Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Even complete darkness will disappear with the faintest of light."

-Sweet Home

Bright blue eyes gazed at the tall run-down building, the sign out front leaning to the side, its chipped paint flaking off due to years of neglect, just like the rest of the building.

Green Home Estates.

Pft, some estates...it was as run down as the rest of the low-income area she'd found herself in. "Geez what a dump." The whispered words fell from slightly chapped lips, though she mused she really didn't have much room to talk.

Either way, she wasn't here to judge. She was here for her job, a job that she really needed to get done so she could move on with the rest of her day. Sighing again she pressed the call button waiting for the security guard to buzz her into the underground parking lot. It was her first time delivering to this apartment complex and the only reason it had been added to her route was because the usual delivery person had called off for being sick.

Some kind of bug had been going around, everyone was dropping like flies. Luckily for her, her body had a built-in self-defense mechanism. A perk to being an ex-time traveling Miko.

Even so she hadn't wanted to take on the extra route but honestly, she was lucky to have a job, what with being a middle school dropout and an immigrant from Japan. How low she had fallen, from the savior of feudal Japan to a delivery truck driver for her uncle's company. She knew beggars couldn't be choosers, that she was lucky her father's family had offered to help her.

They hadn't really talked much since her father's death when she was a child minus the obligatory holiday cards and phone calls. So when her mother had approached her with the prospect of moving to Korea, if only for a change of pace, she was reluctant to accept but she could see the barely hidden tiredness in her mother's eyes, see the strain of the fake smile on her lips.

So she had agreed, packed up her meager belongings and left her feudal fairy tail behind.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" She jumped as the voice blared over the income, the small once black screen blaring to life showing an older man wearing a security guard hat. He gave a low bow of his head, his face peppered with sweat as he peered into the camera, giving her a full-on frontal 'selfie' angle. "Sorry, I'm the only guard on duty. I'll buzz you in right away!" Nodding She could only give a small smile.

"It's fine. Thank you. I'll meet you at the loading dock?" He nodded his head as the loud buzzer sounded before the screen went black once more. Putting the truck in drive she entered the underground parking lot, its dim lights flickering in an eerie manner. "Geez, cliché much?" She muttered under her breath, it was a habit developed after the end of her adventure.

She had gone from a pack mentality to being pretty much alone all the time. The silence was odd to her, wrong. So she filled it by talking to herself and since she always did her routes by herself it really didn't matter if she did or didn't.

Pulling into the small loading area she placed the truck in park and shut it off, shoving the keys in her pocket as she grabbed the inventory list. She made her way towards the locked double doors waiting for them to be opened so they could start unloading the orders.

A few minutes later the doors were loudly banged open as the security guard propped them open as he gave her a small nervous smile, dotting at the sweat on his forehead. "Ah sorry, like I said I'm the only guard on duty and everyone expects me to do everything around here!" He bowed repeatedly as she offered him a small smile in return, tucking some of her loose raven hair behind her ear.

Sure, her hair was in its obligatory high ponytail, work cap on top of that, but her hair was thick, and had never liked being tame. It was one of the main reasons she hadn't tied it back during her adventures, why waste the time and effort when it wasn't going to work? Well, at least until Rin decided that braiding it was not only a better way to tame the unruly locks but a fun pastime.

Shoving the thoughts away she held up her clipboard. "No problem really." She held it out for him to go over, he did so his eyes darting across the paper as he signed off on things here and there.

"I've never seen you before, you a new worker?" He was making small talk as he checked off the list not at all paying attention to her as she began to unload her truck.

Pausing in her work she nodded, not even caring that he couldn't see her due to her position behind the open truck door. "Yes and no. I've been with the company for a month but this is my first time on this route. Yung-Jook is sick. Please be patient with me." She smiled as she poked her head around the open truck door not wanting to be rude.

He returned her smile, gazing up from the paperwork as he moved to help her with the various boxes. "Ah, how sad. I hope he gets better. Here let me help you!" They fell into quiet polite conversations as they unloaded the truck's contents onto a metal cart. "Ah, how rude of me, my name is Eung-bok."

She smiled and gave a small bow. "My name's Kagome. It's nice to meet you. Since you're the only guard on duty do you mind just leaving the door unlocked and the code for the garage so I can let myself out once I'm done? I don't want to bother you too much." She knew it was against company policy to ask that but she really didn't want to bother him when he was the only one on duty. She could sense the sickness inside of him churning around, if she didn't have to add to his already full plate she didn't want to.

He chewed on his lip as he looked her over, she was young. Probably just out of high school, her eyes while bright did at times seem to hold a deep sadness in them. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail, the mass of it poking out of the hole in her baseball hat. She wore the standard dark green uniform of the delivery company and honestly she looked normal.

Trustworthy.

So it was with a small smile he nodded, he'd been feeling off all day and he had to weed whack the front of the building before the building manager got on his ass again. So as he jolted down the code for the garage gate he hoped his trust would not be misplaced. "Sure, just don't tell anyone."

Giving a small smile she took the small scrap of paper and shoved it in the breast pocket of her black t-shirt that was poking out of her green jumpsuit. "Promise." With that, she waved goodbye to him as he left her to finish unloading and begin her deliveries in the large run-down building. The faster she got it done the faster she could move onto the next stop of her list.

Chapter Text

She'd just finished a delivery on the fourteenth floor, a box of ramen and other various snacky foods and was on her way to finish her last five deliveries when the elevator gave a jolt. It's lights flickering as it came to a sudden dead stop.

Dread pooled in the pit of her stomach. "Oh come on, not now!" She quickly pushed off the wall of the elevator and peered at the old decrepit buttons. Most of them had been worn down so much that the numbers were faded leaving behind nothing but shiny metal. Narrowing her eyes she found the emergency service one and pressed it.

The small black LCD screen remained black as the sound of ringing echoed in the small metal box.

No answer.

Swearing under her breath she pressed the button again and again hoping that while Eng- Buk was busy that he would get some kind of alert that the elevator had gone down.

It was on the fifth try that she decided to just give up and pushed away from the button panel to dig out her cell phone. Relief filled her as she saw the screen come to life, three bars of service showing. Given the kind of day she was having she half expected to be in an area of no service.

Quickly dialing the number for the fire department she was floored to get a busy signal. "The fuck?" The curse word tumbled from her lips, a habit picked up from her dear hanyou friend. Hanging up she tried again only to get the exact same result. Scowling she decided to try her uncle, at the very least she could let him know what was going on so he could let their customers know she would be running behind.

It rang only four times before a loud high pitch ring screeched directly into her ear. The sudden loud noise made her jerk as her phone fell from her hands to clatter on the dirty tiled floor. Hissing she shook her head to get the high pitched tone out of her head. Glaring down at the discarded mobile device. She bent over to pick it up, glaring darkly at it as she snapped it shut.

She didn't know what the hell was going on, just that whatever it was, it set her on edge. Her rarely used miko ki began to stir to life just under her skin. Flaring her senses she shivered as it pulsed and ached like a muscle that had been neglected for far to long.

She could feel the many human auras around her, some of them tainted with sickness. It was like something she had never felt before, it felt twisted, dark, yet at the same time...

Human.

Furrowing her black brows she weighed her options, she could just sit here and wait, the dark sickly auras running over her skin, making her shiver with something she couldn't name.

Fear?

Adrenaline?

Anticipation?

She couldn't pinpoint it, just that it was a feeling she hadnt had in a year or so.

Or.

She could get off her ass and do something.

Deciding to go with the later she shoved her phone back in her pocket and eyed the emergency exit door in the ceiling. If she could stand on the mail cart she should be able to pry it open. From there she could use the fire escape ladder to get to the nearest floor.

Assuming this run down place was up to code and even had emergency exit ladders...if not she mused she could shimmy up or down the cables that held the elevator in place. She knew she wasn't in as good of shape as she had been while traveling in the past but she was still capable of doing at least that much.

She hoped...

"Well, let's get this show on the road." Locking the wheels of the cart in place she climbed on top of it and began to push on the trap door, it barely moved. Gritting her teeth she added more force behind it and with a low creaking groan the rusty metal gave and she was able to pop it open. Her arms were shaking by the time she pulled herself into the elevator shaft, her eyes barely adjusting to the dim light. Crouching on the balls of her feet she dug out her phone and turned on the flash light.

Using its bright beam she peered into the darkness looking for a ladder, thanking every god she knew of when she spotted one. Sure the rungs looked rusty and worn but honestly it was better than having to try and shimmy her way up or down metal cables.

Glancing up and then down she realized it would be easier for her to go down and pry open the doors to the fourteenth floor. Memorizing where each rung was, she shoved her phone into her shirt, making it so the flashlight shone brightly in front of her cutting through the thick darkness that surrounded her.

Carefully she moved down the rusty ladder and paused at the firmly shut elevator doors, she secured one arm through the rungs and with a wince began to pry them open, ignoring the way the metal bit into her skin. Huffing and puffing she inched the large metal doors open, sweat dripping down her face as it taxed her aching body. After fifteen minutes of struggling they slowly inched open, her arms were burning as she pulled herself up a bit to sit on the cold tile of the fourteenth floor.

Her chest was rapidly rising and falling with her labored breathing, okay, she really was out of shape. After this she vowed to start up exercising again. She laid there loving the feel of the cold tile seeping through her sweat drenched clothes.

"You okay?" The voice was a low mumble and had she still been breathing as hard as she had been moments ago she would have missed it.

She turned her gaze to look at the speaker, not at all moving from her position on the floor. There above her stood a tall lanky male, he was dressed in sweatpants and an oversized hoodie and t-shirt that hung off his narrow shoulders. Said shoulders were stooped as he gazed down at her, the handle of a broken broom clutched in his lightly trembling hands as he peered down at her in curiosity.

He looked to be a year or so younger than her, his skin sickly pale, pasty almost, his eyes a dark brown that were highlighted by the dark circles under them.

Arching a fine raven eyebrow at him she forced herself into a sitting position, frowning as he seemed to flinch back, as if expecting her to lash out at him. Giving him a small reassuring smile she gave a small groan as she rolled to her feet and swayed a bit on them. "Uh yeah, just tired. So...why are you walking around with a broken broom?" The way he held it in front of him, like a shield between the two of them, made it obvious to her that he had dealt with some form of trauma when it came to those around him and it made her sad.

He had the look and feel of a beaten down dog.

"Ah, uh have you seen a strange woman walking around..." His voice was still just as low and she mused that it was probably just how he talked. Deciding to answer him before he wound himself up even more she shook her head, her unruly locks shifting with the motion, straining against the thick elastic band that held in place.

"Nope, not unless I somehow missed her in the elevator shaft." She gave a small smile hoping to lighten the mood, he merely stared at her, his dark brown eyes glassy with fear and suspicion. "So, did the power go out or something?" It didn't look like it, the dim flickering lights above them were still on and yet the elevator had frozen in its spot. Maybe it was an isolated black out?

She had no doubt the building was old and that it was possible for the power stitch controlling the elevators to have blown while the rest of the fuses were left unaffected. Such was the folly of such old buildings.

Hyun-Su shook his head, his gaze not meeting hers, instead it darted around looking for any sign of the woman...no, the monster who had just moments before been trying to break into his apartment. He was nervous, scared and wanted nothing more than to get back to the safety of his room.

Yet the small woman across from him merely rocked on her feet and it was then that he realized she had asked him a question. "Uh, um not that I know of. Anyway I should get going, just be sure to be careful. There's a weird lady walking around...I think she's dangerous..." Why he cared about her well being he didn't know, the last time he had held out a hand in friendship it had not only been slapped away but hand be stomped on so thoroughly that it was left broken and bleeding just like the rest of him.

Letting out a small sigh Kagome could only nod her head, she was hard pressed to not give into old habits and try to pry deeper. Instead she let her aura run over his, soothing it a bit before she pulled it back in, frowning when she realized she felt a tingle of that same sickness she had felt in the security guard.

"Yeah, well thanks for the heads up. Enjoy your day!" With that she made to move towards the stairwell, ready to hoof it down the stairs to the security guard's office, and was mildly surprised to see the door yanked open. Blinking her gaze slid over the tall figure looming in the doorway, he easily towered over her small five foot frame. His body was well muscled and the scars that littered his face combined with the deep scowl on his lips shouted 'leave me alone'.

She merely gave him a small smile and moved to shimmy past him. "Cuse me..." She'd barely made it into the stairwell when she heard his low gruff voice bark at the timid male she had left behind. She closed her eyes, willing herself to let it go, it wasn't her business, yet as the solemn boy's aura fluctuated with fear and anxiety she could only bite her lip and curse her caring, and curious nature.

She spun on her heel ready to intervene yet paused as she watched the younger males eyes roll back in his head. He fell like a sack of potatoes at the older man's feet and she was quick to kneel down next to his prone form, a small frown on her face as she turned to face the older male.

He merely scowled and held up his hands in a peaceful manner. "What? I didn't even touch the kid yet, but do you by any chance know what the hell is going on?" He pointed behind her and she turned her head to follow his gaze. There was blood splattered all over the hallway as well as ripped open bags of ramen.

Ramen she had delivered not even twenty minutes before.

The resident had not answered when she had knocked as per requested on the delivery sheet she just left the box there despite being able to hear the low murmuring of a TV. This young man must be the resident of that apartment and something, something dramatic, had happened between the time she had made her delivery and now.

How the hell had she missed that?

Damn she really was getting to placid in this new modern life of hers. Pulling her eyes from what many would deem a crime scene she could only shrug her shoulders.

She'd seen worse, been part of and the cause of much worse.

"No idea, I just escaped the broken down elevator and he was just standing there. He did say something about a woman, said she was dangerous. I guess I can see why..." She trailed off turning her gaze up to meet the gruff males own eyes.

Sang-wook could only narrow his eyes at the young woman, while she was wearing the uniform of the company that made frequent delivery to their complex he had never seen her before and he knew that if he had seen her before he would have remembered.

It was often that those of Asian descent had any eye color other than brown, without some form of cosmetic assistance, and her natural bright blue eyes were fixed on him. Oddly enough there wasn't a hint of fear or accusation in them but confusion and concern.

Not just that but it was easy to tell her concern wasn't just for the boy she was fretting over but himself as well. Letting out a low huff, the weight of her stare making him uneasy, he turned to leave yet paused as she called out to him.

"Hey! Wait, I know we just met but you at least help me get him back to his apartment?" Her voice was pleading and he could only grit his teeth wishing he had a lit cigarette between them but no, smoking wasn't allowed anywhere in the building except outside of it or on the rooftop. While he wasn't one to follow the rules he really hated when the building manager or the daycare head barked at him when he tried to light up anywhere but the designated smoking areas.

"Please?" Her voice had lowered a bit, a small wobble in it and he was hard pressed to not let out a deep annoyed sigh. Turning on his heel he easily grabbed the fainted males arm and threw it over his shoulder. His gait was quick and curt as his long legs brought him into the males apartment and roughly discarded him on the unmade mattress on the floor.

Task done he turned to get on with his day, he had to get back to his job so that he could finally move on. Already his meager belongings were packed and ready to go, his last months rent as well as an intent to move in the deposit box of the building manager. He couldn't wait to get out of this shit hole and away from the reason he had been forced to take up residence here.

"Ah, thanks-" She was cut off by the loud sound of banging, repetitive and relentless, the sound echoing from the propped open doors of the stairwell. "The fuck is that?" The words tumbled from her lips made his eyebrows shoot up into his hairline. Of all the things to fall from her lips he would not have expected it to be such foul words.

Amusement colored him as he arched an eyebrow at her making her cheeks dust with a light pink. "Might be the 'dangerous' woman the kid was talking about. You stay here." With that he was already out the door, shutting it behind him as he made his way towards the sound of the banging. Why he was going out of his way to do so he didn't know but there was something inside of him demanding he investigate, and he was a man who always listened to his gut.

Kagome huffed after him, knowing he had no way of knowing that she was glaring after his broad shoulders. Stay here he says, she didn't even know the male whose room she had been left alone with. Even so she did not sense any ill intent from him, just a genuine curiosity and concern for her well being, so she mused just this once she would obey his order.

A feat he should be proud of, it wasn't often that she listened to the orders of others that were barked at her like she was a dog. Rolling her eyes at the situation she had found herself in she moved to check on the male who had for all intents and purposes tossed on his own bed like a rag doll. She grunted as she rolled him over onto his back and frowned at the sight of his flushed cheeks, sweat was dripping down his brow as his chest rattled with quick rapid breaths.

He had a fever, and a severe one at that, for it to come on so quickly and aggressively was not normal.

Rolling up the sleeves off her work jumper she glanced around the meagerly furnished apartment and shook her head. She really didn't want to go rummaging through his stuff without asking but she had to bring down his fever. Standing she moved to what she assumed was the bathroom and grabbed a washcloth as well as a basin of cool water. Returning to his side she dabbed at the sweat on his face before rinsing it off in the cool water, ringing it out and placing the still damp rag on his forehead.

She blinked as she felt her powers stir under her skin, as if begging to be used. She hadn't felt them stir, not like this, in so many years that it was an almost forgein feeling. For them to bubble up like this...twice in one day and in the same place...

Deciding to give into the urge she let her powers spark to life, a pale pink light escaping her skin to run over his form. She blinked as her powers seemed to crackle, a small stinging shock making her jerk back as he let out a low whimpering groan but otherwise did not stir.

That was odd...she pulled on them again and could only blink as the same thing happened.

What?

She knew he was human, she felt nothing but human from him yet her powers...they were reacting to him like he was a demon yet on a much lower scale. She knew running her aura over his didn't cause any abnormal reaction so she decided to let it seep from her and wrap around his, feeling and digging around, trying to find a reason for the unusual reaction.

It was then that she found it, that deep swirling of what she had assumed to be sickness. It wasn't malicious so much as just...dark?

Wrong?

Twisted?

She really couldn't pinpoint a single specific word to call it and it was vexing.

What was even odder was that it felt wholly and entirely human, almost as if it was humanity in its most basic, purest form.

"Just what the fuck is going on around here?" Her words were whispered as she sat on the floor next to the bed that held the sleeping male, her back leaning against it as she let her gaze drift to the ceiling the sound of the banging going silent.

Moments later the screaming began.

She was hard pressed to not bolt into action, her hero complex coming back full force. It took every bit of her self discipline to fight it back down, she couldn't just run out there, she had no idea what the fuck was going on...plus there was no way she could just leave this defenseless young man on his own. It was obvious due to the lack of furnishing and family photos that he was on his own.

Whether by choice or not she could not in good consciousness just leave him behind. No, she would stay here and keep guard, even though every fiber in her being was demanding she run out there fists and powers blazing.

Hopefully the gruff male who had left would return and with him he would bring answers.

Chapter Text

It had been hours since the other male had left and she cursed herself for not even asking his name. Then again it wasn't like they had a chance to make introductions, it was one damn thing after another and it put her on edge.

The screaming had mostly died down and she knew from experience that's when shit really hit the fan, so as she sat at the low dining table in the room, her knee bouncing as she chewed on her nail she was hard pressed to not poke her head out and see what was going on.

Yet to do so would put not only her but the young man's whose apartment she was currently taking shelter in it as well. It was something she couldn't and wouldn't risk, it however didn't stop her from letting her aura flow out and poke around.

All around here were auras tainted with that dark festering feeling as well as auras coated with fear and desperation. It put a foul, sour taste in her mouth, it almost physically hurt her to just sit here and feel auras get snuffed out one by one but she would not leave this wounded soul to fend for himself.

Sighing through her nose she turned to gaze at the still slumbering young man. From what she was able to gather, without down right snooping, his name was Hyun-Su, a fact she learned from the gaming magazine sitting on his table. She had flipped though it hoping that it would distract her from the chaos going on around her.

Of course it didn't, not fully, she had given up on her leisurely flipping through the magazine only five minutes after she had begun. She had then busied herself with walking around his small apartment, it really was no bigger than the standard studio apartments of her homeland. Small compact and pretty much one large room with a bathroom and a galley kitchen attached to it.

He had no photos of family or friends hung up, the only things gracing the wall was a promo for some game as well as a small 7-11 raffle poster for some anime that was semi popular. Then there was his TV, which she had turned on at a very low volume, on it was the local news channel. It showed the same reruns of fires and what appeared to be fucking monsters running amuck. To the left of it was a rather expensive looking gaming computer setup.

The menu of some MMO game up, the chat box dinging every so often. It seemed that whatever was happening was not just a local event but city wide if not farther. Frowning she stood, her sock clad feet padding lightly as she moved to the window, cracking it open she was greeted with plumes of smoke as well as the large lumbering figures of what the media was oh so intelligently calling monsters.

No shit, what else would they call them?

Demons?

Pft, the world no longer considered demons a thing, they were just stories told to small children to keep them in line.

Nothing more than boogeyman.

It put a bitter taste in her mouth, she knew differently, had the scars to prove otherwise yet she could never give voice to the memories. Not without ending up in a loony bin, hence why she moved to Korea, to leave it all behind. It was a bit ironic that now after only a few months of the start of her new life the world was going to hell.

The god's really had it out for her, here she was hundreds of miles away from home during what she could rightly assume was the end of the modern world and she had no way of getting to or even making sure her immediate family was safe.

She prayed they were, they had seen her travel between time, fighting things that shouldn't exist for years so she had to hold onto the fragile hope that they saw the warning signs and were taking the proper precautions.

She had tried using her phone to get in contact with her uncle again only to have the same high pitched ringing blare at her. She had angrily hung up and thrown the useless piece of plastic and metal computer chips onto the table. She had never liked phones and had only gotten one in order to stay in touch with her family and now that it couldn't even do that she was hard pressed to care about it.

"Nggn..." The low pained groan tore her from her thoughts and with a quick few steps she was kneeling on the ground next to the bed, gentle but firm hands pushing the male back down on the bed. He jolted at the unexpected touch, pure fear filling his aura, it made her frown. Just what had this young man been subjected to in the past that even the lightest and most innocent form of human contact sent him spiraling into a ball of anxiety and fear?

"Easy now, take it slow you might have hit your head when you fell." Her words were light, hoping to ease him back from the edge of the small panic attack he had been working himself into.

Dark brown eyes cracked open to gaze into concerned blue orbs, he jerked back crawling backwards away from her to press his back into the wall, a couple of feet of space between them. His mind was racing, who was she? Why was she in his apartment? Why the hell did his head pound and his very body ache from the inside out?

Seeing the questions floating in his gaze she shifted to sit back on the floor, crossing her legs in a very Inuyasha like manner, her arms crossing under her bust in a small show of faith. Not only could she not react if he chose to lash out, but she would also be unable to lash out at him without it being obvious of her intent thus giving him time to react.

"I know you're probably confused and have some questions for me but let's start with the basics eh?" She paused giving him a friendly smile. "My name's Kagome. What's yours?" Sure, she already knew it from her light...snooping, but he didn't need to know that. It would only make him suspicious and raise his guard and the last thing she wanted to do was upset him in his own home.

