Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho © Yoshihiro Togashi. Black Suicide © Zelia Theb.
Black Suicide
A Yu Yu Hakusho Fan-Fiction
By Zelia Theb
Yusuke, now twenty-five, has just reunited with his former employer, the Prince of Spirit World, Koenma. He gave Yusuke an offer that he simply couldn't refuse, for both emotional and monetary reasons, and now Yusuke is about to embark upon a journey reminiscent of his teenage years…
The Statue of Bleeding Tears: Act I
The hotel was spectacular. It was mainly filled with rich businessmen and overseas-fat-cats, going about their affairs in both the commercial and extra-marital sense. Yusuke was…out of place, although he had taken his client's advice and shaved his face.
Yusuke took his single bag and luggage carrier to the desk, and whipped out the map and instructions from the pockets of his raincoat. The room was listed under one 'Kasou N'Tabo'. Such an alias was unusually indiscreet, but Yusuke shrugged it off and let the hotel staff carry his belongings up to the room, putting their tip on the hotel tab. He hadn't eaten a good meal in days, and since Koenma, or rather, this 'Kasou N'Tabo', was paying for everything, he paid a visit to the restaurant adjacent to the hotel lobby.
Sufficiently satisfied for the time being, the detective finally took his keycard and made his way to the tenth floor suite. Even the hallways were ornate; his shoes barely made any sound on the plush midnight carpeting. It didn't take overly long for him to find the room; there were only four suites on this floor, and his was the second door to the left of the elevator.
A smile crossed his face when his ears picked up on the familiar gruff voice of his longtime friend Kuwabara from beyond the door. He was talking animatedly with another person; had the bellhop misplaced his luggage? Yusuke quickly put the keycard into the door, waiting for the tiny diode on the handle to click green, and then pushed the door open.
Not only did luggage stand before him, but the tall carrot Kuwabara, the lithe rose Kurama, and the dark flame Hiei. Kuwabara had stopped his arguing with Hiei, and quickly ran over to Yusuke, greeting him with a friendly squeeze.
"Hey man!" Kuwabara pointed out to Yusuke, "Look who's here!"
"Yusuke," Kurama smiled, green eyes closing and body bending into a polite bow, "It's wonderful to see you."
Hiei; dressed uncharacteristically in an ebon trench coat; was far less verbose in his greeting, and merely flashed his eyes at the man and stated, "Detective."
The four of them hadn't changed much. Hiei's hair was just as wild and untamed as ever, and he still maintained the white ward over his Jagan eye. Kurama, although dressed in wide-legged jeans and a black sweater, had kept the length of his red locks, deciding to keep it tied back in a low tail. He was still his well mannered and handsome self. Kuwabara and Yusuke looked just as they did ten years ago, only a tad more masculine with regards to their jutted features. Gazing upon the quartet, one might have believed that they were back in the early nineties.
"So, Kurama," Yusuke started, taking a seat with the rest of them on the lavishly powder blue furniture in the center of the sitting room, "How's school been? Is it weird being in the 'Ivy League'?"
Kurama placed two fingers near his chin and chuckled, "It's terribly boring! I was delighted to return to Japan and visit my mother. I've been considering leaving the school to pursue other careers, but haven't had the heart to tell her yet."
Kuwabara was still laughing at pun of 'Ivy League', while Hiei remained normally distant from the idle chatter. Yusuke was still intrigued by the fox, wondering just what other occupations would be fitting for super-son Shuichi Minamino. The man inquired, "And just what have you been thinking about, hmm?"
"Oh, Yusuke. You really are too much!" Kurama exclaimed, suppressing another fit of laughter, "My inner self has been quite frisky lately, and after having visited many American museums and European galleries, I am most intrigued."
"A CAT BURGLAR?" Yusuke shouted, unprepared for such a shock. Hiei snickered from his place on the chair opposite the sofa. It was a highly amusing career choice. Yusuke contained himself for only a moment, and remarked, "So I guess we would have crossed paths eventually anyway!"
"Only to join forces later, Urameshi!" Kuwabara joked, knowing full well of Yusuke's delinquent past. The four of them laughed together for a few moments, continuing to discuss other criminal deeds and ancient human artifacts, only to be interrupted by a knock at the door.
