Disclaimer: I don't own Gensomaden Saiyuki, which rightfully belongs to Minekura Kazuya.
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: Sanzo/Goku, hinted Gojyo/Hakkai
Warnings: language, eventual shounen ai/yaoi, some violence
Notes: Thanks to everyone that’s reviewed so far. They are muchly appreciated. I don’t normally address reviewers in my notes (well, not lately) but in response to Destiny’s Light’s question—this is going to have six parts to it. For once, I’ve written everything before I’ve posted it. ^^;
Have been listening to Mariah Carey lately and somehow got an idea for a Dougan-fic, so I’m more working on that than anything else. Mariah Carey has a really lovely voice; I never tire listening to it, even if it’s been a while since I put her whole playlist on repeat. ^^;; It’d be so shiny to make music videos with her music…
Oh yeah—I also finally saw episodes 19-22 recently. YAY! Seiten Taisei! XD Episode 22 is my new favourite and makes me even more happy that I wrote this fic.
Constructive criticism and feedback is always appreciated. Thanks.
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The Becoming by D-chan
Part 2

In the end, it turned out there was a good reason Sanzo had Goku come along with him. As the blonde had suspected, the inn was full. Holidays were drawing near, so many people were either visiting families or traveling on their way to visit families. Sanzo spent the rest of the night in Goku's room and was gone by the time the boy had woken up.

Goku wasn't unsettled by the discovery. Nothing felt out of the ordinary; Sanzo was an early riser, even when he hadn't had much sleep. The longest time he slept was when he was out cold for days on end, otherwise he only got a few hours of sleep a night. Stretching languidly, Goku decided to take a quick shower before getting dressed.

By the time he was down for breakfast, the others were halfway done with theirs. Sanzo seemed to have finished, but he was still working on a cup of coffee as he read the newspaper. If he noted Goku's arrival, he made no indication to show it. Hakkai, however, greeted him pleasantly enough, and Gojyo started their first fight of the day by making a move for the last of the sausage.

Goku had half a pork bun worked into his mouth when Sanzo set down his cup so suddenly and loudly it made him start. The monk didn't look at any of his companions, preferring to keep his gaze on his fingers still curled around the handle of his mug. Calmly, bluntly, he said, "One other was killed last night."

No one seemed sure how to react to that. At last, Gojyo said, "Yeah, and?"

"Just something to note."

"Was there anything unusual about them?" Hakkai asked with familiar calm. Though his movements were fluid and relaxed, his visible eye was hard and focused.

Sanzo took another gulp of coffee before responding. "Same as the others. Young woman, fairly good-looking, surprisingly pretty clean death." He meant surprisingly because most murderers that killed for fun would enjoy tearing up a body, inflicting torture upon the victim. The victims here had been killed with one stroke, one vicious, messy stab through the heart. Unless there was a struggle, no further harm was done to them.

Goku finished off his bun, unperturbed. Very few things could quell his appetite, and gruesome details certainly wasn't one of them. Besides, one learned to grow used to it after living with Sanzo for so long. The man didn't soften anything, delivering his blows at their hardest.

Gojyo swore beneath his hand, glaring at the wall as though to blame it for the issue. "Another woman? What's with these sexist demons anyway?"

"Don't forget, Sanzo was attacked last night. Some young men have been killed as well," Hakkai pointed out.

"Sounds like he's going for the pretty ones, then," Goku commented off-handedly, making a grab for the last meat bun.

Gojyo shot him a skeptical look, and Goku didn't understand why until he said, "Are you saying he went after Sanzo because he's *pretty*?"

A loud click caused all but Hakkai to flinch. "Just what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Sanzo snarled, looking ready to put a bullet between Gojyo's ears. If there was one thing Gojyo knew Sanzo hated, it was being called pretty or effeminate in any way. That was the only reason Gojyo seemed keen on using the insult every so often; too often was testing Sanzo's patience too much, even for him.

Before Goku could answer -- and really, he wasn't sure what to say to that anyway -- Hakkai said, "Now, now, let's just think a moment. All we want to do is get rid of this guy so we can continue on our merry way in the morning. Correct?"

At last, Sanzo lowered the gun and tucked it back into his robes. "As soon as possible, preferably." Gojyo's sigh of relief was quickly stifled.