Hyun-Su could only blink as she smiled at him, her eyes full of light and friendliness. He wondered if he had ever had that look in his eyes, before everything had gone to shit? Maybe, maybe not. He honestly couldn't remember a time before everything in his life went to hell all because he had tried to reach out to someone...

Feeling as well as seeing the shift in his mood she pulled back a bit, he obviously had faced something that left him with such a deep level of trauma that he was weary of everyone and everything and it was sad, even more so considering the state of the world at the moment, then again maybe those instincts of his would keep him alive. She wasn't stupid, there was no coming back from what ever the hell was going on. Even if the monsters could be defeated the damage would already be done. The world and those in it would never be the same...just like her and just like the young man across from her.

"Hyun-Su." His voice was so light that had she been any deeper in her own thoughts she would have missed his introduction.

"Ah, well Hyun-Su, I'm glad you're finally awake. You've been out for almost a day. What's the last thing you remember?" She watched as his dark brown gazed looked not at her but just over her shoulder as he shifted through his thoughts and memories.

"I...there was this man, he was accusing me of something...there was so much blood...and-and that monster!" He jolted, his eyes sliding shut as he tried to grasp the wispy fragmented memories. Slowly they fell back into place, he had been timidly looking around for the monster next door when he had spotted her, Kagome, laying in the hallway by the elevator, her face flushed as she let out rapid breaths. The doors to the elevator shaft were propped open giving him an idea as to why she had been so winded, laying there on the ground.

He had been ready to just dismiss her and return back to his apartment but a small part of him nagged at him, to not at least warn of her of the danger that might or might not be lurking around nearby would be cruel and as much as he wanted to be that cruel he knew it wasn't in him. That despite everything he had been through he was still that stupid boy that wanted to help others.

How stupid.

It made him sick.

His stomach physically rolling as he rested his chin on his knees, his arms wrapped around them making him appear like a small scared child despite turning nineteen more than six months ago.

"Ah, well I wish I could say it's good to meet you but given the circumstances I think we can both agree things could have gone better. In fact! You didn't answer your door when I rang! I stood out there for ten minutes before I got the hint." Her voice was layered with humor, letting him know she wasn't really mad that he hadn't answered the door when she had attempted to make her delivery.

After all it wasn't her first time dealing with shut in's, most did not leave their homes if they could help it, hence they ordered from companies like her uncles. Who was she to judge? Whatever it took for a person to feel safe and happy was up to them.

For her? It was throwing herself into her work and when that didn't work she busied herself with other small mundane and normal tasks. Because that's what she was now, just another boring mundane, normal human.

She was no longer a time traveling miko.

Nope. Now she was just another drop out working a nine to five while struggling to get by.

The hollow bitter feeling in her chest throbbed but she silenced it, she had to catch her impromptu host up on what was going on and from a plan of action. She couldn't just continue to sit around.

Well she could, but it wasn't her place to force herself into someone else's space when it clearly put them on edge. Plus she wondered if the man from before was still roaming about? She hadn't had time to memorize his aura before he had taken off and if she didn't at least make an effort to find him on her way out of the building she knew it would pick at her if not drive her crazy.

She hated what if's, should have's and maybe's.

She had enough of those to last her a lifetime and then some.

If she didn't at least try to find him before she left the apartments and made her way back towards her uncle's home it would pick at her. If only for her own peace of mind she would try to help not only him but whomever else she stumbled upon on her way to her uncle's home.

It was just not only how she was but who she was.

If her uncle and cousins were still there, alive and well, then she would hole up with them in the small two story house. If not then she would gather what she needed and move on. She knew it sounded cold, even in her own thoughts, but it was what it was.

People died every day and life still moved on.

At least she was blessed, or cursed, enough to know how to survive even the most horrid of situations and this ranked pretty high up on the shitty situation list.

Pulling herself once again from her thoughts, and really now she was starting to think is she was going senile with how often she found herself lost in them, she flashed Hyun-su a small smile as she began to give him a run down of what little she had been able to piece together.

Hyun-Su could only blink waiting for her to crack a smile and say 'just kidding!'.

Monsters...

People were turning into monsters and running amuck?

No, there was no way...that sounded like some lame cliché anime or RPG plot...yet the tone of her voice and the cool level look in her eyes made him realize that she was completely serious. Quickly getting to his feet he made his way to his small balcony and pulled back the curtains, his eyes met a sordid landscape of red, orange, and black. Fires ragged through the city as various inhuman forms littered the landscape, people were running and screaming as they were stuck down by one monstrosity after another.

"No, there's no way this can't..." He trailed off his mouth and throat suddenly too dry to speak. His knees wobbled under him and if Kagome hadn't moved to stand next to him and reach out a firm yet gentle hand to steady him he had no doubt that he would have fallen to his knees.

Releasing a low sigh from her nose Kagome could only give him a small grimace of a smile. "I know there's a lot to take in, just come on, lets go sit down. Take a few deep breaths." She guided his thin body to sit at his table, his entire being shaking so violently she feared he might be having a mental break, if not a seizure, and honestly he would be entitled to it, the mental break not the seizure.

"So what now?" His whispered question hung in the air between and it made her freeze.

What now?

Honestly she had no real answer, she knew what her plan of action was but she didn't want him to feel pressured into anything. He had no obligation to offer her shelter and she was pretty much dead set on moving on from these apartments and making her way back home.

"Well, I was thinking I would take a look around, see how bad things really are before I set anything in stone. As I'm sure you've gathered from my uniform and words I don't live here, I just so happened to be making my deliveries when this all started. I do want to get back home, check on my family and what not, but I'm not even sure if that's possible."

She paused trying to gather her thoughts. "I think I want to go out there, check things out...if you want...you can come with but if you don't want to, that's fine. You're still recovering from your fever and I would hate for you to rush into something your body isn't ready for...plus there's no telling what's out there. I would never be able to forgive myself if you got hurt because of my choices or out of some sense of duty you might or not might have." Her tone was soft, comforting and not at all trying to impose any form of choice on him.

What he wanted to do was entirely up to him and she would not judge him or hold it against him. Whatever he chose was up to him and him alone.

It was an odd feeling, to have someone speak to him so honestly and without a hint of judgement or expectation. It made something inside of him stir yet he shoved it down, mulling over her words and his options he came to a decision and for once in his life he wasn't concerned about the backlash of his choice because he knew she would not fault or judge him for it.

It was a breath of fresh air that he had not realized he had been longing for, this complete sense of acceptance...it was nice and he was loath to see it go.

"I-I'm going to stay here..." She merely nodded the smile on her face not faltering or wavering at all. "That's fine, if it's okay with you, and don't feel pressured to say yes, I would like to come back after I do some snooping to at the very least let you know how bad things really are out there."

Even after he had voiced his choice she was still concerned about his well being, he was hard pressed to fight down the light dusting of pink on his pale cheeks, glad that she was already standing and shoving her phone into the pocket of the green jumpsuit she was wearing so that she didn't notice it.

"I would like that..." His voice was its same slow light tone as always and she mused it was a bit endearing though she wondered what it sounded before whatever had happened to make it so. Giving him a grin she nodded her head as she moved towards the door, straightening the baseball cap that still sat on her head so that it would keep her unruly bangs out of her face. Slipping her shoes on she winced as the steel toed boots bit into her heel, as much as she hated the large heavy things she mused they just might come in handy in the very near future.

She couldn't lie, she more than expected him to decline her offer to go with her yet was pleasantly surprised that he wanted her to check back in with him before she set any future plans in stone.

"Okie dokie, I'll be back, promise." With that she exited the small apartment letting the door click shut behind her as she let old instincts come rushing back, it was like riding a bike. She calmed her breathing and shifted so that she walked heel to the ball of her feet, her steps nothing more than light taps on the cold tile under her feet.

It should have been scary how easy it was her to switch from a modern era woman in her early twenties to a seasoned warrior and hunter. Yet she didn't let it bother her, instead she called up more teachings and experiences from her past and let them guide her forward.

Hyun-Su shivered as the very room seemed to chill with her departure, as if she had taken any and all warmth that had once been in the room. It was a shocking if not sobering feeling and it made him realize how starved he was for human interaction, he shoved the shocking revaluation down and instead busied himself with standing to make his way towards his door.

He quickly locked it, feeling a twinge of guilt as he stood there gathering the courage to peek out the peephole, watching through the semi curved glass as she moved with small measured steps down the hallway and took a left leaving his field of vision.

His chest gave a weird lurch as he stumbled forward, his hand finding purchase on the steel door to steady himself. He could only shiver as something under his skin crawled and itched as if demanding to be set free, whatever it was, it made him squirm. It took everything in his already tired body to turn so that he could slide down the cool steel door. His head lulling back as he tried to figure out what was happening. His eyes were blurry and unfocused as he felt something warm drip down his face.

He lifted a shaking hand to wipe at it and was horrified when he gazed down only to see bright crimson staining his hand. Lifting his other hand he tried to pinch the bridge of his nose, to stem the sudden nose bleed, yet it did nothing to stop the now gushing stream of dark rich blood that ran from his nose like a broken faucet.

He had dealt with nose bleeds before in the past, both normal and brought on from hard vicious hits, and he knew this amount of blood was not normal. Nor was the itching burning sensation of his skin, it was like something wanted to burst forth from just under his pale skin. Quickly his breathing increased, borderline hyperventilating, his vision was flecked with black dots. Without warning his eyes rolled into the back of his head, his body once again going limp.

Chapter Text

Kagome quietly made her way down the darkened hallway, making sure to watch where she was walking so she didn't step on anything to catch anything's attention. She flared her powers to pulse them out every few minutes so she could be sure she was alone.

When her powers gave a pulse of attention to her, she froze seeing something come around the corner. It looked like a demon with the blue skin, but half of its head was sliced off, leaving it with no top of its head to where its eyes should have been. It still had its oversized ears, nose and mouth. It had sharp claws coming from its hands, making it look even more menacing.

'What the fuck' She could see it was clearly not a demon. It didn't feel anything like one, it felt...human almost. Just darker...more sinister.. She didn't understand.

"I can't see..." The high pitched voice echoed through the hall, making her suck in a deep breath. She could see its overly large ears twitch, as it came closer to her. She held her hands out, pushing her powers into them and throwing some of the powers into a blast. The creature only gave a small grunt as it stumbled but didn't go down, the smell of burnt flesh reaching her nose.

The creature was still alive though.

That means it was human...at least somewhat.

She couldn't kill it using her powers. Frowning, she staggered a few feet back as the creature swung its arms out, as if trying to claw her. She moved back quickly, not saying a thing. Just as it got closer, she felt arms wrap around her and pull her into a dark room. She heard a low hissed curse and the door silently closed as Kagome looked at the gruff man from earlier. She glanced down when she heard him curse again and saw blood.

She opened her mouth to say something, when he put his hand over it. Glancing at the door, he stood up letting her go when she nodded to him that she understood. The two moved away from the door and further into the apartment. The man sat down on the couch grabbing a shirt that was laying around and putting it on his arm. It didn't seem to be bleeding a lot. Just a small scratch down his arm.

The two stayed in silence for a while before the man moved to the door to look outside and gave a sigh before he looked at Kagome.

"The place is crawling in those monsters..." The man sighed, sitting down and throwing the semi bloodied shirt to the side. The blood wasn't flowing anymore, letting her see the long mark on his arm, making a pang of guilt go through her.

"Do you know what they are?" Kagome asked, she had no clue. She had a feeling he didn't either, but it didn't hurt to at least ask.

The man shook his head, "Not a clue. I met up with another person, she didn't know what was going on either. We got separated when that monster attacked." He gave a sigh, taking a cigarette out and lighting it with a heavy sigh.

Something was going on. She wondered if it was just here, or was it everywhere? Did these creatures venture just around here or the whole world? Thoughts of her family flashed through her mind, but quickly pushed them to the back of her mind. She didn't have time to overthink. She needed to keep focused and survive and not be stuck in memories of the past or what if scenarios in her head.

"That is good to know. It means there are more of us here." Kagome muttered, frown on her lips as she looked the man over.

"What's your name? I didn't get it last time." Kagome inquired, trying to get a small conversation going. She didn't want to go back out and have the creature still be close by.

The man took a drag from the cigarette and looked at her with his dark gaze, before grunting out, "Sang-Wook."

"Mines Kagome..." The man, Sang-Wook raised an eyebrow at her name, but didn't say anything.

Kagome could only roll her eyes at his questioning gaze and unasked question, more than used to it once she gave her name out, "Yes, I'm not from around here. From Japan actually." Her voice held a twinge of longing and it was clear to him that she did not leave her homeland either willingly or on good terms but that wasn't his business.

Shifting he winced at the torn and jagged skin of his wound throbbed, as if demanding to be taken care of, grunting he shifted in his sitting position lifting his arm in front of him to gauge the damage.

His shirt had been torn open, the skin under it giving way like paper under a pair of sharp scissors. A fine haired two inch gash peeked up at him from the frayed fabric that was his shirt. Red blood blossoming and staining the fabric surrounding the wound as it dripped down his arm, whatever thin scab that had covered the wound was torn open by the action to form a small rivet down his arm to drip off the ends of his fingertips.

"Fuck." Indeed, it wasn't that it hurt so much that he knew that if he didn't stop the blood flow that he risked getting woozy and now was not the time for him to be passing out. Inwardly he cursed the piece of shit who had recently taken up most of his stores of duct tape.

He jerked back as small hands grabbed his arm and angled it so dark blue eyes could peek at the wound. He pulled back, instincts flaring to life. All he needed was for her to get all squeamish on him and pass out. He didn't know what it was but most women could not stomach the sight of blood even though they saw more of it in one week of the month then most men did in a lifetime.

"Hey, hold still and let me see!" Her voice was scolding, her body moving to kneel in front of him, as if she was used to having to berate someone for pulling away from her. What, did she moonlight as some kind of nurse? Voicing his thoughts, all the while shrugging out of her grasp he could only grin as she glared up at him.

"Yeah, something like that now would you it still and let me see the damage?" Honestly she felt like she was dealing with a child, no scratch that, even Rin and Shippo behaved better then this when it came to her patching up them after their various encounters with demons and what not. He merely gave her that shit eating grin that left her with the urge to smack it off his face as he expertly avoided her attempts to not only get a hold of his arm but to look at his wound.

Just how often did he get hurt that he was almost god level at twisting and turning out of every hold she used to attempt to see his wound? Not wanting to pry too much she kept her question to herself and instead huffed at him as he gave her that small little smirk.

Scowling at the larger male she moved closer, her blue gaze meeting his dark brown hues. "Would you stop struggling and just let me help you? Jesus, what is it with you men always being so damn stubborn?!" Honestly, it was like the male species was predisposed to refusing help even if it meant dying!

Snorting Sang-Wook turned his face away from hers, doing his best to ignore the way she had firmly placed herself between his bent legs, kneeling in front of him as her hands lightly tugged on his arm begging him to let her see the extent of his wound.

The concern that swirled in her deep blue hues put him on edge. How long had it been since someone had looked at him like that? Years? Decades?

It was a nice change of pace yet he knew what came next, what always came next. The second he lowered his guard and opened himself up to prying hands and eyes they jerked back not ready to face his scars.

Both physical and other.

"Just drop it. I'll be fine. Worry bout yourself." His voice was gruff and a bit defensive and it only made her frown that much more. Just what had he gone through in his life to make him so resistant to a helping hand?

From the burns that marred the right side of his face she knew that whatever it was had hurt if not killed a part of him yet here he sat still alive.

Still fighting.

He had nothing to be ashamed of.

As if willing him to understand that she curled her fingers in his shirt, not at all caring that his blood was staining her fingers. "Just...please trust me. I know we just met and were in a very odd if not fucked up situation but I promise I Just want to help." Her words were low and the intimacy that they held made him squirm in his seat. Refusing to meet her gaze he made a show of letting out a deep grumble but nodded, his gaze looking over her head instead of at her.

"Tch. Do what you want." The bright smile that met his words almost made him flush like some dumb awe struck school boy.

Keyword almost.

To save face he turned his head away from her to gaze out the crack in the curtains yet his body tensed as her small warm fingers unbuttoned his sleeve and rolled it up carefully past his wound as if afraid to hurt him.

He waited for the surprised gasp, the feeling of her jerking her hand away when faced with the few scars that littered his arm. Instead she murmured low to herself, her voice full of relief as she surveyed the damage done.

"Thank god it's not too deep now bear with me, I might be just a bit out of practice. If anything hurts don't hesitate to tell me to stop." The sincerity in her voice as she spoke made him turn to gaze at her, his face unreadable as she gave him a small smile before returning to gaze to the slowly bleeding wound. Either she was ignoring the scared burned flesh on display or she didn't care about it and really was only concerned about his well being.

Mouth suddenly dry he could only blink as a low pink hue seeped out from her very fingers. Goosebumps rising along his flesh as the pain of his wound subsided.

Letting out a small puff of air she pulled her hand away and was glad to see nothing but newly healed flesh under the dry flaking blood. "Whew, still got it." The relief in her voice made him quirk an eyebrow at her as she sat back on her knees, no longer invading his personal space.

"What the hell are you? Some kind of magical girl?" Honestly with the way this week was going he wouldn't be surprised if she was.

She was after all from Japan and he knew that place was pretty much the homeland of that genre of anime...

Laughing at his statement she winked up at him, a bit winded from being so out of practice when it came to using her powers. It was odd how something that used to come to her as easily as breathing now made her feel like she had run a ten meter dash. "Something like that."

Giving a snort of laughter he used his newly healed hand to fish his pack of cigarettes out of his shirt pocket. Popping on between his lips he arched his brow once more at the blatant look of displeasure on her face. Honestly if he kept arching his eyebrows he knew he was going to be sore in that area in the morning but damn if she didn't keep giving him reasons to do so.

"Want one?" Kagome could only roll her eyes at him as she moved back to sit cross legged in front of him, her nose turned up at the cancer sticks.

"No thanks. Also you know you're not supposed to smoke in the building right?" He let out a snort as he lit the cigarette and took a long deep drag just to mess with her.

"Its the end of the world I don't think it really matters if I break one rule." She gave him. Deadpanned look, her own brow arching at him.

"Just one rule huh?" The humor in her voice made him roll his eyes at her and he placed a calloused hand on top of her head to give it a small pat. Like one would when praising a dog for doing a good job. It made her physically bristle.

"Whatever kid, let me enjoy my vices while I can." Glaring up at him she shoved his hand off her head and crossed her arms under her bust subconsciously drawing his eyes to it as she turned her nose up at him

"I'm no kid, I'll have you know I'm twenty three. Ya jerk." His cigarette fell from his parted lips at her confession. There was no way she was only six years younger than him! She looked no older than eighteen, if that!

Face smug as his shocked look she could only shrug. Wasn't her fault she had inherited her mothers anti aging genes. Her mother despite being in her late forties looked no older than thirty and she knew she too would be blessed with that fate. As it was everywhere she went she was carded and it grew real old real quick.

"Shocking I know, why? How old are you? Hmm?" She was merely teasing, she didn't really care how old he was and she didn't expect him to answer yet he did so, lighting up a new cigarette to replace his fallen one.

"Just turned twenty nine last month. Anyways let's try to get some rest, in the morning. We can go back to the kid's apartment and plan out what to do after that." How quickly she was inserting herself into his plans, part of him was upset about it and another part knew that it was just the beginning so he might as well just get used to it now.

Kagome could only grin as she nodded her head, unzipping the top of her jumpsuit to reveal the plain black t-shirt under it. Feeling his gaze on her she turned to him and arched a brow. "What? I'm not sleeping in my work clothes, one they're work clothes and two I don't even want to think about what they're covered in." He could only snort as she shimmed out of the ugly green suit and flopped down next to him, her jean clad legs bumping into his as she groaned letting her body lay back on the plush couch they were seated on.

He merely grunted as he leaned she turned her back to him and settled in. Guess he was taking first watch.

Chapter Text

It was still dark out when they heard the shrill high pitched scream. Kagome bolted up, her body struggling against the large arm that had been tossed over her slim waist. Her body protested at the movement, more than willing to stay curled up into the source of warmth that was plastered against her back.

Sometime during the night Sang-Wook must have fallen asleep and snuggled up to her, his larger from spooning her smaller one, his arms wrapped firmly around her small waist, one hand under the fabric of her shirt dangerously close to her the underside of her breast.

Not that she had any real chance of realizing it as her body snapped into motion, old habits flaring to life, she rolled onto her feet and was stumbling towards the door, throwing it open as her eyes seared at the light that met them.

"Help me please someone anyone!" The pure terror in the voice made her heart lurch and flashes of burning villages and the spray of blood flashed in her mind's eye.

Sang-Wook could only curse as he sat up, his mind muddled and confused, watching the raven hair of his previous couch partner flutter behind her as she ran like the dogs of hell were nipping on her heels. He was on his feet in an instant running after her, cursing himself for falling asleep. His body moved groggily yet he willed it to move faster, his muscles aching at the sudden shift from relaxed warmth to cold hard adrenaline.

Practically tearing the door to the stairwell off its hinges he did his best to catch up with the small spit fire of a woman that his body longed to pull back into its embrace.

Kagome was moving on pure instinct, adrenaline rushing through her veins as the sobbing cries grew closer, deafening as many others joined its chorus in her head. All the blood and chaos of the past few hours had stirred to life memories and feelings she thought had left behind.

With them came the dull ache of failure, of a need to make up for all those that she had let down.

Let die.

The scene she stumbled upon made her heart freeze, there huddled on the ground was a school girl, no older looking then she had been when her own innocence had been ripped from her, she was on the ground one hand wrapped around her ankle as her other was held out in front of her as if it would make the lumbering female stop its advancement.

The monster was female in stature, its body hunched over, blood stained greasy spools of black hair covered its face as it inched closer, its joints creaking with every jerky movement it made.

"Huuuungry!" The shrill shriek was garbled and sounded so desperate and longing that it made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. She ran her aura over it, feeling that sick tainted feeling that was so entwined with its aura. That was then that it hit her. This thing...it had been human, but it had come down with the same sickness she had seen in the security guard...hell it hadn't just given it.

It had welcomed it, merging fully with it...

Yet it was still human at its very core, just different, more primal and dark and...

She was pulled from her thoughts as the school girl noticed her and let a dry heaving sob. "Help!" Her body moved on its own, racing forward to get between the young woman and the...female. Wrapping her arms around the trembling form she threw up a barrier, there was a very large chance that her powers would be useless at keeping this creature at bay, just as they had been useless at purifying the other monster that had almost killed her yesterday, because no matter how dark it felt or how twisted it had become it was still very much human.

The sheer killing intent as it came barreling towards her made her body tense, this was it. This was how she died? After everything she had been through, everything she had overcome, demons, curses, and a very bitter sentient jewel she would be killed by a mutated human...the irony wasn't lost on her.