Cautiously, Yusuke stood and walked to the door, wondering who on Earth it could be. Peering through the peephole, he only caught a fish-eye view of a hooded person on the other side. He called out, "Who is it?" and waited for an answer.
In a soprano voice mocking the sing-song of apparitions and ghosts of movies, the cloaked one replied, "KaAAaa….soooou…N'ToOOoo……baaaa!"
"Why the hell would Koenma book a room and not have a key?" he muttered to himself as he opened the door. The visitor burst in, passing Yusuke, and stood before the others. Yusuke shut the door swiftly, annoyed that perhaps he had made his first mistake, and awaited Koenma to reveal himself.
"It's ME!" the girl shouted, tossing the cloak into the air, exposing flowing azure hair, violet eyes, and an utterly adorable pink skirt and halter top combination.
"Should have known…" Hiei murmured, seemingly unthrilled about his agreement to this whole arrangement.
"Botan!" Yusuke and Kuwabara cried in unison. It was nostalgic and refreshing for the detective to be there among his friends again. He had been so lonely the past few years, with only Kuwabara and his sister there to speak to.
The young woman pointed her index finger into the air and remarked, "Bingo, boys! I'm back in action as your assistant for this case, and the rest of them as well!" She giggled, and flared out her hands; materializing a single silver briefcase into one and tray of steaming hot tea with five empty cups on the other. She set both upon a dining table behind the sofa, and began serving everyone tea.
Kurama crossed his legs and took a brief sip from the steaming beverage. He, along with the other three, did not ignore the ferrywoman's statement, and requested more information, asking, "What do you mean by other cases?"
Botan choked slightly; it was in her nature to accidentally give up classified information, and now she had to explain it. She fixed her mess, and informed them, "Well, there are several cases that we believe are all connected somehow. So really, it's just one big case; you boys will have to take it one step at a time!" She then took this opportunity to get to right to the point, and brief them on their first mission.
Botan opened the silver case, which was more of a laptop computer, and then produced several audio-video cables; of which she connected to the nearby television for ease. Switching both electronics on, she took a remote in hand and began her slideshow.
"Case one," she introduced happily, "The Bleeding Statue of Orion!" Botan clicked the remote, and suddenly there was a picture of a very traditional Japanese temple on the screen and monitor. The screen switched again to show a still of a chipped statue. By design, it was definitely foreign; possibly ancient Greek judging from the curves. It was simply a bipedal beast; a mixture of both man and lion; with broad paws, a long tail, and a curly mane surrounding its straight Apollo-like face. It stood idle, with a single arrow in the nearly empty quiver on its back, and a long-bow in its left hand. The statue's skin was in impeccable condition for what it was, despite the minor chips here and there.
"The Hito Temple in the northern section of the city has been shut down and abandoned ever since temple visitors have been turning up dead. Sorry to say boys, but I have to show you this. Don't get freaked out or anything." Botan clicked even more to show some of the bodies that had been found; all of them with claw marks on their body and fearful expressions frozen upon their faces. Botan clicked off the images, and turned to a still of the statue; this time showing the group a tourist photo of the statue weeping crimson tears.
"What the hell?" said Yusuke, now on the edge of his seat between his other allies in order to better examine the screen.
"That's some creepy stuff there, Botan…" Kuwabara observed for the rest of them.
"Hn," Hiei grunted from his chair, "So the statue was given as an anonymous gift, and then soon after people started dying. How cliché."
Botan placed her hands on her hips, and shot an angry glare towards Hiei. She remarked, "Well you just took all the fun out of it, didn't you?"
"Botan," Kurama interrupted, "When shall we begin?"
"Tomorrow morning at the crack of dawn!" she announced, adding, "Public transportation starts at four-thirty, and it'll let you four enter the temple unnoticed. The authorities have been guarding the perimeter pretty heavily, but at night they tend to thin out a bit." Yusuke mused inwardly; Koenma was certainly doing a better job of providing them with the necessary facts this time around. Unfortunately, he was not up for waking up so early.
Kurama interrupted the series of groans emanating from his allies, and questioned, "Where shall you be staying this evening, Botan?"
