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Guilty Hero

Chapter 10: The Demon Behind the Barrier

“Miroku, come over here,” Sango said, staring at a piece of paper in her hands.  “This is a job print-out from the past month.”

“Oh?  And what does it say?”  He immediately abandoned his own desk to stand behind her chair, getting a good deal closer than he needed to.  This earned him a glare from his superior, to which he returned an innocent smile, and then focused his attention on the paper.

Still frowning at his behavior, Sango pointed at the chart.  “We’ve had literally NO demon attacks for the last two weeks.  Our patrols have come across nothing, Kaede  hasn’t sensed any hostility, Koga can’t find the scent of any demon except our own…  The only problem is the fact that our informant hasn’t returned from his mission yet.  Why do you suppose—“ She interrupted herself to slap at his hands, which had begun to wander too far.  “Why do you suppose that is?  Do you think he’s found a lead on something?”

“Possibly.  But he usually keeps us informed on the proceedings—that is his job, after all.  However, it’s been about two weeks since we sent him out to find the body of that centipede, and he’s much more efficient than that.”

With a worried grunt, Sango nodded in agreement and began to shuffle through papers on her desk, finally pulling out a list of every demon under their employ.  “We need to send someone after him.  It’s been far too long.  We grew complacent.”

“Hang on, hang on…”  Miroku gently tugged the list from her hands.  “Calm down.  I wouldn’t give up on him quite yet.  He’s had many, many years of experience in the field, and knows exactly what he’s doing.  Some missions just take longer than others, you know.”  Placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, he said quietly, “Perhaps you’re just itching for a bit of… action?”

The slight innuendo he put into his voice made Sango snap her head up to glare at him, her eyes livid.  “That does it.  I’ve had just about enough of your passes at me!  What the hell is wrong with you?!  Ever since I was sick, you been on me like a dog in heat!”

“Sango, you wound me,” Miroku replied, snatching his hand away when she gave it a painful pinch.  “You were the one making passes at me then!”

“I was sick,” she growled, whirling around to face her desk to hide the blush on her cheeks.  “You were being very kind, and I was simply accepting that kindness.  Had I known it would have ended like this, I’d have made you clean the apartment like you offered, rather than take a nap on you…”

A satisfied smile grew on his face.  “See?  You were tempting me.  You know, it’s very confusing for me when you send mixed signals, my dear.”

“Miroku, that was two days ago.  I was muddled with cold medicine, and half-asleep the whole time.  Please, just forget about it and focus on today.  Try and act normal for once.  Please…”

Sighing sadly, Miroku nodded his consent.  “Fine, fine…”  Bending over to look at the list of demons once more, he said in a more businesslike tone, “Well, in case things do get to the point where we need to go after him, who should we send?  We should put them on call so they know to be ready.”

Relieved that he had so readily accepted her plea, Sango focused on the list as well, chewing on the tip of a pen as she thought.  “Well, any of the wolf clan would be good.  They all know his scent.  Hakkaku or Ginta might enjoy having something to do after so long—eep!”

The sound of her hand on his cheek resounded throughout the room.

“Ah…”  Miroku fingered his freshly acquired handprint, a grin breaking  his features.  “You certainly are feeling better, aren’t you?”

“Pervert!” she hissed, scooting back in her chair so he could no longer reach the offended area.  “What did I just say?!”

“You asked me to act normal.  And besides, the way you were sitting was quite suggestive…”

Their secretary knocked lightly on the door just in time to prevent Sango from losing her temper and bringing all hell down upon Miroku.

“Um…”  Rin stared blankly at the scene before her; Sango had one fist twisted in Miroku’s shirt collar and her other cocked over her shoulder in preparation for a killing blow, but had froze at the girl’s entrance.  “Uh, Myoga has returned.  He said he had urgent information for you.”  She wisely decided not to comment on the situation she had walked in on.

“Ah!  Send him in, please.”  Sango quickly let go of her associate, and both hurriedly straightened their clothes before the tiny flea hopped in, looking quite weary.

