-Chapter 2-

There was just something about standing in front of the building you worked at; that feeling you get of both anticipation and dread. Yasha couldn't explain it, but it was among the many odd habits he'd developed over time.

The air was chilled and thin on this day in November, the stench of pollutants swirling about the area in distasteful heaviness. Being so deep in the city didn't exactly make it any less overbearing. There was a slight breeze blowing past, ruffling Yasha's long army green trench coat and the ends of his hair as he continued to stand.

The building itself was massive. It was a skyscraper, having a total of seventy five floors plus the basement and parking lot floor. Being on ground level made it look like it went on forever. It caught off the morning sunlight with it's almost entirely glass based covering, the insides of some of the offices visible if you looked hard enough. Of course, Yasha had never actually been to any of those higher floors. His work place was, believe it or not, on the basement floor. The logo of what the building was supposed to house, read: Sunrise Insurance. Pretty legit, right?

The weight of his set of desert eagles never felt so heavy as they rested in their holsters at his hips under his coat. Was it worth hoping one day he could actually leave this life behind and move on?

Yasha's phone rang in his pocket, the question fading away without answer. He pulled it out, glancing at the screen. It was Boushin. He flipped the top of his cell open and answered.

"I'm right outside, I'll be there in a sec." He said irritably.

"No Yasha, wait." Boushin's tone was calm and commanding like usual. "I have something else I'd like you to do before you come on. Your partner and I can handle the scoping plans."

"Excuse me? You're taking me off the assignment because you want me to run a little errand for you? Who the hell do you think I am, your nanny? And aren't you supposed to be 'otherwise engaged'?" Yasha hissed into the phone, reading the censored instructions for what they were. After being told about such crucial information and psyching himself up for the mission ahead of him, he was getting called off on some detour to be replaced by the 'boss' himself? That was considered insulting.

Boushin sighed. "If you would listen for a moment without jumping to conclusions, I'll explain."

Yasha practically stomped over to the nearest bench and leaned against the armrest, replying sarcastically, "Do tell."

"I'm sure you're aware of the new recruit. While I cannot reveal much personal information about her to you besides her name right now, it is of the utmost importance you locate her and bring her to base. Her life could be in danger. I'm covering your task until you return."

That still sounded like a load of bull to Yasha. "How is this chick more important? If she's not even aware of anything yet, what's the problem? And why do I have to be the one?"

"Look, there's no time for personal questions. Kagome's life is in danger and you need to find her, save her if necessary, and bring her to the protection of our base. They are not my orders; it's all directly from the Capital."

That just made things so much less complicated. Without seeming too put off by everything, Yasha took a breath before he answered. "Fine. Just send me whatever info you can and I'll go get her."

-[]-[]-[]-

Gun fire rang out through the streets like a loud clap of lightning, cries of fearful citizens following in their wake. The usual hustle and bustle noises of downtown 'wild life' seemed to have died over the sudden excitement, replaced instead with the sounds of ensuing chaos. Men, women, and children alike could be seen fleeing the area on foot together or alone, some with no destination in mind but 'away from here' while others headed towards their cars. A scattered few simply tried finding good places to hide while they called the police on cell phones.

There was shouting coming from somewhere around the corner down the next block, deeper male voices shouting what was likely swear words and otherwise vulgar speech at one another. More shot sounds echoed out, that time close enough so that the small tinkling of bullet casings could be heard hitting the pavement. It didn't take long to figure out this was some sort of gang battle. Downtown had become known for that sort of violence, and no one just started shooting people unless they had a serious bone to pick with someone and didn't fear the police once they got even. Gangs and the mafia where the only ones who outwardly behaved in such a way.

"This is why I don't ever go to the mall downtown, but did they listen to me? No!" Kagome huffed to herself irritably. Even if it was obvious, she still couldn't help wondering how she had gotten herself in this mess. Things had been going so smoothly before today. Her birthday party had been simple but nice, her friends having spent the night and stayed up late watching movies and eating popcorn and other junk food with her.

