Partners

By Leah

Chapter 2

Never a Simple Case

"I still can't believe ba-baa's actually making us go through with this." Kagome huffed and tapped her foot impatiently.

Rin rolled her eyes at her normally mature friend's childish behavior. "Really, I would never have guessed just judging from the hissy fit you threw last night. And besides," The younger girl's lips curled up into a smile reminiscent of that of the Cheshire cat. "Her name is Kaede, not ba-baa, have some respect."

Kagome sent her a stony glare. "Ha, ha, cute Rin."

"I'd like to believe I am." The younger girl smirked and stuck out her tongue.

"Kami, why can't this elevator go faster?" Sango let out a groan from her place in the corner of the large glass elevator. "Being stuck in an enclosed space with you two for so long gives me a migraine." She ignored the twin dirty looks being sent her way and leaned against the wall of the descending elevator.

Tensions between the three girls, who normally got along better than most siblings, were running quite high, especially after last night's announcement from Kaede. They were all a little irritated to say the least and being trapped together on the long downward elevator ride into the heart of the Bureau wasn't helping matters.

Luckily they were alone in the elevator, though it wasn't often that people took the elevator at this time. Those who stayed within the Bureau's headquarters for most of the day –intelligence, tech, and other such people- had a separate elevator that didn't go to the surface. And most of the assassins rarely reported to HQ unless it was an emergency. It wouldn't be quite a secret government agency's undercover headquarters, if civilians saw hundreds of people crowding into the backdoor of a ritzy hotel everyday and then disappearing into a room the size of a closet.

Bright yellow light shone through the glass walls of the elevator, signaling to the girls that they had finally entered the top most floors of the underground headquarters and were no longer just going through yards of dirt above it. The girls ignored the people on each floor as they sped down to the 24th level of the lard 78 level establishment. A few people took notice of the elevator heading down, but mostly they were ignored as they passed floors of people on computers or on the phones or just lazing about.

"Well," Kagome began, also leaning onto the glass wall. "I'm in no rush to get down there. That debriefing is gonna go on four hours, and we already know all the details. And then we have to go get reassigned partners." She practically spat out the last word and crossed her arms tightly over her chest.

"I personally don't see what the big deal is," Two pairs of shocked eyes turned to Rin, who only shrugged. "What? I doubt Kaede would leave us with the guys if she sees nothing is going to happen. And she did say that we would still be working together on some cases. Besides, from what you two have told me, odds are you're getting stuck with Miroku," She turned to Sango who had developed a sudden twitch at the man's name. "And you're getting Inuyasha," She turned to Kagome whose face took on an even more sour look. "So I get Sesshomaru, and from what I've gathered about him, there is no way anything can happen between me and someone like that. And from how much you two obviously can't stand your guys, I doubt anything will happen there either." Rin nodded to herself. "So give it 6 months or so, and I'll bet anything we'll be back together."

Sango nodded, "I hate to say it, but Rin seems to have a point." Rin stuck out her tongue at her friend. The elevator jerked to a stop and the doors opened to reveal a beautiful large room with a plush cream carpet and a small waiting area outfitted in dark red wood furniture. There were a few glass doors leading into rooms where the girls could see some people going through paperwork or on computers. To the corner of the room there was a receptionist area where a girl with shocking silver hair sat; her light purple eyes scanned the computer screen as she pressed the phone to her ear. Above the receptionist who looked to be nothing more than 18 was a sign in polished silver letters that read "The Bureau."

"Shiori!" Rin bounded out of the elevator towards the girl who sent her a bright smile but held up a hand to signal her to wait until she was finished with her call.

"Thank you Mr. Tahima, I'll be sure Kaede gets the message." The girl let out a long breath before grinning to her friend. "Hey Rin, it's been forever. How's the field work going?" She sent a smile to the other two girls who approached her desk.

Kagome shrugged. "Same as ever, you really should get into it one day. You were really good in the academy." Rin nodded along distractedly, looking around herself and the other girls quite obviously.

"Looking for something Rin?" Sango asked with a saccharine smile, but she also cast a glance over her shoulder.

"No!" The girl scoffed but turned to Shiori. "So…. your father wouldn't happen to be around would he?"

Shiori giggled a shook her head, taking note of the disappointed looks on all three of the girls' faces. She was more than used to the constant female interest her father received. At 6' 2'' with his long silver hair that reached his lower back even when it was in his common high ponytail, and his gorgeous purple eyes with tanned skin, Tsukuyomaru was definitely one hell of a catch to any available woman out there.