“Well, well, Myoga…” Miroku said conversationally, holding out his hand for the flea to jump up on.  Bringing his hand up so the three could speak at the same level, he continued, “We were just about to send the dogs after you.  I trust you have some information for us, to be gone for so long?  Or were you unsuccessful?”

“Oh, I was successful…” the flea said breathlessly, clearly exhausted.  “But things do not bode well at all, I’m afraid.  Fortunately, I made it out without being spotted, but just barely.  Oh…”  Suddenly, he jabbed his sucker into Miroku’s palm and took several sips of blood.  A bit surprised, Miroku allowed him a couple moments, but he finally flipped the flea out when his palm started to itch. 

“Watch it.”

“Sorry,” Myoga replied, his voice sounding much stronger now that he’d had some sustenance.  “I haven’t had a meal in days.”

“Where have you been?” Sango asked.  “Were you ever able to come upon the centipede’s body?”

“Not exactly…  But I know what has happened to it.  It’s…  Well, let me start at the very beginning.”  Sitting down cross-legged, the flea began his tale.

“I started my search at the quarry, where the centipede disappeared.  Having heard reports from the wolves that there was no trace of the centipede’s scent anywhere in the city, I decided to search in the quarry itself.  For three days, I had no luck.  However, on the fourth day I stumbled upon a crack in the deepest, blackest part of the gorge that was just large enough for a person to fit through—plenty big enough for myself, of course.”

“There was a barrier erected around it, but I was able to get through, and I soon found myself in an enormous network of caverns. I soon figured out that it was not a barrier to keep someone out, but rather a barrier to keep something in.  The demonic aura emanating from it was monstrous, and no doubt would be sensed by Kaede immediately if left unchecked.”

“Which means that whoever or whatever is hiding in those caverns wants to remain undiscovered by us,” Sango said seriously.

Nodding, Myoga continued, “Please, allow me to finish and you will find out how true your words are.  Once inside, I searched several rooms, but soon got to the heart of the network.  There was an immense barrier around the entire perimeter of the central room;  I saw two demons standing outside it, speaking with someone hidden behind the barrier, who was clearly the mastermind behind the network.”

“The demon behind the barrier said, ‘I have finally begun to gain power after your birth.  Kagura, release the pitiful rabble you have locked away for me and loose them back upon the unsuspecting city.  Keep those of some strength and bring some to me.  My body is not complete yet.’”

“So, I followed the demonness named Kagura to the farthest outskirts of the caverns and…”  With a moan, the flea held his head in his hands.  “Well, let us say, it’s no wonder there have been no rogue demons wandering the city recently.  Literally hundreds of demons were locked up in that dreadful underground prison.  There was cell after cell after cell of demons, making such a din at their dreadful confinement.  I watched as Kagura opened the locks of several cells with a flick of her fan, and the demons inside swarmed out, fleeing the caverns as fast as they could.”

“For a few unfortunate others, she chained them with manacles of wind and forced them back to the central chamber.  I followed, and watched as a… well, I suppose ‘tentacle’ is the best word for it, emerged from the barrier and swallowed demons whole.”

“You mean…  absorbed them?” Miroku asked, trying to follow along.  “Perhaps that is what happened to the body of the centipede…”

“My thoughts precisely.  I continued to watch for several more days as this process continued.  However, clearly the demon behind the barrier was growing stronger, and he soon became sharp enough to sense my demonic aura, tiny as it is.  Fortunately, I was able to escape before his two minions were able to find me, and I returned here…”  Clearing his throat, for it had gone dry from his tale, he asked, “Do you know what this means?”

“There is the possibility of another disaster in the making,” Miroku replied grimly, referring to the battle against Naraku.  “If this demon behind the barrier continues to absorb the powers of all the demons in the city, he has the potential to grow even stronger than Naraku himself…”

Sango rubbed her head, trying to bite back the fear that accompanied his statement.  “How much time do you think we have to prepare for this?”

