Because I Care
A YuYu Hakusho Fanfiction
Chapter 4: Deadlines and Explanations
*NOTE(S) FOR CHAPTER: if written as following it means it is as stated…
Normal text is normal, what is happening kind of thing
Underlined text is/are flashbacks
Italics, unless stated, are thoughts
Bold and underlined and Italic and Underlined text is/are people conversing mind to mind
Bold, Italics, and underlined text is a little of what happened in the previous chapter*
"You coward! Your years of hiding yourself in this human world have made you just like them – spineless and ready to be walked on!"
"I don't give a flip if he leaves, but he's got no right to the loot. Give us the pretty little mirror." The still unnamed man said as he held his hand out for the Forlorn Hope.
"I can't," Kurama answered. "I have great need for it myself first."
"Alright, then I'll punch it out of ya!" the muscle man replied as he made to punch Kurama.
Sonja and the boys turned when Yusuke called out something along the lines of "Hey there, neighbors!" She shook her head and mentally growled and swore.
Great way to lose the element of surprise there, green-boy!
'Green-boy'? Yusuke is 'green-boy'? Wow, is that the best you could come up with? I'd call him Yusu or Yuyu myself.
Oh shut up!
You know for such an old demoness you act a lot like you're Yusuke's age.
Yusuke walked into the clearing with a branch in hand being used like an umbrella. "I couldn't help but notice there's no rain falling here. Maybe the next time you guys go stealing some magic toys you should go somewhere it's not so obviously sunny. Just a tip."
"Who are you?" Hiei asked annoyance clear in his face but curiosity in his voice. "And how do you know about the artifacts?"
"Give us your name." Muscle man demanded.
"Oh thank you. I'd hoped you'd ask. Hello boys!" He threw away the branch. "The name's Yusuke, I'm a Spirit Detective."
"Spirit Detective?" the muscle man echoed.
"Don't worry; he's just one of Koenma's fools. He must have been the only human they could round up; his spirit energy is pathetic." Hiei said.
Guess we'd better save his ass.
Sonja groaned before stepping out into the clearing with a glare and a frown on her face. "Yusuke, if I just thought you were an idiot before, then now I sure as heck think you're one of the biggest morons I've ever met. And that says something, buddy boy." They all turned towards her and Hiei looked more annoyed than before.
"Sonja, you decided to join the party too?" Yusuke said, not happy with being called an idiot or a moron, but didn't really seem to have a retort.
"Moron," she said before muttering too softly for him to hear, "this is why I hate idiots and newbies, they always are running in head first and taking away the element of surprise."
"What?" Yusuke asked.
"I'll tell ya later kid." Sonja said before the most normal human looking of the three, Kurama, turned and walked away with a frown on his face.
"Hey! Where are you going?" Yusuke asked.
"Sorry, I don't have time to be arrested." Kurama said as he disappeared from sight.
"Stop Kurama! You can't just walk out on our plan!" Hiei exclaimed before taking off after him.
Yusuke looked around, "Hey! Don't leave yet, you guys, I just got here. So much for manners."
Yusuke, I'm going after the other two. Think you can handle this guy? Sonja saw Yusuke look towards her, after looking around slightly with a confused expression, and she held his glaze for a moment. Yes, Yusuke, I can talk to people with my mind. I'll explain later. Now, can you or not? He nodded slightly. I'll hold you to that. A word of advice, don't die. Sonja thought to him as she disappeared into the forest after Hiei and Kurama, even though she was almost completely sure that she wouldn't find either but knowing that she at least should try.
"Don't feel bad, kid," the last target in the clearing said before she was out of earshot.
The next day, Renee was waiting with Botan and a woman named Atsuko. They were waiting for Yusuke to wake up. Renee knew this mission had been given to him too soon. Damn Koenma, Sonja and I could probably handle this mission while Botan trains Yusu. She'd only known the boy for about half a day or so and somehow he had managed to already be someone she wouldn't be able to ditch anytime soon; what was it about Yusuke that made her want to go find Gōki and beat the living crud out of him for hurting the kid? It annoyed Renee that she felt guilty, that she'd felt like she had been sucker punched when she had returned to the clearing and found Botan looking down at a beat up Yusuke, and Renee kind of just wanted the feeling to disappear.
