Chapter Twenty
Kagome could feel the deep rumbling of bass through her shoes as they stepped to the edge of the parking lot, music vibrating from the sketchy club before them despite the fact that it was not yet mid-day. It had been a warehouse once she realized, noting the layout, and the shipping bay off to the side that dipped just below parking level told her there was likely at least one more level below the surface.
"Down there," the old woman gestured with her chin as she stopped to the priestess' right and gave voice to what Kagome herself had been thinking. "If they are indeed here, they're likely in the basement."
If they were alive, was the unvoiced thought, though Kagome was certain they were all thinking it. She swallowed past the ball of glass in her throat, knowing that she had to keep it together if she was going to be any help to her mother and Souta.
"We need a plan," Genkai continued, thinking aloud as she surveyed the area and wondering if they might be able to sneak in through the half level undetected. It was possible, noting the slope of the ground that told her the back wall of the building was exposed.
"I got all the plan we need right here," Inuyasha said brashly, hefting the giant fang onto his shoulder as it transformed. "These assholes are going to pay."
"Of course," the psychic replied sarcastically. "We've got two good eyes and a half a brain between you and Yusuke. How can we lose?"
The detective glared from his peripheral vision, coming to stand just next to Kagome at the edge of the lot and muttering something that sounded suspiciously like "crotchety old bitch" beneath his breath, though the girl couldn't be certain. She didn't care either. She shrugged her arm just out of reach, pointedly ignoring his attempt to nudge her and offer just the slightest bit of reassurance. Ordinarily, she would have welcomed it, needed it. Right now, she was still just too raw, too hurt to waste time on either of them. She had more important things to worry about.
Like what she'd find in that basement.
She might have agreed with Genkai – would have – if she'd been thinking straight. But her stomach turned, and Kagome felt her heart begin to flutter and damn it, they didn't have time to plan anymore! The people she cherished most in her young life were inside this shoddy nightclub, possibly hurt and dying, and she couldn't stand waiting anymore; couldn't bear the thought of any more blood on her hands. Sango's village and family; Kouga and the wolves – his children; her own grandfather … So many lives had been lost, cut viciously short on account of that stupid jewel … the jewel she had broken.
No more she thought, charging forward at a dead run and leaving her teammates' argument behind her.
"Damn it, Kagome!" Inuyasha called after her, falling into step with the girl as she slinked around the side of the building toward the shipping entrance, the others bringing up the rear. "What the hell are you doing?"
She shushed him hurriedly, holding her hand up to stave any other response, though her figure was still somewhat blurry to the hanyou. Still, he could see much better than he had, and he was glad for it. "Quiet!" she snapped. "They'll hear you."
"We'll hear you anyway."
Kagome gasped with a start at the smooth baritone, immediately recognizing the voice from their last encounter.
"Sniper," Yusuke hissed, raising his spirit gun to the shadows of the treeline where the callous teen leaned against the trunk of a large gingko, lazily flipping a rock into his palm. "Where the hell are they?"
"Now, now," the psychic mockingly chastised as he stepped into the light. "Let's not be so hasty; innocent people could get hurt." He deliberately turned his attention away from the detective to eye the priestess, and Yusuke bristled. "Someone wants a word with you, girl."
"Like hell!" and "Kagome's not going anywhere with you!" came the simultaneous objection from Yusuke and Inuyasha, respectively.
"Will you take me to them?"
The detective and the dog each shot the girl a surprised look, and Sniper smirked openly. "I suppose I can work something out."
The hanyou grabbed her arm tightly, stopping her in her tracks when it looked like she would step toward the marksman. "No," he said, firmly.
Her lips pressed in a tight line, and the priestess radiated frustration as she leveled him with a glare. "Don't," she snipped. "If this is what I have to do, I'll do it."
"Don't be stupid!" he snapped back, harshly. "He's lying, Kagome."
"They've got Mom, Inuyasha," she whispered, breaking from the inside. "They've got Souta. I can't just sit here."
"Oh, rest assured," Sniper spoke with some amusement, eyeing the rooftop above him surreptitiously. "The girl won't be coming alone."
The inu stiffened at the sound of boots striking the pavement, and Yusuke cursed. Genkai turned, took a defensive stance as she came back-to-back with her student, and the group drew in its ranks. They were surrounded.
"Damn," Genkai muttered, angry in the knowledge that they'd tapped into the ability to hide their presence from even her developed senses. "They've managed to mask their spirit energy."
The gunman laughed outright. "Never one to disappoint, I see," he condescended.
Kuwabara hit the dirt hard, sweating as his spirit sword dissipating into a vapor as the creature before him wailed in its demise. Behind him, Toguro morphed from his gargantuan rock wall of muscle into a man once more, a grunt of disgust escaping him as the dark enforcer collapsed into a gross heap of flesh. A threat no more.