Then one of them had come up with the bright idea of going to the downtown mall to do 'girly things' as Kagome so bitterly put it. They'd complained she needed some new clothes, and such nonsense. So it was decided (without her consent, really) that they would go the following morning. They certainly hadn't expected a bunch of low lives to start trying to shoot people and be forced to split up once they got there.

So there she was hiding in an ally-way, dressed in skinny jeans, ankle cut boots, and a plain black sweater and hoodie, with her purse only god knew where after all that running she'd done. "This is just one of those days, I guess." She said with a sigh, leaning against the wall of one of the buildings she stood between and sliding down into a more comfortable position. With the way things were playing out, she wasn't going anywhere for a while.

She would have tried to run to the nearest bus stop and possibly head home if she could, but she had gotten separated from the other three of her friends in all the craziness after the first shots had been fired. She couldn't just leave without knowing if they had gotten away alright. It didn't exactly help that she'd left her cell phone at home in her friends' haste to get her out the door that morning. The last she had seen of any of them was Ayumi's back as she'd pushed her way through the crowds to get to safety. Kagome couldn't help a humorless scoff, 'I feel like I'm in some kind of war zone.' To some degree, that was true.

Such thoughts were supported further when the noise that had been so far away only minutes ago began to get gradually louder; closer to where she was hiding. Panic pricked at her chest, her pulse thudding loudly in her ears. Blind adrenaline made her wonder if she should just take off and get out of danger, but she shook her head at such an impulse. 'No, I won't abandon them like that. I couldn't forgive myself if something were to happen. I have to stay here and find a way to look for them, check the hospitals or safe zones maybe.' On some level she realized her 'plan' was as good as committing suicide since she didn't even know if her friends were still in the area, but it was too late to turn back now. Her first goal was to get away from these thugs.

As another gun shot rang out through the mostly empty streets, Kagome realized she could now make out what was being said between the gang members.

"Who you think you are messin' wit us? You backstabbing peace of shit!" One of the two men continued shouting at the other, probably the one with the gun if the loud bang that followed was any consolation. "You gave 'em classified information and now we're all screwed thanks ta you!"

There was a loud grunting sound and the sound of the other man spitting on the street, mumbled curse words following. "You dick heads did it to yourselves! I won't lie and cheat the people anymore!"

Pressing herself further against the brick wall she was leaning on out of tension, Kagome couldn't fight her curiosity. 'What people? Does he mean the citizens? What could he have possibly blabbed about to affect society?' That was a rather interesting subject for thugs to be fighting over, to say the least. For a split second, Kagome wondered if maybe these guys weren't what they appeared to be. Or there was always the off possibility they were just high beyond belief, of course.

"Who the hell are you?!"

Kagome froze.

Had she really been that easy to spot? But she'd been hiding in an alley way! Her half-conscious question was answered when she looked into the eyes of the man who had found her. She didn't know why the idea popped in her mind as quick as it did, but to her, it seemed far too easy to notice.

Yellow. His irises were yellow.

'They-don't look human.' This of course, failed to fully process in Kagome's very overwhelmed brain, and all she could do was continue to stare into the man's strangely feral gaze with heavy dread and foreboding, beginning to tremble in her emotional trauma.

"I asked you a question, bitch!" His voice echoed off the walls in a startling boom, his shoulders tight and his large callused fists balled and shaking with rage. Where was the other guy and the gun? Was he planning to kill her with his bare hands?

'There's nowhere to run. I can't get away!' Kagome frantically glanced around to find something to throw at him, and spotted a thin and rusted metal pipe directly across from her. It was unlikely she could land a hit on the guy to try and knock him out, but throwing it would be enough of a distraction to get a head start and get out of there. So she did.

Fast as she could manage, Kagome dove for the pipe, and tossed it. As the nameless man grabbed it from the air, she took off full speed around the corner and down the street, leaving her shoes behind.

