Here is chapter two for Cosmic Dissonance. Same disclaimers apply.
Chapter 2-The Game is Afoot
The spirit detectives arrived at the place designated on their communicators, studying the massive building before them.
"Strange place.." Yusuke murmured, looking around. "Not many lights on."
Hiei studied the building silently as Kuwabara blinked then squinted at the dimly lit sign near the entrance. "Sen.. puku tower.." The orange haired human sounded out, features troubled. "Doesn't that mean.." His voice trailed off as Kurama spoke.
"Ambush…. yes, it does.."
"Hmm.. that's appropriate.." Yusuke replied, looking at his companions. "Are we going inside or what?"
The others nodded, following Yusuke inside. The head detective's body snapped to attention, brown eyes traveling over to Kurama who stood to his left. "You getting the same vibe I am from this place?"
"Yes." The kitsune replied. " I'm surprised Botan didn't as well when she entered."
"What are you two talking about?" Kuwabara asked, looking around. "I'm not sensing anything."
"Exactly.." Yusuke said, gaze straight ahead as he smirked. "Nobody is in this building." His gaze shifted to the left. "So boys? Elevators or stairs?"
"Stairs." They replied in unison. The group moved cautiously upward, finally reaching the 12th floor. Yusuke pushed on the bar handle, the door swinging inward, revealing an empty corridor. Lights flickered above their heads as they made their way down the hall.
"Man, it sure is creepy around here." Kuwabara murmured.
"What are you scared of, Kuwabara?" Yusuke replied, turning around, lifting his hands as he made a goofy imitation of a monster. "Afraid the boogieman is going to get you?"
"Knock it off, Urameshi.." The taller boy growled. "I know you sense it, too."
Yusuke lowered his hands, features turning serious once more. "Yeah. This whole building is messed up."
"Looks like we're here." Hiei commented, his red eyes looking up at Kurama as they stopped in front of the apartment number listed on their communicator.
The door was ajar and the four of them looked at one another in silent agreement. Yusuke pushed the door open slowly, a creaking noise reverberating throughout the hall. Peering into the darkness, he was about to enter when Kuwabara said loudly,
"Do worry guys, I've got this!" Hand held up, the orange haired teen fed power down his arm, his spirit sword erupting, lighting the darkness. Grinning, he strode forward, falling over when Yusuke flipped on the switch near the door, light flickering on, illuminating the apartment.
"What the hell, Urameshi?!" Kuwabara growled, jumping to his feet, indignant.
Yusuke smirked. "It's not my fault you're a dumbass." He said, then added. "Besides, you should have checked the light switch first before charging in like the swat team."
"Tch.." Kuwabara snorted then stalked off, crossing his arms, grumbling. "Always trying to be Mr. super cool.. jerk face.. Could have done that too, if I wanted.."
"Feel that, Kurama?" Hiei asked as he walked further in, studying the layout and the covered furniture.
"Yes." Kurama replied, nodding as he peered around the corner into the living room. "Traces of demon energy. Whoever took Botan was one of our kind." Stopping by the tv, he reached out, lifting the covering, touching the back, brow furrowed at the trace of warmth. Looking down, his gaze traveled along the carpeted floor towards the end table by a lounge chair. Walking around, his ears picked up the sound of something peculiar and he crouched down, reaching out, pressing on the carpet. Lifting his hand up, he rubbed his fingers together, noting a wet substance and he rose at Yusuke's call, heading back out into the kitchen area.
"What is it, Yusuke?" The kitsune asked.
"Take a look at this." The head detective opened the fridge, revealing a stocked supply of food inside. "Whoever this is, they forgot to take their food with them."
"Curious.." Kurama murmured.
"That isn't the only thing that's weird about this place." Kuwabara's voice called out as he entered the kitchen. In his hand was a picture frame of a rather attractive blond female. "Found this in the bedroom." He replied to their questioning glances before adding. "Unless my eyes are failing, this certainly isn't the Jiro character Botan was supposed to pick up."