The sound of flesh cracking into cement echoed in the hallway.

Snapping her eyes open she was relieved to see Sang-Wook. His dark hair lightly messed from his run, his breathing a bit ragged as he glared down at the hole in the wall where the female laid, its body twitching and jerking as it tried to get up, its jaw opening and snapping as if not realizing it had yet to sink its sharp pointed teeth into her flesh and tear it from the bone.

Sang-Wook merely kept his gaze on the thing that had almost tore into the stupid woman behind him, his blood churning as the familiar rage settled over him like a loving embrace. Again and again he delivered brutal kick after kick yet the damn bitch kept moving, its movements jerky and awkward.

Yet moving all the same.

Why wouldn't the bitch stay down? She had taken more hits than men that were twice her size and yet she was still moving. Yeah, he knew people were turning into monsters but still! She looked to be less then one hundred pounds before turning yet she was hanging in there like a champ.

Narrowing his gaze he angled his foot so that the heel of his shoe shattered its nose, the shards being sent into its skull. He knew for a god damn fact that it was a killing blow yet all it did was make the bitch go still for a moment before trying once again to get up, her jaw still snapping open and shut.

Realizing that there was no real sense of danger anymore Kagome let her barrier fall and pulled away from the school girl who scrambled away from her as if burnt to huddle in on herself in the corner by the door. Kagome moved closer to Sang-Wook, cautiously leaning on the wall to watch as he kept kicking, it was almost comical the way his dark brooding gaze watched his foot pull back and lash out, like he wasn't the one doing it, one hand in his pocket as if he had better things to do then cave someone's head in.

Deciding to use this time to study the newly classified human monster she shifted closer to him, his body heat making her suddenly cold body shiver, angling her head to get a better view of the hole the monster was trying to pull itself out of. While it didn't look human anymore it felt human, be it far more twisted at its core...She was half tempted to reach out and touch it.

To see if her powers had any effect on it, maybe her interaction with the less human looking monster had been a fluke? Sang-Wook's dark grumble made her freeze as she tore her gaze from the monster to glance at his deeply scowling face. "What are you doing? Don't touch it stupid." His words were exasperated as if he couldn't believe she was about to try and touch the monster that had moments ago been about to kill her.

Huffing at the insult but letting it slide because she knew it wasn't coming from a place of malice she leaned into his side, bumping it with her shoulder in a teasing manner. "Just curious, don't know about you but I don't know a lot about these things..."

He snorted, pausing his kicking spree to stare down at her as she moved her blue gaze to meet his. "Don't gotta know nothing about them except that they want to kill us. Seems pretty straightforward to me."

Eun-Yu could only stare at the two, her eye twitching, as they not only bantered but flirted with each other not at all caring that a monster was right there, what the fuck was wrong with these two? Sure, they had saved her but honestly...she knew something had to be wrong for them to react this way and she did not want to get pulled into their crazy.

Gritting her teeth she pulled herself into a standing position, biting her lip as her already abused ankle screamed and throbbed in pain. At this rate she would never be able to slip on her ballerina shoes and it was a sad sobering thought that helped her bury the screaming pain of her sprained ankle.

Hobbling on her feet she tried to place more weight on her injured ankle, hoping the adrenal and need to move would help numb the pain. It did not, she couldn't hold back the small whimper of pain as hot searing needles flared to life in her abused flesh. Knees shaking she slumped to the ground a dry heaving sob as her vision flecked with spots of black.

Pulled from her light bickering with Sang-Wook about whether or not she was being stupid Kagome could only frown as the school girl let out sharp pained breaths, her gaze any where but on her and Sang-Wook. The fear and embarrassment was almost palpable to her. With two quick strides she was kneeling before the younger girl a small friendly smile on her face.

Eun-Yu refused to meet the blue eyed woman's gaze, her nose turned up as if she wasn't sitting on the floor just trying to focus on how to remember to breathe and not the searing pain that shot up her leg from her ankle into her very core. She was a prideful creature, after all it was one of the only things she had left.

"Hey, you okay?" Kagome's voice was light as her blue eyes ran over the school girl, she had scrapes and bruises but what really concerned her was the deep purple and green flesh peeking out from the hem of her sock. Judging by the color of the flesh it was not a fresh wound but one that was weeks, if not months, older and this tumble had more than likely undone any and all healing the abused flesh had managed to achieve between the initial injury and now.

Eun-Yu scoffed, her eyes looking at the empty space by the other woman's head. "I'm fine, just leave me here. Go on, shoo." She tried her best to look relaxed as she laid on the cold cement ground.

Kagome was hard pressed to not let out a small chuckle, this young woman was acting very much like a stubborn half demon she had once held dear to heart. She was pulled from her thoughts as Sang-Wook moved away from the wall, the monster no longer moving, and moved to step over the fallen girl. Scowling deeply at him she whacked his shin making him pause to stare down at her and arch a brow. As if asking her, 'what?' Ignoring his unvoiced question she shook her head at him and instead reached out her hand, letting it graze the abused flesh tearing a pained groan from the girl.

Quickly before the young woman had time to react Kagome let her powers burst forth, they quickly sunk into the abused flesh healing and mending like it was their sole purpose in life. Feeling a bit light headed from the amount of energy it took to heal the flesh back into a nice healthy shade of pink she leaned against Sang-Wook's leg, glad that he merely shifted so that it was bearing more of her weight as he stared down at her as if used to seeing her use her powers already.

Sighing through his nose at the school girls gaping face he could only shake his head at Kagome. "You really should warn people that you're a magical girl..." His voice was dry yet she could hear the hint of humor in it. Rolling her eyes she looked up at him and stuck her tongue out at him.

They quickly fell into another round of bantering, flirting and the normalcy of it made Eun-Yu's head hurt. Just what the fuck was going on? Had she hit her head and fallen into a really weird fucking coma? That had to be it right? Cuz there was no way in hell monsters were real and magical girls were running around with their yakuza boyfriends beating up said monsters...

"This can't be happening..." Her whispered words made Kagome pause and turn to her a small sad smile on her face.

"I'm sad to say this is very much real..." She knew how the younger woman felt, she had the same mini break down after everything had calmed down after she had been pulled into the well, freed InuYasha and had the jewel ripped from her side.

It was a humbling if not terrifying feeling, to have everything you thought you knew torn from you and turned on its head. She was only a child then, barely fifteen for more than a day when she had to face that and honestly she was still suffering from it. So it was with a small understanding smile that she reached out, hoping to make it easier on the girl staring up at her yet she knew it wouldn't be enough.

It was never enough.

Yet she would never stop trying.

"So, what's your name? Mine's Kagome and this brute over here is Sang-Wook." She stifled a laugh as Sang-Wook gave a low grumble.

Eun-Yu could only shake her head at the two, part of her wanted to laugh at how normal if not cringe worthy their banter was. The other wanted to latch on to it and pretend that everything was and would be fine. "What's wrong with you guys?" The words slipped out and a light flush dusted her cheeks as Kagome gave a light laugh, not at all offended by the whispered words.

"Ah, well a lot to be honest." She was hard pressed to not roll her eyes at Sang-Wook as he reached up to his breast pocket to no doubt pull out another cigarette. Did he have some kind of magical pack of them tucked in there? While she wasn't a smoker she knew there was no way that smoke companies were able to fit that many cigarettes into one single pack of smokes...the man almost always had one in his mouth or his fingers and she had yet to see his pack run dry...

"I'm so huuuuungry!" The loud screech made them all jerk, cursing Sang-Wook turned on his heel, Kagome tumbling to the ground from the sudden loss of his support, pissed at himself for letting his guard down enough for the should be dead bitch to not only pull herself from the hole but launch itself at them. He raised his arm ready to take the hit so that the two women behind him could get away yet he could only watch with morbid fashion as the female was suspended mid air by what appeared to be sharp pointed metal skewers?

Fresh hot blood misted the air as the monster screeched and withered on the skewers, trying to dislodge herself from them to get to them. As if it wasn't impaled and spouting blood like a damn fondue fountain.

"I hear yooooouuuuu!" The deep male voice echoed from the top of the stairs and Kagome could only curse as the 'blind monster' shambled down a step, almost falling as it missed the one after the initial step. It was far too focused on the wiggling prey impaled on the tips of its fingers to notice or care.

The female snapped her head towards its attacker, as if just now realizing that he was keeping her from gorging herself on their flesh and she renewed her struggle, lashing out as the blind monster raised its other hand, it's fingers lengthening and sharpening to dig into flesh and cement.

"Fuck, run!" No sooner had the words left her mouth did Kagome shove and urge the still stunned Eun-Yu to her feet. Her own arm being grabbed in a bruise grip to drag her up and behind a panicking Sang-Wook.

Time seemed to slow down to a crawl and the two monsters began to fight each other, blood, claws, and teeth flying this way and that.

The three non monster humans were tripping over themselves to avoid being caught up in the fight. Kagome could only cry out as she tripped over her own feet, her body jerking with the motion, yanking her arm from Sang-Wook's grasp. She saw stars as she slammed into the door of the stairwell landing behind her while Eun-Yu and Sang-Wook continued to move down the stairs to the landing below.

Hissing in pain she met semi panicked brown orbs, she could tell, just tell he was about to bound up the stairs and grab her yet as much as the idea made her heart flutter with hope she knew she could not let him do that. "Keep going! I'll catch up!" The words that fell from her lips didn't even fool herself yet she pleaded with her eyes, hoping that just this once the stubborn male would listen to her.

In that one instant he was once again that young teenager, listening to his father tell him to run. The fire licking at his face as the thick plumes of smoke and the scent of burning flesh made his stomach churn.

Helpless.

He was fucking helpless all over again and it made actual bile want to crawl up his throat. Yet he somehow found the will to shove it back down and with grit teeth he met her deep blue gaze and promised himself right then and there that he would never let himself be so weak that he had to turn his back on her again.

Roughly grabbing Eun-Yu's arm he tugged at her, almost yanking her arm out of its socket as he dragged her small form behind him. His gaze on the door ahead of him because he knew that if he looked back he would run right up those stairs to Kagome, consequences be damned.

Relief and pain flared to life as she watched him drag a protesting Eun-Yu behind him onto the floor of the landing they were on. Shoving the feelings down she knew she had to focus on herself, scrambling to her feet she barely avoided being impaled, her body twisting to the left as she turned the handle of the door. Her body fell into the hallway, a mess of sweating and burning limbs. She scrambled to her feet, slamming the door shut behind her yet even through the thick steel she could hear the two monsters fighting.

She forced herself to move, her body screaming as she rolled into a semi crouch, she had to get some distance between her and the two monsters before they grew tired of fighting each other and came after her.

She'd barely caught her breath, swaying on her feet, when she heard it.

Screaming and crying for help.

Letting out a frustrated if not exhausted groan of, 'fuck', she forced her legs to move towards the sobbing cries of children.

Chapter Text

Her feet barely touched the ground, her legs burning, her body was begging her to stop, to rest yet she kept moving. She had to, ears ringing as she zeroed in on the source of the screaming. She rounded the corner only to come to a slow stop outside an apartment that was tucked in the corner of the hallway. She stumbled into the door, not at all surprised to find it locked. Cursing under her breath, the only thought going through her head was that she had to get in there.

She had to.

Fighting the urge to lean on the cool hard metal and take a breather she shoved away from the door and took a few steps back. She gathered what little strength she had left and rammed into the door, it barely made a dent. Her body however was shaking and she had no doubt she would have bruises yet as the crying sobs got louder she shoved off the door and readied herself to ram into it again.

It was said that in times of great stress and duress that mothers were able to summon superhuman strength...well she wasn't a mother but she had at times in the past been able to achieve some pretty unimaginable things when her wards were in danger...

Add in the fact she was not your average everyday female she dug deep down inside of her, pulling her powers to wrap around her like a protective shell. She had no idea if this would work, having never tried it before, but it wouldn't hurt to try. Inhaling a deep shaking breath she got a small running start and willed her powers to stay wrapped around her body like a cocoon, a protective layer between her tired and abused flesh and the one thing that stood between her and those kids.

It was like finally, finally, the gods were taking pity on her. The door creaked as the dead bolt gave way under the battering ram that she had turned herself into. The door slammed open, the sound deafening, as she stumbled into the entryway trying to stop herself from barreling too far into the room as she had no real idea about what was waiting for her in there.

Just that there were children that needed help.

There, cowering by an open window were two children, curled in on each other, as what looked like a rokurokubi yokai with an eyeball for a head wound around them. Like a snake getting ready to pull its prey into a strangling embrace. She willed her body to move, fear gripping her as her joints seemed to lock.

Move.

Move!

Her mental shout urged her body into action yet just as the eyeball monster moved to wind around them and yank them outside something came flying from the upper floor to slam into its extended neck. It made the eyeball monster jerk, unwinding itself from its docile prey to instead retreat back out of the window to find whatever new threat that had attacked it.

She heard muffled shouting, the voice semi familiar, from the still open window. Using the god sent distraction she rushed forward and grabbed the two children, flashing them a small smile as they trembled in fear. Without so much as a word she herded the two away from the open window to the farthest corner of the kitchen. Holding her finger to her lips she moved towards the busted door and shoved it shut.

It did not close fully and she knew that it was due to her busting the lock, even so she quickly used the chain to secure it shut. Task done she moved towards the window and cranked it shut. She didn't bother locking it as she drew the curtains shut, if that monster really wanted to get in there was nothing that was going to stop it from bursting through the panes of glass.

She just hoped that like most low level yokai encounters from her past that its form of thinking was the same.

Out of sight, out of mind.

If not, well...honestly she would go down fighting.

She jumped as a loud sounding pop rattled the window pane. It was like nothing she had ever heard and she was hard pressed to not peek out the now closed window. Shoving the foolish thought down she decided she had far more pressing matters to tend to.

Making her way into the kitchen, her body tired and begging for rest she sank to her knees in front of the children. She forced a small reassuring smile as the slightly older female stood in front of the younger boy. Even though she was scared, tears still leaking down her chubby cheeks, she stood tall with a small glare on her face.

It brought back memories of her doing the same to the bullies who used to pick on her younger brother. She was hard pressed to shove the now fond memory from her mind, part of her was scared that it was all she had left of her family.

Memories.

No, that was just her mind trying to pull her deeper into the depression she had fought tooth and nail to overcome.

That was one habit she would not give into.

"W-who are you?" The small boyish voice pulled her from her thoughts, her smile widening to show pearly white teeth as the obviously older sister hissed at her brother to shut up.

"We're not supposed to talk to strangers!" The boy flinched back, his glassy eyes letting more tears stream down his pudgy cheeks.

"You're right, my name's Kagome. What are your names?" Her voice was light, friendly yet not at all condensing like most adults were when speaking to children.

Su-Yeong trembled, trying her best to shield her younger brother from the woman who had literally barged into their home. She looked tired, her shoulders stooped as she sat criss cross applesauce on the ground before them.

Her complexion was pale, the dark purple bags under her eyes making the deep blue of them stand out, her face was smeared with dirt and flecks of blood. Her skin was flushed, a sheen of sweat glistening in the artificial light of their kitchen. She was wearing a plain black t-shirt that clung to her due to her sweat, dark bruises dotting her exposed arms, her skinny jeans were torn in places and had blotches of blood on them.

She looked like hell.

Yet the smile on her face was sincere, friendly and welcoming.

"My name's Yeong-Su and this is my big sister Su-Yeong! Are you okay?" His voice was light, a few sniffles escaping him as he wiped his runny nose on the sleeve of his shirt.

God, children were so precious, so innocent. It made her heart swell as she let her aura leak out of her to offer comforting vibes to the young children. Here this small boy was, almost killed by a monster and he was asking her if she was okay.

Tears gathered in her eyes and she rapidly blinked them away and gave a watery laugh. "I'm fine, what about you two?" Su-Yeong sighed, her suspicions fading away as Kagome made small talk with them, sure she was still having a hard time not picturing her fathers fallen crumpled from, nor the monster that had almost killed her and her brother but at least they weren't alone anymore.

"We're fine...are you here to save us?" Her voice was light and full of hope and it made Kagome blink as Su-Yeong's image was overlapped by that of a young girl with black hair and bright brown eyes.

Yeong-Su nodded his head excitedly, moving to sand next to his sister, his eyes lighting with hope as he rocked on his feet in excitement. "Is the army here? Dad said they would fix everything!" It was obvious he was still scared, confused, and just over all wanted an adult to swoop in and tell them everything was going to be okay.

She wished she could but she wouldn't lie to them, even so she knew she had to calm them down, to ground them until they were someplace safe, if such a thing existed anymore. Only then would she break the cold hard truth to them, there was no help coming.

The world as they knew it was over and now they would have to change and adapt. They would have to do whatever it took to survive and it killed her, she didn't want their innocence to be snuffed out but she also knew that feeding them sugar coated promises of things going back to normal would only hurt them in the long run.

It was a hard line to balance, wanting to give them hope but not set them up for it to be crushed. Closing her eyes, her head throbbed in pain, part from the situation she was in and part from the sheer fact that she was exhausted in every sense of the word.

She wanted nothing more than to just let her eyes stay closed, to let her body curl in on itself. Yet she knew now was not the time nor place. No she had to be strong, these two were looking to her for help and protection and once the time was right she would begin to instill in them what it would take to survive in this cold new world.

"Big sis Kagome?" The concern in the squeaky boyish voice made her force her eyes open.

"Ah, sorry I zoned out. Guess I'm getting old." She gave them both a small grin, both of them returning it. Clearing her throat she let her calming aura fizz out, she had to conserve what little of it was left. At the rate she was going she was going to burn herself out from both ends and then they would all be fucked.

"Are you guys alone?" She felt no other presence in the small apartment yet it was obvious these two were well cared for and loved. Instantly she regretted her question as Yeong-Su's eyes were awash with tears that trailed down his face, his shoulders shaking.

"Our dad...he fell...he was going to get help when that monster knocked him off..." Su-Yeong's voice was quiet as she settled a hand on her younger brother's trembling shoulders. Trying her best to be strong for him like she had promised their father before he had left them.

Mood shot to hell Kagome could only curse her big mouth, back peddling she tried to do some damage control because as much as she wanted to wrap her aura around them and comfort them she knew she could not afford it.

She was running on fumes.

"Ah, well he must have loved you very much..." Swallowing thickly she shifted, her gaze shifting towards the window, that monster hadn't returned and that was good but she really didn't feel safe staying here...plus she had promised to not only return to Hyun-Su but to also meet back up with Sang-Wook. If she could get these two with her back upstairs then she could not only get them to a safe place to rest but she could explain her findings to Hyun-Su and maybe convince the younger man to join her and the children in their venture towards the lower floors?

It wasn't the best of plans, and the backtracking up and down the stairs wasn't lost on her but honestly she was loath to just leave Hyun-Su after she had made a promise to come back to him. Plus, she had a sneaking suspicion that he was the one who had distracted the monster earlier which in turn had saved their lives.

Could it be wishful thinking?

Yes.

Did it really matter to her at this point in time?

No, not really. At the very least she could get them someplace safe so she could recover some of her energy stores, they were running on empty and while she knew her powers did not define her or her worth they sure as hell made things much better.

Mind made up she untangled herself from her thoughts, offering the two sad children a tired smile. "So, would you guys like to go on a small adventure with me?"

Chapter Text

Su-Yeong bit her lower lip, their father had told them to stay put until he came back. Sadly there was no way he would ever be coming back and this woman, Kagome, had come to their aid. She had swept in like a hero from one of their storybooks, she came in ready to protect them and she didn't even know them.

No one who was bad would do that right?

Kagome could see the worry flashing through the small girl's eyes, could see the gears churning and gave a small smile as she placed her hands on her knees and leaned forward a bit, gaining the children's attention. "I know it's scary, there are monsters everywhere but I know a place that is safer. We can rest and get cleaned up." She didn't want to promise them full safety because she doubted there was ever going to be a truly safe place left in the world.

But they didn't need to know that, no they needed to be told there was still hope and as long as there was still breath in her lungs she would be damn sure they never gave up. "Once we're all rested and patched up we can come back and grab anything you forget."

Yeong-Su shifted his feet as he held his elder sister's hand. He knew she was scared of leaving, he was too, but big sis Kagome made him feel safe and protected and he really didn't want her to leave them behind.

"Do you promise?" He knew it was a silly thing to ask, promises could be broken...their father promised to come back and now he was gone. Even so, just to hear her say the words would make him feel better and he knew his sister felt the same way.

Giving the two children a genuine smile she nodded, holding her left hand up as she placed her right one over her heart. "Promise." She paused to let the word sink in, lowering her hands only after the two children gave their own smiles. "Now, let's grab some stuff. Pack some clothes and whatever you need for the next few days. Be quick but quiet."

The kids nodded as they moved to their bedroom to empty their school bags and fill them with clothes and what not. Watching them rush down the hall she forced herself to stand up, her joints creaking in protest, standing she glanced around and spotted a gym bag under the table. She grabbed it and set it on the table, grimacing as she removed soiled sweaty gym clothes and a pair of dirty shoes.

Saying a small prayer for the man who had once owned the items she turned on her heel and began to root through the cupboards, taking out any and all can food she could find. Six cans of tuna and five cans of various vegetables later she rummaged in the draw to grab a can opener and a few sets of silverware. Depositing them in the bag she moved to the fridge and opened it, ignoring all the produce that would spoil quickly she focused on the bottled water and juice boxes. Grabbing them she tossed them inside the bad and zipped it up just as the kids came back.

Shouldering the bag she smiled at them as she moved towards them. "Wait right here, I'm going to check the bathroom." They nodded and she patted their heads as she moved into the bathroom, flicking on the light she was met with water toys and spongebob square pants towels. Giving a small smile she placed the duffle bag on the toilet seat and opened it again.

She grabbed some towels and other first aid items, placing them in the bag, her body on autopilot as she tried to formulate a new plan. Her old tentative one was fucked.

There was no way she would be able to make it to her uncle's anytime soon. The amount of monsters running about was more then she had anticipated and they were each so very different yet they all held one thing in common, their need to kill and eat what few humans were left.

To get from here to the other side of town on foot was a fool's errand, add in the fact that she had no idea if her family was alive, let alone still human...there was no real point in her making her return to the two story home her priority. No, her new priority was getting these kids back to Hyun-Su's apartment. After which she would try to find Sang-Wook and the schoolgirl.

There was strength in numbers.

Mind made up she zipped the bag shut and once again threw it over her shoulder. Exiting the bathroom she entered the small kitchen and nodded down at the two children looking up at her like she was their savior.

It only steeled her resolve to protect them, old pack insiticics flaring to life once more. These two were now hers to look after, to protect and provide for. She would be damned if she failed them. Squaring her shoulders she shifted her weight on her heels.

