Human Compensation

Well, don’t just stand there. Go meet her,” Inuyasha said.

Kagome walked to the girl as she slowly turned around.

“S...Sango?” Kagome stopped.

“K...Kagome?” Sango said, her shock reflecting in Kagome’s face.

The girls suddenly shouted and ran to each other. Inuyasha and Miroku watched in bedazzlement as they hugged each other and jumped up and down.

“I take it they know each other,” Miroku said.

“How?” Inuyasha wanted to know.

“Kagome what are you doing here?” Sango finally asked after they pulled away from each other.

“I was going to ask you the same thing,” Kagome said. “You look so different.” Kagome looked at her friend who had once been just like her. Her girlish features had been replaced with that of a lovely, mature woman, but it was her eyes that bothered Kagome. They had once been as expressive and innocent as hers, but now they seemed too wise, too experienced, and too dark. She was even wearing make-up now.

“You haven’t changed a bit,” Sango smiled at her.

“Don’t say that,” Kagome said smiling back. “Sango, what happened to you. I haven’t seen or heard from you since you left college two years ago.”

“I’m sorry, Kagome. I’ve had a very busy life here,” Sango said lowering her head a little.

“Too busy for your best friend?” Kagome wanted to know very hurt at her attitude.

“Kagome...why are you here?” Sango asked glancing at Inuyasha.

“She’s my new personal assistant,” Inuyasha said.

“Is she here by choice?” Sango asked. Her eyes narrowing at Inuyasha.

“Of course I am, why would you ask that?” Kagome asked.

“Kagome...” Sango said looking at her sadly.

“Sango, we must go. You two can catch up later,” Miroku said.

“But...” Kagome watched them get into Miroku’s car. “I don’t understand, we use to be such good friends. Now, it’s like I don’t even know her.”

“People change, Kagome,” Inuyasha said. “Let’s go.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sango stood beside Miroku as he stared at the huge mansion. They had driven by her apartment where she had changed into her uniform and came here.

“This place is almost as big as Sesshoumaru’s,” Miroku said in awe. “It’s a pity I have to destroy it.” He turned to Sango when she didn’t comment. He’d told her everything as he drove them to their next job. She at first, became angry, then sadden. Now she stood beside him, her mind somewhere else. The first rule of working as a mobster, never get distracted, that one little mistake could prove to be fatal.

“Sango, I know you’re upset about your friend, but we have a job to do. I need you to put those feeling aside and concentrate on your work. “

Sango glanced at Miroku. He was demon. He couldn’t possibly understand what she was going through. Her best friend, Kagome, had entered her world ignorant of the danger she was in. When she thought about it, it was kind of funny. She had tried so hard to not keep in contact with Kagome when she came here, in fear of endangering her life and now she was here. Sucked into this hell by her own dear grandfather. Sango wanted to kill the man.

“Sango,” Miroku said.

She turned to him and nodded. “I’m ready.”

Miroku raised his right hand and concentrated on the mansion. A small hole appeared in his hand. It began to grow larger until it nearly covered his entire palm. The air around them began to blow stronger. Parts of the mansion began to come off and fly through the air. They were sucked right into Miroku’s hand.

Sango braced herself for the humans and demons that ran out the mansion towards them. They were furious at their home being destroyed. Some of them were sucked into Miroku’s air void. The ones that escaped, she took care of them with her huge boomerang.

“Who are you!” A man with long, wavy, purple, hair ran towards them.

“Greetings, Naraku. Nice day isn’t it?” Miroku asked as he continued to suck Naraku’s mansion into his air void. Half of the mansion was already gone.

“Tell me who you are before I kill you!” Naraku yelled standing a good distance from them, not wanting to get caught in the air void.

“You haven’t figured it out, yet? Sesshoumaru sends his love,” Miroku chuckled.

Naraku eyes widened. “How?”

“You didn’t think we’d find out about what you did?” Miroku asked. “You made a deal with Sesshoumaru, he kept his side of the bargain, however, you thought you could trick him by giving him a suitcase full fake money?”

“How did he find out?” Naraku asked coldly.

“If there’s one thing Sesshoumaru knows it’s money. He knows what real money smell like. You were able to fool all of us, but not him and for that you must be punished.”

Naraku watched helplessly as the rest of his mansion was sucked into Miroku’s air void. Then, he laughed. “You fools, I have three more mansion in three different states. What you did here is nothing!”

“No, you don’t.” Miroku said.

Naraku staggered back in dread.

“We took care of those before we came here. Plus, you don’t have money in your bank anymore. Everything you own, your cars, your yachts, your businesses, even your women belong to Sesshoumaru, except Kikyo. You can have her. Sesshoumaru, personally, cannot stand the slut.”

“Houshi, when you finish amusing yourself, I could use a little help over here,” Sango said as she fought off the demons and human guards attacking her.

“Stand back, my dear,” Miroku said swinging his hand in her direction.

Naraku watched as his men and demons were sucked into the air void. He fell to his knees. He had nothing. Everything he’d ever own was gone. His body began to shake in rage. “I’ll get you for this! All of you will pay with your lives!” He threatened.

“Yeah, okay,” Miroku said leaving with Sango.

“You don’t know who you’re dealing with. I’m still a very powerful man in this city!” He yelled at their backs.

“No, Sesshoumaru is,” Miroku corrected and with that, they were gone.

Miroku didn’t notice the blood on Sango’s arm until they were at the door of her apartment.