"What a pathetic creature," he intoned, stooping to collect the glittering fragment from its remains. He rolled it around his palm, feeling the raw pulse of hateful energy as it thrummed through his fingertips. At one time, he would have welcomed the promise it could have held for him.
"Here," he said, extending his palm to the boy in front of him. "I believe this is what you've been looking for."
Kuwabara shuddered as he took it, fighting down the nausea that threatened to have him emptying the limited contents of his stomach as the darkness within it stung his palm. He scowled as he studied it briefly, wondering how such a small thing could have caused so much pain, destroyed them so thoroughly already. Not for the first time, he grew frustrated at the position in which they found themselves.
"Thanks," he muttered, reaching for the pack he'd abandoned as they were attacked. He stuffed it down into an internal pouch and zipped it tightly, nodding once in gratitude as he stood again. "It's the first one we've found."
At least, he thought maybe so. He hoped the others had had some luck. They'd been walking for two days, fending off all manner of beasts that grew far worse the deeper they ventured into the Spirit World. Toguro had said they were approaching the edge of the Nix territory, not that it mattered much to him. He was tired right down to his bones and sick with worry. Aside from the fragments of the small boat they'd found washed onto the shore the previous day, he'd seen no sign of his companions.
He'd never thought he'd say he was grateful to have Toguro with him. Funny how quickly life could turn you on your head.
The older demon regarded him carefully, and Kuwabara shrugged the pack onto his back, hoping his nervousness wasn't too obvious. He might be glad to have him along for the ride, but the older demon frankly gave Kuwabara the creeps sometimes.
"You need rest," the demon observed. "And food. We should stop for the night."
"I'm alright," the detective by proxy dismissed, setting out without concern for his own well-being. They could get at least a few more kilometers before full darkness set in, he knew.
The demon fell into step beside him with a shrug, and the two traveled in uneasy silence. Kuwabara would have given a kidney to have Yusuke or Kurama with him right now. Hell, even Hiei would have been a welcome addition. He could only pray that they found the others soon.
Botan, in particular. It was a strange phenomenon that he just hadn't prepared for that night he'd grabbed hold of her in the cave. Something had happened he didn't fully understand, but he knew he'd glimpsed things he was never meant to, the cycles of her past lives even she didn't remember. They'd connected that night, souls touching in a way that left him somehow … aware of her being. He could feel her presence in his mind in a way he'd never been able to before.
It made him uncomfortable, honestly. He knew he didn't love her in the way he loved his sweet Yukina, but she was special to him now, and Kuwabara couldn't help but feel like he was cheating somehow.
Still, it was that connection they shared that let him know she was still alive, and what he knew would help him bring her back to herself in the end. It just had to. He supposed he should be grateful for the silver linings.
He sighed, and Toguro paused in his stride. "I insist now," he spoke in the deep baritone, grabbing the loop at the top of the boy's bag and stopping him in his tracks. "You're no good to anyone like this."
Kuwabara swatted at the demon's hand, but the protest died on his lips when even that was sloppy and unconvincing to himself. "Alright," he muttered. "I guess a breather wouldn't hurt."
Toguro let him go, satisfied when the teen dropped his pack in the dirt once more and fished around for his striker. It was still grossly wet everywhere, but at least it had taken a break from actively raining, and Kuwabara hoped he'd be able to get a fire going long enough to boil a little water for the dehydrated meal he had left. Once again, he was infinitely grateful for waterproof packaging.
The demon excused himself, set on securing a perimeter and gathering a little firewood, and Kuwabara breathed just a little easier for the moment as he pulled out the collapsible pot and water bottle, holding up the pot to search for the water line that marked precisely how much water he'd need for the rice.
The hair on his arms and neck suddenly stood, and Kuwabara dropped the kettle and sprang to his feet, spirit sword at the ready as he felt the electric thrum of power closing in on him. Fast. He gripped the hilt tightly, rooting himself to the ground as the beast ran at him from the brush full force.
"C'mon, you big ugly pig!" he cried, heart hammering in his chest as the creature dove for him, slobber dripping from its great maw. He raised his sword high, preparing to bring the energy blade down through the length of the spirit's body and split him end to end. "Bring it!"
Only to have the beast howl in abject misery as light enveloped it from nowhere, flame consuming the creature whole as it was knocked off course. The spirit hit the ground, reedy grass smoking beneath the flame though it was too wet to actually catch.
"What the hell?!" Kuwabara steeled himself for a new foe, eyes wide and ready to swing.
"Looks like you could use a hand."
He nearly laughed out loud, sword vanishing as he ran forward and crushed the fox in a fierce hug. His eyes lit and face split into a huge smile, the first he'd had in many days.