"Me?" the girl pointed a slender feminine finger at her nose, "Well, I suppose I will just stay here with you boys. I have to tag along anyway to take care of any human spirits that haven't crossed over yet."
"Then you may have my room," Kurama offered, to which Botan nodded. The redhead looked to his male companions, hoping that perhaps one of them would take him in.
"Not a chance, fox," Hiei snorted.
Puzzled with Hiei's answer; most likely because he had always known Hiei's affinity for tree branches or slim ledges; he looked beyond Yusuke to Kuwabara, who merely remarked, "I kinda kick and stuff in my sleep. I usually wake up all sprawled out on the bed…"
The black haired detective perked up and wrapped an arm around Kurama's shoulders, and winked, "I know, I know. It'll be hard not to ravage me after being away for so long, but I'll let you sleep with me." The fox blushed some, but then laughed along with everyone else, aside from Hiei. Romantic jokes weren't his cup of tea.
The morning was unusually frigid for the temperate climate of the city. Dew from the misty fog settled on just about everything; from the thin leaves of the maples to the yellow police tape attached to various poles and trunks around the perimeter. Two police squad cars were stationed at the entrance, and fortunately for them, they were the only authorities on site; just as Botan had said.
The had equipped themselves in tight black clothing, taking care to wear tough black hand guards that allowed them to breeze through the branches without a sliver. They sidled easily into the temple, wet droplets landing in their hair as they paced swiftly beneath tree branches. Kuwabara, being the sensitive psychic that he is, kept mentioning the unusual aura he was feeling around the place.
Yusuke, of course, was complaining as usual. After all, none of them had really changed, had they?
"Damn! I can hardly see through this stupid thick-ass fog!" he whined.
"Feh," Hiei scoffed, "Have you really forgotten what you are capable of, Detective?"
Yusuke quirked an eyebrow up in a charmingly devilish smile, renewing Hiei's faith in him, and answered, "Course not, man." Turquoise energy swelled around him, creating a powerful wind of mixed auras that cleared the dense and ominous fog, shedding light upon the temple. It's simple sliding doors were broken; planks were missing and there was an X of police tape across it.
"I don't miss this world one bit," Hiei remarked, slicing through the doors and tape in an instant with his katana. The doors fell with a soft clutter, not audible enough for the police to notice. The scent of mildew, dust, and blood migrated into their nostrils. They would have to work quickly if they wanted to succeed before being caught.
Botan, being the handy woman that she was, handed out powerful and petite black flashlights that mimicked the size of rolled hard-candy. Hiei fumbled around with the contraption, until Yusuke casually switched theirs with some slick sleight-of-hand. It was only one of many nice gestures that made Yusuke who he was; and it made Hiei feel just that much more at ease with the situation.
"Where's the statue?" Kuwabara whispered, scanning the walls with his flashlight. More yellow tape segregated a nearby corner, secluding a perfect white chalk outline of a person. He shuddered, hoping that maybe someone would answer him. He had gotten soft over the years. Although he still had the ability to feel 'the tickle', he hadn't kept up with his spiritual training, and felt that maybe he wouldn't be able to perform as well as he had in the past.
"Perhaps it is down there," stated Kurama, his footsteps creaking the floorboards below him. A beam of light landed upon the splintered railing of descending stairs.
Yusuke nodded, and directed, "Let's go." He led the way, followed respectively by Hiei, Botan, Kuwabara, and then finally Kurama. As the detective took his first step, he asked Botan, "So how come no cops have been killed yet?"
Botan moved her flash left and right, gently using the back of her hands to guide her way down the stairs. She didn't desire any splinters in her fingers. After yet another cautious glance, she replied, "Most of the deaths occurred, according to autopsies and our own census at Spirit World, between one in the morning and just after dawn."
"Lovely," remarked Kurama from the back of the line. As if on cue of the man's statement, a threatening and beastly roar echoed from the depths of the temple. Yusuke stopped to listen, knowing that the next stop was the bottom, and it caused a chain reaction of sandwiching and swearing.
"Yeah…? So they don't come in here during then, and only investigate during daylight hours, right?" Yusuke prodded on, ignoring the weight of his stumbling comrades behind him.