"So, we have to get upstairs but there are monsters running about and there are some things you need to know..." She quickly told them of the two confirmed monsters that were lurking in the stairwell, as well as the way they hunted. She would not sugar coat it, they needed to be aware of the dangers and it would be irresponsible to bring them into such a dangerous situation without letting them know what they were facing.

The silence that fell around them made her inwardly frown, even without her slowly recovering powers, she could feel their fear and anxiety. Sighing through her nose she kneeled before the two of them, placing a strong comforting hand on each of their shoulders.

"Look, I know it's scary but we just have to move quickly and quietly, if I tell you to do something I need you to do it, no questions asked. Trust me when I say that everything I say or do is to keep you safe. Can you do that for me?" She knew letting them feel like they had a choice would help them feel a bit more confident in the next steps of their journey. Kids hated to be told what to do, so if they felt like they had a choice, a voice that mattered, they were more amicable.

Yeong-Su nodded his head, his arms clenching around his toy dinosaur, he was scared but he had to be a big boy! He wanted to prove to his big sister's that he was brave. "Of course big sister Kagome." He grinned as she graced him with a bright smile before turning to face his sister.

Su-Yeong could only nod, her hands curled around the straps of her backpack. She squared her shoulders and tried to stand a bit taller, she was the older sister here so she had to act like it. "Okay."

Squeezing their shoulders once more, Kagome stood to her full height and turned towards the door, she moved closer to it, creaking it open as far as the chain would let her. Glancing out she was relieved to see the hallways empty. Hopefully the two warring monsters had forgotten about her and taken their stairwell battle to another floor.

With quick fingers she undid the chain lock and opened the door fully, she stepped into the dimly lit hallway, motining the children to follow after her. "Watch out for broken glass. Make quick short movements." Advice given she led the way around the corner making her way towards the stairwell sign that hung up at the other end of the hallway.

They were more than halfway there when she felt it, the very ground under them shook as something came barreling through a wall, a plume of dust and dry wall raining around them as whatever it was screamed out the word protein, its voice grutall and gravelly.

She threw her hands out to still the two children behind her, her gaze on the settling cloud of debris, there stood a tall hulking mass of muscles, how in the hell it got in the building she would never know. What she did know was that it was crouched down, its large bulging muscles twitching as its black beady eyes locked on her and her wards.

A bloody grin on its face as it let out a loud excited roar, no doubt excited about the prospect of a new meal.

Time seemed to slow down as it launched itself at them, her body flew into autopilot, she pivoted on her heel, her hands grabbing at the backpacks on the children's back, with a frantic push she shoved them in the direction of the stairwell. "Run!" Order barked out she turned on her heel once more to stare at the lumbering mass and gave a loud whistle.

"Hey, over here!" She felt a jolt of fear stab into her as those beady black eyes locked on her, its grin splitting even more revealing sharp pointy teeth outlined in red. Already in motion it lunged, its large hand, the size of her head, snapped out, ready to grab her.

Well she had a different idea. Pulling on her still recovering powers she threw up a barrier, it flickered to life just in time. It rippled as the large white hand beat on it, it paused as its flesh seemed to sizzle at the contact yet it only seemed to piss it off more.

It took everything in her to hold the barrier, her knees felt weak as her arms burned. Whatever bit of power she had recovered in her short rest was being used up at an alarming rate. Sweat dripped down her brow as her visions seemed to blur a bit, she wouldn't be able to hold the barrier much longer...she just needed to buy the kids time to get to the stairwell...

She was so deep in her thoughts, trying to think of something, anything, to do that would help her get away that she didn't even notice when a figure crept up behind her. She yelped as arms wrapped around her waist and yanked her back. Her barrier falling, the monster fell forward, no longer having something to beat on and hold up its weight. It tore through the drywall of the apartment she had been in front of mere seconds before.

Gasping she struggled in the hold of whoever or whatever had her, she was teeth and nails as she struggled, she was not going down without a fight.

Hyun-Su hissed as she thrashed in his hold, her nails digging into the fabric of his hoodie as her foot slammed down of his own to try and free herself. She was like a woman possessed and it took everything in him to hold her still. "K-Kagome stop its me! It's Hyun-Su!" His words must have sunk in because she stilled in his arms. Her bright blue gaze snapping to meet his over her shoulder.

She shuddered in his arms as a smile bloomed on her face, she moved to open her mouth yet was cut off by an angry roar. The monster was stirring, trying its best to regain its foot as its lumbering mass made it hard to once again get to its feet.

"Talk later." He released her from his arms yet firmly grabbed her hand and tugged her towards the stairwell at the end of the hall. It wasn't the same one he had come from moments before but it was a hell of a lot closer than the one he had used to get down here.

He had been making his way down the employee stairwell, his improvised electrified spear gripped in his pale shaking hands. While he was scared shitless he knew that he couldn't leave those two children alone...

Was it stupid of him?

Yes, but he never was prone to making good decisions.

So as he exited the employee stairwell he could only shiver as he heard a loud roar followed by a familiar voice. His body moved without hesitation, feet pounding as he ran down the hallways wishing he had paid more attention to the fire escape maps that littered every floor. Why the hell was this building so damn big and twisty?!

Breath rattling in lungs that were not used to physical activity he came upon a scene that was right out of one of his RPG's. Kagome stood, her body trembling as she held her hands out before her, an iridescent barrier between her and a large white mass of pure muscle that was just beating on it.

He could see her waiver and he quickly reached out, pulling her body into his as he stumbled a few feet away from the now falling monster.

His legs and lungs burned as they ran, his brown eyes widening as he spotted the two children he had come down to rescue running down the same hallway. He let out a harsh breathless bark of laughter, of course she would have found them. While he didn't know her long he knew that she was not the kind of person to ignore someone in need. Hell, she had helped him the very first day they met!

Shoving his thoughts away he could only gasp as Kagome ripped her arm from his grasp and bent down to scoop up the boy in one fluid motion, she held the crying child in with one arm as the other one reached out to grab hold of the girls arm and dragged her behind her. It was something out of a god damn story book and he was hard pressed to not feel useless...he was supposed to be saving them...and here he was useless...like always...

Kagome's body screamed in protest of the added weight of the child in her arms. Her breathing was labored, her lungs could not get enough oxygen in them to keep her legs pumping yet she still made them move. A stitch in her side made her want to drop to the ground and dry heave yet she kept moving, she was running on sheer adrenaline and stubbornness.

Sadly while she was known for her stubbornness she was always known for her clumsiness, and it was with a shout that her foot slipped. Her momentum sent her flying forward, the added weight of the Yeong-Su made her top heavy, cursing out a shout she let go of Su-Yeong's arm and instead curled it around Yeong-Su's head, hoping to cushion it from the harsh fall they were seconds away from having.

Whatever air she had in her lungs escaped her in a pained hiss as her body slammed into the cold hard concert of the floor, she had no doubt that should she make it through this her back would be nothing but a large purple bruise. She bit the inside of her cheek, tasting the blood she focused on the small pain and used it to block out the rest of her screaming body.

Shuddering as she tried to breath she felt Su-Yeong's hand pulling and grabbing at her begging her to get up. Cracking open her eyes into pained slits she glanced down at the child in her arms, he looked stunned but he didn't look hurt. Sucking on the cut in her mouth she rolled the taste of her blood around in her mouth focusing on it as she stood on shaky legs. The familiar coppery taste brought an odd sense of comfort and determination.

She latched onto it and held tight.

"Go to apartment 1408, Han Du-Sik will help you!" Hearing Hyun-Su's shout she whipped her head in his direction and could only gasp as his back faced her, in his hands was a remedial spear that was hooked up to the odd backpack that he wore.

Her mind was still a jumbled mess from her harsh fall, she no doubt had a concussion, even so she knew that Hyun-Su was the only thing standing between them and the monster and it made fear run through her. She could only watch frozen as he thrust his spear into the large monster making it pause in its large lumbering stride.

Hope flared to life in her chest, whatever that spear did it seemed to make the monster spasm and let out a pained cry, maybe just maybe they could make it out of this mess. Just as quickly as the hope flared to life in her chest it was crushed as the monster let out a deep primal roar as it pulled back its left arm, its beady enraged eyes zeroed in on a trembling Hyun-Su.

Chapter Text

Pure unadulterated horror filled her every cell, watching as if in slow motion as the large lumbering monster lifted its arm, lashing out with its hand swatting at Hyun-Su like he was nothing more than a fly.

The sickling sound of bones cracking echoed in her ears as his body soared through the air, slamming into the wall causing it to crumble as he smashed into it. His name fell from her mouth as a high pitched primal scream.

Had her throat not burned from the loud wailing sound she would be hard pressed to believe that a human could make such a horrid sounding noise. Burning hot tears blurred her vision as they blazed a trail down her face cutting through the blood and grime that was caked on it.

She wanted nothing more than to run to his side, to shove what little of her powers she had left into him but she knew from past experience that there was no way he could survive a blow like that.

No one could.

The thought was sobering and it snapped her out of her fear induced panic.

She didn't have time for this, no she had to get the kids out of there. If she didn't then his sacrifice would be for nothing and she could not and would not allow that to happen. She forced herself to tear her gaze from the hole in the cement wall, trying to not picture his broken and bleeding body, and instead shoved at the kids with trembling hands.

"Go, get to the apartment, run and don't look back." They quickly scampered to their feet, Su-Yeong grabbing at her brother's arm to try to shove him ahead of her. His own shaking hands tugging at Kagome's wrist. She gave him a small smile as she pulled away from him shaking her head.

"Don't worry about me, go. I'll catch up." She knew it was a lie, hell they all knew it was a lie yet she refused to let the fear she was feeling show, she would send them off with a smile. Pulling herself up to stand on swaying feet she turned towards the monster who was now picking up its lumbering pace, it's bloody grin widening at the prospect of tearing into her.

"Come with us big sis!" Yeong-Su moved to latch onto her wrist again yet she brushed him off, her back facing him as she ignored both of them. He was scared, he didn't know what to do but he knew he didn't want to leave her behind. The thought made his knees shake as he tried his best to dig his heels in against his sisters tugging to grab Kagome's wrist to make her go with them.

He didn't want to lose anyone else, it wasn't fair!!

Kagome was hard pressed to not turn towards the two children, their fear clouding her senses, chipping away at her resolve to not pull them into her arms and comfort them.

Yet she knew if she did not hold the line then not only would she be damning herself but them as well and she would do her best to be sure they survived. Squaring her shoulders she dug deep down inside of her gathering what scarps of power she could find and steeled herself,

"Run!" The word was barked out, harsh and loud as it made the two children bolt into action, their rushed footsteps echoing in her ears as they finally obeyed her.

Satisfied that they would get a head start she dug deep, pulling on her anger and sadness, willing the ragging feelings to fuel her resolve and in turn her powers. This was it, her last stand and while she didn't know if it would be enough for the children to fully get to safety she knew that in the end she had given it her all.

Briefly she wondered how pissed off Sang-Wook would be when she never kept her promise to catch up, would he be sad? Mad? Or would he just compartmentalize her passing and move on like nothing was wrong?

She would like to think he would be a little bit upset but she knew that was her own selfish thinking. Throwing her hands out in front of her she watched as a barrier slowly flickered to life, the color dull and lighter than normal.

Shifting her gaze to the broken and prone legs of Hyun-Su she tugged deeper on her raging emotions, at least she had been able to keep her promise to come back to him...that had to count for something right?

Kagome could only grunt as the monster's large fist began beating on her barrier, her head pounding with each vicious blow to the iridescent dome around her. Her knees bent under the pressure, her eyesight blurring as her body began to shut down, not having the energy to keep it and her barrier up.

Just a bit, a little while longer...buy the kids more time...

She repeated the thoughts in her head like a manta, like it was the only thing that mattered. She vaguely wondered if she should pray? Would the gods even hear her pleas? Would they care? Or would they ignore her and continue to punish her for her past mistakes?

Maybe, just maybe, in her next life she wouldn't be dealt such a shitty hand from the get go...all her good deeds as Kagome had to have washed the slate clean for all the misdeeds Kikyo had committed...right?

Her thoughts were a jumbled mess, she was borderline losing it. Her mind fraying as her powers began to pull on her very life energy. She wouldn't last much longer and the only thought she could comfort herself with was that her sacrifice had bought the children time to get away.

"Excuse me, can you please keep it down, you're scaring my sweet baby." The nonchalant female voice pulled Kagome from the maddening and spiraling thoughts jumbling around in her head, the normalcy of the tone making her wonder if in her final moments she had finally gone off the deep end?

Forcing her eyes open she could only go slack jawed at the woman who stood in the doorway of the nearby apartment, a baby stroller parked in front of her as she ignored both herself and the monster attacking her barrier. Instead the woman's focus was on the inside of the stroller, cooing and crooning to a child she could not see from her crouched angle.

Opening her mouth to tell the woman to run she could only watch as the monster let off her barrier and turned to the woman lashing out with its large fist. Finally her legs gave out from under her, her body sagging to the ground as her barrier fizzled out. Dry heaving sobs escaping her as the larger monster beat the woman and her stroller into a pulp.

The coppery scent of blood filled her nose as the pool that surrounded the woman's broken and battered body grew with each hit. Her body jerked as it gave its death throes.

Eventually the lumbering monster grew bored as her body stopped moving and its beady black eyes zeroed in on her trembling form once more.

Fear seized her, for she knew she was out of chances, the very air was charged with killing intent and it made her already shaking body curl in on itself. She could only hope that it would be quick, a blow or two before she was snuffed out. Yet knowing her luck the larger monster would decide to tear her limb from limb and devour her slowly.

Each lumbering thud of its footsteps as it drew closer made her flinch, her body tense yet relaxed at the same time. It was like she was suspended in between being scared and relieved that it would all be over soon...

Suddenly the large monster gave a loud pained cry, making her eyes snap open and her head jerk up, not at all realizing she had lowered it and closed her eyes. Thin oddly bent arms were wrapped around its large shoulders as dark blood infused hair peeked from over them. The woman whose body had stopped twitching mere seconds before was now wrapped around it's upper chest like a spider monkey.

The sickening sound of tearing flesh echoed in the hallway, the monster flailing about yet unable to reach back far enough due to its bulging muscles to dislodge her from its back. Kagome couldn't help the mad laugh that tumbled from her lips, her body and mind at it's limit.

So lost in her momentary lapse of sanity she didn't notice the stirring of Hyun-Su's broken and battered body from its resting place in hole in the wall. No, she was too busy laughing and sobbing as her mind tried to keep up with the fast pace of events.

Solid obsidian eyes snapped open, the loud sobbing laughter of Kagome urging tired sore limbs to move. He needed to move, he had to get to her, to make sure she was alive. His body ached and throbbed yet it slowly ebbed away leaving behind a feeling of power he had never felt before.

He latched onto, glad to finally be free of his prison, finally he was in charge and he knew that it was up to him to do what his weaker half could not.

In the blink of an eye he was crouched before Kagome, her red blotchy face cupped in his hands in such a tender way that it shocked him considering the rage that boiled in him at seeing her so...broken. Her body jerked, her crazed blue orbs widening as they slowly focused on him. He watched with bated breath as the glaze in her eyes seemed to melt away, her sense of self and sanity coming back.

"H-Hyun-Su!" Her voice was a whispered breathy thing and it made him smirk as he wiped at the puffy tender flesh under her eyes. He was hard pressed to release her yet he forced himself to do so and stood, his back facing her as he turned towards the other two monsters in the hallway.

"Run." His voice was a low growl as squared his shoulders ready to test his limits.

Something was wrong, something felt off about the way Hyun-Su handled himself, his shoulders pulled back, his head held high as his body tensed, he was like a cobra, poised and ready to lash out.

Yet at the same time she was more than willing to ignore it and just realish in the fact that Hyun-Su was okay. He was alive and it made everything else fall to the wayside.

Had she not still been reeling from her momentary lapse of sanity as well as her current lack of spiritual powers she would have seen the signs, would have realized that there was no way he could have survived that hit...at least not as a normal human.

Instead she was more than willing to block out the negatives and ignore the red flags as she watched him join the fray. His lithe body avoiding the large random strikes of the monster as it lashed out trying to not only dislodge the woman from its back but also land a hit on the new much more dangerous threat.

Kagome jolted as a hand landed on her shoulder tugging at her to get not only her attention but urge her to move.

Ji-Soo was hard pressed to not let go of the raven haired woman's shoulder as she turned to face her, her startling blue eyes glazed over with such a multitude of emotions that it made shiver. She cursed under her breath, wishing that she had urged Jae-heon into action earlier because this young woman looked like she was knocking on death's door and it was more than ready to throw it open and invite her inside for tea.

Shaking the thoughts from her head she tightened her grip, resolve settling in her eyes. "We need to go now." Her voice was grim as she had to practically pull the other woman to her feet, her body swaying as she threw her arm over her shoulder to carry the brunt of her weight. She cast a glance at a grim-faced Jae-heon as he unsheathed his sword to stand between them and the free for all unfolding in the hallway they were trapped in. "You better not die." Her voice was a low threat as she began to lead the barely stable woman towards the stairwell, ready to get to the apartment number that had been screamed out various times in the last few minutes alone.

Hopefully what was waiting for them there was better than what they had found in the last apartment they had come from, the image of the swaying body making her shiver as she urged the borderline fainting woman to move faster.

Chapter Text

Jae-heon inhaled a deep calming breath as he began to pace in front of the large lumbering beast that stood before him. His gaze on the other two beings in the hallway that were so busy attacking the snarling titan that they took no notice of him. 

It gave him a chance to try and plot out a form of attack.  

He felt like David and Goliath, and he knew that if he held fast to his religious beliefs that he would end up victorious.

He said a prayer, before he raced forward, raising his sword to draw it over the abs of the large pale monster. The shock of the sudden assault made it rear back to land on its back, crushing the female monster that was still attached to its broad shoulders. He quickly turned on his heel, his gaze taking in the male that paused in its attacks to gaze at him with dark cold eyes.

They were pitch black, no emotion in the dark depths and it made him feel like he was staring into the void. Fighting down the fear that bloomed in his chest he was hard pressed to not shiver as the boy gave him a dark grin, though it looked like and came off as more of a smirk than a grin.

“Thanks, I’ll leave the rest to you.” With that the young man rushed past him without so much as a glance backwards. He was hard pressed to not yell after him and instead had his attention pulled back towards the large white monstrosity that was once again on its feet, the female one still lying prone in the crater it had been slammed into.

Were he a lesser man, he would have let a deep string of curses fall from his lips, instead he readied himself to go on the defensive, a prayer falling from his lips as he placed his faith in his God to see him through this trail.

Hyun-Su was quick on his feet, his breathing deep and even as he traced the scent of the only being that mattered to him into the stairwell and up the stairs. In no time he was at the door of the apartment of the crippled man who had given his other half the tools he required to venture outside in a foolish attempt to play hero.

A whole lot of good they had done him, had he not taken charge as his weaker half laid there dying then they both would have been snuffed out and in doing so they would have damned Kagome to the same fate. The thought alone made him snarl as he gripped the metal doorknob and tore the door open.

He gave a soft snort as he easily avoided the metal bat that was swung at his head. Rolling his eyes he caught it as his would-be attacker tried to follow up with another vicious blow. He twisted his wrist, the metal bat being plucked from her hands like candy from a baby. He let it fall from his hands to land on the welcome mat with a low thud as he shouldered his way past his would-be attacker and entered the larger room.

He wasn't here for her, no he was here for Kagome and he was hard pressed to not just lash out at this random nobody for getting in his way. He was sick of everyone and everything getting between them, his weaker self included.

Breathing deeply, Hyun-Su's dark obsidian gaze darted around the room, dismissing everyone and everything that wasn’t Kagome. He needed to find her, to see her.

To assure himself that she was okay and if she wasn’t then there would be hell to pay. He would paint the world red with the blood of those who had failed to protect her and those that tore her from him.

His blood lust was palpable and it made those around him shiver in fear and take a step back , as if their very senses knew that he was a caged animal just looking for a reason to go on the offense.

Finally his gaze landed on her, she was a hot sweaty mess, curled up in a corner of the small cramped shit hole they were in. Her chest heaving as she tried to remember how to breathe. Her eyes closed as she hissed out one breath after another through clenched teeth.

On either side of her was a crying and wailing brat and the loud noises that escaped them made his ear ring as they scampered and whimpered into her side as if to hide from his seething gaze, their tears and snot coating her already dirty clothes. 

He leveled them with a hard cold glare, willing them to let go of his Kagome, they were tainting her scent with the scent of their sweat, tears, and piss. What right did they have to cling to her and demand her comfort? 

None.

Taking a small step forward a small feral grin spread on his lips as they flinched back from him and pulled away from Kagome to scamper behind the other woman in the room. He dismissed them, they were of no consequence or meaning to him. No, instead he moved and with a few brisk steps he was standing before Kagome, her bright blue eyes snapping open to meet his dark pools of obsidian.

He watched with bated breath, waiting to see if she too would shrink back from him in fear now that her eyes were no longer clouded by her momentary lapse of judgment and sanity. While it would hurt him if she did so it wasn’t like he would let it stop him from his goal. His grin grew as she merely gazed up at her, her eyes swimming with concern for him. Reaching out a shaky hand she tried to shift, to get to her knees so she could touch him, comfort him.

In an instant he was kneeling before her, enjoying the small gasp that left her lips as he used one hand to grab her hand and place it on his cheek. He nuzzled into it, turning so his lips could place a kiss to the sweaty palm of her hand. Shivering he gave into the need to let his tongue slip from his lips to give her palm a long languid lick.

Ignoring everyone in the room, for really they didn’t mean shit to him, he pressed another kiss to the palm of her hand before yanking her into a semi kneeling position, his face buried in the crook of her neck as he wrapped his arms around her like bands of steel. He inhaled deeply, imprinting the smell of her into his mind, branding it into the very core of his being. 

His hot breath tickled her neck and she was hard pressed to not squirm as he crushed her small body into his. This, this,  was not her Hyun-Su...yet at the same time it was . It was clear to her that he was on the very cusp of monsterising and while she knew she should be terrified she also knew that the normal soft spoken, timid, male would never do anything to hurt her...or anyone else for that matter.

Yet as his hot tongue traced over a still bleeding cut, his lips sucking lightly to encourage more blood to flow from the shallow wound,  she couldn't help the way her body jerked, nor the tensing of her muscles. He gave a low mix of a growl and a grumble, the sound so incident it made her face tint red as she felt his reaction to her blood press into her thigh. He practically had her straddling his lap, one arm wrapped around her lower back to keep her steady while the other tangled in her sweaty raven locks, giving them a small tug so she would angle her head back more, exposing more of her flesh to his needy and exploring tongue.

She had no doubt she would have a hickey or two from this...

The low click of what sounded like a gun tore her focus from him and it was with a startled look she realized that the woman who had practically dragged her to safety was now herding the kids and a now clear eyed stroller lady, for she had no name to call her,  into the bathroom while the old man in a wheelchair pointed what she could only assume was a home made gun at Hyun-Su’s back. Without thinking her arms flew up to cage around his head and upper body, as if trying to block him from whatever harm that homemade potato looking gun could inflict on him.

