Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of its characters! NOW GET OFF MY PORCH!
A/N: Thanks for the reviews, esteemed friends who I hold in high regard! Inikus, I got the PM so no hard feelings about you thinking I'm a girl. You might also be surprised to learn that I am, in fact, not even gay! Yea for being straight! Go me!
But I think that's enough discussion about my sexual orientation for a good month and a half, so here's chapter 4! Hopefully you'll all enjoy this one, as it features a traditional and somewhat clichéd western shoot-out. But stop biting your nails in angst, Senor I-bite-my-nails-out-of-angst! The tale is nowhere near through!
Chapter 4
The dim candlelight of the room barely managed to banish the shadow of the night, the flame weakly dancing in place as if it knew what was to transpire. Huddled in the corner, the mother and her two young children, one a boy and one a girl, watched as the murderers who had entered their home cornered the father as though he were a lamb surrounded by wolves.
But he was no mere sheep. He was a lion.
One of the killers took a quick swipe at his head with a knife, only to miss completely as his target ducked down and reached up instinctively, catching the man by the wrist and slamming the arm down on his shoulder before flipping him over and onto his back. As the one fell, another hunter pounced, thrusting forward at its quarry's chest. Sidestepping, the man caught his attacker's arm between his massive bicep and armpit, twisting it about until it popped out of its socket, forcing him to relinquish the blade into the juggernaut's grasp.
Two came from behind, giving a cry as they made to sink their daggers into his back, only to instead have both of their throats cut open from one mighty slash. Blood spewed through the air from their gaping necks like red fountains as their bodies hit the ground. The young girl, her teal hair now covered in spots of red, buried her face in her mother's dress as the son watched transfixed, his hazel eyes catching every movement of his father's blade.
"Enough."
The remaining men backed off, their eyes never leaving the man as they cleared the way for a giant to enter through the doorway. He coolly regarded the ex-sheriff that he had come to kill, raising a massive hand to fix his dark spectacles more firmly into place. At his side was a wretched looking thing of a man, frail and weak looking, hunched over and covered in wrinkled and decayingflesh. Falling down over his face was long, tangled, beastly and grey hair, revealing only his sadistic grin, adorned with stained fangs.
"Toguro." The father spoke, his voice deep and rough as he straightened himself out, his grip on the knife becoming tighter. The two giants locked their gazes, one of them grim and one of them confident and savoring its upcoming victory. The man with the dark spectacles gave a slow nod, a smirk playing on his lips.
"Had it not been for my beloved elder brother, " He began, his voice deep and haunting, earning a shudder from the young boy watching as his mother and sister sobbed in fear. The giant's hand came down to rest on the shoulder of the beast at his side, "I would have been rotting away in a cell for the remainder of my life."
The father snarled taking a step forward as a bead of sweat dripped down his brow.
"You attempted to end my life." Toguro paused, his expression never faltering, "But you tried the coward's way, avoiding our inevitable confrontation by arranging for my death to be the result of madness and deterioration rather than the blaze of your gun. That is why you failed."
The boy could feel his legs trembling as the man speaking moved the side of his dark green trench coat out of the way to reveal a colt at his waist.
"I, however, will not make the same weak-kneed mistake as you."He finished, giving a snap of his fingers. Another man at his side, who was even larger than he, stepped forward. Not an inch of flesh was visible, hidden away behind the sturdy wall of wrappings and bandages that made up his attire.
"Bui, bring me the woman." Toguro ordered. Before the father could so much as yell the towering being had already grabbed his wife by the back of the neck, dragging her away from the children and throwing her down upon her knees before Toguro, facing her husband. Toguro's smug look of satisfaction remained in place as he drew his firearm and cocked it.
"Hopefully this will provide you with a little more balls than you had before." He mused aloud before firing a shot into the back of her head, no remorse present on her face as he corpse slumped to the floor.
A man is not supposed to roar like a beast. Our throats and voices are not the same. But at that moment, that rule was broken, and for a brief few seconds the world shook.
Thundering forward with a speed that shouldn't be attainable by a mortal, the man, seething in rage and agony at the loss of his love, threw his blade forward through the air, just skimming the side of Toguro's cheek as he sidestepped. Like a gazelle he leapt forward, hurling his body through the air at the bastard who had just killed a part of him, only to be blasted back onto his side in a pool of blood from the fire of Toguro's gun.
He hissed in agony as he slowly squirmed back onto his knees, breathing heavily as he made ready to pounce again, his eyes wide and bloodshot.
"Brother," the elder Toguro interjected, his lips curled into a wry grin as he dipped his fingers in the woman's life fluid, lapping it up greedily, "If I may?"