"Damn it; the demon only comes out at night," he argued. "What the hell are we supposed to do until then? Hunt him down?"

"Too bothersome," Sanzo answered automatically. "We should think of a plan. Something. Anything that works."

"At this point, a full-out, obvious attack may be best," Hakkai said.

"Kind of hard to surprise the surpriser, huh?" Gojyo tapped the table, impatient to step out for a smoke. Much to his and Sanzo's annoyance, the innkeeper wouldn't have any of that in his dining area.

Hakkai shook his head. "We just don't have a good enough idea of how he'll attack."

Goku listened attentively to the conversation but was lacking anything to add to it. Besides, he didn't mind listening so long as he could keep his mouth busy by eating. He still hadn't finished his breakfast-- and it gave him the opportunity to snatch whatever Gojyo was too distracted to grab at first.

When his opinion was needed or wanted, they would let him know. If they said something he didn't agree with or got confused by, he would let them know. Until then, he was far too busy with other things and half distracted with his own thoughts.

"So what, we should just lie ourselves out on the streets with a huge sign pointing to us and saying, 'Fresh Meat Here'?" Gojyo was arguing. He seemed to be getting tenser the longer he was forced to wait for his morning smoke. "He doesn't even eat his victims; he just kills 'em!"

"I'm saying," Sanzo said tightly, "that we should find a way to direct him to us."

"He may come back for you," Hakkai said mildly. "After all, there's a chance you saw him."

Sanzo's voice lowered, meant for only his companions to hear. "I didn't."

Hakkai's voice also dropped a few levels. "Yes, but he doesn't know that." Then he spoke normally again. "I don't think he'd take any chances. Nobody else seems to know what he looks like, and the chance that you might wouldn't be good for him at all."

"So what? We just sit back and wait?" Gojyo asked.

Shrugging, Hakkai admitted, "I don't think there's anything else we *can* do. It's impossible to guard every good-looking person, even in a town this small."

The table rocked as Gojyo pushed away from it, standing so swiftly he nearly knocked his chair over. "Fine. Get back to me on the fine details." With that he was out the front door, carrying a pack of Hi-Lites and a lighter with him.

Sanzo finally picked up his fallen newspaper again, trying to focus on the articles before him. He didn't see the words; they blurred before his eyes. Instead he saw the dark room, silhouettes shifting and dancing in an unlit area. This demon was different, far different from most others they had encountered-- for one, it was at least somewhat clever. It had been able to time its attack so that no matter how Sanzo dodged, part of him would be injured. It wasn't just pure luck that it had clawed him; it had been perfect timing.

Not only that, it seemed as though it had been *expecting* him to carry a weapon-- and a deadly one at that. How many people carried a gun? How many even knew how to shoot one? And how many that could do both had bullets specially designed to cause a demon great pain and injury? This demon seemed to have predicted everything. Sanzo had seen an unmistakable glint in those black eyes, the same look he'd seen often enough in Goku's eyes. The demon had been excited at the prospect of a challenge. Sanzo had no doubts it would come again. Tonight. Looking to kill him.

That wasn't a problem. This time Sanzo had allies to back him up. He was reluctant to admit it, but their assistance may come in handy for this particular nuisance. But he was sure that after tonight the demon would be dead and they would be on their way west. It was no different from any other demon.

He whacked Goku's hand as it sneaked for the last roll, claiming it as his own.

The day ended high-strung. The four had retired to their respective rooms -- Sanzo still had to share a room with Goku, which seemed to only make him more irritable -- and none seemed able to relax. Gojyo was pacing the floor of his room, smoking so much that soon the entire room was curtained with a thin cloud of cigarette smoke. He ran a hand through his hair, half tempted to throw his cigarette out. Actually, he was just in the mood to throw things, anything that would relieve his tension. It was annoying.

The plan seemed too simple to him, but Sanzo insisted it was the only way to go about it. There was a couple of unspoken options, but no one was eager to act upon them. Still, they were almost preferable to Gojyo.

Almost. Some risks even he wouldn't take.