"What the hell kind of place is this?" Yusuke asked, shaking his head. "Nobody lives in this building, yet there's food stockpiled in the fridge, and a picture of some chick that probably lives here. Can you explain it, fox boy? Cause right now, I'm drawing a fricking blank."
"In a moment, Yusuke." The kitsune replied, turning towards his best friend as he asked. "Try the Jagan, will you Hiei?"
The fire demon nodded, removing his headband, the Jagan eye flaring to life. Hiei grit his teeth, pushing his powers to try to see what could not be seen only to make a sound of disgust, the eye closing as he wrapped the band around his forehead once more.
"What did you see, Hiei?" Kurama asked, though he already knew the answer.
"Nothing." The Koorime replied, features irritated. "Whoever snatched the ferry girl, they were well prepared for us."
"Okay, spill it, Sherlock." Yusuke grumbled, his brown orbs focused on Kurama. "What the hell is going on around here?"
The red head smiled inwardly at the Sherlock comment, features thoughtful as he spoke. "Before I get to that, Yusuke, I want you to think back to the video Koenma showed up and the audio feed that continued when the video went out."
"Okay.." Yusuke replied. "What about it?"
Kurama gave a patient smile to his friend. "When Botan was on the outside of this building it was well lit but when we arrived it was not. When the video feed went out and the audio remained, I heard background noises, faint, though they were there."
"Really? I didn't hear anything but Botan and some strange guy's voice." Kuwabara interjected.
"Figures, you're dumb and deaf." Hiei said, smirking at the scowl the taller man threw his way.
"Stuff it, hamster legs!"
"Children, could you please shut up for a moment.." Yusuke chided mildly, making a motion for Kurama to continue. "Go on."
"The sounds I heard were of a tv broadcast and of something dripping, albeit very slowly."
Yusuke quirked an eybrow. "You could hear all that? You must have super hearing."
"Well, I am a kitsune after all.." Kurama stated then continued. "I also heard another person in the room, hidden in shadow, ready to pounce on Botan at a moment's notice."
"How the hell did you get that out of some audio feed?" Yusuke asked, puzzled and awed at his friend's auditory abilities.
"That's not important, Yusuke. What is important is what I believe happened here." Kurama looked around, making sure he had everyone's attention before continuing, "Someone, of demon origin set up this whole charade for the explicit purpose of capturing Botan. Someone with the ability to alter the landscape of their chosen area, either by physical or illusion powers. Someone with the ability to block any psychic attempts to see what transpired and by electrical fields to block the video feed. They knew she would come here. They knew she was filming it. They knew she was susceptible to visual cues."
"So you're saying someone set this up from the very beginning, right down to the file Botan was carrying in her hand." Yusuke said, brow furrowed. "Why would anyone do that? And how? She got her information from Reikai itself."
"I can think of several possibilities for how.. but as too why.." Kurama's voice trailed off, thoughts traveling along an unpleasant tangent and his features turned troubled. "I cannot say as of yet."
"Okay.. so how did they do it?"
"Remember when I asked Koenma about whether the ferry girls that were abducted has become infatuated with any men?"
Yusuke nodded but waited for the kitsune to continue.
"Well, the person or persons who are behind these kidnappings gained their confidence, seducing them into revealing certain information that was vital to their mission. To abduct them, you have to know where they're going. I find it highly likely they manipulated these girls into doing favors for them, even so much as feeding false information for the next girl who in turn.. was abducted."
"But that doesn't explain Botan's situation. She wasn't one of the girls being manipulated."
A flash of emotion flickered in the kitsune's eyes as he spoke softly. "Do you remember her words before the feed went dead?"
A look of realization crossed the head detective's features. "She knew her kidnapper."
"Yes.. exactly." Kurama replied. "However, I do not think she was seduced. When Koenma said Botan had come to him with concerns, I believe she had some idea as to who her co-workers were.. involved with. She knew what he looked like.. though.. if he could manipulate energy fields and the physical landscape, he could also change his features so as to be unrecognizable."
"Yet she knew him." Kuwabara said, joining in the conversation. "If he could do all that, why show his true form to Botan at all?"
