Demon Politics
A/N: Just something to help me combat writers block and dispel a plot bunny or two.
Keiko adjusted her black bandana before tightening her ponytail and holstering her gun in her hip holster. Glancing around she grabbed hold of the tree branch above her head and pulled herself up. Standing, she continued to the next branch, being careful to stay hidden in the canopy of leaves. After securing a hold on the next branch she locked her feet into a Y shaped split between two large branches. Pulling her razor phone out from her back pocket she scanned over the text before snorting and re-pocketing it. Double checking she was unseen, she continued to hoist herself up to the left branch and swung her leg over, reaching up to secure herself by grabbing the branch above her. Checking it could hold her weight she stood, about to continue up when a familiar bandaged hand dropped down in front of her face. Smiling she reached up and held on as he grabbed her wrist and helped her up. Letting go and returning to his original position when he was sure she wasn't going to fall, he regarded her with slight curiosity.
"Thanks." She said situating herself more comfortably in the tree.
"Hn." He watched with slight curiosity as she whistled something that sounded like a bird he had shooed out of the tree earlier. She frowned when she didn't hear anything before trying again. This time she smirked when a low whistle answered.
"What are you doing?" He asked his curiosity and board-ness getting the better of him. Not that he'd ever admit it of course.
"Participating in a particularly violent and complicated game of manhunt / paintball." She said not looking at him, instead removing her holstered gun and handing it to him.
"…Man hunt?" She laughed at the twitch in his eye and his confused tone.
"Hold this, I'll explain." He took the gun and looked at her.
"Does the Tantei know your doing something like this?"
"Hell no. And if he finds out I'm blaming you." She said with a pointed look. He shrugged and smirked leaning back.
"Alright, Man hunt, is a game, human game of course, that is kind of like tackle football and tag. Basically there are teams, or if you play free for all, it's every person for them self. But when you play in teams, like I am, you have a team to watch your back as you watch theirs. When we play in teams there are team captains. The guy that whistled back from that tree to your left, his name is Morgan. Currently there are five team captains. Morgan, Sano, Michelle, Torey and Me. Morgan and I have formed a team alliance. That means until everyone else is eliminated, we watch each other's backs. Then it's an all out fight for the winner. But, Morgan, also wants to ally with Sano, whose currently got an alliance with Torey. Who by the way, is reloading behind that tree right now." She paused in her explanation to point out a tree in the corner of the clearing. Hiei 'hn'ed' when he did indeed sense human energy there.
"Sano refuses to break alliance with Torey to ally with Morgan and, indirectly, to me, because that would be stabbing Torey in the back. But, if Morgan eliminates Torey from the game, Sano will make an allegiance with Morgan. Hence, why currently we are staking it out in trees to try and get a good shot at him. Michelle is a free for all type player so she mostly eliminates everyone she crosses, as do her teammates. But she watches my back if she feels like it." Hiei nodded.
"So what's this for?" He asked indicating the gun.
"That is a custom made paintball gun. Instead of really killing each other, we hit our opposition with paint bullets. And let me tell you they leave one hell of a bruise the morning after. We can, however also use physical force. Like tackling for example. If we sneak up behind and jump on them, it becomes a wrestling match. Then whoever gets the first shot off wins, providing it hits." Hiei smirked.
"Sounds like demon politics." Keiko thought for a minute before nodding.
"If I knew demon politics I'd probably agree with you." They sat in silence for a minute as they watched the one named Torey emerge from behind a tree. He glanced around before darting to one opposite the clearing.
"Damn, he runs fast. Makes it hard to hit while they're moving." She whispered. She pulled out the gun and made sure it was loaded and ready.
"The only thing that sucks is that I can't personally take him out, because Morgan has to or the allegiance will mean shit to Sano. He'll ally with whoever takes Torey out, so I can only help." Keiko complained. "So I just get to go after his team later. Once a captain is gone, they can't answer or use their cell phone, so their team becomes unorganized and panicky. It's actually quite funny." She pulled her black razor phone from her pants pocket and hit a few buttons.
"That should do it." She smiled.
What did you do?"
"I texted my team telling them what's going on. They can move in on Toreys' team now." They looked back down at said teen who had crept slowly out from behind his tree and was heading towards their tree.
"Oh shit…" They held their breath as he scanned up into the leaves where they were hiding. Hiei smirked as he used a small amount of his energy to wrap around them both hiding them from the human eye. Keiko held back a giggle as he looked right at them but saw nothing. Just as he was about to turn away, Hieis' communicator went off. They froze as Torey turned back to take a closer look and Hiei pulled the beeping annoyance out from his cloak.
"What?" He half whispered snappishly. Yusuke's face came in to view on the small screen. Keiko didn't hear what was being said as she was struck by a bright idea. Reaching over and plucking the communicator from Hiei's hands, she cut Yusuke off.
"Sorry, but he's gonna have to call you back in a minute ok?" She closed the communicator and turned back to Hiei.
"This thing doesn't break easily does it?" She asked. He shook his head already knowing what she was planning.
"Good. She grinned like the Cheshire cat before turning back to where Torey was. Drawing back her arm, she yelled 'HEY TOREY!' before letting the communicator fly. A muffled scream and a thump followed a few curses and shots going off from the tree beside them let them know that the compact had hit it's mark.
"Well, that's more useful then it was before." Hiei commented before watching Keiko scamper down from the tree and land gracefully on the ground.
"Thanks Hiei!" She said throwing the communicator back into the tree.
"Call Yusuke back!" She yelled before running off, her cell phone already in her hand. He could hear her shouting out orders to her team as she disappeared into the trees.
'She really would do well in demon politics.' He thought to himself before calling the Tantei back to see what he wanted.
End.