The younger extended the six shooter to the wretched thing, which took it gleefully and gave a sickening purr
"Tell me, officer, if I enjoyed the taste of your woman's blood.."He trailed off, suddenly aiming the weapon directly at the children, "Do you think I would be satisfied by theirs as well?"
A bullet whizzed through the air, cutting through it easier than a knife through butter, from the barrel of the gun, underneath the boys arm and into the young girl he clutched in his arms.
"YUKINA!" The father cried, throwing himself in the children's direction only to receive a bullet to the shoulder, forcing him onto his back. The elder Toguro laughed maniacally as the girl's body went limp in the boys arms, which now shook uncontrollably as he sprang to his feet. The bloodied man coughed up blood as he cried out.
"Hiei, no!" He screamed as the boy gave a bellow of fury, throwing a fist at the sickening freak who had fired the weapon. The thing dropped low and slammed its foot into the child's gut, slamming him to the ground. Stalking over to him like a wolf about to enjoy a feat, he scooped down low and grabbed him by the neck.
"Alright, brat.Wave goodbye to your daddy." Elder Toguro convulsed as he cocked the gun in his other hand, only to suddenly cry out in pain and drop the boy.
"Auuggh He bit me! The little bastard bit me!" He wailed as he recoiled, holding his now bleeding hand before aiming the six shooter directly at him, "YOU'RE DEAD!" He shrieked, his face now bubbling with shades of red and purple as he fired the bullet…
………and into the ceiling. The father slammed his dying body into the beast, tackling him to the ground and fighting it for the weapon. The cripple howled and kicked as the man connected punch after punch with its face.
"Out the window, Hiei GO!" He roared as the younger Toguro approached, grabbing him by the throat and lifting him up off of the ground. The young Hiei bounded to the window and leapt out into the night, glancing back over his shoulder just in time to catch the final moment of his father's life as Toguro impaled him through the stomach.
---------------------------------
"…Yea, that's what I told her. But I'm tellin' ya once the broad's made up her mind there's no use trying to change it." The main grumbled, taking a long blow from his cigar and letting it escape through the side of his mouth. The other laughed.
"Heh, sounds like my second wife." He laughed, suddenly looking to the left of them and into the bushes, "You hear that?"
"Yea, but I thought I was goin crazy." The smoker answered, dropping the cigar and drawing his pistol as the two advanced on the shrubberies. The sound of two gunshots split the air as they both fell on their stomachs in their own little private lake of blood, the dark form of Hiei standing behind them, smoke rising off of the barrel of his pistol. Spitting on the corpses, he reloaded two shots back into his six shooter and looked ahead at the large red door in front of him. He scowled upon seeing the lock and scooped down, reaching into the vest pocket of one of the dead men and pulling out a key ring. Sticking it into the lock and turning vigorously, he kicked the door in, practically ripping it off of its hinges.
From a desk ahead of him, three men looked up, jumping from their seats and reaching for their guns.
"Who the hell - -?!" They started, cut off by the shots of Hiei's firearms. They fell slumped down right back where they were seated, one careening over the edge of the chair and landing upside down. Hiei reloaded once more, stalking up to the bodies and rummaging through their pockets for ammunition and keys. A bullet suddenly whizzed by the short bandit's head, ripping off his sombrero as he spun about, sending a spray of gunfire into the two men that had entered the room.
Sparing no time, he bounded from the room and down the hall that was now open to him, drawing a second pistol from his belt as he rounded a corner and moved up a flight of stairs, firing like a madman into a crow of seven that had come out to meet him. He cringed as a bullet pierced his side but pushed on, cracking his neck as he knelt down next to a man he had only shot in the leg and clutching his throat tightly.
"Do you.. have any idea… whose fucking building this is?!" The man bawled, breathing heavy as he clutched at his oozing wound.
"Sakyou. And you're going to tell me where I can find him." Hiei stated coolly, his expression stoic as he cocked a pistol and put it to the thug's temple, "Or I'm going to give these walls a fresh coat of paint."
"The next hall down!" The man squealed, now terrified as his assailant's crimson orbs intensified, "Third room on the right!"
"Hn." Hiei snarled, punching him across the face before moving on, making sure that each of his guns were loaded. Pausing for an instant, he kicked down the door, both firearms extended forward.
That's when he realized that two six shooters wasn't enough.
Seventeen men were now watching him intently, guns drawn and aimed directly at him. He instantly recognized the Toguro brothers and the giant called Bui, and he guessed that the man seated in the plush red chair was Sakyou.
