Yup, another one. *sighs* I'll get back to the series someday...
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A man sat at a desk in a darkened room, staring intensely at the screen in front of him, fingers tapping furiously. His glasses reflected the words on the screen. A few minutes passed...
Then the man stopped typing, stretched, and sat back with a small sigh of satisfaction. Another virus eradicated, another website fixed, another satisfied client. He ran a hand through his honey-colored hair and thought about his job.
Taiyo was a computer hacker, and a good one. People bought his services and, in return, he got his privacy. That was the way he liked it. After, he didn't want another episode like in his childhood... especially here, in the Ningenkai...
He shied away from that thought. Turning back to his desk, he started work on another project.
Then the doorbell rang.
Taiyo frowned and put the computer into standby mode. He wasn't expecting any visitors... who could it be?
He opened the door and sighed. "Michiro, what are you doing here?"
The man in question smiled nervously. His long maroon hair hung limply about his face, and his chocolate-colored eyes darted around, as though watching for someone or something. He looked so skittish that if you snuck up behind him and said, "Boo!", he'd probably jump three feet in the air.
"Hey, Taiyo, long time no see," he said, his hands twitching.
Taiyo remained impassive in the doorway, one eyebrow arched. "And?"
Michiro broke down. "Look, man, I just need a place to stay for a while," he pleaded. "Can I stay with you?"
Taiyo remained in his position a minute longer, then sighed. "All right."
"Thanks, man," Michiro said gratefully. "You have no idea how much I need this."
He slipped past Taiyo into the townhouse and, presumably, the kitchen.
Taiyo raised a questioning eyebrow, then decided, ~I don't want to know.~
"Just clean everything up once you're done," he called into the kitchen, where the sounds of frantic eating could be heard.
"Mmhh-mpph!"
He assumed this meant yes and got back to work on his project. He and Michiro were childhood friends, and Michiro often headed for his place when he needed a place to crash.
Half an hour later, Michiro was still in the kitchen and Taiyo was deeply engrossed in his project, when the doorbell rang again. Michiro's ears pricked up, his mouth full of sandwich.
"I'll get it," Taiyo called, and started towards the door. ~Why so many visitors today?~ he wondered, as he opened the door to see an oddly assorted group of teens. He blinked and tried to size them up. One of the black-haired ones looked like a typical street punk and seemed to be the leader. The other black-haired one - a short little guy - looked bored, superior, and altogether as though he'd rather not be there. The tall, orange-haired guy also looked like a street punk and probably followed whatever the leader said. To complete the group, a red-haired teen stood nearby who, at first, he had mistaken for a girl.
"Who are you?" Taiyo asked.
The street punk spoke up first. "We're the Spirit Detectives. We're looking for a Mr. Michiro."
Taiyo rolled his eyes and muttered "Oh Lord..."
"You're looking for him?" he asked in confirmation.
"Yes, that's right," said the red-haired one, nodding.
"Michiro!" Taiyo roared. "What in seven hells did you do now??!"
No answer.
"Michiro?"
Still no answer.
Taiyo sighed and said to the blank-looking Spirit Detectives, "Wait just a minute." He went back inside and discovered Michiro about to climb out the kitchen window. He cleared his throat loudly. "Ahem!"
Michiro jumped and gave him a nervous smile. "Ah... Taiyo... just... checking out the window here..."
"Yeah, right."
Taiyo grabbed the scrawny man by the scruff of his neck and dragged him to the door, Michiro protesting loudly every step of the way. "So what did he do?" he asked the group, while holding the struggling Michiro.
"Hey, man, it was nothing," he protested, still attempting to get loose. "I just needed some quick cash, snuck into the treasury, grabbed a few jewels, you know, the really small ones, and got out of there. I never figured they'd even miss 'em, seeing as how they got all that money."
Taiyo arched an eyebrow. "You stole from the Makai treasury and thought it wouldn't be noticed? For a thief as smart as you are, Mich, you can be pretty thick sometimes."
The Detectives still had a slightly stunned look on their faces. Who was this ningen, and how did he know about the Makai? They'd assumed he had sheltered the thief while not knowing that he was a demon. Now their assumptions were being thrown in their faces.
Luckily, they recovered quickly. "That's the thief," Kurama confirmed. "Now, if you'll just hand him over, and the jewels as well, we'll be on our way."
"Hold up a minute," Taiyo protested. "Does he need to be taken to jail for something like this? Come to think of it, this doesn't seem like a high-priority case. Why are you here? Couldn't the security guards handle this?"
In Michiro's pocket, a small, peach-colored stone pulsed...
