Chapter 1: Gone Rogue

"Hojo, could you send Higurashi to my office?" Kaede asked the young man making coffee for the office. He had to be the only person who didn't complain about making coffee for everyone. Then again, Hojo probably never complained about anything.

"Sure thing Kaede. Should I finish the coffee first or get her right now?"

"Go ahead and finish."

"Yes ma'am."

Ten minutes later there was a knock on Kaede's office door. She could see Kagome Higurashi through the window blinds, ever poised and ready. She had been trained well. Hopefully well enough.

"Come on in Kagome, there is no need for formalities between us. Office size has nothing to do with true power." Kagome opened the door with an easy smile.

"I still take orders from you, Kaede, you know that."

"One day, child, you will be sitting here, not me," Kaede warned with a chuckle and the wag of a finger.

"But not today, what's up?"

Kaede handed her a file across the desk as Kagome sat down in the big comfy office chair, crossing her legs in a ladylike fashion. Kagome was always ladylike, no matter the situation.

"This looks like some sort of testing facility. Are these demons?" Kagome asked, frowning.

"Correct on both counts. Several decades ago the government decided the best way to know how to keep the youkai in check was to study them."

"I.e. figure out their weaknesses so they could exploit them if necessary?" Kagome asked in a lightly sarcastic tone.

"Bingo. They set up this facility and at first many youkai were perfectly willing to be test subjects. Especially ones that didn't know the extent of their own power. Some ended up there after they managed to get into trouble. No cruel or unusual punishment doesn't apply to youkai."

"The downside of an extremely fast healing ability," Kagome retorted. "Doesn't make it right."

"A lot of things aren't right in this world. That's why we're here."

"I fear the day we are no longer useful to the government," Kagome said sadly. "We may end up like them sooner than we think."

"Until they can harness the kind of power we have in a weapon, I would not worry if I were you. We are lucky to have many people in high places. That is not what I brought you in here to discuss though."

"So we have a government facility doing less than moral things. It's like what, one of a hundred? What's so special about that?"

"It's no longer under the government. About 50 years ago it was bought by a friendly enough researcher. The government needed money, he supplied it readily enough."

"And now he's gone rogue?"

"The new Secretary of State just realized no one has been paying attention….since the take over. So of course special units were sent in to figure things out."

"Brought back disturbing reports?"

"Nope. No one has returned." Kagome looked up, startled.

"No one?"

"The first group was led by a high miko. When we heard no word from her they sent in youkai. Male, female, youkai, human, no one came back."

Kagome's face went ash white. Mikos and youkai had failed. Just what was kept behind those doors?

"We did get one major breakthrough though. A youkai body washed up on shore south of the place. This was around the neck." Kaede plopped a metal band onto the desk. It was small, made of a black slightly dull metal. Kagome picked up it, examining it. There was no sign of anyplace it came apart.

"Any idea what it is?"

"A control collar. Something the government discovered about a hundred years ago, but banned the use of due to the all too easy misuse."

Kagome cleared her mind and "felt" around the collar. Power called power. There was something about this collar that desired power, but was also a slave to it. She closed her eyes and ran her fingers around it.

Click

The collar fell into two pieces in her lap. Kaede smiled.

"I told them less than five minutes you'd have it figured out. Damn fools. They never believe me."

"What do you want me to do?" Kagome asked, her blue/gray eyes fading a bit as she released the power.

"There are some powerful, angry youkai in there," Kaede said.

"So in, free a bunch, and get out while they wreck the place?"

Kaede smiled.

"Do not sacrifice yourself, Kagome. If you have to, purify the whole place."

"I do not use that sort of power unless there is no other hope."

"I know, child, but don't hold it back until you are near death either. I don't want you showing up floating down the river."

Kagome smiled.

"I doubt they'll be able to get that close. When should I leave?"

"Tomorrow. You'll be taking Rin with you."

"Rin? Weapon's master, fix-anything Rin? But she's not even halfway through training."

"She has other skills you will need. Your power will be enough for the both of you. Besides, she was raised by youkai. She can hold her own better than anyone thinks."

"Oh she can hold her own alright," Kagome said with a chuckle. "The funniest thing is when people realize the twelve year old looking exterior is nothing but a shell."

Kaede breathed a sigh of relief. Kagome was not only the most powerful miko in a thousand years, she possessed one of the most accepting natures known to mankind. She could find the good and usefulness of any person.

"I'll start getting ready," Kagome stood, handing the folder back to Kaede.

"Kagome….be careful. I want you back after all of this. In one piece."

Kagome smiled and laughed. Only Kagome could have such a light outlook on almost certain death. Maybe it was because no matter what she had come against so far, she'd survived without so much as a scratch. Or maybe it was that she had resigned herself to the fact that one day she might have to be the sacrifice to keep others safe. It was a sacrifice she was more than willing to make, no fear attached.

Hello all. Someone on suggested I also post this story (with a few changes so it fits under R) on , so here it is. I hope you enjoy. I took liberties with the term alternate universe. Sit back, keep an open mind and enjoy. This has fairly usual pairings and I pulled a lot of inspiration from the manga which is still coming out here in Japan.

Also, please be kind. This is my first posted fanfic (posted on and back in April 2004). I've gone back through them a couple of times to double check the grammar, spelling etc….but even my eyes get strained after staring at a computer screen so I apologize if there are mistakes. I did, however, add purposeful mistakes if I was going for casual language.

Ok, you've been warned. Have fun!