Her gaze was a deep rolling fury and it made Han Du-Sik pause, while he did not want to hurt the normally shy, if not awkward, young man he knew that this was not the young man he had sent off to save those two children. No this was a caged animal wearing the face of his...friend and from the look of things he was one moment away from devouring the young woman who had been dragged half dead into his apartment only to snap out of whatever trance she had been in when the kids ran into her open embrace with cries of big sister. 

His home was at full capacity and it was his job to keep those inside of his meager dwelling safe, even if that meant from each other. Yet as she glared up at him he couldn't help but feel like the villain and it was with a sense of guilt that he lowered his home-made gun, maybe just maybe she could bring Hyun-Su back from the brink?

If not he would for all intents and purposes step in but he really hoped to god he wouldn't lose yet another friend.

Watching as understanding and a small flicker of hope entered the wheelchair bound man’s eyes she returned her focus to the still tethering Hyun-Su. Her aura while tired and weaker then it had ever been perked up and slowly prodded at him, his aura poked back, the strength of it making her jerk as the steel band around her waist that was his arm pulled her closer, her breasts protesting at how tightly they were sandwiched between the two of them.

She pulled her aura back and began to run her fingers through his hair whispering soft comforting words that only he could hear. Once she felt that he was winding down some she let her aura slowly seep out of her again, letting it playfully reach out to tap at his. His aura, while darker and more feral than normal, returned the playful gesture. Entwining their auras almost as intimately as he had entwined their bodies she continued to let soft comforting words escape her.

“It’s okay, I’m here...you don’t have to worry. Come back to me Hyun-Su...” He huffed into her ear as if annoyed that she was trying to call forth the weaker part of him. Feeling his annoyance budding she decided to change tactics, this wasn’t her first rodeo with those on the cusp of giving into their darker more primal sides.

Her arms still bore five claw marks each from the first time InuYasha had almost given into his demon blood and while just like back then she wished that her first kiss with him hadn’t been a last resort she knew that Hyun-Su needed to feel that same reassurance that InuYasha had at the time and at least this time she knew she would never come to regret her actions.

So it was with a small turn of her lips that she pulled back a bit, not at all surprised or scared of the deep snarl that bubbled in his throat, with a quick jerk of her head she crashed her lips into his. He froze for a mere second before his lips were moving against hers, his tongue probing at the seam of her own demanding to be let in.

Without an ounce of hesitation she opened her lips and welcomed the strong pink muscle into her moist cavern as he licked and sucked every inch he could get. Cupping the back of his head, ignoring the drying flakes of blood in the dark brown almost black strands, she gently massaged his scalp pulling a pleased hum from him as her aura curled around his, calming him and calling forth that small spark that she knew to be her Hyun-su.

Slowly that spark grew into a raging fire and their kiss turned from a dominant fast paced tango to that of a slow paced waltz. She sighed into the kiss as his aura shifted, his body relaxing its hold on hers as he seemed to deflate. She slid off his lap to sit on her behind, their kiss breaking as his tired brown eyes cracked open only to drift shut as his body fell forward.    

Grunting lightly as he passed out, his monsterization not only paused for the moment but receding completely,  she shifted so that his upper body was resting in her lap, the rest of his body sprawled out behind him as he nuzzled his face into her stomach, his arms wrapped loosely around her waist.

Her body protested the position, wanting nothing more than to just flop back and relax yet she ignored it. She could feel the curious gaze of the only other male in the room and instead of meeting it she merely leaned back against the wall, letting it hold her  up as she let her own eyes slide shut. She was tired in every sense of the word, her senses and aura raw and pulsing with a mixture of pain and pure exhaustion. 

Even so the scared auras of the children were still there, practically screaming at her so it was with a deep rattling sight that she let what was left of her aura flare to life and project a sense of calm into the whole apartment, her body giving in to the urge to just shut down and rest.

Chapter Text

Kagome slowly opened her eyes, her whole body ached down to her hair. She could feel her powers pulsing almost like they were saying the same thing. She overdid it yesterday, and was paying the price at the moment for doing so.  As she moved her body slowly she noticed where she was, as the blanket on her slipped down over her shoulder. A blush dusted her cheeks as she felt arms tighten around her causing her to freeze.

‘This is not how I expected to wake up’ Kagome thought as she stayed still in Hyun-Su’s arms. He was still asleep from what she could tell, but he had felt her shift and unconsciously tried to keep her to him. 

She slowly let herself move a bit so she could survey the room, and she could see the occupants of the room whispering to one another. She narrowed her eyes as she saw them looking over at her then whispering again. She had a feeling they didn’t like what they saw yesterday with Hyun-Su. That is the only reason she could think they would be sending such warry looks over in their direction. 

She could understand, not knowing how to react to something different, but she hoped they wouldn't do anything drastic because of it. 

“You’re awake.” A voice whispered, causing Kagome to look over and give a small wave in greeting not wanting to say much so Hyun-Su could sleep more. He deserved it. 

“My name is Jung Jae-Heon. The children are asleep right now.” He probably figured Kagome would want to know that. 

She gave a smile in thanks, as he adjusted the sword in his hands, drawing her attention to it. Kagome didn’t say anything, but had a feeling he was uncomfortable. 

“The kids said you are Kagome?” He asked, he was definitely trying to get her to talk. She figured he would take the hint. People were asleep and they should let them sleep and not try to wake them so they could make conversation. 

“You are Japanese?” He inquired, as his eyes went over to the shifting form of the girl sleeping in the corner of the room. 

She sighed, “That is correct.” She said softly. The first words she said and she could  feel the arms around her tighten and a soft groan leave the boy she was leaning against, she saw his eyes flutter open and saw they were back to normal, and not blacked over anymore.  This was why she wanted to stay silent. She had hoped he would get more sleep. 

“You okay?” Kagome asked Hyun-Su as he looked Kagome in the eyes, and saw the position they were in. He took a deep breath in as a small blush came to his face as he let his arms fall from being around her waist. 

Kagome gave a small smile as she moved so she was sitting next to him, not moving too far away from him, in case he needed her. 

Hyun-Su gave a small nod, “I think so...” he was trying to figure out how he got in the position with Kagome in his arms. He didn’t recall falling asleep or arriving in this room. 

Kagome pushed some of his bangs out of his face, a frown on her face, “Do you remember anything from yesterday?” Her eyes glanced over to see everyone was awake and paying attention to the two now. She had a feeling Jea-Heon woke them up. 

Hyun-Su shook his head, a worried frown on his face as he tried to recall yesterday’s events in his head, “I...” He licked his lips, worry flashing across his face, “....I remember getting slammed into a wall....then nothing.” 

Kagome gave a frown but nodded. She wondered if going into the ‘monster’ mode was like when Inuyasha let his demon side take over. That was something she would have to think about later. She didn’t have enough time to think of that right now. 

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it right now....” Kagome told him with a small smile. He didn’t need to worry about it at the moment now that everyone was awake and they had to figure out what they were going to do for the day. They needed a plan of what they were going to do and if they had an idea of where to go. There probably were more monsters around and they had to be careful 

Kagome glanced around the room and could see everyone looked tired still and still were not fully awake, she heard a voice break through the silent room. 

“So...you’re all better then.” A girl who looked to be a little younger than her asked. Eyes taking in Kagome then flickering to Hyun-Su who shifted uncomfortably under the stares he was getting from the people in the room.  

“....I’m sorry if we caused any trouble....” Kagome paused, a sheepish smile on her face, “I didn’t mean to cause a scene...” She trailed off not really knowing what else to say. 

Yoon Ji-Su gave a light snort, her distrust of the semi older woman budding just under the surface. “Uh huh...so...just who and what exactly are you two?” Her voice was low with suspicion that made Hyun-Su flinch back as if struck. 

Resisting the urge to snap back at the younger woman, Kagome gave a forced smile, her hand seeking out Hyun-Su’s to comfort him.

Turning her attention to the still distrustful looking younger woman she tilted her head at her. “I don’t know everyone’s name....why don’t you introduce yourselves first.” She gave a sharp look to the girl, she didn’t like her tone nor her gaze. Kagome could understand that the things that were happening weren’t normal to them. 

Yet to be so openly hostile to someone she just met...she was not about to deal with that shit. Nope, not now and she wasn’t going to let Hyun- Su be bullied.

“ My name is Yoon Ji-Su.” The girl with the attitude introduced herself, “We know who everyone else is, you two are the odd ones out.” The girl said, making Kagome shift in anger as she let herself lean against Hyun-Su. 

“That’s enough...” Kagome heard an older man intervene, he glanced at Kagome and Hyun-Su, giving them a nod. 

“I am Han Du-Sik, and the woman in the corner is Im Myung-Sook. You already know the children.” He introduced everyone, glancing over at the young woman with a stern look, “We are all on the same side right now. We don’t need to be getting on one another’s bad side right now.” 

Kagome didn’t say anything and let the man do the talking, she didn’t want to rock the boat when they needed to be quiet since they didn’t know what else was out there. 

“I don’t want to fight, but I want to know if I am safe because from what I saw he turned into something....something not human....” The girl,  Yoon Ji-Su, spoke, her hands motioning to Hyun-Su who shrank into himself as if trying to make himself as small as possible. 

“....is he going to turn into a monster again....” the small voice of Yeong-Su broke through the room. He was holding onto his sister's hand who was also looking at Hyun-Su with fear in her eyes. She didn’t want to see another monster. 

Kagome looked at the children, “Hyun-Su is special....” She saw the children have their full attention on her. She also knew everyone else was having their attention on her as well, “He isn’t like the others….he isn’t going to attack us.” Kagame grabbed Hyun-Su’s hand trying to reassure him, he gripped her hand tightly but didn’t uncurl himself as he looked away from everyone in the room.

“He protected us before, so you don’t have to worry. If he was a bad guy he wouldn’t try to save us…right..” Kagame gave the kids a bright smile. She could tell a couple of the people in the room didn’t quite believe her words but she didn’t care. She trusted him. He didn’t try to hurt her at all, and she didn’t think he ever would….though it isn’t like she wanted to test it either.

The two kids looked at one another before nodding as they took what Kagame was saying to heart. They trusted Kagame and if she trusted Hyun-Su they would trust him too….she was right too. He had saved them from the monster that had been after them yesterday…so he couldn’t be all bad. 

“Now why don’t we sit down and we can make some breakfast…” Du-Sik suggested motioning to the kitchen. Everyone slowly moved to the kitchen area, Kagame stayed behind with Hyun-Su for a moment, her hand still tightly clasped into his own.

She  squeezed his hand, “….you okay?” She knew it could hurt how they were talking about him like that. She didn’t like it, but could understand they were scared. 

Hyun-Su nodded, “…fine…” 

Kagome sighed, “Its okay not to be fine. With how everything is turning out….I don’t think any of us are really fine.” She gave him a small smile trying to reassure him. 

“We can figure things out later. I don’t know how or why people or even yourself turned into what you are….but it doesn’t matter….You are still you Hyun-Su.” Kagame told him and he gave a small smile at this, standing up from his position on the ground, bringing Kagome with him as he stood as he reluctantly released her hand so they could join the others in the kitchen. 

The two of them could hear movement and the clinking of dishes as they went into the dining area. They silently sat down next to one another, not saying anything to anyone as they heard light chatter from the others as Myung-Sook was standing over the stove cooking. 

Several minutes later breakfast was served, it wasn’t anything fancy but it would do. They were all hungry and they really didn’t know what kind of food they would be eating in the future. There were only so many supplies here in the building. 

Kagome thanked the woman for the food as picked up her chopsticks. She poked at her rice with her chopsticks, pondering the conversion they were having. “Maybe...maybe the monsters are like us...they can be either good or bad? Just because they’re no longer human doesn’t mean they’re inherently evil...” She trailed off, a light flush dusting her cheeks as everyone turned to look at her. Some looked at her like she was crazy while others looked at her with understanding.

Jae-Heon nodded a smile on his lips. “God gives everyone free will so I think you’re right. It’s just that most of them probably give into the temptation of their baser wants and desires. While others like Hyun-Su are able to repress them and follow the path of light.”

Yoon Ji-Su resisted the urge to roll her eyes and decided to steer the conversation away from God, not wanting to listen to another lecture from Jae-Heon. Sure he was cute but he really needed to let up on the bible thumping. “So...what’s with the magic lights and what not? Are you also a half monster or whatever it is?” Kagome resisted the urge to laugh, memories of a certain yakuza male floating in her mind's eye. At least she wasn’t automatically dubbed a magical girl. 

“No, I’m fully human...just a special kind I guess.” She then gave a brief explanation of her miko powers, ignoring the way Jae-Heon clenched his jaw as she explained how her powers were from the gods. She really wasn’t in the mood for a religious debate, everyone was free to practice whatever religion they wanted. She just knew that her powers came from her chosen set of gods and that was all she cared about.

“Testing! Testing! One, two, three.” Everyone paused as the male voice echoed through the room via the intercom. 

Turning to face the intercom, everyone waited with baited breath for the speaker to continue speaking.

“This is Lee Eun-Hyeok, myself and some other survivors have gathered on the lobby floor and urge any and all survivors to make their way here. We have food and water and need to rally in order to make a plan. I repeat, any and all survivors are urged to make their way to the lobby floor.” 

He repeated himself once more before falling silent. It wasn’t a second later that everyone in the room began talking all at once. Their voices meshing together into a loud blur that made Kagome wince, yet another headache blooming to life. “Guys, calm down. We don’t want to attract anything.” Her words made everyone fall silent, thankfully.

Yoon Ji-Su swallowed thickly, licking her chapped lips as she decided to speak up. “Think we should go? I mean...we can hole up here for only so long. We don’t have the supplies we need to last here long term...let alone the room.” She glanced around the cramped room, as if trying to get her point across.

Jae-Heon nodded, agreeing with her. “We can only last so long on our own...there’s safety in numbers...and while we have the numbers here we don’t have a viable long term food or water source.”

While Kagome agreed with them, she also knew that with numbers came conflict...pack mentality...and not the good kind.

“I’m going where the kids go...they need someone to look after them.” Kagome glanced at the elder woman, it was obvious that her sole reason for being there was to look after the kids. They were what had brought her back from full monsterization. A fact that had not escaped her.

“I think it would be best if you and the kids stay up here for now. I don’t want to risk exposing them to danger if it’s not a good environment for them in the long run.” Her words were light as she pondered the pros and cons of her next statement. Turning to Hyun-Su she gave him a small smile. “I think you should stay here to keep them safe and like I said I want to get a feel for the people down there before we make such a huge and risky move.”

Hyun-Su frowned, not liking the idea of her going down there without him. He had just gotten her back and he didn’t want to be parted from her yet he was also wary of leaving their safe place. He didn’t know anything about those waiting on the lobby floor....sure he didn’t know much about those in the apartment either but so far, they were accepting of his monster side...

Kagome caught his hand with hers under the table, giving it a firm squeeze. “I’ll be fine, I promise. I’ll go check them out and report back as quickly as possible and we can make a choice as a group as to whether or not we want to join up with them.” Plus she wanted to see if Sang-Wook would wander down there. Sure, he was a lone wolf but even he had to be curious about the group set up in the lobby.

Maybe he was a part of it? Her powers were so raw and tired that she knew she wouldn't be able to pinpoint his aura even if it was in the room right next to her. She had to let them rest and recover because if the last few days had taught her anything it was that anything could happen at any given second and she had to be ready.

The air around them seemed to chill as Hyun-Su’s darker self lurked under the surface. Shifting close to him she bumped her shoulder into his making him focus on her, her fingers intertwining with his under the table. “Hey, calm down. I’ll go check it out and come right back, I promise. Have I ever broken a promise to you?” She smiled as his eyes cleared and became brighter, his more human side once again taking control. 

“Fine. I don’t like it but you’re right...while you’re down there I’ll gather what I can supply wise on this floor just in case you think we’re better off up here. Maybe even clear out a few more rooms so we can have more space.” Kagome blinked at his words, a small smile appearing on her face. 

“That’s actually a great idea...just promise to be careful. Don’t push yourself.” She wouldn’t be around to bring him back if he went too far into his monsterization and that thought made her uncomfortable.

Hyun-Su nodded, a look of determination settling on his face. Kagome was hard pressed to not reach out and touch him, to offer him her support. Instead she pushed the urge down and stood, exiting the apartment to trail after the two who had already slipped out into the hallway. Giving them a tense nod of understanding they slowly and carefully made their way down the hall into the stairwell.

For once lady fate was on their side, they were able to make their way to the ground floor without much incident, encountering not a single monsterized human. Yet as they approached the lobby they stumbled upon a pack of screaming people gathered around an open set of doors. Kagome could only blink at the cluster fuck they walked into, glad that they had decided to leave the others behind.

Chapter Text

Chaos, pure unadulterated chaos.

Everyone was screaming and yelling...and the metal gate was up?

Blinking Kagome tried her best to figure out what in the hell they had just walked into. Yet before her mind could piece it all together her gaze landed on the limping teenage girl hastily making her way towards the opened gate, her frantic screams of ‘mom’ making her blood freeze.

Her body moved faster than her mind could fathom.

Her feet were pounding on the pavement, her aura flaring around her. Hissing under her breath when she felt nothing but the sick dark auras of the various monsters around them. She vaguely heard someone shout her name from behind her, yet she ignored it instead focusing on the rush of blood in her ears.

In no time she was next to the teenage girl, her fingers curling in her torn and bloodied shirt. She gave it a firm yank, throwing her arm over her shoulders so she could help her move faster. Her aura screamed at her and her body jerked as she flared a barrier to life around them, seconds later something crashed into it. The barrier sparked as the scent of burned flesh surrounded them as the attacking monster let out a low pained whine.

Refusing to spare even a second to look at what had attacked them she urged the sobbing girl to move faster. Finally they were within the opening of the gate and she could breathe a small sigh of relief, yet as everyone just stood there she could only glare at all of them. “Shut the gate!!” Her loud shrill shout made them jump into action, the soldier boy moved to swoop the teen into his arms allowing Kagome to stop having to hold her up.

Her body sagged to the ground, sitting on her hands and knees as the gate was lowered behind her. Her barrier finally lowering, her aura shuddered as it snapped back into her. Her whole body was tired, and sore. 

She really was getting too old for this shit.

Yet as she watched the teen embrace what could only be her mother her heart throbbed. They were crying and sobbing as they embraced yet it was easy to tell they were tears of joy, the fear that they had almost lost each other urging them to hold each other tighter and longer.

This, this made it worth it.

She could feel everyone’s gaze on her, boring into her. It made her twitchy as she sat there, her body throbbing as her tired and overworked muscles throbbed in absolute agony. This was not the first impression she had wanted to make but like always nothing ever went according to plan when it came to her. Forcing a small, what she hoped was friendly smile, she gave a small wave as she sat on the ground panting.

She wanted to laugh at the open mouth gaping that met her, instead she kept her smile in place, her shoulders slumping as her body yelled at her for over taxing it, yet again. 

Lee Eun-Yu could only gape, her mouth hanging open as she took in the semi familiar form of the crazy girl who had been with the yakuza thug. Part of her was glad to see she was still alive while another part of her was wary of her. 

Swallowing thickly she decided to say something, the thick atmosphere around them making her skin crawl. “So you’re still alive magical girl?” 

Kagome resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the female voice, turning her gaze to the injured ballerina girl. She was glad she was okay and quickly looked around hoping to spot Sang-Wook. Her mood faltered as she didn’t catch hide nor hair of him.

As if reading her mind Eun-Yu gave a small yet curt laugh. “Your boyfriend left as soon as he got me down here. Probably went back to look for you.” She took joy in the small blush that dusted the older womans face. 

Snorting Kagome tried to save face, not at all forgetting the various gazes of her from. “He wishes he was my boyfriend...anyways the name is Kagome and this is Yoon Ji-Su and Jung Jae-Heon. We were on one of the upper floors when we heard the announcement.” 

Ji-Su and Jae-Heon were quick to pick up on the fact that she didn’t mention the others and decided to roll with it. Jae-Heon was the first one to step forward, adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose. “So what exactly did we stumble in on?” 

Lee Eun-Hyeok was the first one to step forward and open his mouth. He gave a quick run down, explaining the situation all the while keeping his gaze on the blue eyed woman. She appeared human yet what she had done had been so very unhuman like...

Kagome sighed, feeling various eyes on her person, she was hard pressed to not twitch while Eun-Hyeok filled them in on everything they had missed. It seemed they were all trapped and taking refuge in the daycare. The shopkeeper was begrudgingly supplying them with food in exchange for safe keeping for himself and his wife.

She resisted the urge to snort when said shopkeeper kept interrupting the younger man's stories to interject his own version of events. She knew then and there she would not like the man with his beady little eyes and obviously fake toupee. Plus the way his wife seemed to cower away from him the more angry he got...like she was afraid he would lash out at her at any given second...it raised many red flags. No doubt a habit born out of self preservation and survival, she had seen many couples like that in the feudal era, usually the wife held bruises if not scars to prove why such a habit had been born in the first place. Keeping her smile in place Kagome stood and dusted the back of her work pants. 

“Um, if you all don’t mind I’d like to freshen up real quick. Afterwards we can all sit down and exchange names? Unless you’d like to do that first...” She left the ball in their court, letting them feel like they were in control of the situation.

Kim Seok-Hyeon could only glare at the young foreigner, his guard still up after having to deal with that yakuza scum. “Hang on, you never did explain how you were able to do what you did!!” His beady gaze never left her from as she stood, why was no one else questioning what they had seen, were they all idiots?!

Kagome bit back the sigh on the tip of her tongue. “Well no one really asked me but I can assure you I’m one hundred percent human.” She once again began her explanation, wondering just how many times she would have to give it before the day was over. Maybe she should just write a small pamphlet to hand out? Fighting the urge to laugh she merely wrapped up her explanation.

“So he was right, you are a magical girl.” Kagome felt her eyebrow twitch at Eun-Yu’s words. “Sure, whatever floats your boat...so if no one has any further questions is it okay if I go freshen up?” When no one offered any protests she made her way towards the restroom signs, letting her aura peek up and do a quick search for Sang-Wook before letting it fizzle out.

He was on the fifth floor, he felt to be in one piece and she mused she should seek him out while she had the chance and let him know about the whereabouts of Hyun-Su and the new additions to her every growing pack of wards.

Of course he was lounging on a couch in a random apartment, a cancer stick dangling from his lips. His eyes were closed as he took a long drag from it, his body sagging. He looked tired and she didn't have to be a detective to know he had more than likely been running around non stop since they had parted.

“Hey.” She bit back a smile as he jerked, his eyes snapping open to land on her. She felt her heart skip a beat as he relaxed once he realized it was her. Settling on the couch next to him she pressed her knee into his. “Glad to see you’re still kicking.” She grunted as he knocked his knee into hers in retribution. 

