FRONTLINE

You ever remember those stories your mom would tell you about the scary creatures that go bump in the night and would steal all the bad little boys and girls that refused to clean their rooms? How you'd wake up to the tiniest noise thinking it was a monster and run into your parent's bed refusing to leave until someone checked your closet? Now that we're all grown up we know that such things as boogie men and werewolves don't really exist. They're just fabricated ideas that parents use to get their children to behave and that Hollywood twists into some b-rated horror flick in hopes of making some money.

Yeah, we're much too wise and mature to believe in those little kiddy stories. Except…. Sometimes, in the dead of night when we hear a creak or a groan we bolt up and revert back to our childhood. We pull the covers over our eyes and keep telling ourselves that it's all in our head and that monsters don't really exist. We delude ourselves into thinking it was just a tree scratching the window or raindrops falling on the roof. Any excuse we can make just so we won't have to face the reality that there are things out there that we don't understand. Things that are faster, stronger and smarter than us but still we pretend just like when we were kids.

But you know the truth, don't you?

These monsters, these demons, they do exist and they're scarier than anything your parents could have thought up of. They live in Makai, a dimension composed primarily of demons separate from the human world. For centuries the demon world and human world had been kept separate by a barrier created by the powerful King Enma. From time to time lesser class demons would slip through the barrier to wreak havoc on humans but they were soon dealt with by the spirit detective.

That's another part of the story that your parents might have neglected to mention.

In the human world there exists a spirit detective, a human of immense spiritual power whose job is to stop the demons from attacking the human world and restore peace wherever needed. They have been some of the strongest fighters the world has ever seen and for years they kept the balance between the human, demon and spirit world.

First, there was Kuroko Sanada, the beginning of it all. She was the first ever spirit detective and for many years she did her job dutifully until the finally found something that gave her more meaning then killing demons ever could. She married her husband and went on to have two children after she retired from being spirit detective.

Second came Shinobu Sensui, the lost one. An amazing fighter whose natural abilities made him perfect for the job he was about to inherit. For him the job was simple, find the demon and then kill it. Yet all of that changed once he saw just what kind of cruelty humans were capable of. With his world being turned upside down, Sensui turned against the very people he had once protected as he tried to bring down the barrier once and for all.

And that brings us to the third detective, Yusuke Urameshi. A hard headed, stubborn boy that everyone had written off as a trouble maker who would never amount to anything. Together with his friends, this simple boy defeated some of the strongest demons, saved humanity, and brought order to Makai. A little street punk had turned into a hero for both humans and demons alike.

Of course, that had been five years ago and many things had changed since then. The old gang had grown up and so had their lives. Kuwabara had finished college, Kurama was still working for his step-father's company and had risen in the corporate ranks, Hiei was still holding down the fort in Makai and last but not least, Yusuke had opened up his own ramen shop and was running it with help from Keiko. They were all happy with what they had done but the days of running off to beat down whatever new evil that was threatening the world were fading. Everyone had grown up in their rag-tag group and with growing up came new responsibilities and duties as adults.

They'd grown up and just like every other grown up; they stopped caring about the monsters.

And so our story begins with a new hero ready to face the dark.

Six months ago, if you had asked Sato Michi what she would be doing on a Thursday night the answer would have been simple; either hanging out with her friends or futilely trying to study for a test that she had forgotten about. Yet spending the night hunting demons at a storage yard would definitely not have been on the list.

Apparently some apparitions had been smuggling weapons from the demon world into the human one while using the storage yard as their base of operations. It had taken her a good couple of weeks to figure out where they were meeting but finally she'd found them and had been staking them out for the past few days. With binoculars firmly in hand, she'd been hiding on the roof of a near building, waiting and watching for something to happen. Too bad the most exciting thing she'd seen all night was a guy who had been picking his nose for the past half hour.

"Come on, come on. I don't have all night." Michi muttered in frustration as it looked like nothing big was going to happen tonight.

When she had first been told about being a spirit detective thoughts of amazing fights and terrifying demons had flashed in her head. Nowhere had anyone mentioned spending the night watching a guy try to shove his whole hand up his freaking nose. She was going to have to have a talk with Koenma about this later. The toddler hadn't mentioned anything about babysitting when he offered her the job. Then again, he wasn't exactly forthcoming with all the details.

FLASHBACK

"Spirit detective? Fuck, I must have hit my head harder than I thought." The young girl mumbled as she felt her head for any bruises.

"No, you didn't hit your head. I'm being completely serious when I'm talking to you." Said the slightly squeaky voice coming from the oversized chair. Koenma had just spent the past hour explaining to her about the demon, spirit and human worlds and the role the spirit detective played in keeping the balance between the two. So far, however, it seemed like she still thought this was a joke.

"I need you to be completely focused on what I'm saying. You can't take the role of spirit detective lightly, it comes with all sorts of responsibilities and you'll be forced to make hard deci- WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

"Huh? I'm pinching myself. Maybe that way I'll finally wake up from this dream." She said as she grabbed a piece of flesh between her thumb and forefinger and squeezed. A slightly pained look passed over her face but nothing else happened. Oh dear, this wasn't good.