The orange-haired one scratched his head. "Yeah, that is weird. I remember I didn't think it mattered that much, either."
It pulsed again, harder this time.
"Surely I could just pay his fine for him?" Taiyo pressed.
Michiro gaped. "You'd do that for me, man?" he asked, tears of gratitude in his eyes.
"Don't get carried away," Taiyo muttered. "I just don't want to be found sheltering a criminal."
Pulse...
"I suppose that would be all right," Kurama said.
Hiei grunted in assent.
"Okay, just hold onto him while I go get the money," Taiyo told them, handing Michiro over to Yusuke. He ran into his room and grabbed his wallet. "So, how much?" he asked.
Pulse...
Kurama named a price, and Taiyo took out a few bills and gave them to him. Kurama nodded to Yusuke, who let Michiro go. He immediately started shaking Taiyo's hand in profound relief. "Thanks so much, Taiyo."
"Don't mention it." Taiyo headed back inside. "Ever."
Michiro followed him, shutting the door behind him.
The Reikai Tantei stood there a moment more, then shrugged and walked away. "Well, that was rather anticlimatic," Yusuke said. "Yeah," Kuwabara agreed. "I can't believe Koenma sent us just to get a fine paid."
"Speaking of which, what are you going to do with all that money, Kurama?" Yusuke said, grasping for it. Kurama held it out of reach.
Hiei surprised everyone by saying, "He's going to turn it in to Koenma, you fool."
Kurama smiled at this unexpected help. "Yes, that's right, Hiei," he agreed. Then he frowned. "I have the oddest feeling that this wasn't just a routine case... there was something important..."
He touched the side of his head.
Pulse...
"I just... can't remember..."
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Yes, I'm planning to continue this. I just needed a break from the other one. The next chapter should be up by Friday.
Sorry if they seemed a little OOC in this. It wasn't me, I swear! . The stone is EVIL!!! EEEEEVVVVIIIIILLLLL!!!!!! Ahem. Sorry about that.
I didn't really give good descriptions, so here's a recap. Taiyo is 25 years old and a computer hacker. He has blond hair, bordering on pale brown, so it seems honey-colored. He has soft brown eyes, glasses, and a goatee. Michiro is a 24-year-old thief. He's thin and nervous, with long, maroon hair, and brown eyes. They were childhood friends... in the Makai? Read more to find out. Oh, and review, too.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A man sat at a desk in a darkened room, staring intensely at the screen in front of him, fingers tapping furiously. His glasses reflected the words on the screen. A few minutes passed...
Then the man stopped typing, stretched, and sat back with a small sigh of satisfaction. Another virus eradicated, another website fixed, another satisfied client. He ran a hand through his honey-colored hair and thought about his job.
Taiyo was a computer hacker, and a good one. People bought his services and, in return, he got his privacy. That was the way he liked it. After, he didn't want another episode like in his childhood... especially here, in the Ningenkai...
He shied away from that thought. Turning back to his desk, he started work on another project.
Then the doorbell rang.
Taiyo frowned and put the computer into standby mode. He wasn't expecting any visitors... who could it be?
He opened the door and sighed. "Michiro, what are you doing here?"
The man in question smiled nervously. His long maroon hair hung limply about his face, and his chocolate-colored eyes darted around, as though watching for someone or something. He looked so skittish that if you snuck up behind him and said, "Boo!", he'd probably jump three feet in the air.
"Hey, Taiyo, long time no see," he said, his hands twitching.
Taiyo remained impassive in the doorway, one eyebrow arched. "And?"
Michiro broke down. "Look, man, I just need a place to stay for a while," he pleaded. "Can I stay with you?"
Taiyo remained in his position a minute longer, then sighed. "All right."
"Thanks, man," Michiro said gratefully. "You have no idea how much I need this."
He slipped past Taiyo into the townhouse and, presumably, the kitchen.
Taiyo raised a questioning eyebrow, then decided, ~I don't want to know.~
"Just clean everything up once you're done," he called into the kitchen, where the sounds of frantic eating could be heard.
"Mmhh-mpph!"
He assumed this meant yes and got back to work on his project. He and Michiro were childhood friends, and Michiro often headed for his place when he needed a place to crash.
Half an hour later, Michiro was still in the kitchen and Taiyo was deeply engrossed in his project, when the doorbell rang again. Michiro's ears pricked up, his mouth full of sandwich.