“Same.” It was a chipped response and she wondered what she had done to upset yet brushed it off. She quickly explained what she had experienced since their separation, filling him in on the small gathering of people on the fourteenth floor as well as the chaos they had walked into on the main lobby.

Sang-Wook would be lying if he said he wasn’t glad to lay eyes on his magical girl once again yet he was quick to shove that feeling down. Instead he decided to focus on the frustration he felt at the lack of seeing hide nor hair of his prey since everything had gone to hell. Add in the fact that Kagome now held wards that were children, it only lit another fire under his ass. He needed to find that sick fuck and fast if he wanted to be able to relax and enjoy the company that Kagome offered him.

So it was with a deep drag of his cigarette that he stood and tossed Kagome a cool look, one that often had others running away in the past. She merely looked up at him, unimpressed with his dark glare. “Look, thanks for the update but I don’t have time to humor you. Why don’t you run back to the lobby or wherever it is you need to be.” His voice was curt and aloof.

Kagome resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him, used to being brushed off and talked to like that due to her past. She merely stood and gave him an unimpressed look, her hip cocked to the left. “Uh huh, well once you finish your oh so important business you should come join us on the lobby floor...if that pleases you my lord.” She cracked a toothy grin at his bored look, his face lit up by the cherry of his cigarette. 

Moving to the door she opened it, peeking out to be sure the coast was clear, once she was sure it was she turned back to Sang-Wook and gave him a small smile. “If I’m not at the lobby then assume I went back to the fourteenth floor...you know just in case you miss me.” She gave a small wave of her fingers as she shut the door behind her, missing the small smile he cracked as he shook his head at her endearing antics.

Chapter Text

Kagome silently entered the lobby again, her eyes taking in everyone that was here. Out of all the people in this apartment building it was sad to say how little people were here and alive. She wanted to gauge the people here, not knowing anyone yet. She had seen the looks she had gotten when she used her powers.

They didn’t know if they could trust her. They saw her a bit as a non-human from how some of the distrustful and disgusted looks she got from a few of them One, the pudgy short man with a dark aura was one she needed to keep an eye out for. 

Something about him just didn’t sit well with her about him. He sent her instincts on alert. She knew he was human, but a human that was one she would rather not have any contact with if she could help it. 

Glancing away from the man, her eyes went over to the teen she had saved, she was attached to her mother still, as the mother was leaning against the wall, her arms around her daughter as a protective barrier from everyone in the room. Kagome smiled slightly at this. She was glad she had made it in time to save her. If she hadn’t been here Kagome knew that the mother would have seen her daughter die. Not something she would wish on anyone. 

Kagome snapped her attention back to arguing and looked to see the pudgy man grab a woman and yell again, pushing her to move faster as they went into the small shop. Kagome narrowed her eyes seeing the woman flinch, putting her head down and doing as she was told. She had a feeling that man was going to end up on the wrong end of her temper. This man was a grade A sleezeball from the little interaction she had with him...and from what she had gathered....a wife beater as well. 

She would have to keep her eye on him, if she saw him hit anyone she would retaliate. Kagome wasn’t going to take seeing that. 

“So, magical girl.” Kagome blinked looking at the girl she had run into earlier,  Eun-Yu “How do your powers work exactly..” 

Kagome gave a hum, “I was born with them, so it comes naturally to me. It is just an extension of my will, you could say.” That was somewhat true. It wasn’t like she could say she learned because she had fought demons in the past and had to learn how to use her powers on a touch and go basis. 

“I did grow up on a shrine so that probably helped.” It did a bit; she did have training in how to use a bow and arrow before she went to the past because of growing up on the shrine. It had been one less thing she had to learn when she was in Feudal Era....thankfully. 

Kagome felt eyes on her and glanced over to where a boy maybe college age, was glancing at her with a calculating look in his eyes. She frowned before in a hushed voice asked Eun-Yu.

“What is up with him?” She asked, flickering her eyes over to the boy before she put her attention back on the girl. 

Eun-Yu looked over to who she was talking about and sighed, giving Kagome an apologetic smile, “That is my brother.....he did the announcement earlier....he can be a bit overprotective...and not trusting.” She gave a shrug trying to brush it off.

“...brother...hmm.” Kagome muttered, mind flashing to Sesshomaru when she looked at the boy. He had the same calculating and cold look the demon lord was known for. She would definitely have to keep an eye out for him as well.  She had a feeling he wouldn’t be against using people to keep himself and from the sounds of it, Eun-Yu, safe. She didn’t know him yet, but had a feeling he was a ‘put himself and those close to him’ first before anything else. 

For the rest of the night, Kagome watched and listened to everyone around her. Trying to learn how things worked down here and if she thought it was a good idea to stay with this group or not. She trusted Hyun-Su, but didn't know how these people would react to him since he wasn’t normal now. 

She would have to see how things played out. 

The next morning Kagome waited for everyone to be awake. She didn’t get much sleep that night, her mind going a mile a minute. She was wired and there were a lot of people around her she didn’t trust yet, so that made it hard. Kagome didn't have someone to watch her back down here at the moment...so she wasn’t fully comfortable sleeping around so many unknown people. 

She glanced around and saw the two people she was looking for, Ji-Su and Jae-Heon. She would tell them where she was going before she headed out. She wanted to go check up on everyone on the upper floor....and grab some extra supplies while up there. She wanted to see if she could find some clothes to change into...and some food. She had seen the pudgy  man hoarding the food he had in his shop. She was right about him being a dick. 

“I was looking for you two.” Kagome said as she walked closer to the two. They both gave her curious looks before she continued, “I am going to go up to the upper floors.....I wanted to check on the others....and will grab some supplies while out too. From the looks of it, sharing food isn’t a thing down here.” 

From how things were it seemed it was everyone for themselves, she was fine with that...but she would help if she could. They needed each other to survive. They didn’t know enough about the situation with the monsters and anything else outside to not try to help one another. 

The two looked at one another before Jae-Heon spoke up, “We will go with you. The atmosphere here isn’t...the best. I want to make sure the children are good too.” 

Kagome nodded at this, “Did you need time to gather things or are you alright to leave now?” She would rather get out of here now rather than later.

“We are good to go. We don’t really have anything to worry about anyone taking it or packing it to take with us.”  Ji-Su said, glancing at the room where everyone was scattered around. 

Smiling Kagome nodded, “Then lets go---” Just as they were about to leave Kagome snapped to attention, her eyes going to the ceiling. The two seeing her attention was on something went into a defensive mode. Jea-Heon had his hand on his sword, as he narrowed his eyes. 

Kagome snapped at the two, “Move to the side now!” The others in the room hearing her yell, were all on edge, some standing up trying to figure out what was going on. Their silent questions were answered as the sound of cracking and some of the ceiling falling as a fire was thrown into a small crater, where it had landed. 

Kagome looked with wide eyes as she saw some of the dust from the cement cleared and saw who was in the crater. Horror filled her as she saw blood and the not moving figure. She quickly moved her body so it was leaning down over the figure, ignoring the shouts of protests as she moved closer to the unknown...well unknown to them.

‘Please be alright’ Kagome silently thought as her thoughts were going a mile a minute on what could have sent him propelling down to this floor. 

All she could hear was the sound of her heartbeat, her hands frantically running over Hyun-Su’s broken body. Her powers throbbed as she tried to grasp at them, barely a simmering flicker compared to the large roaring fire they had been back in her prime. Tears gathered in her eyes, she didn’t think she would be able to help him...

Biting back a sob she jerked as his body gave a small seizure, as if in its death throes. “No, no, no, Hyun-Su wake up please...” She jumped back as his body jerkily sat up, broken bones making snapping noises as they rearranged themselves. 

Bright blue eyes widened as all black ones met her own, a dark smirk on his lips as he launched forward to capture her lips with his own bloody ones. Blood surged into her mouth, its coppery taste invading her senses as his tongue plundered her moist cavern, slithering around tasting and claiming every corner.

His hand curled in her dark locks, forcing her to angle her head to deepen the kiss, his body now kneeling as hers bucked under the weight of his still broken but mending body. 

Suddenly it was like someone hit play and unmute all at once, she heard the screams of those around her. Their shouts making her head spin as someone grabbed her arm and tugged her from under the monsterized Hyun-Su, his own hand curling in her hair yanking her back making her yelp in pain as her scalp burned at the abuse it was subjected to. 

Turning her head she hissed, “Ah, stop you’re hurting me.” Instantly his hand let go of her locks, a look of pure anguish on his face for causing her pain. He turned a blood thirsty glare towards the male who would dare try to take away his Kagome.

Feeling his intent Kagome was quick to yank her arm from the well meaning boy’s grasp. Throwing up her arms as she stood between the monsterized Hyun-Su and the rest of the group that looked ready to fight or flee.

“Hey! Everyone calm down!!” Her voice held far more bravado than she felt, wavering on her feet she tried to call forth her powers but they were far too expended, mere wisps of what had once been a roaring fire. 

Hyun-Su curled his lip back in a snarl, wanting to grab his woman and run away from the chaos that surrounded them. He flexed his hands, wanting to tear the other males hands off and tear him limb from limb for touching what wasn't his.

Things were escalating far too quickly for her to keep up, her mind was a jumbled mess and her body ached in places she hadn’t known could ache. Yet she knew if she didn’t try something then Hyun-Su would attack and people would get hurt if not worse and she did not want that. 

It would crush him when he regained control to learn he hurt someone...so she gathered what little reserves she had left and shoved them into him. She knew what little spark she held left within her wouldn’t hurt him, hell she’d be lucky to even shock Jaken with the pitiful amount of miko ki that sputtered from her finger tips.

Yet it was enough to make Hyun-Su jerk, his body tensing as his eyes rolled into the back of his head. A low tired sigh left her as her own body sagged, falling to her knees, her body landed on top of his as her vision faded to black.

Chapter Text

Ringing, high pitched ringing echoed in her ears as she laid on what she could only assume was the cold hard ground. She kept her eyes squeezed shut as she laid there, she felt like someone had used her body to cut down a tree and yes, she knew what it felt like to be thrown through a tree from her past adventures.

It hurt like a son of a bitch.

“Fuuuuuccckkkkk.” It was a low groaned out whimper of pain that fell from her chapped lips. Her head throbbed like she had a hangover from yokai sake and honestly at this point she wished it was from yokai sake because at least then she’d still have a bit of a buzz.

“Ah, I see you’re awake...would you like some water?” Wincing, she cracked her eyes open at the male voice and wasn’t all that surprised to see Lee Eun-Hyeok sitting on a chair nearby, his cool gaze on her person.

Forcing herself to sit up, her body throbbing at the motion, she bit back her wince as she settled into a criss cross sitting position. Turning her head to take stock of where she was, she was a bit surprised to see a few gaming arcade cabinets as well as a stack of chairs. It would seem that while run down the owners of the apartment building were able to afford a small arcade. If she had the energy to laugh she would have, instead of pondering it any longer she quickly took notice of a passed out Hyun-Su.

He was laying on his back, dried blood caked on his face and down his neck. She quickly moved to his side, her fingers shakily reaching out to brush some of his hair out of his face. He didn’t stir a single inch which made her heart lurch.

“He’s fine. Just exhausted, much like you were. It’s been about six hours since you both passed out.” Eun-Hyeok paused to let his words sink in. Watching her face for any reactions to his words. “I mean for him to survive such a fall and for you to use your powers again...I assume it’s draining...” 

Kagome resisted the urge to narrow her eyes at him, to anyone else he would seem concerned about their welfare but she knew he was fishing for information, looking for a reaction that would clue him into what he assumed was some big conspiracy. 

To bad for him she was very well versed in the art of lingual warfare.

“Ah, I’ll take that water now if you don’t mind...” She winced as her voice cracked a bit, she really was parched and honestly, she was starving. She could probably eat a cow at this point, not only would it fuel her body but it would also help her regenerate her powers. She had learned that once her powers got to a certain point they would pull from her body what they needed to keep themselves going.

In short the more she pushed and used her powers the more they drained her body of not only energy but calories. Calories she desperately needed to replenish and soon if she wanted a fighting chance at recovering even a few wisps of her powers anytime soon.

Eun-Hyeok gave a tight-lipped smile as he stood and grabbed a nearby water bottle leaning down a bit to hold it out to her. “Want anything else?” He was fishing, trying to find a way to get her to rely on him.

Kagome cracked open the water bottle and took a large swig from it, the burning in her throat dulling as she emptied the contents in three large gulps. Taking a deep breath of air she set the empty bottle down in her lap, her gaze returning to a still sleeping Hyun-Su. How she longed to run her powers over him, to make sure he was fully okay and if he wasn’t to fix what she could but she was tapped out. She had nothing left, zero, nada.

Turning her gaze back to the four eyed male she gave a small smile, her fingers absent mindedly reaching out to stroke Hyun-Su’s pale hand. “Thanks...so is there a reason its just us in here? Where are the others?” 

Eun-Hyeok didn’t miss the intimate contact and instead filed it away for more pondering later. Instead he gave a low sigh, “The others are scared. And for good reason...your friend not only survived a fall that should have killed him but he also attacked you and was ready to attack the rest of us...”

Kagome could feel the headache bloom to life. “Ah, well I can assure you I wouldn't have let any harm come to anyone. While my powers cant purify those who are changed they can hurt them to an extent. Though I’m sure the fact that my friend, Hyun-Su, is able to switch between his human and monsterized self has something to do with it. He really is a good guy when he’s not monsterized.” She paused to let him pick apart her words, wondering on which ones he would focus on.

She wasn’t disappointed.

“So he’s able to switch between being a human and a monster...interesting....do you know how he does it? Can he do it at will or only if he’s in danger of dying?” The questions didn’t stop and Kagome could only hold her hand up as she rubbed the bridge of her nose.

“Woah, hang on, calm down. I’m not entirely sure myself. That’s something you’d have to ask him once he wakes up but I do want to reiterate that he means no harm to anyone, nor do I, so there’s no real reason for us to be isolated here from everyone else...” She trailed off hoping he would take the bait.

“Ah, well while I can see that I know the others are still very upset about what they saw...maybe once Hyun-Su wakes up we can see if they want to talk...for now I think it’s best if you stay here and rest. I’ll go and try to calm everyone down and we can go from there?” It was a statement phrased like a question and they both knew it.

There was no way in hell that herself and Hyun-Su would be allowed to leave the arcade anytime soon and that thought irked her. She hated feeling like she was a caged animal, it brought back many horrid and sordid memories. 

“Ah, I see...well if it’s not too much of a bother can I get something to eat? It’s been hours since my last meal and I’m starving.” Plus whatever food she could get into her system could and would be used to fuel her powers should the need arise, but she was not letting him know that. Oh no, it was far to soon for her to trust him or anyone with that kind of information. Maybe later on down the road she would be able to tell them the inner workings of her powers but they had to prove themselves worthy of such trust.

Eun-Hyeok nodded, his glasses glinting in the light as he stood from his seated position. “Of course I’ll bring you some food from the shop for now just try and get some rest.” With those parting words he left the small arcade, the sound of a chain and lock echoing around the dimly lit room. 

Kagome made a small noise as she settled back on her butt, her legs laid out before her. She didn’t need her powers to know that the others were no doubt debating what to do with her and Hyun-Su and it amused her, because no matter what they decided she already had a back up plan. She did want to have hope that their two groups could become one but she wasn’t stupid.

She knew fear was a very powerful emotion and it often took precedence over rational thought and human empathy...

It was an hour later that Hyun-Su began to stir and she was quick to move to his side, leaving behind her dinner of ‘gas station’ food from the shop in the main lobby. Kneeling by his head she gently moved his bangs from his eyes, making soothing noises as she helped him ease himself into a semi sitting position, his upper body leaning heavily on her own. 

“Ah, try not to move too quickly, you really did a number on your head when you fell. There you go...take it slow...” She murmured words of encouragement to him ignoring the way Sesshoumaru jr watched them like a hawk from his nearby perch.

True to his word he had returned with food after no doubt trying to talk some sense into everyone else. After which he settled himself in a corner and tried to make small talk with her, aka tried to weasel information out of her without her knowing it. She was quick to catch on and kept steering the conversation back to neutral common ground much to his annoyance. He finally got the hint and let the conversation die between them once he realized she would not make any slip ups.

Pain, dull and achy, it radiated through his entire being. His head throbbed, his throat burned, and his brain felt fried. Whimpering he cracked his eyes open and was shocked to see Kagome’s worried blue orbs mere inches from his own. A light flush dusted his cheeks as he jerked back to get some distance between them. “Wh-what happened?” His voice was a low croak, he felt like he had swallowed sand.

Kagome was quick to lean down and whisper into his ear, filling him in on what had happened, from his fall to his altercation with Lee Su-Ung, leaving out his kiss and manhandling of herself knowing he wouldn't be able to handle that information at the moment. Once she was done she turned to look at the other male in the room. “Once he gets some water and food in him I think we’ll be ready to meet with the others.”

Eun-Hyeok nodded, handing over a prepared water bottle and sandwich. Watching as Kagome fretted over Hyun-Su. It was clear to see they were close and it made him reevaluate his plans because it was plain to see where the other male went Kagome would be close to follow so he would have to pull double time to get the others to accept Hyun-Su otherwise they would lose their trump card against the monsters.

Twenty minutes later found them walking down the hall towards the daycare, already they could hear a mixed choir of voices and Kagome was hard pressed to not let out a whine of frustration. Instead she plastered a smile on her face and entered the room, amused that as soon as they entered everyone fell silent.

Well, almost everyone.

“What are they doing here?! They can’t be trusted!!” Kagome huffed at the shorter man yet kept her smile on her face hoping it would help ease the tension.

Eun- Hyeok was quick to step up next to the tense woman and shrinking male, he had to plead their case, to smooth things over and he did so explaining to them what Kagome had explained to himself regarding Hyun-Su’s ability to transform into a monster and back into a human as well as her ability to keep him in check with her powers if need be. 

It quelled quite a bit of the panic in the room and made Kagome appreciate the four eyes' way with words. If given a few lessons he might be able to go toe to toe with Miroku or even the great lord of the west on one of his off days.

“How do we know we can really trust them? We all saw him attack her and the soldier! What if he turns on us? She won’t stop him, she's a monster lover! We need to throw them out to keep ourselves safe!!” Spit flew from the shop keeper’s mouth as he jabbed an accusatory finger in their direction, his face red from his yelling.

Enraged cobalt eyed narrowed at the small pudgy shop owner. His paranoia induced words making the rest of the room burst into semi panicked chatter once more.

While she was irate at every one of them she knew they were just looking for a leader and normally said leader usually ended up being the loudest most intimidating one in the room. She would be damned if she let that happen.

Shifting closer to Hyun-su she squared her shoulders, "So you want to just throw him out there even though he's fully in control right now?"

The short man whirled on her, a pudgy finger shoved in her face. "Yess! He's a monster, how long before he turns fully and kills us all? Of course you’d take his side you...you monster lover!"

Snorting she leveled the balding man with a deadpan look. "Well, you're a wife beater so that makes you a monster in my book." Her words hung in the air, the shock of them making everyone pause what they were saying mid sentence. Kagome continued on, ignoring the way Hyun-su tugged lightly at her hand as if asking her to stop.

She would not.

His very life was on the line and she would be damned if she didn't say her piece.

"So, does that mean we should vote on tossing you out as well? Hm?" He turned red, his face flushing with embarrassment and rage.

"That-that-!" She cut him off with a cold hard look that rivaled that of Sang-wook. Her furry churning just under the surface. She knew if the slightly older man was here then the shop owner wouldn't let his tongue flow so freely, none of them would. 

Yet she was not his keeper, he was free to come and go as he pleased. He had proven time and time again he was more than able to take care of himself, she just wished he would at least choose better times to go off on his own. Yet as long as she could feel his aura still in the building it put her at ease, he would return to them when he damn well felt it and when he did she knew he would side with her and Hyun-su.

Both men were outcasts, judged by their looks and it rubbed her the wrong way. There was no way she would stand idly by and let this piece of shit try to turn everyone against Hyun-su when all he did was try to help, and even if after she said her piece and they still turned against him she would still stand by him.

"What? Different? Bullshit. Plus in case you haven't noticed I'm able to do and see things you guys can not and I can tell you right now I see the same dark sickness swirling in you. It's only a matter of time before you start changing, hell all of us are at risk. Whatever this is that is changing us is already in us. It's a part of us. So before we start sending people to their deaths I want you to think real god damn hard about how you would feel in Hyun-su’s shoes. Also...if he goes I go." Her words were met with terrified cries and begging of her to stay. She merely turned her head towards four eyes.

She knew he was smart, that even if he kept quiet that he was the real one with a plan. It was only a matter of time before he was made the official leader of this small group.

While his face was impassive she knew his mind was racing a mile a minute trying to find a way to sway this devolving situation into something he could use to his advantage. Her gaze did not waiver as he stared almost robotically back at her, she did not even flinch as he tilted his head, the light glinting off his glasses to hide his brown orbs from hers, after all she had no obligation to these people. She didn't live here, she just so happened to be in the middle of her route when everything went to hell and trapped her here.

In fact the only two people she owed anything to were Hyun- su and San-wook.

And it was time that she reminded them of that fact.

“You’re black mailing us! You’re no better than that damn yakuza thug who knocked me out earlier!!” She leveled a furious gaze on the pudgy man, making him physically jerk back. 

“If you’re talking about Sang-wook then I assure you he must have had a really good reason to knock you out and even if he didn’t I don’t really care. Secondly I’m not black mailing anyone, I’m just putting all my cards on the table so you can all make an informed decision. You people keep forgetting I don’t live here and even if I did I don’t owe you anything. Yes, I’ve helped out here and there and I’m happy to do so but that’s because I want to.” She paused to let her words sink in.

“It’s the same for all of you. You’re free to make whatever choices you want but I will be damned if I let you throw Hyun-Su or anyone to their deaths simply because you’re scared. You don’t want to be around him or anyone who might monsterize? Then go on back to your apartments and see how long you last on your own. I’m more than willing to stay here and do my part, and then some, to make sure we’re all safe but we all need to be on the same page.” Her shoulders were pulled back as she gave a smile that was more teeth then anything, it made everyone around her shiver but she really didn’t care.

Eun-hyuk let out an almost inaudible sigh, everything had spiraled out of control and if there was one thing he hated it was chaos and stupidity. Pushing off the white board he had been leaning against he moved to the front of the room to stand between Kagome and the shop owner. Clearing his throat he commanded the attention of everyone in the room.

“We all need to take a deep breath, we’ve all said our piece. I think for now we all just need to separate so we can calm down and think over what we think is best before casting our votes. Since Sang-wook isn’t here to cast his vote we wouldn’t really be able to properly tally them anyways. So I suggest we all go mull over everything that was just said.” His voice was low and even, not at all showing any hint of his annoyance at having to drag out the voting.