As she pumped her legs against the aged pavement under her, long raven hair billowing behind, the high school girl wondered how many people this had actually happened to. Something made her feel awfully alone in the 'running for your life from a gang member' category. Worse yet, she couldn't even call for help. There wasn't anyone in sight to hear her.

Kagome dared to check over her right shoulder to see if she was being pursued, but saw no one. Hoping he didn't think chasing her was worth his time and had not even bothered, she kept running and began trying to find another more concealed place to hide.

She didn't have the chance to find one.

From above, Kagome's attacker yelled out and landed right on top of her, knocking them both down on the concrete. Where had he come from, the roof? Kagome cried out in surprise and minor pain, her arm and shoulder throbbing from both the impact and the resulting fall. She quickly tried fighting back, feeling herself being pinned down.

"Let me go you asshole!" She screeched, wriggling her wrists and legs in his firm grasp.

The man just laughed. "You're a feisty one! I like that in a woman." He smirked, his eyes clouding with unrestrained lust.

'How did he go from a blind rage to this in less than a minute?!' Kagome thought in horror, though she showed only her own anger towards the psychopath above her. 'What do I do?'

"Freeze!" A female voice ordered, fast approaching footsteps sending small vibrations through the sidewalk as the person neared.

Both Kagome and her attacker looked towards the sound to see an armed police officer, pointing her gun at them both but aiming at the man. "Don't you dare move, or I'll shoot!"

Kagome furrowed her brows in thought. 'Is that Ayumi's mom?!' She must have called her, which meant the others had to be okay right?

The man still pinning her down merely laughed. "I ain't afraid o' no cop. 'Specially a woman!" He spat in disgust, and quickly jumped off of Kagome to charge at the officer.

Ayumi's mother quickly pulled the trigger on her gun, shooting madly as the man jumped, flipped, and dodged each bullet fired in a remarkable display of agility and speed. But instead of going at her once he got close enough as expected, he leaped right over the officer's head and took off down the next street. She quickly pulled out her transmitter and gave orders, "Target is on the run! Pursue down Que road! Repeat, pursue target down Que road!"

"Officer Shima?" Kagome called out weakly, just barely sitting up on the sidewalk. The shock was clearly seen in her expression; stiff and wide eyed, her breathing uneven, and her trembling from before having worsened to full on shaking. She wrapped her already bruising arms around herself. She felt numb and detached, even as the woman approached her. The adrenaline was definitely fading.

"Are you alright, Kagome? He didn't do anything to-?"

Kagome shook her head slightly, incapable of giving a vocal response.

Exhaling in a sigh of relief, Ms. Shima took Kagome's hand and held it in a motherly manner, easing the girl to stand up. "Let's get you to the station; I've got the girls there already. I'm sure they'll want to see you."

By the time the two reached the station thirty minutes later, Kagome's immediate speechlessness to being assaulted had begun to dull.

Walking through the double doors of the police station with Ayumi's mother by her side, she couldn't help thinking it was smaller than she remembered.

Unlike how TV shows would portray such a place, the desks were rather close together and cluttered with various files and papers. File cabinets were pretty much everywhere and looked fully stocked. The constant sound of a phone ringing, and people shuffling here and there served as rather chaotic background noise as well. There were hallways and closed doors off in both corners, but they probably weren't much nicer to look at than the main area. Not much really changed at a police station it seemed.

Before she could turn to ask her 'escort' if she could go get some water, Kagome was practically assaulted with hugs from her three friends that seemed to come out of nowhere, barely giving the poor girl time to blink in surprise. Then came the abrupt bombardment of questions.

"Are you okay?"

"What happened?"

"Why didn't you call us?"

"Did you get shot at?"

"Did you see the guy who attacked you?"

It was enough to make her head spin. Kagome was still too stunned to really give much of a response to any of those inquiries, to make it worse. After all, she might have just been nearly raped!

Ayumi's mother silenced the girls and put a hand on Kagome's shoulder. "I'm going to give your mom a call, but we'd like you to stick around to try and answer some questions, alright?"

Kagome just nodded dumbly, forgetting about wanting water for the moment.