"Am I ever glad to see you!"
The room was dank, and Kagome drew into herself, rubbing her arms to mitigate the moist chill setting in. Her skin prickled, though she thought it had less to do with the cold than the dark aura emanating from the man to her left – Doki, if she remembered correctly. She eyed him surreptitiously, as she examined the space for potential exit points.
No good would come of this, she knew. But if it meant she had a chance to get to her mom and Souta, she purely didn't care.
"How good of you to come, priestess," a man she didn't recognize greeted her. He was tall and lean, his inky black hair slick against his scalp as he emerged from the shadow into the light of a single lamp suspended from the center of the room. "May I get you anything? Water?"
Inuyasha growled and subtly stepped between them, the polite introduction setting his teeth on edge. "Where are they, asshole?" he demanded.
The man eyed him with barely veiled disdain. "Inuyasha, I presume," he spoke fluidly, raising a delicate brow. "As uncouth as I would have expected."
The hanyou stood rigid and tightened his grip on the hilt of Tetsusaiga, his knuckles standing out in stark detail. "You better start talking, punk," he leveled, tone a deadly promise that fueled her nervousness. Ordinarily, she would have leaned into his bravado, taking comfort in his confidence; Inuyasha had a way of making her feel better, even when the odds were clearly stacked against them. Kagome only felt cold dread now.
The tall human heaved an exaggerated sigh. "I see we won't be able to keep this civil," he noted. "A shame. I think we could have helped each other."
"The only help you're getting from us is into the afterlife," Yusuke scoffed, unable to keep his mouth shut any longer. He cracked his knuckles, wringing his hands in anticipation of the fight to come. "Now answer the question."
The human smiled, though it was anything but pleasant. Kagome felt Genkai tense beside her just as the light clicked from deeper into the room, and the priestess gasped, choking on the ball in her throat.
Slumped over in metal folding chairs, bound and blindfolded were her mother and brother. Souta sniffled uncontrollably, the bruise flowering along his cheek. Her mother had been beaten, blood drying beneath her broken nose and breathing ragged. Her jaw hung limply, clearly broken, and the bruising on her arms showed Kagome just how courteous their interrogation had been.
"Mama!" she cried, shuddering as the tears escaped her, spilling down her delicate cheeks.
"Sis?" Souta sniffed, his head turning to seek her voice. "Sis, go! Run!"
Kagome lurched forward, stopped only by the detective's tight grip on her arm. She fought him, seething when he took hold of her fully. "Let me go, Yusuke!" she screeched.
"Don't be stupid!" he hissed. "That's exactly what they want."
She sobbed openly, still writhing in his grip. "Help them," she begged, beating her tiny fists against his chest. "You have to help them!"
He gave her shoulders a tight squeeze of reassurance. "Don't worry," he promised, eyeing the tall human darkly from over her head. "We're not going anywhere without them."
Minoru laughed outright, the mirth in his eyes dancing in dark fire that told them just how amused he was at their manipulation. "You're certainly confident, aren't you? I suppose we expect no less.
"Gourmet," he signaled, and the hulking man stepped out from the dark, grabbing the little boy by the hair and hauling him up chair and all. Souta hissed and squirmed in his painful grip, whimpering helplessly. He unhinged his jaw, saliva dripping grossly from his teeth.
Kagome screamed.
"Yusuke," the old psychic barked, setting the detective in a meaningful gaze that made him stiffen down to his toes.
And then it happened so fast, Kagome felt her head spin. The psychic powered up and launched herself from the landing where they'd been standing to the floor below, rushing the tall human with the speed and strength of death itself. He barely dodged as she hurled a ball of immense light and power right toward his midsection.
The detective didn't have to be told twice. He slung the girl in his grip over his shoulder and channeled the energy into his index finger, firing a blast so powerful the wind rushed past them all like a cyclone. But it wasn't aimed at anyone. The energy poured from his body, feeding the great blue light with all he could muster as it went hurdling into the far wall, blowing chunks of cinderblock and drywall raining down in a great cloud of smoke.
The hanyou took the opportunity for what it was, his claws sharpening like razors as he ran headlong toward the captives before them. He yanked the little boy bodily from Gourmet's punishing grasp, just as his feet met the evil psychic's mouth. The inu felt his body pulse from the anger within, hauling back to strike the evil psychic with a force that should have broken him in half and sending him skidding painfully across the floor.
He made quick work of their restraints with his claws, hauling Ms. Higurashi against him as he slung Souta over his shoulder like a sack of grain. "Now!" he cried, angry at having to make the escape when he wanted to stay and beat the ego right out of the tall human who'd taunted them. "Let's go!"