Hakkai spent a good portion of the evening simply sitting on the bed, wondering if there was really a better way to execute the plan. Right now there wasn't; all their doors were to be kept unlocked so they wouldn't have a problem of getting inside like they had last night. At the first sound of struggle, he and Gojyo would be bursting into the room, ready to fight if need be. It was *very* likely it would be a "need be" situation.

Something seemed off, but there wasn't a single thing he could think of to help him place a finger on it. It was admittedly very frustrating. While he waited for the demon to show up, there was nothing else to do but sit and wonder.

Down the hallway, Sanzo seemed to have claimed the bed. He sat on the edge of it, polishing his gun with extreme care. It was a nightly ritual; he had to keep the Smith & Wesson in good condition. It had served him well this long; he wasn't about to lose it to poor care. Less concerned with the gun and more concerned about the owner was Goku, who was sitting rather docile on the floor, hugging a pillow to his chest. His chin rested on the top of it, his golden eyes fixated on his keeper. If Sanzo was disturbed by the attention, he didn't say anything about it.

After a while, Goku couldn't seem to keep quiet any longer. "Sanzo--"

"Shut up." The order was quiet, not said in the usual rough tone that Goku was used to. It made him flinch; this softness was more deadly than any coarse voice Sanzo had ever used. The monk's hands had stopped, the cloth still half covering the gun, but he didn't look anywhere else but down. His eyes had narrowed to slits; he was clearly preoccupied. "Your voice," he continued, slipping a bit more back into the old Sanzo's voice, "is offending my ears."

Goku said nothing to that. "You don't think this plan will work?"

Sanzo gave up on polishing; he tossed the rag carelessly into a corner. "No," he said bluntly, despite his earlier verbal wish for the boy to shut up. "It's a stupid plan, but we don't have any other choice. Doesn't mean I like it."

"I don't, either. He's creepy."

"You never even saw him, you stupid monkey."

"Didn't have to. I could feel him last night. I smelled him." Goku frowned. "But I couldn't place his scent. And I could have sworn I saw him, but it's impossible... I can't see through walls."

The blonde was giving him a skeptical look. "No," he agreed at last. "You can't."

Glancing out the window told Goku it was growing dark. Normally they would be setting camp, securing a hotel room, or sleeping right about now. Without having to be told, he clambered to his feet and, with a puff of breath, blew out the sole candle lighting the room. They were both plunged into utter darkness, and Goku felt a chill creep along his spine. It was unpleasant.

He could hear rustling and could faintly make out Sanzo lying down. Any other night he would have complained, protested to have the bed since it was, rightfully, *his* room, that he deserved to at least have a blanket for his sacrifice. Tonight, however, he didn't plan on sleeping. He settled down on the floor, trying to adjust himself comfortably on the wooden boards. At last he found a tolerable position and lay there for a long time, staring at the ceiling, timing the monk's breathing and counting his own heartbeat. After a few minutes he could find an odd rhythm between them.

That was the way it was; he and Sanzo shared some sort of bond that made them step to similar steps, move to similar evasions, and generally have a similar thought process. It was impossible for them to be exactly in synch since their thought processes tended to go in opposite directions half the time. Still there was... something... that connected them, and right then Goku felt he was getting closer to the heart of that connection.

He must have drifted off, because he was jolted to awareness when something warm and heavy fell on him. "Huh...?" he mumbled sleepily.

"Shut up. If you're not going to keep watch, go to sleep. I can't."

Goku didn't argue, simply accepted that with a nod and pulled the offered blanket around him tighter, quickly falling back into the crevices of dreamland.

Sanzo, true to his word, was unable to sleep. He supposed he should have kicked Goku for falling asleep, but really, what else could he have expected from a child? He slid closer to the window, opening it. Outside smelled like cold rain, but no water fell from the sky. He lit a cigarette.

The first signal that someone had entered the room was a floorboard in the middle of the room creaking a bit too loudly. Sanzo pretended he hadn't heard, posing his hand so he would be ready to drop the cigarette out the window and reach for his gun at the same time.

Before the intruder could strike, it tripped. Apparently it hadn't even noticed Goku, being too preoccupied with Sanzo. Goku grunted in response, rolling across the floor. "Nyoi-bou!" There was a crash; Goku had tried to strike the demon but had missed, hitting the floor instead. The brunette cursed.