She was then guided by another officer into a small waiting room with her friends. Taking a second to study everything it looked kind of chinsy, like a dentist waiting room, minus the ginormous fish tank. There were just chairs and a few fake decorative plants dotted about the room, a ceiling fan that wasn't on, and a window facing the doorway. The walls were a plain gray-ish brown hue, and had no pictures on them.

After taking her seat, Kagome began the strained process of conversation with her personal group of paparazzi. At first no questions were asked, but seeing the demanding curiosity on their faces she just sighed and began to speak. "I'm okay guys, really. I just feel a little drained, and probably bruised my shoulder. I'm sure Ms. Shima can give you the full story."

"Mom's not allowed to discuss cases with people outside her work." Ayumi clarified quickly.

Eri agreed with a nod, her short-short black hair swaying as she moved. "We're just worried about you, Kags."

She gave a humorless chuckle. "Guess I must look pretty bad, huh?"

"You're not even wearing shoes." Yuka attempted to joke, pointing at Kagome's feet.

Her eyes locked onto them and noticed how rubbed raw her skin looked; all irritated and red. Until now she'd forgotten she was barefoot. She was thankful her feet were so calloused, or she might have felt more pain besides on her shoulder and arms. It was a shame about the missing shoes though. 'They were kind of expensive too...' After this, there was no way she was going shopping to replace them. She'd send her mom to the mall from now on.

After nearly an hour of sitting and talking about anything but the recent incident (much to Kagome's relief), an officer no one recognized opened the door and walked in with Mrs. Higurashi in tow.

Kagome was again embraced, tears building in her mother's eyes. "When I got the call I didn't know what to think! Are you okay baby? He didn't hurt you at all?"

Somehow amused by her mother's frantic questions, Kagome offered a small smile and hugged her mother back, ignoring the soreness in her forearms. "Don't worry mom. Nothing really happened, I promise." In all fairness Kagome would have been crying too if she had any energy to do so. Maybe that wasn't such a bad thing though.

The officer still standing there cleared his throat awkwardly. "Uh, I apologize for the interruption, but the chief would like young Ms. Higurashi to answer a few questions about the man who attacked her."

The women pulled apart, an exhausted sigh coming from them both. Kagome looked from her mother's worried eyes to those of her friends' with a false confidence. "I'll be back in a bit." She then left with her escort to the interrogation room, diamond necklace clutched firmly in hand.

-[]-[]-[]-

Heavy footsteps continued to echo across the darkness into a room. It was empty save for a person bound to a chair in its center, a blinding yellow light shining from above.

The person sat with his head hung past his shoulders, nearly limp with obvious fatigue. Blood oozed from deep wounds barely hidden beneath the thin fabric of his shirt that had once been white, but was now stained crimson. It flowed from his stomach and gradually made its way down his legs to the cement floor below with thick, quiet drops. His eyes were shut tight as his jaw clenched from the pain. His dirty blonde hair was plastered to his forehead from the sweat as he seemed to force his lungs to expand just enough to take even a small breath.

Slow and heavy footsteps echoed loudly into the room, and soon a door was slid open. The footsteps continued while another person entered, stopping short of the light hanging from the ceiling. The tips of a pair of black boots still captured enough light to be seen, and a voice finally spoke.

"Have you taken enough time to think it over?"

The person in the chair didn't respond at first, but after a particularly painful spasm reached his nerves he forced himself to answer. "Y-Yes."

"Will you do what I've asked?"

There was a longer pause at this question, but again after the pain intensified the broken man whispered, "I w-will."

A chuckle of satisfaction came from the shadowed figure. "Good choice, human." There was a clattering noise as something metal was dropped to the floor and then slid over to the person in the chair, a knife. "If you can get yourself free, you'll be sent the location for the meet where you'll receive further orders." Another small laugh. "Don't get lost."

With that the shadow's boots pulled away from sight and the footsteps started again, only for the sound to fade away into nothing, leaving his victim to his new agenda.