He had hoped it would be a quick clean vote, he even had back up votes ready to change the outcome if need be but no, once again Kagome had thrown a wrench in his plans. While she was indeed a great asset to them, her strange powers literally standing between them and the monsters outside and inside their building she came with a lot of headaches. 

Suk-hyun could only sputter as Kagome tossed him a cocky smirk and led a timid Hyun-Su after her into the hallway to go who knows where and do god knows what. He glared around the room, upset that no one had come to his aid. “You’ll all be sorry when he changes and kills us all! I’ll be in my shop safe and sound, if you want to come with me then you better be sure to vote accordingly, come on Sun-young!!” He turned on his heel to storm out of the room back to his shop yet paused when he didn’t hear her move to follow him.

He turned a furious glare to her small form, internally smirking as she cowered back yet outwardly he scowled as she didn't fall in line. Damn that woman coming in here and throwing everything out of whack! “I said come on!!” Spit flew from his mouth as he squared his shoulder, his hands clenching at his side. She moved to rush after him yet was held back by a cold looking Jin-ok, her simpering daughter hiding behind her form. 

“If she doesn’t want to go with you she doesn’t have to.” He could feel the disdain in her voice, practically see her looking her nose down at him. He gnashed his teeth in anger and moved to say something yet paused as the young soldier stepped in front of the women to block his gaze, as if daring him to say or do something.

Reading the room he snarled as he turned on his heel and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. “Fine, you’ll all come crying to me when you get hungry enough!!!” 

Shoulders shaking with pure unadulterated fear Sun-young felt her knees give out as she collapsed, tears streaming down her face. Instantly Min-Ju was kneeling down next to the sobbing woman, pulling her trembling frame into her arms, her gaze on her mother. Never had she been so proud of her mother and she thanked every God she knew of that Kagome had been there to save her life so that she could be here to see her mother break out of the cold hard shell she had encased herself in all those years ago when her father had walked out on them.

Jin-Ok released a deep sigh, a small smile on her lips as she watched her daughter comfort the older woman, to think she had almost lost her...Kagome had stepped in and  had literally saved the light of her life without even knowing who she was. Just that someone needed help and she had snapped into action. She didn’t need any time to make up her mind on what her vote would be. She would obviously vote the same way as her savior, it was the least she could do for the woman who had saved her world.

Chapter Text

“You didn’t have to do all that.” Hyun-su’s voice was low as he sat beside her on the fire escape stairs on the outside of the building, his gaze on the setting sun. The continuous plumes of smoke from the still burning city blocked out what would normally be a beautiful mixture of red, orange, and pink hues. Even so he took comfort in it, it was one of the only things that hadn't changed in this new fucked up world.

Kagome snorted as she leaned into his side, her shoulder bumping his in a playful way. “I know, I wanted to. I’m not about to let them cast you out. Sorry you’re stuck with me. I told you that, now if only Sang-Wook would show his ugly mug then we could go get the old man, auntie, and the kids. If they decide you’re too dangerous to be around we can always clear the fourteenth floor and just set up shop there. I doubt any of them would be up to forcibly evicting us.” She gave a short humorless laugh at the mere thought.

One deep glare from Sang-wook and most of them would turn tail. It was a proven fact. Pushing her senses out she found said man’s aura somewhere on the tenth floor. His aura was strong and healthy if not a bit frustrated and annoyed. What he was doing up there on his own she had no idea but it wasn’t really her place to demand answers. If he wanted her or Hyun-su’s help he would ask for it...okay he wouldn't. Yet she knew he had his own personal vendetta and who was she to get in his way?

Though she knew that should he stubbornly place himself in a completely and utterly dangerous situation she would intervene, no matter how irate it would make the slightly older male. And wherever she went Hyun-Su was sure to follow and it was obviously a street that went both ways.

“Do you think they’re okay? We haven't even had a chance to let the others know about them...” His voice held a hint of worry and it made her smile, here he was his very life hanging in the balance and he was more worried about others. 

If only they would look past what he was, the others would realize he was no threat to them. Sadly this was the folly of being human. They had yet to realize that sad truth, that the real monsters were humans themselves. 

“They’re fine, a bit scared but who can blame them? Once we get this silly vote over we can plan our course of action accordingly. For now you should try to get some rest. I’ll keep watch.” She nudged closer to him, throwing an arm around his shoulders, her hand cupping the back of his head to force it to rest on her shoulder. His body gave little resistance to her manipulation of it, a bright red flush dusting his cheeks as he buried his face in her messy locks, his arms hooking around her small waist.

He knew it was odd, this sudden need to always be by her side, to always be touching some part of her but he was loath to try and fight the urge. It calmed the monster inside of him and put him at ease, he mused it was probably her ‘miko’ powers as she had called him but he really didn't care. Being near her, with her, made him feel at home and that was a feeling he hadn’t felt in so damn long.

Deep down he was glad she refused to leave his side, he really didn't know what he would do if she turned her back on him, the very thought of it alone made panic well up in his chest, his eyes darkening as he felt his monster self stir to life.

Sensing the sudden shift in the male beside her she let out a small steady stream of calming aura leak out of her. It wrapped around him and settled over him like a blanket, he curled into her, his nose resting in the crook of her neck as his breathing evened out. Her fingers idly ran through his semi blood encrusted locks. She mused no matter what the outcome of the vote was they were going to set up shop in an apartment and at least clean up some.

She didn’t have to scent herself to know she probably smelled pretty ripe, it made her skin crawl. She hated being dirty in any sense of the word. 

She turned her gaze to watch the night sky fade into dark purples and blues. Night had settled over them and she knew they should move inside, it was dangerous to be out in the open. Yes, she could throw up a barrier but that was a waste of her energy when she had no idea what would be required of her when it finally was time to cast their votes.

So caught up in her thoughts she didn't notice the sound of footsteps on the metal until she could feel the vibrations under her. Tilting her head to glance behind her she smiled as she met a dark scowling face, the red embers of his cigarette lighting up his face in a way that would strike fear into others yet to her it only made him seem that much more handsome.

“Hey, bout time you showed up? Did you finish your...business?” Her words were light so as to not stir the sleeping male next to her. 

Sang-wook could only scowl at the loving scene the two made, it irked him and made his already foul mood that much worse. Turning from the two love birds he took a long drag from his cig and pulled it from his lips to release the toxic fumes, flicking his ash over the side of the metal railing.

“No, not yet. Why are you two here alone? What if I had been a monster? Hm?” His voice was low and scolding, his annoyance and anger leaking into the words. It wasn't that he was angry at them, but at the fucker who had managed to weasel his way out of his grasp. Though he was annoyed at their position, he had assumed the young woman was smart enough to not take risks even with her magical girl powers; she was still human.

If she didn't keep her guard up she was going to get herself killed and the very thought of that made him raise his cancer stick to his lips and take another long angry drag.

Fighting to hold back the smile that she wished to flash the tsundere she shifted a bit trying to lean away the hard cold railing digging into her side, already her behind and legs had fallen asleep and she was finally starting to notice the cold biting chill of the fall air. She blinked as he shrugged off his torn and bloody blazer to drape around not only her but Hyun-Su as well. It reeked deeply of cigarette smoke and cheap brandy but under that was a scent that was uniquely him.

Male, musky and just over all pleasing, if not addicting  to her. 

“Ah, you missed the drama. Hyun-su fell from the ninth floor, cracked his head open in front of everyone and then got right back up. People lost their shit, it was a real cluster fuck. Long story short they want to hold a vote on whether or not to toss him out of the building.” The anger and barely held back rage in her voice made him snort as he lowered himself to sit on the stair behind them.

He barely reacted as she leaned back to rest against him, her side leaning into leg as she scowled darkly at the memory. Her eyes seemed to glow with her anger as a small flush dusted her cheeks making her look all the more alluring. 

Hyun-Su was lucky to have her attention, the little shit.

He took another drag from his cigarette and was surprised to find he had already made it down to the filter. Grumbling he flicked it over the railing and pulled another one from the pack in his shirt pocket. He was surprised when she lifted her pointer finger to flick at the end of the cigarette, her ‘powers’ sparking like a small electric lighter. He inhaled as the spark gave life to a small flame, his chest welcoming the familiar burning smoke into his lungs.

Tossing him a cheeky grin she wrapped her arm around the leg she was leaning against, soaking up his warmth as her other arm curled around Hyun-su’s shoulders protectively. “Wow, didn't know if that would actually work.” She really hadn’t, but she was glad it did now should she ever need to make fire she knew could do it, what an unexpected use of her powers.

“Aren’t you full of surprises...” She gave a shit eating grin even though she knew he couldn't see it from his position.

“Oh, you have no idea. Anyways, now that you’re back they’ll probably want to hold their voting session.” Her voice was exasperated if not a bit annoyed.

“You've already made up your mind regardless of the results haven't you?” It was a statement more than a question and she could only give a small giggle, already he had seemed to have her figured out.

“Yup, I don’t care what they decide we’re not leaving until we’re ready to. If they want to hole up on the ground floor they can. We’ll just set up our own base on another floor, probably the fourteenth one.”

He bit back a snort. “Oh, making decisions for me are you? You’re quite full of yourself.” The teasing in his voice was so well hidden that had she not been used to males like him she would have missed it. 

“Yup, very. I know you’ll probably come and go as you please but you know you have a spot with us.” He let out a low hmm, not wanting to break the mood with an actual response. Instead he allowed his muscles to relax from the constant tenseness they had been in for what felt like forever. He didn’t fully let his guard down but he did let loose a tiny bit and he was shocked at how nice it felt to do so.

This young woman would be the death of him and honestly he couldn't be bothered enough to care.

Chapter Text

Hyun Su slowly woke his mind fuzzy and body aching as he shifted. He sat up frowning as he saw the jacket that was on him. He let the jacket sit on his lap as he propped himself and leaned against the wall and taking in his surroundings. He didn’t remember much of what happened last night. Things were a jumbled up mess. 

“Your awake! Good!” His eyes snapped over to Kagome who was smiling at him as she took a seat next to him on the ground, “How are you feeling? Any pain?” 

She fired the questions off one after another, making his lips twitch up in a small smile at her worrying about him, “I am fine. Tired....feels like I ran a marathon and my body isn’t used to that so it aches.” 

Kagome gave a small hum in understanding, “I can heal you some if....”She was cut off by Sang-Wook coming into view a scowl on his face.

“The assholes are wanting to do the vote...they are getting impatient.” Kagome could hear the muttering of ‘mother fuckers’ under his breath causing Kagome to laugh quietly. 

“Vote?” Hyun Su questioned as he stood up, taking the jacket in his hands not knowing what to do with it till Sang-Wook moved forward and took it out of his hands and put it back on with a huff. 

Kagome licked her lips, now standing up now too, “Yes....they want to vote to see if you should stay or if you’re too dangerous....” She scoffed as she looked into Hyun Su’s eyes, “They are just assholes and anything different is bad...” She reached for his hand, giving it a squeeze in comfort when seeing the look on his face. 

“If they send you away, I am following. So don’t worry. You won’t be alone.” She meant every word too. If they wanted to cast him out then she would follow him without any problem. She wasn’t normal either so if one went, the other would follow. 

They could be freaks together. 

Hyun Su gave her hand a squeeze, and didn’t let go of her hand as they silently made their way back to where they could hear the whispers and arguments from other people. Kagome had a feeling that this so called ‘vote’ was going to be very one sided. 

“You are finally here....let’s get this show on the road so we can feel safe again!” The growling voice of the shop keeper she has a strong dislike for spoke. His beady eyes glaring at the three of them, as they started a few good feet away from the group. 

“Fucking asshole.” Kagome muttered in Japanese as she leaned into Hyun Su’s side, her hand still in his as she narrowed her eyes at the small man. 

Eun-Hyeok came forward, pushing his glasses up his nose, “Lets settle down and have a vote on if Hyun Su shouldn’t be able to stay. He isn’t like the other monsters...but...” He trailed off as he was drowned out by the shouts and voices of the others around them. 

“Raise your hand if you want them to stay, Kagome and Hyun-Su, aren’t allowed to vote.....” Eun-Hyeok spoke, raising his voice so everyone around could hear him. 

Hands raised, surprising Kagome. There were more than she thought. That was good. There was a chance she wouldn’t have to say anything to try to change their minds...or just leave. 

“For those for him to leave?” 

Hands raised as he counted the number, a frown coming to his lips as he glanced to Kagome and Hyun Su. 

“....its a tie...” He muttered loud enough for everyone to hear them. There was silence before raised voices started again, arguing between the two voters. 

“Kagome...Hyun Su....do you want to stay?” Eun-Hyeok spoke, if they said yes, the tie would be broken. The woman nodded, but before either of them could speak an enraged voice cut into the crowd. 

"We should lock them up in the arcade again! They can't stay here with us!!!" Again he was trying to use fear mongering to get people to join his side, it was a low if not cowardly tactic and it made her anger spark to life. That combined with his words, it was safe to say Kagome was about ready to snap, keeping the peace be damned.

Narrowing her eyes at the man she felt her hair bristle. 

No.

There was no way in hell she was going to be locked up like some animal nor would she allow that to happen Hyun-Su or Sang-Wook.

"Fucking cowards." Sang-wook's voice was a low drawl and it made the shopkeeper flinch back in fear, no doubt remembering their last encounter. All eyes turned to see him glaring at them, disgust churning in his deep brown eyes.

Furrowing her brows, Kagome shifted closer to him, ready to intervene if need be. While she agreed with his statement they really did not need to give everyone even more reason to fear them.

Part of her was ready to tell them to sod off and that they would just move to an upper floor and keep their distance yet she knew they had to play nice if not for their sakes but the kids that had suddenly fallen into their laps.

"Excuse me." The sharp female voice demanded all eyes. "This is my daycare and I don't recall giving anyone permission to stay here long term. That being said, Kagome, Hyun-su, and Sang-wook you are more than welcome to set up here with me and those who don't give into fear mongering. But you sir." She glared down at the shop keeper, her eyes cool as ice.

"Are not welcome here. I do not extend kindness to women beaters or bullies. If any of you have a problem feel free to go back to wherever you came from." Piece said she turned up her nose at him and turned a small welcoming smile to Kagome.

Kagome fully returned the smile with a small grateful grin of her own. 

The shopkeeper snarled at them, his face once again red. "Fine! Well you guys can find your own damn food!!" With that he once again stormed out of the room, the door slamming behind him as the small dog yapped after him.

Kagome rolled her eyes at him, of course he was the one to accuse them of blackmail yet was the one trying to do so.

“What are we going to do we need food?” The panicked voices began all going at once and Kagome was hard pressed to not snap. 

“Enough!” The word was barked out, making everyone go quiet, forcing a small smile she shifted a bit between her boys. “Look, we’re not invalids here...there are plenty of places we can find food. This is a huge building, there’s two stories worth of kitchens alone.”

“There’s also two stories of monsters running around.” Kagome was hard pressed to not give the semi pudgy nerd of a male the finger. She hadn’t gotten his name yet, just that he and another male were always sitting together in the back whispering to each other and pointing fingers. 

“I can assure you...most of the people in this apartment complex are dead.” It was a sordid fact and she felt a bit bad dropping it on them like this but it would have had to be addressed eventually. “The rest have moved on to better hunting grounds outside, there’s maybe a handful of monsters in the building at a given time.”

Eun- Hyeok nodded, filing the information away to be examined and picked apart later. “So does that mean you’re volunteering to do runs for us? With your powers and Hyun-Su’s...ability to shift between forms it would make sense for you guys to become our runners.”

Kagome wanted to smack the seemingly innocent look he cast at her, they both knew it was just an innocent question, he was planting a seed. Instead she cast Hyun-Su a questioning glance, she wouldn’t answer for him. He was free to make his own choices.

Hyun-Su shifted a bit, feeling everyone's eyes on him made him nervous and it was only Kagome’s fingers reaching out to curl around his own that calmed him. “I’m fine going on runs...”

Kagome gave his fingers a squeeze, “Sang-Wook and I will join him. We were going to go get a few others of our group from the fourteenth floor anyways. Whatever we can gather on the way up and back down can be the beginning of the community pot.” She giggled as Sang-Wook gave a low grumble at her words.

“I didn’t volunteer for shit.” His voice was gruff and made a few of the others flinch away, she merely rolled her eyes at him and elbowed his side. “Oh hush, we need your help getting one of them down, he’s in a wheelchair and I don’t fancy using the elevator, what with the rolling blackouts...”

Huffing but nodding as he looked away from her puppy dog eyes he mused it would be better if he did go with them, lord knows what kind of trouble the two could get into if they went alone. “Tch, whatever...guess I’ll supervise.”

Eun- Hyeok frowned at this, “Others? You didn’t tell us you had others in your group...” He sounded almost offended.

Kagome flashed him a smile more teeth then lips, amused at the dark scowl that settled on his own lips. “You didn’t ask but yes, we have two young kids, siblings who lost their dad, another elder female who has taken to watching over them and an old man who while bound in a wheelchair is a real asset. He’s the one who made Hyun-Su’s weapon from random shit laying around his apartment.” She’d seen the way Eun- Hyeok had been eyeballing it when he thought no one was looking.

She could see the spark of intrigue in his dark brown eyes and knew that he would change his tune, Han Du-Sik, was a valuable asset. He would make it so that everyone had a better chance at survival, while his inventions wouldn’t flat out kill monsters, it would turn the tides to the point where they could at least buy time to run away.

After all that’s all they could really do for now, buy time.

Time to adjust to this new world...or be swallowed up by it.

Chapter Text

The journey to the fourteenth floor had been easy, almost comically so, no monsters, no blockages, almost a straight shot. In no time they were back inside the small apartment, the kids eagerly hugged her as Hyun-Su and Sang Wook stood by the doorway almost awkwardly. Resting a hand on each of their heads she rubbed them affectionately, her gaze moving around the room to find the rest of the occupants of the apartment.

Instantly her back stiffened as she caught the worried gaze of the owner of said apartment, a frown on his lips as he flicked his eyes towards what she could only assume was the bathroom door. Resisting the urge to sigh she forced a smile as the kids let go of her waist and moved back to the small table to continue eating their food.

"What happened now?" Her voice was low as she approached the wheelchair bound male, Hyun-Su and Sang-Wook trailing behind her.

"It's auntie, she's...well...its best if you see for yourself." He gestured to the bathroom and Kagome arched an eyebrow, it would seem they missed a lot in the few days they had been on the lobby floor.

Sang-Wook grumbled under his breath, the air was tense and it made him bristle, moving his gaze from Kagome and the wheelchair bound man he let his eyes settle on the two kids. They were happily sitting next to each other, chatting amongst themselves as they ate what he assumed was a form of stew.

Looking at them in such a normal setting almost made him forget the world had gone to shit. Such was the innocence of youth, it made him frown, his hands itching to grab a cigarette and light it but he knew if he did Kagome would get irate at him for smoking near the kids.

While he hadn't known her long, he knew her enough to know that these kids were more than just a sense of duty. She genuinely cared for them and would throw hands over them. It was just another random quirk of hers that seemed to draw him in closer. It had shocked him, how quickly and intensely he was drawn to her but honestly at this point he had stopped fighting it.

The world was ending and there was little to no reason for him to fight the attraction to the small female. Sure, it annoyed him that Hyun-Su seemed to have the same attraction but it only made the chase that much more addictive.

"Well, shit." He was pulled from his thoughts at Kagome's whispered words as she stood in the doorway of the bathroom. Moving to stand behind her he blinked at the over sized...fetus that was taking up most of the room.

What, the actual fuck?

He didn't even have to voice his shock, Kagome merely tilted her head as she leaned back against him. He easily held her up, his arms wrapping around her waist to hold her back from moving even further into the room. He ignored the glared burning into the side of his face.

Kagome merely took in the large fetus as it plused, it had the aura of the auntie, so she knew it was her...but she had obviously monsterized. Her form was farm from human yet the aura it gave off was calm and peaceful.

Up until now every full monsterized human they had come across had tried to either kill or eat them. It made hope flare to life in her chest, maybe they were like the demons of old. There were good and bad demons, of course the bad far outweighed the good but the fact of the matter was that there were still good.

Maybe, once everything settled down a sense of balance could bloom to life between those who were monsterized and those who had yet fully change. Sadly it seemed that just like back then, those that were only half monsterized would be feared by both sides. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she turned to look at the Hyun-su giving him a small encouraging smile.

"She doesn't feel dangerous, which gives me hope that not all 'monsters' are bad. That being said, her new form doesn't look very mobile...we should probably leave her here and make our way down to the lobby." She patted Sang-Wook's arm lightly, asking him to let her go. He did so, shutting the door to the bathroom behind them as he followed her and Hyun- Su back into the kitchen area to make a plan of action.

It would be hard to get Han Du-Sik down the fourteen floors that stood between them and the lobby without use of the elevator but it needed to be done. She was loath to admit it but the task would no doubt fall to Sang-Wook and Hyun-Su. She would have to wrangle the kids as well as carry whatever they could fit into the packs on their backs, they would be able to come back for the rest at a later date.

Giving voice to her thoughts they quickly came up with a plan of action. They would rest for the night, packing up what they needed, and leave in the morning. Once they made it to the ground floor they would take over the arcade that they had once been locked in. It would give them the room they needed to have their own space but still be near by each other.

Once fully settled in they would begin to clear the floors one by one, gathering supplies as well as flushing out any monsters that were hiding towards the upper floors. Gaining as much space between them and their 'home'.

The next morning, the group prepared to embark on their mission to expand their base and flush out any lurking monsters. Kagome had explained the plan to the kids, who, although apprehensive, understood the importance of what they were about to do.

With the kids in tow, Kagome and the others made their way down the stairwell. As they moved through the abandoned floors, Kagome couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. The silence was oppressive, and the deserted apartments were a stark reminder of the world they now lived in. The group pressed on, determined to reach the ground floor where the kids would be safe.

Sang-Wook and Hyun-Su took the lead, clearing rooms and ensuring the way was safe for Kagome, the kids, and Han Du-Sik. They moved with a practiced efficiency, dispatching any monsters they encountered. Kagome, on the other hand, focused on keeping the children calm and distracted from the grim reality outside.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they reached the lobby floor. The once-familiar space had become a makeshift home, and it was time to make it official. Leaving the others to talk with the larger group of survivors on the main floor, Kagome led the kids to the arcade area they had decided to claim as their living space. It was a small oasis of normalcy in a world gone mad, with the flashing lights and colorful games offering a brief escape from the horrors outside.

They could has out the finer details and bring her up to speed on the plans going forward, for now she wanted to get the kids settled in. Their trek had been a long and perilous one, it was clear to her to the kids were exhausted in every sense of the word. Setting the bags on the floor she smiled at them as they gazed up at her from their seated positions. "You can relax now, this will be our new home. You guys start unpacking when you feel like it. I'm going to check in with the others." They nodded, excited that they would get to set up their new base!