Kagome gasped as Yusuke squeezed her tighter, bolting for the escape route he'd made at a breakneck pace. She heard projectiles ricochet off the walls around them and knew Sniper was in hot pursuit. She felt the detective power up and fire behind them; someone hissed in pain.
"C'mon, Grandma!" he yelled over his shoulder. "Let's get the hell outta here!"
But Genkai wasn't going anywhere. He paused at the entrance, turning just enough to catch his mentor's eye, and she gave her favorite student a sad smile. " … Try not to do anything stupid while you're saving the world."
"Don't you do it you old bitch!" he cried, already knowing it was too late. She fired another blast of her own directly above them, and he dove through the exit with a curse as debris rained down and closed off the escape point behind them.
"Genkai!" he screamed, watching through the rapidly closing hole as she took another blow and hit the ground hard, unmoving. He hesitated for only a moment then turned, burning with shame and hating himself as they ran.
She struggled for breath, the tears streaming involuntarily down her cheeks as she broke the surface of the vision, like water. It was so real, so raw, a devastating intimacy Sango had never experienced that left an ache in her chest she'd not felt since the destruction of her village. And she wept with the knowledge of it, feeling the connection he'd shared with her keenly as it lingered, even as the jagan faded and the memories receded like the tide.
The demon slumped against her, sweating and utterly spent, and she followed him as he sank to his knees there in the dirt. Neither spoke as they each willed their breathing to slow, eyes closed as they leaned into each other, unable to face the stark reality of the present.
Moments stretched long into the darkness of the cavern, and Sango allowed herself to open her gaze once more as she felt his fingertips slide to her shoulders and squeeze just slightly when he made to pull away. She grasped at his arms unconsciously, and Hiei stilled.
"Don't," she breathed. "Stay."
His eyes flew open, expression entirely unguarded for the most fleeting of moments as she trapped him in her view. Sango swallowed hard, her throat suddenly thick with the realization of it. He'd opened himself to her entirely, allowing her into the darkest recesses of his psyche. And now, as they emerged together, she felt something akin to fear stir along the edges of her mind; fear that she would recoil at the horrors he'd inflicted … fear that she wouldn't.
"Please," she whispered as he tensed at the look in her mahogany eyes. "Just …"
He was confused, she could tell; awkward in the face of what he'd shown her and hating himself for allowing his boundaries to slip. They had connected in a deeply poignant way, peering into the abyss together and bearing witness to the atrocities of each. It was significant, that synchronous melding of consciousness, and even after they'd surfaced from the spell of the jagan, Sango sensed him acutely, feeling the weight of his shame like an exposed nerve.
He stayed silent, but she could feel him pulling away, his expression hardened with self-loathing. And Sango scrambled inside, desperately wishing she knew how to keep the stone wall he kept around himself from snapping back into place and conflicted, herself, as to why she needed to.
So, she did the only thing she could think to do, showing him in that moment what she could not say: She kissed him.
Hiei went stock still, eyes wide as saucers as she pressed her lips to his, gently seeking some sense of the closeness they'd held in the moments before. It was tentative and soft, an invitation that neither of them fully understood opening in the painful space between heartbeats.
The demon slayer pulled back, flushing as he regarded her in blunt shock, and let her fingers sweep up to the lines of his face, so much softer than she'd ever seen.
"You are not the monster of this story," she whispered, needing him to believe it as she did.
His breath hitched, and he took her wrists into his hands, his gaze shifting to something unreadable. "I didn't ask for your forgiveness," he said, though it held no bite.
"No, you didn't," she acknowledged, hands firm on the slope of his jaw as he held her there. "But you can give your own."
His expression shifted, scarlet gaze studying the planes of her face as he took hold of her in his palms, thumbs soothing away the tracks of tears upon her cheeks. Sango felt herself shudder at the gentle touch, eyes fluttering closed as the heat of his breath rolled across her face and he closed the distance between them.
She gasped as his lips met hers, and the demon took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, tongue sweeping inside to caress hers. Sango returned the kiss, a new hunger guiding her hands to take on a mind of their own as she explored the taut lines of his muscles beneath the torn fabric of his shirt, and she inhaled sharply when his mouth left hers to trail down the smooth column of her neck.
She felt herself pull at the hem of his shirt, and Hiei pulled back just long enough to let her slip it up and over his head before returning to nibble along her jaw. A soft groan escaped her, and it proved his undoing. He tugged at the clasps of her top, movements growing in urgency as the heat rose between them, sweeping through her veins like wildfire.
He knew what he was doing, just as he knew they shouldn't, but the beast within him screamed as the jagan flared to life once more. He hauled her up to drape across his lap, legs on either side of his waist, and he growled low in his chest at the contact. His lips burned a trail down her chest, and Sango trembled.
Hiei couldn't stop now if he'd wanted to.