Atsuko, Yusuke's mother, was a pretty nice person, even if her son was a total punk and an idiot. Sonja was leaning against the wall next to the door, just inside Yusuke's room, with her eyes closed and arms crossed over her chest.
Oh stop that, Renee, I know you don't really care for people but this is the first time we've really worked as partners with someone. Do try to give them a chance.
Yeah, yeah… sure, I'll try, but no promises. But both knew that she was already attached to the brat and didn't want to see anything bad happen to him; it was almost like… like he was her own kin, her flesh and blood, her brother... but if he was family she hadn't been told – heck, it was only after Mochi told her to visit his mom that she even knew that she had a Grandmother – and that made her curious. Maybe later, she'd call in one of the favors that Koenma owed her.
Yusuke let out a little cry as he jerked into an upright position and asked, "What happened to the forest?" He then looked around. "I'm in my room? Don't tell me that was all just a crazy dream."
"Aha," Atsuko said as she dropped the towel she had been holding as she entered the room to find Yusuke awake. "Yusuke, you're up. Are you alright?"
"I think…" was all Yusuke got out before his mother hit him over the head. "Ow! Mother!" Yusuke exclaimed, "You don't just wallop an injured person."
"You look like you've been fighting with a wrestler; you're going to get yourself killed." Atsuko started crying.
"Aha," Yusuke looked a bit surprised at this. "Don't do that, Mother; it's okay. At least I think it is. Whose voice was that…?"
"Oh, you know." Botan said, standing behind Atsuko. "Hello," Botan said, sounding cheerful, as Yusuke turned towards her. Renee sighed as she watched all this and wondered how long it would take him to notice her.
"Wow, Botan, you saved me?"
"Yes, she and this other nice young lady did; brought you back home asleep in their arms. They're very strong." Atsuko said as she stood up, no longer crying, and Yusuke began to freak out.
"She – uh- can other people see you now?" Yusuke asked as Botan leaned forward.
"Mmhmm, I told Koenma I'd make a much better assistant to the Spirit Detective if I had a human form and he agreed."
"Makes sense, I guess."
"Yusuke, you'll have to introduce me to these ladies properly soon." Atsuko said as she walked out of the room with the towel she had dropped earlier and a wave.
"And how am I supposed to do that?" he asked and Botan giggled.
"Simple just tell your mom that Botan and I are friends you met recently and that you're still getting to know us yourself; that should cover you for a little while." Sonja stated from her position next to the open door.
"When did you get here!?" Yusuke asked while pointing a finger at her.
"I'm the one who treated your wounds before you woke up, twit." Renee glared at him and was happy to see him back away towards the window. "I thought I told you to be careful, but then again I'm sure you just ignored my advice."
"Alright, I get it, back off lady! Sheesh," Yusuke muttered. "So how'd you find me? I didn't even think I knew where I was." Yusuke asked Botan as he leaned back against the windows with his hands behind his head.
"Nothing too special, I just used this compass to find Gōki," Botan said as she held up the device.
"This'll make finding them a lot easier, but I think my real problem comes once they're in my face. Gōki was a lot stronger than I thought." Yusuke said as he took the compass from Botan and began tossing it up into the air and catching it.
"The next two thieves will be even stronger and there's another catch. Koenma didn't tell you this but you've only have one week."
"Why does that not surprise me?" Yusuke asked.
"That's Koenma for you… always leaving that kind of information out." Sonja said, muttering the last part so that the others didn't hear.
"I should be encouraging you but," Botan said as she moved to lean against the wall next to the head of Yusuke's bed.
"I know the odds aren't good." Yusuke said as he interrupted her.
"Now then," Botan said as she slid down the wall to sit on the floor. "Sonja, why weren't you with Yusuke? You know he could've been killed!" The blue haired grim reaper snapped at the auburn haired girl.
"Because I had asked him if he could handle Gōki on his own, he said 'yes', and I went after the other two." She retorted while looking out the window.
"You what?!" Botan roared. "Did you really think that Yusuke could take on someone like Gōki at his current level!?"