“Oh, months at least,” Myoga said in encouragement.  “It must have taken this demon more than a year to create that network, and now he’s trying to build up his body.  The going is still slow for him.  However, we will have to monitor this situation.  If we keep a close watch, we may find a weakness or even a way to prevent this demon from ever escaping his own jail.”

“Yes…”  With a deep sigh, Sango slowly straightened her shoulders.  “Well, I have one last question, and then you can go home and rest.” 

The flea seemed to be more than happy to hear that statement.  “Yes?”

“How did this demon gain the ability to absorb other demons into its own body?  Or even to build this network of caverns you keep talking about?  No demon in our records can do that.”

Myoga shrugged.  “I’m not sure, but there is the likely possibility of a Shikon shard at work here.  But I’m afraid we won’t be able to find out until he has emerged from the barrier.  Inu-Yasha won’t be able to sneak in to get close to sniff one out, if there is one.”  He blinked in sudden recollection.  “By the way, how is that foolish pup doing?  I never saw him after I sucked the poison from his blood.”

“He’s alive and back to his old antics,” Miroku informed him, sounding a little displeased.  “However, we have the new nurse, Kagome, looking after him.”

“Kagome, eh?  Nice girl, but do you think she can do it?”

Sango and Miroku exchanged a look.  “We have our reasons,” Sango said finally.  “But there is more to Kagome than you know.  We found out not long ago that she can see and sense Shikon shards; her spiritual power is very similar to Kikyo’s.  Do you think that if we brought her to the quarry, she’d be able to sense the shard without having to get closer?”

“It’s worth a shot.”

“Excellent.” Sango snapped her pen down on the desk and went to hold the door open for the flea.  “Great work, Myoga.  Now go home and rest.  Tomorrow we’ll call Kagome and have her meet us at the quarry so you can show us the way.  Is that all right?”

“Of course, of course.”  With a weary wave of goodbye, Myoga hopped out of the office, eager to get home.

For a few moments, Sango and Miroku sat in complete silence, the effect of Myoga’s tale crushing down on them.  It was something that they had wished would never happen again.  The affect of the last battle on the city had been devastating, and it had not even been a full decade since it had occurred.  It was doubtful they would be able to withstand another attack like it, especially with their best offense downing cheap whiskey in a dingy apartment.

Taking a deep breath, Miroku finally said, “At least now we know what’s going on.  I feel better not just sitting around with no idea of what is going to happen next.”

“…Yes…” Sango grudgingly agreed.  “But I still don’t like it.  I don’t know if we’ll be able to take on a more powerful demon than Naraku…”

“But we have to try,” Miroku interrupted.  “That is the Order’s purpose; to protect the city at all costs.”  Going over to her, he crouched by her chair and placed his hands gently on her knees.  “Besides…” he said softly, giving her an encouraging smile, “this time around we have you at the head.  That’s enough to make any demon quake in fear, right?” 

For another woman, such a statement might have been taken as an insult.  Sango, however, flushed in embarrassment.  “Oh, stop…” she mumbled, trying weakly to swat him away when he drew her up in a hug.

“Please don’t worry,” he murmured into her hair as she huddled in his embrace.  “We can handle this.  You’ll see.”

Staying silent, she nodded slowly, drawing strength from his quiet confidence.  Together, the two remained in the close embrace, reveling in the company.  However, the moment was ruined when Sango felt something on her backside, and soon Miroku was reeling back with a matching handprint on his other cheek.

“Your sense of timing needs a lot of work,” she hissed at him, then quickly withdrew to her desk.  “Now sit down, we have work to do.”

Smiling broadly at his success, Miroku asked, “Does that mean that there is an appropriate time to do such a thing?”

Her cheeks flaming, she snarled, “Back to work.”

“Of course, my dear.  Of course.”

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The past three days had been a very trying time for the pair in Inu-Yasha’s apartment.  After spending that time observing how the demon spent his days, Kagome was more than daunted by the task that lay ahead of her.