"This isn't a dream Michi. Everything you see around you is real and everything I'm telling you is the truth. The barrier protecting Ningenkai from Makai has vanished and demons are free to enter the human world as they please. The tournament has helped bring some order to Makai but there are still demons out there that are more than happy to kill humans and vice versa. As spirit detective it would be your job to stop them." Koenma explained.

Of course his words might have carried more weight if he was taller than two feet and wasn't talking with a binky in his mouth. He might be the ruler of spirit world and had demons and ogres tremble at his feet but when it came to teenage girls they had a hard time getting past the whole talking toddler thing. At least she'd with all the baby talk.

"You really want to place the fate of three worlds being placed in the hands of a sixteen year old girl who can't even remember where she put her cellphone let alone play cop to a bunch of demons. You really can't see anything wrong with this picture?" This kid was out of his damn mind.

"This job has a way of bringing out something special in even the most unusual cases. You have an incredible potential and with the right training your spirit energy could be phenomenal. So what do you say?" Yusuke had been a great spirit detective but Koenma knew he had to be realistic here; the world needed someone that would be ready at all times. No other jobs or responsibilities that might inhibit them from doing their job. The Reikai Tantei had done their jobs better than anyone could have expected but it was time they started living their own lives. They might still get together every now and then for training or a tournament, but it was time for someone new to step in.

"Thanks for the offer but I think I'll pass. Spending my weekends chasing monsters who probably want nothing more than to eat me isn't exactly my idea of fun." Michi said as she turned to leave. The world might need a protector but this kid had picked the wrong girl.

"I'm giving you a chance here to do some real good. You have the opportunity to save a lot of innocent people." He said, trying to appeal to her sense of humanity.

She just shook her head and continued to walk towards the door. God this was some sort of twisted dream. She'd have to make a mental note not to eat anymore cookie dough before falling asleep. At least this time hippos in tutu's weren't involved.

"And maybe then you'll find the answer you've been looking for."

That made her stop in her tracks. Red eyes narrowed into a glare as she turned around angrily to face him. There was no way he could be talking about her. This was all a dream, wasn't it?

The building.

The full moon shining overhead.

This world and him.

All of this was a dream.

Except now she wasn't so sure about that.

"Welcome aboard spirit detective."

When she was done with this mission they were going to have to have a serious discussion on what was going on. Part of her was convinced that she was hallucinating all of this and the other part of her wanted to shove Koenma's pacifier where the sun don't shine. That would have to wait though since it seemed like things were just getting interesting.

A group of five men gathered around a black car as the driver got out and opened the door for a very large old man who was carrying a briefcase. With the utmost care one of the goons took the briefcase and laid it gently on a box as if it held the greatest treasure in the world.

Carefully, a man with a tight ponytail opened the clasps and pulled out a small glowing orb. Anyone else would have thought it was just a pretty trinket but Michi could feel the spirit energy radiating from it. That orb was strong and if it got into the wrong hands who knew what kind of damage it could do. She'd have to step in before it was too late.

Climbing down from her perch she made her way to the group. She was obviously outnumbered and would have to act quickly if she still wanted to keep her element of surprise. The best plan of attack would be to hit hard and fast and hopefully knock them all down with just one blow. It would be hard but if she kept silent then she at least stood a chance.

"Hey! What are you doing here!"

Well, so much for that plan.

Thinking on her feet she tried to gather her spirit energy in a full force attack. She hadn't been training for very long but hopefully this would be enough to kill them. From the beginning Michi had guessed that they were low level demons since they didn't have a very strong aura. Come to think of it, she couldn't detect a demonic aura at all.

In less than a second, the men had all pulled out their guns and had them pointed at the girl. Well this was just peachy. Demons didn't use guns, humans did. No wonder she couldn't find any aura, these assholes were humans. Now not only was she going to have to dodge bullets but she'd have to make sure not to only knock them out and not fully kill them. As if this job couldn't get any harder.

Jumping to the left she narrowly missed a bullet that hit the crate right behind where she had been standing. Another barrage of bullets followed as she tried to duck and weave her way out of their path until she could think of something. Hiding behind a metal box she peeked out in hopes of finding an answer in all the splintered wood and gunpowder. Her salvation came in the form of a giant wrecking ball that was dangling precariously above them.

Taking aim, Michi let loose a bolt of spirit energy that was just strong enough to sever the wires and send it falling to the ground. She really hoped this worked because if it didn't then she was all out of ideas.

The metal ball fell to the ground and hit the concrete with an ear piercing thud. When the dust finally cleared the gun shots had stopped and the men were all lying crumpled on the floor. They'd be worse for the wear and most of them would be badly hurt but at least they'd live. Now all she had to do was find that orb and get out of here before the police came.

The only problem was that the briefcase was now totally empty.

"Looking for something?" Came a voice behind her.