Unfortunately for every female at the Bureau he still loved Shiori's long deceased mother. The woman had died over 450 years ago, long before the Bureau had been established as a government agency and before it had instituted the policy of giving all human members a dash of demon blood, allowing them to have an extended life span and added agility. Many of the human members were well into the hundreds, though most of them didn't look a day over 25. Kagome, who to anyone would appear to be a 19 year old girl was really pushing 70, and Sango who appeared to be 21 at most was over 150 years old. Rin, who was always joked about as the baby of the group because of her 18 year old looks, was only brought into the Bureau 20 years prior and was only 38.

"He's probably with research right now, sorry guys," The girl sent an apologetic look to her friends before brightening. "Oh, and Kaede-sama said to- Kagome? Kagome, what's wrong?" At the young girls yell, two pairs of eyes turned to Kagome who had been unusually silent.

Sango and Rin let out twin gasps when they saw their friend, her eyes were shut tightly and her teeth with gritted together, her face contorted in pain and one hand held on to the desk in front of her while her other was slapped tightly over the side of her neck.

"Kami!" Sango, who was standing closest to the girl grabbed onto her elbow and led her to a chair in the waiting area where Rin and Shiori huddled around her. The demon slayer pulled her friend's hand away from her neck and pushed back her hair revealing two small puncture shaped scars that had been on her friend's neck for years.

Rin sucked in a breath at the sight of the marks, they were a shocking red and the skin around them began to turn a fierce red also. For as long as the young girl could remember Kagome had had those scars, however she rarely ever saw them as the girl opted to keep her hair down, except for during training or a work out.

Kagome sucked in a strangled breath and opened her eyes, the pained look dissipating from her face.

"You okay?" Shiori asked, the girl nodded distractedly, her eyes were fixed on Sango. The older girl sent her friend a disbelieving look but shook her head and stood.

"What the hell was that Kagome?" Rin began, as she helped the girl to her feet.

"I-I don't know." Sango's expression darkened but she didn't say a word.

"Kaede wanted me to tell you guys to go see her as soon as you got here," Shiori said, heading back to her desk. "But I really think you should head to the medical floor, let them have a quick look at you."

Kagome shook her head. "I'm fine, really. Thanks though." The younger girl nodded but sent her a worried look before pointing them in the direction of where they needed to be.

The girls nodded their thanks before heading down the hall to one of the few rooms without a glass door with Kagome in front, just incase she had another bout of pain. The trip down the hall was filled with worried questions from Rin about Kagome's health while Sango still refused to speak.

"Rin I'm telling you," Kagome let out a sigh as they reached two large redwood double doors and she pushed them open. "I'm fi-" The words died in her throat as her eyes took in the room and its occupants, a dark look taking over her features.

Rin followed her into the room quickly; intent on finding out what was obstructing her speech. She arched a brow as she looked around the room. Kaede was nowhere to be seen, however there were three other men in the meeting room. One was obviously human; his short black hair was tied in a small ponytail and his violet eyes turned to the girls with a rather surprised expression. There was also a very tall and stoic looking demon with bright silver hair, his eyes were a cold, calculating gold and he spared a second's glance at the girls before returning to the papers in his hand and Rin also noticed the demon markings on his face that were known to demonic nobility.

Lastly, lounging in the corner she spotted a half demon that the evil look on her friend's face was obviously directed at. He, like the demon, had silver hair and gold eyes; however his hair was much more untamed and unruly, while his eyes held much more life and emotion.

Behind her Rin felt Sango enter the room and she caught a sliver of a smile on the girl's face before it was blank once more.

"Do my eyes deceive me?" The humane let out a gasp and crossed the room faster than anyone else could see, in an instant he was holding tightly to the wide eyed Sango's hand. "Is this my lovely Sango?" He pulled her into a hug and Rin couldn't help but giggle at the look of anguish on her friend's face as she tried to pull away from the man.

"If you do not let go of me in the next ten seconds, I swear I will dismember you in the most painful way Miroku." Sango's threat, though muffled by Miroku's purple shirt, was heard loud and clear by everyone in the room. Miroku however ignored her and began to stroke the girl's hair, ignoring the vein that was being to throb above her eye.

"These past few years without your smiling face have been so hard," Miroku let out an exaggerated sigh and pulled Sango closer. "It's so good to be back to you Sango."

The slap that followed echoed throughout the room and within seconds Miroku was laying on the floor, a red hand print burning on his face. "I've even missed that too." He let out a weak laugh and pulled himself up. The other boys in the room only shook their heads.

"Houshii, I believed that after all these years you would have learned how to speak to her," Sesshomaru muttered before his eyes scanned over Rin then dropped back to his papers.