Currently, the two were seated in the living room watching late night TV.  Inu-Yasha was sprawled on the couch with a whiskey bottle at his side and a cigarette dangling lazily out of his slack mouth, while Kagome was curled up in his armchair, as was her usual position.  She held her ever-present clipboard and was chewing absently on her pen as she reviewed her notes from the past three days.

From day one, she had made Inu-Yasha very clear of her intentions; she was to be ignored and he was to go about his business as normal, so that way she could get a clear picture of what needed to be done.  While for the first day he hadn’t been very cooperative, as was expected, by the second day he got tired of yelling at her and succumbed to her request.  By the end of the third day, she had a much better idea of what to do.

“Day 1,” her clipboard read.  “Wake up at the crack of eleven.  Nurse hangover/ watch TV until eight o’clock.  Go to laundromat at nine; bring along flask.  Return home at eleven.  Drink until one, pass out.  Daily drink: 1 flask, 1/3 bottle of whiskey.  Food: 0.”

“Day 2.  Wake up at ten.  Nurse hangover until six.  Fix dinner.  Watch TV and drink until falling asleep on the couch at midnight.  Daily drink: ½ bottle of whiskey.  Food: 1 cup o’ noodles.”

“Day 3.  Wake up at ten.  Nurse hangover until four.  Rooftop run over city.  Return home at seven.  Watch TV and drink on couch until—“  And the entry ended there, for day three was not yet over.

As she read over her entries, she stifled a sigh.  The time spent in his apartment had been incredibly boring.  He simply did not do much of anything besides drink and watch TV.  The only exercise he had gotten was his ‘rooftop run’ as she called it; she assumed it was the only place where he could run as fast as he wanted and no one would notice.  The rest of his time was spent at the kitchen table, grumbling into his coffee, or on the couch, drinking himself to sleep.

Suddenly, she blinked and drew herself out of her thoughts, for she felt the strange prickling sensation of someone watching her.  Glancing up at the demon, she saw him quickly flick his somewhat bleary gaze back to the television, and she shook her head and went back to her clipboard.  He had been watching her often, and she still had yet to get used to his rather piercing stare.

Inu-Yasha growled inwardly when she almost caught him staring at her.  Sometimes he felt that he couldn’t help but stare at the foreign creature in his apartment.  While he had to admit to some interest in her, he was starting to become quite irritated by her constant presence.  He was used to being a solitary figure, and this slip of a girl was cramping his way of living.  In fact, he had decided long ago that he was going to test her limits, but so far she was not cracking under his pressure.

All of the other nurses Sango and Miroku had sent to him in the past were unable to resist snatching his whiskey bottle from his hands when he made to pour another drink from it, or trying to control his drinking every day.  Hell, they had even tried making a daily schedule for him so he would eat three meals a day and possibly do something constructive rather than watch TV.  But this girl just placidly watched him from the sidelines, making no move to interact with him whatsoever.  Her silence infuriated him, and he was bound and determined to get a rise out of her no matter what.

Taking one last drag of his cigarette, he snubbed it in the ashtray on the coffee table in front of him, then reclined back in the couch, blowing out smoke rings.  That was something most nurses hated: when he played with his cigarettes.  However, all he achieved was getting Kagome to peek at him from under her bangs, not even moving her head.  Clearly, she wasn’t bothered enough to say anything.

Trying to keep back a frustrated growl, he then picked up the whiskey bottle nestled at his side and swallowed a mouthful.  Yes, he had a tumbler sitting on the table, but drinking straight from the bottle was something that none of his previous nurses could stand.  He had received more lectures about drinking straight from the bottle than anything else.

Still no reaction; she didn’t even glance up.  How annoying.  Waiting until the burning sensation from the first mouthful ceased, he put the bottle back to his lips and took several draughts, hoping  that if he were more obvious, she might finally notice. 

When he finally pulled the bottle away, he found himself unable to watch her reaction, for his chest was burning painfully and he could hardly breathe.  It took several moments before the sensation lessened, and he gasped for breath; he was foolish to forget that it was not a wise idea to drink that much whiskey in one go.  Blinking the stars from his vision, he set the bottle back at his side, feeling a bit nauseous.

