.:[A/N: I think this chapter may be a little boring. It's mostly backstory, but I promise it will be more fun the next part. ;)]:. Song for this chapter: Paralyze - Tila Tequila
Part Two: More Than Meets The Eye
Alana thought for a moment. "Is there something I'm not able to say to him now?"
"There is something we all have to discuss. You both need to come here now."
"Sir, are you sure it's a good idea?"
"It's an order, Spirit Detective." Koenma said firmly.
Alana winced. Koenma had never called her Spirit Detective before. "Yes, sir."
"Leave as soon as possible. Use the gate in your basement. It will be open for exactly eighty-three more minutes." Koenma hung up the phone before Alana was able to say anything else.
Alana frowned as she put the phone back in her purse and looked up at Gibbs.
"What did the AD want?" Tony asked.
"He wants for Gibbs and me to meet him in his office as soon as possible." Alana replied, quietly.
"What do you want the rest of us to do, Alana?" Ziva asked.
Alana sighed. "McGee, go run a search on this alias. Pales, pronounced PAH-lez, spelled Peter-Apple-Layman-Edward-Strawberry. I want a list of priors, injuries, other aliases, anything you can find."
"On it." Tim said as he turned and walked to his computer to begin viciously typing.
"Ziva, you and Tony go with Abby. Look up as much in our records of Pales as we can. And double check everything McGee finds."
"Right. See you soon." Ziva nodded.
"Call me if you find anything." Abby grinned at Alana and she and Ziva headed for the elevator.
Tony sighed. "Ah, to leave you so soon, my beauty." Tony took Alana's hands and looked her in the eyes.
Alana rolled her eyes and smiled. "Not to worry. I'll be back soon."
"A kiss before I leave?" Tony leaned down, slowly closing the gap between his face and Alana's.
Before their lips met, Gibbs grabbed the back of Tony's collar and yanked him away from Alana.
"The case, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked, looking rather angry.
"Right. I'll get right on it." Tony nodded and gave a bitter smile as he followed Ziva and Abby.
Alana held out her hand for Gibbs and the two walked hand in hand to the parking lot, where they took Alana's black Corolla to the mansion Alana shared with Yusuke, Suichi, and two of her other friends.
"Alana. Jethro. I'm glad you're both here." The adult form of Koenma stood by his desk in the secluded office at the end of a hall. Koenma wore a black suit and his short, brown hair was messy, as it always was, mostly due to Koenma's disregard.
"What did you need to tell us, Koenma?" Alana asked. It was weird for Alana to see Koenma in his adult form. Normally, Koenma felt most comfortable in his infant form, which he usually took around Alana and her brother Yusuke, but for business negotiations, such as those with Gibbs, Koenma was forced to take an adult form.
"Alana, it's bad." Koenma's voice was stern. Alana could see the dark circles under Koenma's eyes and realized how much this situation was draining Koenma's energy. "The people who are disappearing, they're all the half-breeds that discovered their abilities in Marine or Naval training. But I'm sure you already knew that much. What sets them apart, however, is the fact that the fifteen of them had incredible auras. They had special powers, and the Spirit World was looking to collect them. However, Pales beat us to finding them."
"Do you think they're still alive?" Gibbs asked.
"I don't know, Agent Gibbs." Koenma said, grimly.
"Is there a significance of the blue rose?" Alana asked quickly, to change the subject.
"They are an invention of Pales. The roses have been enchanted, much like Kurama's red roses, except that instead of becoming a weapon, these roses block the aura of demons."
"And that means that even Gibbs and I put together couldn't notice the aura of demons in the area, even if we tried?"
"Precisely. Overexposure to the roses causes one's aura to be completely wiped."
"That definitely explains why neither you nor I could sense Pales." Gibbs said to Alana.
"What do we know about Pales?" Koenma asked.
"Next to nothing. We only know that he is incredibly manipulative. Since he has no aura, it is impossible to sense him. He has never been seen by anyone we know of. Even amongst humans, he can hide. He has never hesitated to dispose of those that know his face. For many centuries, this demon known as Pales has trained in the art of assassination. He has never had direct contact with any human that has lived to tell the story." Alana began to say.
"It has also been determined that Pales was the one to bring together the Four Masters, that Alana's brother and friends had defeated many years before. Ten years ago, you only had Yusuke as your spirit detective. He had come in contact with Hiei, Kurama, and Kuwabara, who have begun to help him in his work. The Four Masters were put forth to test the four men's powers." Gibbs continued.
"Pales spent years watching my brother and his friends. He knows their strengths and weaknesses." Alana frowned. "Over the last ten years, he has contacted us twice. First, five years ago, Pales sent an untraceable letter to Suichi's mother's house. He threatened to reveal Suichi's secret to his mother. Since then, we've been forced to wipe her memory and relocate her to a small city in Japan, whereas we'd kept Kurama in California."
"The second time was two years ago, when Pales sent a letter directly to my house. It warned me not to get involved in a business I didn't understand. I have relocated to the D.C. area since."
Alana and Gibbs stood in front of Koenma in silence, allowing the lord to think.
"I hate to do this. But soon, we may have to involve your team in this, Agent Gibbs." Koenma remarked after a moment.
"Sir?"
"We need them to know, if we are to solve this case. You don't think you are with these agents and detectives have met up with you coincidentally, do you?" Koenma looked directly at Gibbs.
"I don't think I can answer that question, sir."
"It's fate, Agent Gibbs. These people are powerful entities with no form of channeling energy. You can't tell me you haven't noticed? Agents David, McGee, and DiNozzo all harbor the energies that rival demons."
"And Abby?"
"She's known for a while, Agent Gibbs. Abigail channels auras. She feels every string of energy that passes through people and animals. She feels the emotions of others as if they were her own."
"Have you talked to her, Koenma, sir?" Alana asked.
"No. It isn't the time, Alana." Koenma shook his head.
As much as Alana wanted to ask more, she frowned and nodded, knowing full well that Koenma had his reasons.
"I'm sorry, Alana. I know it is tough." Koenma assured her.
"It's not that, sir. It's rather personal. He knows my brother. He knows my friends. He knows their weaknesses, their strengths, their habits, essentially, everything about them. If he struck at any time, I would never be ready." Alana bit her lip.
Koenma patted Alana's shoulder. "It will be okay, Alana. I promise."
Alana smiled at Koenma, but she wasn't sure if Koenma could keep this particular promise.
.:[A/N: P.S. What do you think about having alternate endings for who the main character ends up with? Since I'm not allowed to post the stories written in second person. Just a thought.]:.