In a muffled voice, Botan responded, "Yes, Yusuke. Now would you please concentrate on the growling we just heard? That is why you stopped, isn't it?"
"Yeah," he answered, directing his beam of light to the center of the room, "Think we've got our statue."
The five-some quickly gathered at the base of the steps, and while Yusuke held his light on the statue, the others investigated the rest of the room with their own flashlights. Kuwabara let out a yelp upon discovering that he was standing adjacent to an un-taped white outline. He side-stepped away, bumping into his favorite hot-headed demon, and knocking the flashlight out of his hands.
"Watch it, moron!" Hiei scolded him, bending back over to retrieve the light. As he lifted it, he discovered yet another marking; this time on the wall. A mark of impact and splattered blood surrounded where the heart would have been on the now deceased and removed person. The fire-demon shrugged it off, and switched back to where Yusuke was watching.
"Botan, when was the last death reported?" he asked, voice devoid of anger or annoyment.
She looked to Hiei, accidentally shining her light in his face, and recalled, "Oh, maybe three days ago? Koenma had received the paperwork but we haven't seen a soul cross over yet. Both myself and a few of my fellow guides had come here to retrieve them, but could find no trace of anyone."
"Heh. Typical," Hiei laughed, mocking the entire case.
"I see, Hiei," Kurama agreed, "While many humans have tried to falsify their holy statues to cry blood, this one is actually doing so." The other two turned their sight to the marble pupil-less eyes of Orion, and watched as red plasma trailed down the sides of its nose and dropped to the floor below.
"Ya sure this isn't some sort of elaborate hoax, Kurama?" Yusuke inquired, tapping the butt-end of his flashlight on the alabaster leg; carelessly chipping a small piece of it off. Hearing the tiny chunk of marble fall to floor, Yusuke mumbled, "Oops."
"Yes, Yusuke," Kurama assured him, "I have encountered something like this before…take a look at Orion's knee." The detective turned his head sideways, only to discover that blood had seeped from the stone, just as if it were a real injury upon real skin.
A twisted thought came into his head at that moment, and the question on the authenticity of the blood needed to be answered. Yusuke placed a single index finger just under the wound, and swept upwards, gathering the crimson hot liquid on his fingertip. Brown eyes settled on the sticky substance; it certainly felt like real blood.
Hiei was growing impatient. He had already come to the same conclusion as the fox, but still wanted to test the blood further. Instead of waiting for Yusuke, he walked over to him, and stuck the reddened finger in his mouth, sweeping his tongue over it briefly and then removing it. His team mates; along with Yusuke; gawked at him for the unusual behavior, but decided that now was not the time to question it.
"It's bitter," Hiei said, spitting it to the floor, "But it's real, and toxic. Just as you thought, Kurama."
"Yeah? Ya gonna fill us in or do I need to let ya molest me a bit more?" Yusuke crudely urged them.
"The statue cries because it is thirsty," Kurama started, "I can only assume that the deaths occurred slowly at first, and then progressively to every two-to-three days, correct Botan?" The girl nodded, and he continued, "When it becomes far too unbearable, it feeds."
"Yuck!" the tallest of them shouted, "Ya mean that's dead people's blood?"
"No, you idiot," Hiei interjected, "That's Orion's blood. It thirsts not for blood but for souls. How much more obvious could it be?"
"Well that explains…" Botan trailed off as another growl echoed in close proximity to them, "…The anomalies in the census."
"So lemme get this straight, guys," Yusuke straightened up, focusing not on the soul-consumption but instead a previous statement, "Are you saying this ain't a statue, but an actual soul-eating demon?"
"Yes."
"Well why don't we blow it apart and collect the spirits already!" he exclaimed. Another roar permeated the air, and both Botan and Kuwabara found their flashlights trembling in their grip.
"Yusuke, come here," Kurama warned, emerald eyes steady upon the sight behind his ally.
"Why?" the detective pondered aloud as he watched Hiei migrate away from him.
"Because neither myself nor Hiei answered you just then." Hot breath fell upon Yusuke's back; and the warning processed through his brain just in time for him to avoid a beastly claw aimed at his head.
To Be Continued…