It was only when he regained his breath did he sneak a look at her, and was more than irritated to find that she was yawning, and hadn’t been paying attention at all.  A snarl tugging at his lips, he turned his attention back to the television, trying to think of another way to rile her. 

Suddenly, he hiccupped sharply, then groaned.  He shouldn’t have taken that last drink.  Kagome looked up at the sound, then smiled kindly at him when he caught her eye before going back to her work.

Before he could get too angry, the telephone rang, making both jump a bit in surprise.  Once he recovered, Inu-Yasha groped for the phone, having to try a couple times before grasping it.  “Whaddaya want?” he growled, displeased by the interruption.

“Ah, Inu-Yasha.  How wonderful it is to hear your dulcet tones so late at night,” came Miroku’s voice from the other end.

“Hmmph.  What’s got you in such a good mood?” the demon grumbled, for Miroku’s joy was quite obvious.

A light chortle came from the other end.  “Sango and I have spent some quality time together today,” he replied.  Then, dropping his voice to a whisper, he added, “I got lucky.”

“MIROKU!!” Sango’s voice boomed from the background, and he started to laugh.

“It was just a joke!”

Inu-Yasha rolled his eyes.  “You didn’t jus’ call t’ chat, did you?  I’m in no mood.”

Clearing his throat, Miroku quickly reined in his mirth.  “No, I didn’t.  I have some business to discuss with Miss Kagome, and I was wondering if she was around.  We tried calling her apartment, but she wasn’t there, so we assumed she was with you.”

“Hmph.  Hang on.”  Without giving her warning, he tossed the phone right in her lap, and she jumped in surprise. 

Giving him a reproachful glare, she put it to her ear and said, “Hello?”

“Hello, Miss Kagome.  It’s Miroku.  I’m calling about an assignment we have for you.  We need to see you at the quarry tomorrow morning, at about five o’ clock.  Can you make it?”

“Well, yes, I think so.  But what for?  What’s the assignment?”

“We’re going to put your newfound powers to the test.  Our informant believes there may be a jewel shard deep inside the quarry, but it’s too dangerous to simply go looking for it.  We need you to try and locate it first before we send anyone down there.”

“Ah, I see.  Of course.  Tomorrow at five, then.”

“See you then.”

“What’s he need you for?” Inu-Yasha grunted grumpily when she hung up.

“A mission.  He wants me at the quarry at five o’ clock tomorrow morning to try and find a jewel shard.”

“Oh.”  Falling quiet for just a second, he then snapped, “I’m goin’ too.”

Surprised, and even a little pleased, for it meant that tomorrow he would be doing something besides lying on the couch and watching TV, she simply replied, “Fine,” and got up to put the phone back in its cradle. 

When she walked in front of Inu-Yasha to reach it, he started to growl because she blocked his view.  However, that growl was quickly cut short by another hiccup, and he sighed in annoyance.

Since the hour was growing late and they needed to be up early, she decided it was time to stop being merely an observer and start being his nurse.  So she picked up the full ashtray and his glass, then pulled the bottle from his side, ignoring his protests.

“Sleep,” she instructed, quickly depositing the items in the kitchen before returning to the couch.  Pulling the raggedy blanket off the back and tucking it in around him, much to his displeasure, she continued, “If you’re going to get up early, I’m not going to have you be a pill.  You need some rest.”

He tried to grumble a complaint, but once again the hiccups haunted him, and he snarled in frustration.

“See?” she told him.  “That’s what you get for trying to bait me.  Now please, stop fidgeting and go to sleep.”  Turning the light out, she left him alone in the living room, using his bedroom as her own place of rest.

He stared after her a moment; she had known what he was trying to do the whole time.  Hmph.  Stretching out his full length upon the sofa, he slowly shut his eyes.  He had to give her a little credit, he supposed.  But no matter.  He was going to get her to break sooner or later.  It would just take a little more time.

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Thanks so much for reading; I very much hope you enjoyed it.  Please, leave a review and let me know what you thought!