"I'll get it," Taiyo called, and started towards the door. ~Why so many visitors today?~ he wondered, as he opened the door to see an oddly assorted group of teens. He blinked and tried to size them up. One of the black-haired ones looked like a typical street punk and seemed to be the leader. The other black-haired one - a short little guy - looked bored, superior, and altogether as though he'd rather not be there. The tall, orange-haired guy also looked like a street punk and probably followed whatever the leader said. To complete the group, a red-haired teen stood nearby who, at first, he had mistaken for a girl.
"Who are you?" Taiyo asked.
The street punk spoke up first. "We're the Spirit Detectives. We're looking for a Mr. Michiro."
Taiyo rolled his eyes and muttered "Oh Lord..."
"You're looking for him?" he asked in confirmation.
"Yes, that's right," said the red-haired one, nodding.
"Michiro!" Taiyo roared. "What in seven hells did you do now??!"
No answer.
"Michiro?"
Still no answer.
Taiyo sighed and said to the blank-looking Spirit Detectives, "Wait just a minute." He went back inside and discovered Michiro about to climb out the kitchen window. He cleared his throat loudly. "Ahem!"
Michiro jumped and gave him a nervous smile. "Ah... Taiyo... just... checking out the window here..."
"Yeah, right."
Taiyo grabbed the scrawny man by the scruff of his neck and dragged him to the door, Michiro protesting loudly every step of the way. "So what did he do?" he asked the group, while holding the struggling Michiro.
"Hey, man, it was nothing," he protested, still attempting to get loose. "I just needed some quick cash, snuck into the treasury, grabbed a few jewels, you know, the really small ones, and got out of there. I never figured they'd even miss 'em, seeing as how they got all that money."
Taiyo arched an eyebrow. "You stole from the Makai treasury and thought it wouldn't be noticed? For a thief as smart as you are, Mich, you can be pretty thick sometimes."
The Detectives still had a slightly stunned look on their faces. Who was this ningen, and how did he know about the Makai? They'd assumed he had sheltered the thief while not knowing that he was a demon. Now their assumptions were being thrown in their faces.
Luckily, they recovered quickly. "That's the thief," Kurama confirmed. "Now, if you'll just hand him over, and the jewels as well, we'll be on our way."
"Hold up a minute," Taiyo protested. "Does he need to be taken to jail for something like this? Come to think of it, this doesn't seem like a high-priority case. Why are you here? Couldn't the security guards handle this?"
In Michiro's pocket, a small, peach-colored stone pulsed...
The orange-haired one scratched his head. "Yeah, that is weird. I remember I didn't think it mattered that much, either."
It pulsed again, harder this time.
"Surely I could just pay his fine for him?" Taiyo pressed.
Michiro gaped. "You'd do that for me, man?" he asked, tears of gratitude in his eyes.
"Don't get carried away," Taiyo muttered. "I just don't want to be found sheltering a criminal."
Pulse...
"I suppose that would be all right," Kurama said.
Hiei grunted in assent.
"Okay, just hold onto him while I go get the money," Taiyo told them, handing Michiro over to Yusuke. He ran into his room and grabbed his wallet. "So, how much?" he asked.
Pulse...
Kurama named a price, and Taiyo took out a few bills and gave them to him. Kurama nodded to Yusuke, who let Michiro go. He immediately started shaking Taiyo's hand in profound relief. "Thanks so much, Taiyo."
"Don't mention it." Taiyo headed back inside. "Ever."
Michiro followed him, shutting the door behind him.
The Reikai Tantei stood there a moment more, then shrugged and walked away. "Well, that was rather anticlimatic," Yusuke said. "Yeah," Kuwabara agreed. "I can't believe Koenma sent us just to get a fine paid."
"Speaking of which, what are you going to do with all that money, Kurama?" Yusuke said, grasping for it. Kurama held it out of reach.
Hiei surprised everyone by saying, "He's going to turn it in to Koenma, you fool."
Kurama smiled at this unexpected help. "Yes, that's right, Hiei," he agreed. Then he frowned. "I have the oddest feeling that this wasn't just a routine case... there was something important..."
He touched the side of his head.
Pulse...
"I just... can't remember..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yes, I'm planning to continue this. I just needed a break from the other one. The next chapter should be up by Friday.
Sorry if they seemed a little OOC in this. It wasn't me, I swear! . The stone is EVIL!!! EEEEEVVVVIIIIILLLLL!!!!!! Ahem. Sorry about that.
I didn't really give good descriptions, so here's a recap. Taiyo is 25 years old and a computer hacker. He has blond hair, bordering on pale brown, so it seems honey-colored. He has soft brown eyes, glasses, and a goatee. Michiro is a 24-year-old thief. He's thin and nervous, with long, maroon hair, and brown eyes. They were childhood friends... in the Makai? Read more to find out. Oh, and review, too.