Exiting the room she placed an ofuda on the door, making sure it would alert her should anyone or anything attempt to enter without her permission. Making her way to the large group loudly discussing their arrival she came to stand between Hyun-Su and Sang-Wook, clearing her throat she spoke up.

"Look, can we iron out the finer details tomorrow? We're tired. All we need to know right now is that the arcade is going to be our base, we're here to stay and we will pull our weight and the kids. If you have a problem with it, then we'll just keep to ourselves and gather our own supplies. Otherwise we can all work together. For now I'm taking these guys." She wrapped a hand around each of the wrists of the males flanking her and jutted her chin in Han Du-Sik's direction. "To go rest, its been a long day." With that she turned her head away from the group and began to lead the three males away with her towards their new home.

They settled in, making the arcade more homey with their meager belongings. It was cramped, but it would do for now. The plan was to clear the remaining upper floors one by one, gradually pushing the monsters away from their newfound sanctuary.

As they gathered around a makeshift table to eat a simple meal, Kagome couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope. They were survivors, adapting to a world that had turned into a nightmare. And in the midst of the chaos, they had found a sense of unity and purpose.

With the arcade as their home base, they were ready to face the challenges that lay ahead. Together, they would carve out a new life in this hostile world, one floor at a time.

Chapter Text

Chapter Seventeen

Days in the apartment complex began to fall into a rhythm that felt almost familiar, almost safe. The group of survivors—Kagome, Hyun-su, Sang-wook, Jung Jae-Heon, Yoon Ji-Su, and the soldier they'd nicknamed Soldier Boi—became an efficient unit, each with their role during their supply runs. The air crackled with a mix of caution and camaraderie as they ventured out, tense yet determined.

Kagome, practical and strategic as ever, had suggested they start sweeping the building floor by floor. "We need to push the monsters higher," she said one night, pointing to a rough map she'd drawn on a scrap of paper. Her finger traced the path from the lobby up through the complex. "If we clear the lower levels first, we'll expand our base and force them up. It'll give us breathing room and cut down on the surprises."

Hyun-su nodded, his usually distant eyes sharpening with purpose. "It makes sense. We can control where they go."

Sang-wook crossed his arms, a habitual scowl fixed on his face, but he nodded in agreement. His tough exterior belied the trust that had begun to bloom among them. Jung Jae-Heon, always the voice of reason, murmured a prayer under his breath before speaking. "It is wise. We must take these measures to survive."

The next morning, they set out, armed with makeshift weapons, flashlights, and a few lingering scraps of hope. The silence of the hallways was deceptive; every shadow and broken piece of furniture held potential danger. Kagome led the group with Soldier Boi taking the rear, vigilant eyes scanning for any sign of movement.

They started on the ground floor, methodically checking rooms and sweeping through corridors. Dust clung to their clothes, and the scent of mold and decay was suffocating. Jae-Heon and Ji-Su worked as a quiet pair, Ji-Su's steady hands ready to play lookout as Jae-Heon checked doors, whispering reassurances.

A sudden noise made them all freeze—Hyun-su's head jerked up, eyes wide and alert. Sang-wook raised his bat, muscles tensed. Kagome's heart raced as she lifted her bow, arrow nocked and ready. From a darkened stairwell, a monstrous screech rang out, followed by the sound of heavy, erratic footfalls.

"Flush them up!" Kagome yelled, voice low but commanding. The group shifted as one, stepping back and corralling the creature into the stairs. It thrashed and lunged, grotesque limbs clawing at the air, but was forced up by their relentless movements and well-placed blows.

The screeches faded as the monster scrambled higher, leaving silence in its wake. They exchanged glances, the tension easing slightly.

"That's one less problem for the ground floors," Ji-Su whispered, a hint of relief in her voice.

Sang-wook grunted in agreement, lowering his bat but not his guard. Kagome's expression softened, eyes meeting each of theirs in silent acknowledgment. They were tired, worn thin by the constant fight for survival, but today felt like a step forward—a small victory in a world where victories were rare.

"We keep moving," she said, leading them onward. The sweep wasn't over yet.

Cursing under her breath Kagome kicked off from the ground, her body turning to avoid the monster that lunged after her. Hyun-Su was quick to tackle it into an open apartment, the sound of the two fighting echoing from the doorway. Moving to rush to his aid she yelped as she felt a large hand wrap around her arm and drag her down the hall.

Turning to glare at Sang-Wook she moved to yell at him yet bit it back as he shook his head and pointed at the end of the hallway they were moving away from. Three more monsters were lumbering out of one of the apartments. She felt worry flash to life for the well being of Hyun-Su yet it was pushed away as she felt his aura pulse in amusement, his dark laugh echoing down the hall as he began to tear into the almost never ending stream of monsters.

Well, it looked like he would be fine on his own. They just had to worry about themselves at the moment it would seem. So she was mute as she let Sang- Wook drag her down a flight of stairs or two, leading her into an apartment they cleared the day before.

Shutting the door behind him Sang-Wook let out a tired sigh as he flopped on the twin bed, kicking his feet up not at all caring that he still had his shoes on. He knew Hyun-Su would be okay, the boy was strong when in his monster form, a fact that he at times envied, so he mused it would be okay if he and Kagome sat this one out. He knew she had been running herself ragged the last few days and could use some rest. He himself was running on fumes, between gathering supplies for everyone and keeping an eye out for the sick bastard he was looking for. He wanted a break.

Kagome rolled her eyes at him as she flopped on the bed next to him, pulling her powers into herself to let them rest and recover. It felt like a never ending battle, save up some energy, use it, run on fumes, and then rest them again until she had a little bit built up. It was a stupid cycle and she knew it would bite her in the ass one of these days but she didn't have the luxury of letting them fully recover.

"Oh don't work so hard." The sarcastic humor in her voice made Sang-Wook smirk around the half smoked cigarette in between his lips. One arm resting under his head as a pillow, the other one he threw around Kagome's waist and tugged her closer, making her gasp as he settled his hand on her hip. Her head resting on his chest as he gave a low grumbling rumble.

"What, afraid your little lover boy can't handle it on his own?" The small amount of jealousy in his voice didn't escape Kagome and it made her roll her eyes. She had thought she made it perfectly clear she was interested in both of them...why did she always fall for the dense guys?

Sighing heavily she shifted and kicked her leg out, rolling over to straddle his waist. Grinning down at him as he let out a startled grunt. Leaning down so her eyes were level with his, her hair creating a curtain of black around them she willed him to get the picture. "I don't know how much clearer I can be but I'm just not into him, but you as well."

Sang-Wook's eyebrows shot up into his hairline at her words. S-she was into both of them?! Well shit, he had never even thought of that possibility, he was a possessive man by nature, he never shared anything period so the thought of sharing a woman was foreign to him...part of him was angry that she would want them both but the other part mused that Kagome was a rare woman. She knew what she wanted and she went after it, so was this really that out of character for her? No.

It was part of what drew him to her and he knew that if there was one woman who could handle not only him but Hyun-Su it would be her. Just like he knew that he was the only one suited to wrangle not only herself but Hyun-Su and vice versa, not that he was one to be wrangled but he knew that sometimes he went and pushed things too far and the two were often there to help reign him back in...

Kagome frowned, had she broken him? Ever since she had spoken he had fallen quiet, his eyes sliding shut as he seemed to ponder the meaning of life. Poking his cheek she smiled as his eyebrow twitched. "Hello, earth to Sang-Wook...you in there?" Her voice was layered with humor as he cracked his eyes open to give her a mock glare.

"That's a lot to drop on a man ya know...I'm not one to be an eskimo brother with anyone...but I guess it wouldn't be so bad with the kid...but I ain't touching balls with him." He grinned as she flushed at his vulgar words, her hand smacking his chest lightly.

"Of course you would go right to the sex part of a relationship!" She laughed as he settled his hand on the swell of her hip giving it a firm squeeze.

"Says the woman sitting on top of me." He grinned darkly as he pressed his semi hard member into her. Loving the way she turned an even darker shade of pink, he grinned around his half smoked cigarette. He was merely teasing, he knew it wasn't really the time nor the place for such activities. Hell they could still hear Hyun-Sun fighting a few floors above them, though it sounded like the fight was on the move and moving away from them.

Meaning that they would have to track him down once everything fell silent. Great, because he really wanted to play hide and seek when he could be doing other things...

Kagome knew he was teasing her, yet part of her grew excited. Her pulse picking up as wetness began to gather between her thighs. It had been so damn long since she had even thought of being with a man...let alone wanted one and here she was with one of the two who had been pulling at her very instincts.

The world had gone to hell, humanity was fucked...so why shouldn't she be?

It was only natural given the situation, they could literally be killed any given moment and they were obviously attracted to each other so why not give in and just let it happen? If she was going to die tomorrow she might as well die having no regrets right?

Deciding to say fuck it, and him, she ground her hips into his, loving the way his mouth dropped open to let his cigarette fall from his lips with a hiss. "Ka-" She cut him off, her lips sealing over his, her tongue plunging into his mouth. Part of her shivered as the taste of the cigarettes touched her tongue first yet she pushed through the foul taste and deepened the kiss, tasting his own unique flavor under the surface.

Groaning into her kiss he could only lay there and let her plunder his mouth, the hand on her hip gripping tightly as he moved his other hand to rest on her opposite him to pull her down. Her hot core grinding against his full erection. He broke the kiss, nipping her lips harshly as he began a trail of hot open mouth kisses to her neck, once there he latched on and began to nibble and suck. Smirking as she moaned, her hands tangling in his hair as she ground more firmly into him.

He sat up, making her slide into his lap, his fingertips slipping up under her shirt to touch her smooth skin. He moved his way from her neck down her collar bone, using his nose to open her shirt a bit more. Kagome quickly moved her hands from his hair to unbutton her blouse, her fingers trembling as he kissed his way down to her cleavage, the scruff from his five o clock shadow making her nipples harden from the friction.

Sang-Wook used deft fingers to unhook the clasp of her bra, letting her full breasts fall free from the black binding. He was quick to capture a hardened nippled between his teeth, tugging on it lightly before soothing it with a languid lick of his tongue. Biting her lip to keep quiet, Kagome wrapped her legs around his waist. Hands moving back to his hair to tug on it so that he let her abused nippled fall from his hot mouth with a wet pop. She urged his lips to meet hers again, moaning into his mouth as he ground his hips into her hot core.

Breaking the kiss he moved his lips to her ear, biting her ear lobe lightly. "I need to be in you..." His words made her shiver as she nodded, unwrapping her legs from his waist she rose to her knees to unbutton and unzip her pants. She began to pull her legs from them, leaving only one leg still in them as he undid his own button and zipper. Shifting around she freed his fully erect manhood from the opening of his boxers, one hand pulling his wallet from his back pocket. He quickly pulled out a condom and tore it open with his teeth.

Kagome arched an eyebrow at him, and laughed as he rolled his eyes at her, putting the condom on as he spit the tinfoil out of his mouth. "What, better to have it and not need it then need it and not have it..." She laughed lightly at him but nodded. She herself had an unopened pack in her purse. Wherever it was...probably still in her work truck...

Her mind went blank as she felt his fingers poke and prod at her weeping core. Her blood seemed to turn into liquid fire, his fingers rubbing her clit to get her wetter and more prepared for his intrusion. Jerking she buried her face in the crook of his neck, her breathing and moans echoing in his ear making him harder.

He had to be in her, now.

With a quick repositioning and a harsh thrust of his hips his tip sank into her. They both let out moans as her heat stretched around him, welcoming him inside. He stilled for only a second, letting out a deep rattling sigh before he began pounding into her. There was nothing soft and loving about it, they were fucking. Pure and simple, using each other to reach new heights of pleasure with the other.

Kagome's breasts were bouncing from the harsh powerful thrusts of the strong man under her, her fingers curled in his hair tugging at it as she begged him to go faster, deeper. He could only groan as his grip on her hips became bruising, the large callous fingers digging into her soft palpable flesh. They both knew she would have bruises the next day and neither of them cared.

"Fuck." The word was ground out as he moved his hips, drilling into her. If she felt this good with a condom on he wondered what it would be like to go raw dog...he would have to find out at a later time. Right now he needed to focus on making her feel good and in turn making himself feel good.

He picked up his pace, leaning forward so that he was on his knees, Kagome's small body arching off the bed as she sagged, her face flushed and her eyes squeezed shut. Her large full breasts jiggled with each powerful thrust of his and it made his balls tighten as she lifted a hand to her mouth and began to suck and nibble on her own fingers to keep quiet.

It was hard to breathe, her breath was coming out in quick pants, her body was on fire, she was so damn close. She could feel her orgasm building, and as if sensing it he moved a hand between the joined bodies and roughly rubbed her clit. She let out a choked sob as she came, wave after wave of pleasure washing over her as she sagged like a limp rag doll.

"Fuck, fuck!" He gave a few more deep thrusts, his balls tingling as he emptied himself into the condom. His body tensing before going lax as he bent over her, his sweaty forehead resting on her shoulder. They laid there, their breathing coming out in pants as they slowly came down from their own orgasms. Sang-Wook groaned as he pulled himself from her, quickly taking off and disposing of the used condom via letting it fall on the ground next to the bed. Fumbling around he grabbed the nearby sheet and cleaned himself up before offering an unspoiled corner to Kagome. Kagome merely groaned, still laying there as she tried to remember how to breathe properly.

He gave a cocky grin as he decided to clean up his mess, giving a dark smirk as she jerked when he gave her clit a small tweak. "Jerk." He gave a shit eating grin as he pulled her leg out of her pants leaving her in her panties and opened button up shirt. He could feel his cock twitch at the errotic site she made yet forced it to calm down.

Kicking off his own pants, leaving him in his boxers and shirt he moved to lay next to her, gathering her in his arms, he pressed a kiss to her still semi sweaty forehead as she grumbled at him yet snuggled closer. "You get first watch." He grumbled but nodded. "Not the only thing I got first..." Kagome rolled her eyes at him yet let her eyes slide shut.

Chapter Text

The next day, Kagome and Sang-Wook returned to the makeshift shelter, relieved yet weary from their overnight excursion. As they stepped inside the main room, the air crackled with tension, but they found a familiar face that made it easier to breathe. Hyun-Su stood at the back of the room, leaning casually against the wall, his sharp eyes scanning the newcomers. The moment he caught sight of them, his expression softened, only to be met by Sang-Wook’s cocky smirk.

“Miss us?” Sang-Wook quipped, his tone laced with bravado as he dropped a heavy bag onto the table, rattling its contents.

Kagome rolled her eyes but couldn’t suppress the smile that tugged at her lips. “Ignore him,” she said, striding over to Hyun-Su. “It’s good to see you. What did we miss while we were out?”

Hyun-Su sighed, brushing a hand through his hair. “Not much, just the usual. More complaints, more demands. People weren’t too happy when I couldn’t bring back everything on their lists. And you two being out overnight didn’t help.”

Kagome’s smile faltered, replaced by a look of concern. She glanced at Sang-Wook, whose smirk had shifted to a grimace as he caught snippets of the hushed conversations and glares being thrown their way. The division among the group was growing, an invisible rift that widened with each unmet expectation and miscommunication.

The runners—those who ventured out into the treacherous upper floors for supplies and information—were starting to bear the brunt of frustration from the others who spent their days hidden, idle, and demanding. Kagome knew it was unsustainable, but it wasn’t until everything came to a head that she realized just how bad things had gotten.

Two days later, the blow finally landed.

The sound of raised voices and an urgent scuffle echoed through the narrow halls. Kagome’s heart clenched when she rushed into the room and found Hyun-Su lying pale and unconscious, blood seeping through a hastily wrapped bandage around his arm. He’d been injured on a run for a trivial item, something that had seemed unimportant until now. The room fell silent as Sang-Wook stood tense beside her, his jaw tight and eyes blazing with barely controlled fury.

“That’s it,” Kagome said, her voice cutting through the heavy quiet like a blade. Her gaze swept over the room, landing on the clusters of wide-eyed survivors who looked away guiltily. “This ends now.”

Sang-Wook raised an eyebrow but said nothing, letting Kagome take the lead. She straightened her back, a determined fire lighting up her eyes. Here she was, alongside Hyun-su and occasionally Sang-Wook, risking her life to venture out into the complex to find food, water and just over all everyday supplies and they, fully able bodied adults, were lazying about without a care in the world.

"You guys really need to start pulling your weight around here." Her voice was even, not showing a hint of her anger. Even so it made a few of those she was talking to bristle as she called them out on their laziness.

"What gives you the right to try and boss us around?" Leveling the male with a blank look she decided to try a different approach, she was not in the mood to deal with wounded male egos.

"Look, I’m not trying to tell you what to do but trust me when I say I speak from experience. You guys really need to get up and start helping around here. We won't always be here to save you or go out on supply runs...what happens if we get separated or worse?"

She paused to let her words sink in. "You guys need to know how to survive not only in here but out there . There's no telling when or if help will come or who is going to turn next or if at all. At the very least you need to know the basics."

She turned to the young soldier, giving him a small smile. "He can start some self defense classes as well as basic survival tips and tricks. I'm more than willing to share the knowledge I've gathered in my years as well whatever else you think I can help with. And as much as I hate to say it, Du-Sik isn't getting any younger. At least one of you should try to learn under him so that we're not left with our asses hanging out."

She gave a small apologetic grin to the old man as he grumbled under his breath about whippersnappers, a tone of family playfulness lining his words .

Cha Jin-Ok cleared her throat, deciding to offer her expertise as well. "I will continue to offer my educational lessons to the children and anyone else that would like a refresher course. I used to be a middle school teacher before I opened my day care." Piece said she sat back down and waited for someone else to speak.

Eun- Hyeok shoved his glasses up the thin bridge of his nose. "I'm not a fully medically trained doctor, yet, but I have more than enough textbooks at my disposal." One by one the residents put what skills they thought could benefit everyone on the table. It made Kagome smile, glad to finally see everyone come together, it gave her the sense of pack that she had been longing for.

Son Hye-In cleared her throat slightly shifting closer to Kagome to whisper into her ear. "I don't have a lot of...skills per say but I know just about everyone who lives here and can give insight when it comes to future supply runs..."  

Nodding Kagome eagerly gestured for her to follow her to a nearby table and they began talking and making lists of who lived in what apartment as well as who might be more liable to have certain items in said homes.

Sang-wook rolled his unlit cigarette between his teeth, his mind reeling from the sudden change in the room’s atmosphere. He didn't know how she did it but she seemed to calm everyone and pull them together.

Already the air in the room felt warmer, lighter.

Hope sparking to life in the otherwise depressed and fearful residents.

It made his skin crawl, it wasn't that he didn't like the shift because honestly he was glad everyone was ready to get off their asses it was just the fact that he felt like an outsider looking in.

It was a feeling he should be used to, hell he had been, but by spending so much time with Kagome and Hyun-Su was making him go soft.

It was turning him weak and he could not afford to let that go on. He still had to find that fucking bastard and put an end to him otherwise there was a great chance it would come back to bite him in the ass.

Mind made up he pushed off the wall near the doorway he had been leaning on. The faster he found that damn chomo the faster he could snuff him out.

He paused as Hyun- Su placed a hand on his arm, his eyes meeting his. Normally the younger man would quickly advert his gaze to the ground. Instead he not only held it but seemed to tilt his chin up a bit. It made a small sense of pride spark to life inside of him.

Being around Kagome, and in turn himself,  was good for the young man, it was helping the normally timid young man grow a pair.

"If you're going out on your own again you should at least let her know." Hyun-Su’s voice was a bit louder then its normal low tempo and it made him want to snort. While he was glad the boy was finally finding his back bone he was not anywhere near where he needed to be if he thought he could tell him what to do.

As if realizing the effect of his words on the older male he swallowed lightly, his tone losing a smidge of its confidence. "I mean, you don't want her to worry or come chasing after you, again, do you?" 

Sang-wook let a sigh escape through his nose, Hyun-Su was right, if he didn't at least tell her he was going out she would track him down just to harp his ear off. 

It was like she had taken up the role of his old lady without even realizing it. Nodding at the young man he gave a short whistle making everyone turn to look at him, Kagome included. Tilting his head he mentioned for her to follow after him and ignored the small annoyed huff that left Hyun-Su as he jerked his arm out of his grasp.

Kagome could only roll her eyes at Sang-wook's antics. The cocky jerk was lucky she thought he was cute...

The woman she had been talking to looked horrified, "He can't just whistle at you like you're some dog!!" The dog in her arms gave a low yip as if in agreement with its owner.

Waving off the older woman's words she moved to follow after Sang-wook. "It's fine, its just part of his charm. Don't worry, I'll be right back." She smiled at Hyun-su as he followed her into the hallway shutting the door behind them to give the three of them some privacy.

The acidic scent of his lit cigarette made her nose burn, without thinking about it she gave his arm a light smack. “You know you can't smoke in here!" He let loose a deep chuckle as he took a long drag of his smoke, just to spite her.

"What you gonna do? Spank me?" The teasing in his voice was clear for them to hear and made a light dusting of pink bloom on her cheeks as she crossed her arms under her chest.

"You wish, so what's up? You gunna go all lone ranger again?" She knew that big groups were not his thing and if he felt more comfortable venturing out on his own she wasn't going to stop him. She did however expect him to at least have the common courtesy of telling her when he had the itch to venture off.

Yet again he was surprised by how well she knew him and in turn how well Hyun-Su knew her.

Seeing the two flirt so openly in front of him made Hyun-Su squirm and his blood itch. Just beyond the two of them he could see a vision of his other self, a dark scowl on its lips as its pitch black gaze glared at Sang-wook.

Without missing a beat Kagome reached out her hand grasping his in a light comforting grip, her gaze never leaving Sang-wook as they bantered playfully.

Releasing a deep sigh Sang-wook snubbed out his cigarette on the already stained wall. The foul taste lingering in it having nothing to do with the cancer stick he had been puffing on moments before.

"Look, I probably won't be back for a few days, a week at most. So try not to miss me too much." His voice had lost its playful edge and instead held a small hint of jealousy in it.

Internally rolling her eyes as she read the room, Kagome could only shake her head.

Men.

They always had to make everything a pissing contest.

"Relax, I think you're both pretty. So you can stop with the pissing contest." She ignored both of their dumb founded looks and continued on, her voice layered with sincerity instead of mischief. "Thank you for letting me know that you're going off on your own. Really, it means a lot that you keep me in the loop. I'm sure Hyun-Su and I can hold down the fort but don't make us wait any longer then we have to." She stressed the word us, hoping both men weren't daft enough that she had to spell it out for them.

Again.

If they were then that was tough shit for them because she had way too much on her plate to have a sit down with them and put all her cards on the table, again.

Once things had fallen into a routine she would pull them both aside and spell out her feelings and intent in large bold letters, again. Until then she would have to hope they were smart enough to put three and three together and maybe this time it would stick.