"You do have a brain." Hiei quipped, smirking as he ignored the larger man's insults. "He has a point, though, Kurama. Why show his true form to the ferry girl?"
"Why indeed?" Kurama replied, features businesslike though inside he was growing more concerned for the deity. "Whatever his intentions, until we find Botan and the other girls, I'm afraid that will remain unknown."
"So you think they're still alive?" Hiei asked.
Kurama nodded. "I do. Why go through all this trouble just to kill them. No, he wants to use them for something. I just don't know what that reason is, yet." He waved his hand around the apartment, adding softly. "This was also to our benefit as well. They knew we'd come here. They purposefully gave us false clues in the hope we'd fall for it. The food in the fridge, the warm tv, the spilt water that soaked into the carpet. Leaving their energy signature at a high enough level to trace it. Someone is playing a game with us. They think we'll just follow along the obvious trail, ignoring the true path. It's rather insulting, actually."
"So what you're saying is someone is dicking around with us?" Yusuke replied.
The kitsune blinked in mild surprise at his friend's crude term but nodded. "Er.. not quite how I would put it, but yes.. we are being manipulated even as we speak."
"Alright then, what's our next move?" Yusuke asked.
"Gee, you're the head detective and you can't even tell us where to go next?" Kuwabara said in exasperation.
"I'll tell you where you can go.." Yusuke growled, the two friends getting in each other's faces, hurling insults while the two demons watched in mild amusement.
"Just like old times, eh, Kurama?" Hiei said with near fondness.
The kitsune smiled. "Indeed."
"We do need to form a plan though." The fire demon started, turning and walking back out towards the hallway, Kurama following suit as the two younger men bickered like an old married couple. "Got any ideas where to go to next?"
"I have a few lines of enquiry to make, yes." The red head said, turning his gaze when Yusuke and Kuwabara raced up from behind them.
"Wait for us, will ya?!"
The four men exited the way they came, heading down the sidewalk away from the complex as a pair of eyes watched from high above.
"So, uh, Kurama. What do we do next?" Kuwabara asked, matching the slightly shorter kitsune's stride as they ambled along.
"Well.." The kitsune began, eyes shifting from side to side as he focused his attention. "I think it's time we play a little game of our own." He stopped, voice soft and conspiratorial as he spoke. "Let's continue to follow this energy signature for a while.. see where it leads.. I have a feeling we'll get some information out of it."
"Uh.. alright.."
The detectives raced off, tracking the signature's erratic pattern, weaving around buildings and down alleyways, coming to a stop at a small private park, fenced off to keep intruders out.
"Interesting.." The red head murmured, leaping up and over, the rest following, splitting up in opposite directions, converging in the center moments later.
"Find anything?" Yusuke asked in general.
Kurama gave him a knowing look as he answered. "Yes.." Without warning, he pulled out a rose, feeding it energy, transforming it into a whip as he snapped up at the nearest tree, hearing a soft cry of surprise and retreating footsteps. Leaping up, he danced upon the boughs, his comrades right behind him. Whoever it was, they were very fast. The kitsune darted to the right, increasing his speed, heading to cut the watcher off only to gasp as a blast of energy slammed into him from in front and he tumbled down, crashing through the branches and slamming down into the dirt.
"Kurama!" Yusuke cried out in alarm, jumping down to his friend's side.
The red head winced, tossing the broken plant matter off his wounded body as he rose with the lead detective's help. "I'm.. alright, Yusuke. Keep going.. don't let him get away."
"Right!" Racing off, Yusuke continued his pursuit, catching sight of his quarry, Kuwabara and Hiei close behind and they spread out, hoping to nab their prey only to run head long into an invisible wall that sent them crashing back and onto the ground.
"What the hell?!" The dark haired boy snarled as he rose, trying to run forward again only to be pushed back. "What the fuck is this thing?"
"A force field." Hiei murmured, sheathing his sword after his failed attempt to slice through it. "A rather powerful one. Seems our.. friend.. is rather fond of playing games." He turned to Yusuke, brow furrowed. "Where is Kurama?"