“You’re hurt,” he said examining the wound on the back of her arm.

“It’s just a scratch,” Sango said as she unlocked the door.

“Let me take care of it.” Miroku offered half expecting her to object.

Her answer was to open the door and walk into her apartment. He followed her in and closed the door, locking it.

“I’m curious,” Sango said standing in the living room. “Why would Naraku need Sesshoumaru if he was already a millionaire?”

“He didn’t need him for the money,” Miroku said. “He wanted something very rare and dangerous.”

“What?” Sango asked her curiosity getting the best of her.

“I’m not suppose to tell,” Miroku said.

“Oh,” she said.

Miroku sighed, “I guess you can keep a secret?” he asked.

She nodded.

“Naraku wanted a rare formula that could turn humans into demons.”

Sango looked at him in horror. “Such a thing exists?” She whispered.

“Unfortunately, yes. It was created by a scientist who worked for Sesshoumaru. How do you think I got my powers? I wasn’t born with an air void in my hand. I was one of their first test subjects. I was only seven at the time. “

“I’m sorry.” Sango said.

“I’m not, it lets me protect the ones I love,” Miroku said staring at her intensely.

Sango eyes widened. ‘He couldn’t be talking about me?’ She thought. Still, she couldn’t hide the pretty blush that came over her cheeks.

Miroku smiled. “Sit down, let me treat your wound, you’re bleeding all over your carpet.”

“I’ll be okay. I’d rather take a bath...”

He walked to her, taking her uninjured arm in hand, and guiding her to her couch. “Sango, this must be treated immediately. It’s much deeper than a scratch.”

Sango watch him gather the objects he needed to clean and wrap her wound. He’d been in her apartment so many times he could probably find everything with his eyes closed. He sat back down beside her, ripped her sleeve off and proceeded with the cleaning.

Miroku frowned slightly as he worked. He hated it when Sango got hurt even if it was a minor wound. He knew she was strong and could take care of herself, but that had never stopped him from caring. After all, she was human and could easily be taken from him if he wasn’t careful with her. He secretly worried about her on every dangerous job they had. He just wished he knew how she felt about him. Sometimes she acted as if she liked him and other times she wanted to rip him to pieces. He couldn’t really blame her, most of her anger was caused by him. He had a weakness for beautiful women and Sango was by far, the most beautiful one he’d ever met. His hands had a mind of their own whenever he was close to her.

Sango stared at the handsome man working on her wound. He was trying to be as gentle as possible. Miroku was the only one at work who treated her like a lady. Most of the men saw her as a tomboy because of her fighting skills and strength. She was not the type of woman who waited for a prince to ride up on his white horse to rescue her. However, Miroku still opened doors for her, paid for her dinners at the restaurants where they had their meetings, and even sent her flowers for her desk at the office. She would have called him a gentleman had it not been for one thing, that hand of his. He’d felt up every girl in their building and she lost count of how many times she’d beaten him up for grabbing her. Maybe it was the demon inside of him that caused him to be such a lech or maybe he had always been a pervert. Whatever it was, it was very annoying. Still, she could never stay angry at him for long when he looked at her with those dark eyes and gave her that sexy smile that had sent more than one woman rushing to his bed. How could she ever love a guy like him? He was the king of playboys. If a person ever looked the word up in a dictionary it would have a picture of him beside it. She smiled at the thought. That was her curse, loving a playboy. She’d go to her grave before he ever found out.

“You’re quiet, Sango. Are you still thinking about Kagome?” Miroku asked as he wrapped her arm in bandages.

“Kagome,” Sango said. For a moment she had forgotten about her. She wasn’t use to her being here. “I’m worried about her welfare, especially with Inuyasha.”

“Inuyasha will take care of her,” Miroku said.

“Inuyasha couldn’t take care of a dog and he is a dog!” Sango said.

Miroku smiled at that. “She’ll be okay.”

“What about when she finds out the truth?.”

“That’s Inuyasha’s problem,” Miroku said.

“I don’t trust her with Inuyasha.”

“Inuyasha is not as bad as he seems, you know that.”

“Yes, but he can be brash. He always reacts before he thinks. He’s so unlike his half-brother.”

“Kagome said you two were best friends. What happened?”

“I moved here.”

“I see. You were protecting her.”

“She doesn’t know that.” Sango said. Her father had worked for Sesshoumaru before she was born. He’d train her to battle youkai in hopes that one day she would work for him too. Sango had wanted a different life. She wanted to go to college. She didn’t want to work for the mob. Her father had let her pursue her dreams until he was killed by one of the youkai he’d been fighting. Shippou had sent her a letter telling her the bad news and to come to the city immediately. She had left that day, two years ago, and had never returned. She had called Kagome and told her she had found a great job. It was the last time she’d contacted her.

She smiled her thanks at Miroku when he finished. Miroku smiled back.

“You ld gld get some rest now. There’s a lot of paper work for you tomorrow, now that we’ve taken everything from Naraku.”

She nodded and stood up with him. “Thank you, Houshi.” She said as she followed him to her door.

Miroku opened the door and turned around. “Why do you keep calling me by my last name? We’ve known each other for two years.”

“I do it as a reminder to you that we will always have a business relationship.” Sango said darkly when she felt his hand rubbing up and down on her behind. She backslapped him with her good arm.

Miroku fell down on the floor in the hallway and winced when the door slammed hard in his face. He smiled, rubbing his cheeks. “You’ll be mine one day, Sango. This I swear.”