Turning around she came face to face with the old man who had brought the orb in the first place. He must have been hiding when all of this was happening.

"Listen grandpa." Michi said angrily, she was in no mood for game right now. "Why don't you give me back the orb you stole and I might go easier on you than I did your friends." She warned.

"Tempting but I think I'll take my chances. " He said with a smirk. "Besides human, do you really think you stand a chance against me?"

Human?

Now she could see it, the dark aura around him. This man was no human like the others. He was a full-fledged demon and a strong one by what she sensed of his spirit energy. Definitely stronger than any demon she'd faced before. She was in deep shit now.

"So what exactly are you up to? Why pretend to be a feeble old man and work with humans?" Michi asked as she tried to buy herself some time to think up a new plan.

"Well, I could tell you but what would be the fun in that?" Sheesh, it actually sounded as if he was enjoying himself. This wasn't just some ordinary D-class demon that she was dealing with. Right now she was starting to doubt if he was even sane.

"So what are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be home playing with your dollies little girl?" He was getting more and more aggravating by the moment.

"Little girl? I'll have you know that you're talking to the spirit detective." All she had to do was keep him talking until she finished gathering her spirit energy and then she'd show him who the little girl was.

"Oh? I heard rumors that Urameshi got a replacement. Well, at least you're cute." His laughed playful as his grin grew even wider. Man he was really getting under her skin.

"Well it's been fun talking but now you got to go." And with that Michi released the spirit energy she had been gathering into a beam and sent it directly towards the old man. There was no way he'd be able to survive this.

"Aww, well that was cute. Now let me show you what real power is." God she hated being wrong.

She felt the punch before she saw it and was sent flying through the air and into an empty crate. The smoke from her beam was still hanging in the air and she couldn't get a good look at her assailant. All she could see was his shadow and from the looks of it he had grown at least a foot. The old man getup must have just been a disguise and now he had gone back to his demon form. She was really in trouble now.

Getting up she brushed wood chips out of her hair as she tried to catch her breath. She'd never faced a demon like this before and had no idea how to beat him. Her training had only just begun and her spirit energy might be strong for a human but it was nothing compared to a higher class demon. She had gotten herself into this mess and right now she had no idea how to get herself out.

"What? Don't tell me you're done playing. I was only just starting to have some fun." The voice taunted from the shadows. Somehow it sounded different, deeper and younger than it had before.

"Yeah well I've never really been a fan of hide and go seek." She said as she looked over her shoulder. Out of the corner of her eye she could see movement but he was always gone before she could focus on him.

"Fine then, how about we play a game of tag?" The voice was closer this time, just a few feet in front of her.

The smoke finally cleared a bit and she was able to get a look at who exactly she was fighting. Gone was the old man with his crooked frame and instead there stood a young demon with white hair and glinting blue eyes. His sleek tail swung from side to side like a cat that was ready to pounce on a plump mouse. He was cute and if this had been any other day she might just have hit on him. Sadly, the fact that he was currently trying to kill her put a damper on that idea.

"So detective." He smirked as a large ball of light formed in his hand "Tag, you're it."

Red eyes opened wide as the burst of energy came straight towards her. With only a split second to react she jumped in the air and twisted her body so she was partially hidden behind the wrecking ball that she had brought down earlier. The blast was still enough to knock her back but the metal ball absorbed most of the force from the attack. By the looks of the damage it would have been more than enough to kill her if it had been a direct hit.

"Impressive. You either have to be incredibly brilliant or incredibly lucky. Either way, this is one of the best fights I've had in a while." This bastard was actually having fun! Here she was running for her life and he was just smiling as if this was some kind of game.

The sound of incoming sirens cut off whatever witty retort she could throw back. People must have obviously heard all the noise and someone had called the police. Getting caught in the middle of a cargo yard with a half dozen unconscious men and a very trigger happy demon wasn't really high on her list of priorities.

"Hm, it looks like we're going to have to cut this meeting short." The demons said with a hint of disappointment. It didn't seem like he was in any rush to get caught either.

"Until next time detective. I bid you adieu." He said with a grin as he blew her a kiss and faded into the shadows.

That cheeky bastard! First he tried to kill her and now this? When she found him she was going to make him regret ever meeting her in the first place. And she still had to get him back for that little girl crack he said earlier.

Right now though, she needed to get out of here as soon as possible.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of the charactors. However, all my OC's are my own.

LENTI: So I've been wanting to write a Yu Yu Hakusho fanfic for a while but I couldn't really think of what I wanted to do. Watching the Anime and reading the Manga, everything seems to flow together so well that I didn't want to mess with any of that. So then I started thinking of a next generation spirit detective and so this story was born. Anyway, reviews and criticism would be greatly appreciated and I'd love to know what I can work on to make the story better. Specifically, I'd love feedback on:

A) My handing of my OC's and if they are meshing well with the YYH universe.

B) How I'm portraying the canon characters. They won't be showing up a lot but when they do I'd like for them to be in character.

Thanks a bunch! Reviewers get poprocks and pepsi!