During the exchange between Sango and Miroku, Kagome had moved herself into a seat on the farthest side of the room from Inuyasha, a dark look etched on her face.

"Well then," Rin broke the silence and dropped into a chair, from the corner of her eye she saw Miroku pulling out a seat for Sango, only to have her sent him a dark glare before pulling out a different seat for herself. "You three must be Miroku, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, pleasure to meet you." She stuck out her hand to each boy only to have it be ignored by Sesshomaru, receive a grunt from Inuyasha, and kissed by Miroku much to Sango's chagrin.

"Alright! So…where's Kaede?"

Inuyasha grunted again. "Who knows, ba-baa left us in here like half an hour ago."

Kagome snapped her eyes to him, "I know having respect might be a foreign concept to you," She began in the most condescending voice Sango and Rin had ever heard from her, "But you should try and practice it; her name is Kaede. You jackass." She spat, and looked back to the wall, crossing her arms and legs tightly.

Inuyasha scowled, he wasn't too fond of her dismissal. "What did you call me?" He growled, picking himself out of his chair and making his way to her side of the room.

Kagome turned to him again, undaunted by the fact that he now towered over her. "Are you deaf as well as stupid? I called you a jackass." She pushed herself up to face him, there were mere inches separating them and the fact that he was still a full head taller than her didn't faze her in the least. The other members of the room sat and watched in silence, even Sesshomaru put down his papers to look at the scene unfolding.

"Look bitch," he stepped closer to her, the glare on her face intensified ten fold.

"Don't you dare call me that." Her words were laced with enough venom to take down an elephant.

"I can call you whatever I want," his words held the unmistakable hint of teasing behind the bite. "Bitch."

"You arrogant, egotist-"

"Enough!" All eyes turned to the old woman who stood by the door, she wore an eye-patch over her right eye and had a slightly hunched back, and her long grey hair was tied in a long ponytail at the back of her neck. "Kagome, Inuyasha, sit."

Kagome sent the boy a harsh glare before moving to a seat, a sheepish look made its way on to her face. Inuyasha huffed and dropped back into his corner seat, the look on his face very reminiscent of a child whose mom wouldn't buy him candy.

Kaede hobbled to an especially large comfortable looking chair at the head of the large glass meeting table, she looked at the six people gathered around her and let out a sigh. "You are all aware of my reasons for summoning you here before the debriefing were to take place," mostly everyone nodded grudgingly. "Good, now I'm sure you all have realized who your new partners are, so what I'm going to say won't come as a shock to any of you. Sango and Miroku are now to live together," The demon slayer groaned softly and sent a glare to the smirking monk who winked in return, even though she knew it would happen, hearing it out loud just made it seem so much worse.

"Sesshomaru, you are now to be with Rin," The young girl looked over to the demon, however his eyes remained transfixed on Kaede. "And lastly," Kaede held her breath for a moment, preparing for the outburst that she knew would come. "Kagome-chan, you are now working with Inuyasha."

There was a tense silence, and then Kagome stood and slammed her hands on the table, Kaede seemed unfazed. "I still refuse to accept this Kaede! You can't put me to work with that-that-that ASS!"

Kaede raised her eyes in silent prayer as Inuyasha too stood up and rounded on the girl. "Don't think you're the only one suffering here princess," He snarled, "You ain't exactly my dream partner either!"

Kaede cut in before Kagome could retaliate. "My word is final." Both people turned their gazes to her. "You two have worked together before, and you work well together, this is no different."

"This is very different Kaede!" Kagome practically roared. "You expect me to procreate with this PIG!"

"Kagome," Kaede let out a withering sigh, "I don't expect you to do anything, this is a trial. And you know as well as anyone here that there comes a time when all assassins are partnered with a member of the opposite sex in hopes of carrying on our work here, this is only temporary, so please be patient and let the past remain in the past." Kagome flinched but nodded solemnly and took her seat, grudgingly Inuyasha did the same.

Seconds later the doors to the room opened and six people walked in and took seats.

"Well, well," A male wolf demon with long black hair tied in a ponytail began, his eyes trained on Inuyasha, "If it isn't the mutt. I hoped you had died."

Inuyasha growled low, "Not before I kill you first wolf."

The wolf snorted and took a seat, "I'd like to se you try, dog."

"Well this is interesting banter," A female wolf demon cut in. "Can't you two be mature just once. I expected better from you Kouga."

Kagome snorted, "Ayame, I thought you knew those two don't know the meaning of maturity, least of all Inuyasha."

"Come now," Kaede began, bringing everyone's attention back to her. "This is not what I called you all here for, please settle down." The room quieted down and everyone's attention turned to the Bureau's head.