"Right here." Kurama replied, limping a bit as he came up to them. He stopped before the nearly invisible force field, reaching out gingerly to touch it, watching it shimmer, a smile on his face. "Haven't seen one of these in decades. Most interesting." He commented softly, turning to face his friends. "Seems our quarry has eluded us, tonight. But not without given up information that will help us find them."
"How so?" Kuwabara asked, rubbing his backside from the rough treatment of crashing into the force field. "The guy got away."
"Believe me, Kuwabara, he won't escape us for long. All this did was confirm we were being watched."
"Yeah? Well, I'm hoping they're also listening. Cause when I get of hold of them I'm going to kick their ass!" Yusuke yelled then looked at his fellow detectives. "Let's get out of here. I'd like to figure out our next move over some breakfast and a good night's rest."
They all agreed to meet up the next day, going their separate ways. Kurama leapt up and through his window, unbuttoning his shirt and wincing at the bruise marks all over his torso. This is going to take a bit to heal completely. He thought, tossing the shirt aside. He fell onto his bed, looking up at the ceiling, his features relaxing, the façade of calm reserve slipping, replaced by concern. Where are you, Botan? He wondered, hoping like hell he could find her before.. before something bad happened to her. Kurama fell into an uneasy sleep, his dreams filled with the deity, nightmares replacing them as his mind tried to work out what had become of the girl he had feelings for.
XXXXXXXXX
Far away, Botan awoke to find herself bound to a strange bed, grogginess given way to panic as she found she could not move. Where am I? What is going on? She wondered, her mind slowly catching up with the situation as she remembered seeing that man.. feeling.. another's.. touch.. something painful in her neck.. then.. nothing.
"So you're awake? Good." A familiar voice echoed in the darkened room. "I hope your accommodations are satisfactory?"
The deity strained his eyes, trying to find the owner of the voice but to no avail. "What.. do you want with me?" She croaked out, trying hard not to break down into tears.
"All in good time, my lovely." The voice replied. "For now, I'd thought you'd like to know that your friends are looking for you as we speak. That red headed man of yours.. is quite clever."
Botan blushed despite the fact that Kurama wasn't hers, her voice defiant. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Come now, Botan, we both know who you think of when you.. how shall we say.. relieve your aches?"
The deity blushed even darker, squirming against her bonds. "You're a disgusting pervert.. you always were.. I don't know what my sisters saw in you!" She spat, biting at the hand that suddenly gripped her face, smirking in satisfaction at the hiss of pain as the hand withdrew.
"Call me all the names you want, wench, but I have the upper hand here. You'll all be begging for death by the time I'm through with all of you."
"Big words for a man who hides in the dark!" Botan shot back, frowning when silence met her ears. As scared as she was, her anger was greater and she sent up a silent prayer to be found, squirming to break free of her bonds, until they bled and exhaustion drained her energy and she panted, hearing footsteps in her room again and she called out weakly. "Who's there?" A sudden stabbing pain burst into her shoulder and consciousness left her.
"She's stronger than the others." A softer male voice spoke, his shadowed form turning to his right.
"Yes.. an excellent test subject." Another male voice replied. "I look forward to seeing the results." There was a pause before the second voice added. "Did the detectives give you any trouble?"
"Nothing I couldn't handle." Said the first. "It's been a rather enjoyable game so far, hasn't?"
The second reached out, opening the door, flooding the room with light, revealing two men, both of the same height and frame, one fair of hair and eyes of blue, the other dark haired with eyes of brown. "Yes indeed it has." Said the dark haired man, smirking as he closed the door, casting darkness into the room once more.
Okay.. so.. not much in the way of romance.. this is more in the tradition of YYH which places emphasis on quests, mystery, and horror. Not that I have to tell any of you that. Ahem.. anyway, for those hankering for romance, do not fret. It will come. This is just more detail and mystery orientated that my other works. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed this. Leave me a few lines to let me know your thoughts and likes.. or.. dislikes.. Thank you for reading!
