Uh...Disclaimer...I don't own shit...Enjoy the new story that most likely won't be finished anytime soon. Don't blame me. Blame society for making me have to get a job.

Fear.

She'd never really felt it before now. But it seemed that Fate was making up for lost time; the feeling swamped her, clutching her heart and lungs with icy, paralyzing fingers.

But she'd never let them know it, those that were causing this intense fear. It just wasn't her style. Those ice blue eyes still held their trademark defiance as they stared down the line of those that would have her dead.

The entire scenario had been a huge set up. A trap.

If she got out of this alive, she'd skin the bastards that set this up.

"So," a snide voice, dripping with patronizing authority. From the crowd, stepped a boy; mere teen with a wild mass of bark brown hair, shrewd golden eyes, and a bright blue pacifier sticking out from between his lips. "This is the great Shadow. Supposedly the single most efficient assassin in all three of the worlds…"

Like any cornered animal, she snarled ferally, showing the Spirit world's prince just exactly how sharp her fangs—and blades—still were.

She laughed when he jumped.

"Are you going to give up," he stammered after regaining his composure. "Or do we have to take you in by force?"

"You'll have to kill me first," she growled, hands gripping her twin swords tight.

"I'd rather not."

"Well, I'd rather not be captured and thrown into a cell to rot."

"I'll make a deal with you," the boy's brow—marked with bizarre lettering—furrowed in thought.

"Daft child," she laughed. "Don't you know better than to make deals with demons?"

He wrinkled his nose at her in quiet, patient rage. "I'll make a deal with you," he repeated. "Work for me, and I'll clean your record." There was a slight sense of dissention amongst his ranks at his words.

"I'd rather die than be caged. I told you that already. Or are you as deaf as you are dumb?"

"I'd rather not see someone so talented die because of her own stubbornness. And you've not yet reached the peak of your power. I'll offer one more time. Come work for me, grow stronger and I'll clean your record. If you refuse, know this, my fighters will show you no mercy but they won't kill you. They'll defeat you and you'll work for me for the rest of eternity."

At his words, four figures joined him. Her eyes widened as she recognized each face. The champions of the Dark Tournament.

Yusuke Urameshi, Genkai's disciple, inheritor of the Spirit Wave and the man who'd beaten the younger Toguro brother.

Kazuma Kuwabara, wielder of the Spirit Sword, and the one who had killed Toguro the elder.

Hiei of the Jagan, the only one to master of the Darkness flame which had vanquished Bui.

Kurama Minamino, better known as the Thief King Youko Kurama, who had given himself completely to destroy Karasu.

If these were the fighters Koenma had spoken of, she was royally fucked.

Her mind raced, trying desperately to find a way out. She was surrounded; there was no where to run. She couldn't fight her way out of the herd of people; there were far too many of them. The only way out was to win her freedom.

"A deal, child," she snarled, bound and determined to hold on to the fleeting illusion that she still had the upper hand. "I'll go against one of your men. If I win, I go free."

"And if you lose?"

"In the highly unlikely scenario that I lose," she sneered, "You get me."

What do you all think?