Sanzo hadn't been idle. His cigarette was long gone, his gun out and held ready as he searched for any telltale sign of the demon. Where were Gojyo and Hakkai? Perhaps they had fallen asleep as well; the idiots...

The door crashed open, sending that train of thought flying out the window. At the same moment Hakkai was shouting something made unintelligible by the pounding in Sanzo's ears. Even without words, he could understand the motions the man was making. He threw himself to the side, his shoulder crashing into a wall at the same time Goku's battle cry resounded through the air.

This time the demon was hit. It went flying, rolling painfully across the floor. Hall light flooded the room. Time stilled for a brief moment, and that was all anyone needed to get a decent look at their foe.

Black, leathery skin stretched out over sinewy limbs, dirty and dulled so as not to reflect any light. The eyes and short hair matched; it was hard to tell where the flesh stopped and the hair started. The whites of his eyes were actually a sickly gray, too dark to even be called off-white. It was tall, likely able to tower over even Gojyo.

Without full advantage of the darkness, it seemed at a loss. It moved quickly, darting past Sanzo and aiming for the open window. Sanzo fired off two rounds; the first missed, but the second must have hit because the demon shrieked. It was a loud, high-pitched sound that made Goku clamp his hands over his ears, Gojyo and Hakkai cringe, and Sanzo desperately wish he had killed it with one shot.

In the next moment there was a ringing silence, broken only by Goku's slightly winded breath.

"Damn."

That was Gojyo. The half-breed stepped fully into the room, striding up to the window and peering out. When nothing attacked him, he stuck his head out and looked around, growling softly.

"Damn it!" he exploded, jerking back in and hitting his head on the windowpane. A string of curses fell from his lips as he clutched his head. Sanzo rolled his eyes.

"He got away," Goku complained, stating the obvious.

"Unfortunately," Hakkai added, a bit unnecessarily. He frowned faintly at Gojyo. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah..."

Sanzo closed his eyes. He didn't like that the demon had eluded them a second time. It was *far* too clever to be one of Kougaiji's assassins; those idiots didn't know when to give up, didn't seem to realize that sometimes backing off and re-strategizing was the best way to go. This demon understood. He was good-- and Sanzo didn't like that. It was bothersome.

Finished nursing his head, Gojyo leaned against the nearest wall, folding his arms over his chest. "Now what?" he asked, glaring at the monk. "Since this shitty plan *obviously* didn't work..."

Sanzo returned the look. "I didn't hear you coming up with anything better." Then he turned to Hakkai, his glare losing its malice. "What?"

Green eyes rose, looking thoughtful. "Something about him seemed strange... but I can't quite figure out what."

"Sleep on it," said Sanzo shortly. "It won't do us any good at this point."

Goku, who had nearly fallen asleep leaning against his staff, jerked up again at the sound of Sanzo's voice. "Huh?"

Gojyo snorted. "The monkey can barely keep his eyes open anyway."

Glaring, Goku struggled with a retort. "Shut up, you--" He broke off in a wide yawn. "--perverted water sprite," he finally finished.

In the end they acted upon Sanzo's suggestion. Even before the door had shut, Goku had fallen asleep on the floor. Sanzo stepped over him to shut the window, but he didn't move to go to bed. Instead he continued staring outside, brow creased with thought.

The door hadn't opened. He would have heard the creak of the barely used hinges, would have noticed the light filtering into the room. Hell, it was even likely Goku would have woken up once the light had hit his eyelids. But nothing of the sort had happened. Even without looking, Sanzo was certain the door had been shut tight. Even unlocked, there was no possible way the demon could have gotten in.

It was a disturbing, disconcerting realization, and he was too tired to think more about it. Making sure to latch the window shut and lock the door this time, Sanzo avoided Goku's sprawled body a second time and crawled into bed. He needed to sleep, really should have, really *wanted* to... but it was still bothering him.

An hour and two cigarettes later, he finally found he could lie down without having to toss and turn restlessly. That night he had a nightmare, one unlike the usual ones that accompanied a rainy night. He woke early near dawn, breathless and soaked in a cold sweat. Impulse made him check the floor, but his eyes proved his thoughts wrong; Goku was still there, asleep and breathing peacefully. He went back to sleep.

In the morning, he couldn't remember the nightmare at all.

- TBC -

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