It is not something I can discuss with so many ears listening." She allowed, returning her eyes to his face.
"About Kagome."
The fact that he was using her first name and not her surname caught Midoriko's attention. Searching his stoic expression, she was satisfied with what she found.
"Yes."
She stood from her chair and gestured for the door. "I will be your linking partner for this battle. We can discuss such things then."
The walk down the halls was silent and stiff, but relatively quick. Midoriko kept watch of Taisho's gait, satisfied as it became smoother the further they walked. While not really healed, he was becoming accustomed to the pain and compensating for it.
They came to a rather unassuming door, and Midoriko placed her hand on the bio scanner. As it opened, they came into a short room where one of its walls was a set of massive metal doors.
"The hanger." Midoriko answered though he hadn't voiced the question. The hanger doors slid open and they were met with loud boisterous voices.
"Seems the others beat us here."
Sesshomaru strode over to where the rest of his team stood waiting, ignoring the inquisitive stares. He noted both Butch and Kaede were also present. His eyes strayed to the large object under a ridiculous looking tarp and deduced that it was the ship.
Midoriko watched after the captain, then turned to find the engineer of the ship, a grin quirking her lips. She was sure she was going to enjoy this next bit.
"How's your back, Captain?" Ayame asked her eyes studying the way he walked and stood. His eyes lazily contacted her own.
"Hn."
"Pft. As good a statement as any!" Inuyasha crowed, a devious gleam entering his eyes as he swung his hand in the direction of the elder Taisho's back. He was startled when his arm was grabbed, mid-flight, and twisted behind his own back, bringing him to his knees.
"A stupid move on your part, little brother." Sesshomaru mocked as he roughly released the boy and proceeded to ignore the insults being slung his way from an embarrassed Inuyasha.
"I'd say he's in working order." Kagura murmured out the side of her mouth and Ayame stifled a giggle.
"Well, well. If it isn't the return of the sissy-boy!" An overly loud shout echoed to them and everyone turned to stare at the rather crazy looking old man ambling down a set of stairs at the end of the walkway.
An audible groan left Sesshomaru's lips as he caught sight of Totosai. What was this? A macabre reunion of everyone who had embarrassed him during his trials?
Coming up on the rest of the team, Totosai looked from one person to the next, his disgruntlement clear. He squinted; first at Sesshomaru, then at Kouga and finally landed on Inuyasha. A huff of annoyance left his mouth and he scratched his head.
"The hell is wrong with kids these days? Every last one of 'em looking like a fruit cake." His eyes roved over Inuyasha and he let out a long sigh. "Both of Taisho's kids. Though he grew his hair out now too." His eyes skittered over Kouga and landed on Kagura, a look of relief easing over his features.
"At least this boy knows how to wear his hair!"
The silence was profound as everyone took a moment to take in the fact that he had called Kagura a boy. Sango wasn't sure exactly what had happened, but one moment the old man was standing proudly, and then the next he was a heap on the floor, Kagura standing over him with a raised fist.
"You see what happens when Momo isn't around to control him, Midoriko? Chaos, glorious chaos." Lydia's voice floated from the direction Totosai had come from and everyone turned to see both women heading their way.
"Why is he here?" Sesshomaru asked and Midoriko allowed a small grin.
"You didn't think he was put on Ragnarok just to test you in the assassin trial's, did you?" Not waiting for a response, she waved her hand in Totosai's direction. "Meet the engineer of the ship we are going to use to break into the Baasratu energy barrier."
A groan left delicate lips as a pulse of energy quickened and then died a swift death. Lying on a bed in an isolated chamber, cerulean eyes flashed open as Kagome finally awoke.
xXx
I am so sorry this is two weeks late! First it was the holidays, and apparently tis the season to keep the laptop away from KC. Secondly, I came down with a horrible sinus infection! I don't know if any of you know what it's like to try to think of complicated plot while a marching band is drumming in your temples, but it's nigh impossible to do. I had to erase everything I wrote while I was sick. Twelve pages, completely erased…
But that's not important! What is, is I can finally say this: Kagome and Sesshomaru will be meeting in the next chapter! Or at least that's the goal! It might run a little long, but it's what I am aiming for! So, stick with me folks!
Thanks for reading and please review!