"No offense Kaede, but haven't they been doing other missions, why are they here?" Sango asked, nodding to the six new people in the room.

"Ayame, Momiji, Boton, Kouga, Ginta, and Hakakku, have been working on cases involving some dirty dealings within the demonic underground for the past few months, and have dug up some information pertaining to your case." Kaede explained, "And Miroku, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, have been on the same case just overseas."

"But we've returned because we have gained some information that the subject has left London and is back in Japan." Sesshomaru informed them.

"He can't be," Rin chimed in, "We've been working this for almost a 5 years, we haven't seen him anywhere and there wasn't a shred of evidence incriminating him at the scenes of the mutilations or anything."

"And if someone like him came to Japan, how could no-one notice? He isn't exactly an everyday guy."

"Kagome's right, it would have been in at least one tabloid by now, but everything's been silent." Sango said.

Kagome turned a hard look to the boys, "Where did you get that information from anyway, he's been trying to keep his movements silent for years, are you sure he didn't leak it because he wanted you three out of London?"

"Kagome, I assure you our information comes from a most reliable source," Miroku winked at her, "She happens to be one of his inner circle security and secretary. An…old friend if you will, of Sesshomaru's."

"For a monk, Miroku, you sure have a way of making everything sound dirty." Inuyasha grumbled. "But what's the wolf's team got to do with this again? They've been pretty useless just sitting there."

"Well mutt, the underground rumor mill is going crazy about this guy, guess he has come back to Japan, everyone seems a little uneasy. There's talk about there being more murders coming, they say he's going to go after human's next."

"Priestesses or anyone with spiritual power he can get his hands on." Boton, the blue haired priestess continued, while Momiji pulled out some pictures from a folder.

"These are his main assassins." She put the pictures on the table.

"That man!" Sango pointed to the blurred image of a man with a long braid. "He was in one of the security taped from the hotel!"

"Not surprising. These seven are his hired pit-bulls, they're called the Band of Seven, not very original with the names, but they're probably the most deadly humans in this hemisphere." Ayame said.

"Keh, they're still human's though. And all that information has done is raised more questions."

"My little brother is right, his killing patterns are erratic, first the beheadings of various low level demons, then murdering a shrine keeper,"

"And he was also after the crooked business men that we killed yesterday," Kagome added, "And if the underground rumors are true he's after priestesses next."

"And we know it's all him," Rin continued, "but nothing ties to him because he's stayed abroad all this time working on his companies."

"And he's beefed up his security, he must know we're on to him, plus he came back to Japan himself, that must mean there's something he needs to do here." Miroku added.

"Or that he's just pissed that we've killed his two next targets and he's finally decided to take the more hands on approach." Sango said with a smirk.

"Nevertheless," Kaede let out a long breath, "Onigumo Pharmaceuticals is still profiting, even with the allegations surrounding their owner, and he has new dealing's with governments abroad, and if he starts with the Japanese government, we may have to start acting independently, or he could infiltrate the Bureau."

"This is getting out of hand; I thought it was just a few murders!" The female wolf demon groaned and placed her head in her palm. "It's like this guy's trying to take over the world or something."

Inuyasha snorted, "Wouldn't be the first psycho to try it."

"Well, all the information obtained has been sent to Intel to be analyzed, they should be done in a week at most, I will call you all back then. Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, Miroku, Rin and Sesshomaru, all of your things have been moved from your apartments to three separate ones, along with the cars while you were here. Shiori will give you the addresses on the way out." Kaede ignored the heated looks sent her way. "You six are pretty much on vacation until we find more information on this guy and his dealings. And you six," She turned to the four wolves and two priestesses, "Thank you and you will be kept updated on this case. However that does not mean you can slack on your own." They all nodded.

"Now then, if that is all," The old woman rose from her seat with a slight groan.

"Oh wait!" Ginta burst as everyone was beginning to leave. "We were digging and we found something about his name!"

"What, that Onigumo is the dumbest name ever?" Inuyasha mumbled.

"But we don't think that's his real name." Hakkaku said, "All the time we spent searching for stuff about him, no one there referred to him as Onigumo, and no one said anything about him being human."

"You're saying he's a demon?" Kagome's eyes widened.

"He could be," Sesshomaru muttered, "No one has ever been close enough to him to tell if he was human or demon, the cloaking charms now a days are very good too."

"And when you run his file, Onigumo's record is fuckin' sparkling clean. No one has never had not one problem with the law in their life!" Inuyasha jumped in.

"So what did you find out his name was?" Sango redirected the conversation to the two wolves.

"Kakura, Naraku."