"Not bad at all." The illegitimate businessman mused, narrowing his eyes at the intruder as he took a drag of his smoke. Hiei could feel a bead of sweat run down along his jaw line from the top of his head as he frantically went over what to do in his head. This wasn't how he had planned it. The Toguros were supposed to die a slow death, not a quick one from desperation shots.
"But I can't help but wonder… who the hell are you?" The gang lord asked, reclining in his seat as he watched the desperado incredulously. Hiei's expression didn't falter once as he straightened himself.
"A ghost." He answered, his eyes landing on Toguro, the fire confined within them intensifying two fold. Sakyou took in another deep breath from his cigar, seeming interested. He followed Hiei's gaze to his bodyguard, smirking.
"Forgive me. I failed to notice the family resemblance." The murderer apologized, his ominous voice possessing a tone of humor. He returned his gun to his belt, nodding to the others to do that same.
"They said you most likely burned to death in the flames… but I never really believed that. I always knew that we would meet again."
"Brother, who is this?" the elder Toguro questioned, unsure of what was happening. The other smirked, showing off some fangs.
"Jaganshi." He answered, watching as his older brother suddenly gave a sick squeal of delight.
"Oh dear… back from the dead for more, hmm? Well I'd be happy to oblige." He laughed, readying to fire his gun when the Younger Toguro suddenly slapped it from his hands.
"No. This one is mine." He stated calmly, nodding to Hiei. The bandit sheathed his guns as Toguro's lackeys moved out of the way. Sakyou leaned forward, fascinated by the spectacle taking place as he furrowed his brows in concentration.
"Whenever you're ready." Toguro stated, spreading his legs apart slightly. Hiei frowned, taking a step back for a better footing. This was it. After years of tracking the merciless bastard he had finally caught up to him. He finally had the chance to make him play for the innocent blood that he had spilt so many nights ago.
The tension was palpable, bearing down on the shoulders of everyone in the large room. Hiei's eyes narrowed as he watched Toguro's right hand hover over his colt, twitching slightly. In a flash, the lone bandit's gun was loose from its holster, only to be dropped to the floor as a bullet ripped through his hand, forcing him to step back as another bullet tore through the fabric connecting his belt and his other holster, taking that pistol away from him as well.
Shocked, Hiei's wide crimson eyes locked on Toguro. How was he able to do that?
Toguro held two guns drawn. One was that colt that Hiei had seen at his waist, while the other was a smaller pistol that he had drawn from another pocket just before Hiei had unsheathed his own. Hiei cursed, reaching beneath his cloak for another weapon when Toguro fired another shot, this one blazing through his torso and splattering his blood on the wall behind him.
"Heh. Like father like son. Neither one of you can touch me." Toguro chuckled darkly as Hiei sank to his knees. He could feel his life leaving his body as his eyelids grew heavy. The last thing he saw was The elder Toguro licking his lips in anticipation.
----------------------------
An unbearable stinging pain was what brought Hiei back to the realm of the living. It seemed that God couldn't just let him die so quickly. No, it was just Hiei's luck that the big man would want to see him suffer long and hard before oblivion took him.
Looking about weakly, he tried to get a bearing of his surroundings. He was in the wilderness, it seemed, just off to the side of a dirt road through the desert. To his right there were several horses, some of them with riders and some of them not. Those who weren't mounted stood beneath him, sneering up at him.
"You're awake I see." The Elder Toguro laughed, eyes twitching, "Good. I don't want you to miss it when the buzzards come to pick out your eyes."
Hiei stifled a groan as he rolled his head to the side. It was then that he realized just what the seering pain was the result of. Each of his hands was impaled upon a nail, which held him attached to a large chunk of wood carved into the shape of a cross.
"Hn…" Hiei managed, spitting up some blood into Elder Toguro's face, who merely laughed harder as he lapped it up with his tongue.
"Mmm… not a bad sample…." He trailed off, desire suddenly showing in his eyes, "I may even give your rotting corpse the same treat I gave your mothers…"
Hiei snarled, pulling at the nails in vain, his strength failing him as he allowed his body to go limp, his eyes drifting shut.
I failed.
A gunshot suddenly rang out through the silent desert air, forcing Hiei's eyelids to fly open. More gunshots were suddenly hear, accompanied by screams of agony as the men at the horses fell over dead.
"No…No…bastards…." He heard the wretched elder Toguro wail as he limped off quickly to his steed, holding his side as blood dripped down onto the desert sand from a bullet wound in his side.
"You're done, Jaganshi! You're DONE!" He shrieked after mounting the horse and kicking it, galloping off. Hiei struggled to keep consciousness, fighting with what he had left to keep his vision blur free. Before he passed out, he could have sword he saw his sister run out of a dead patch of weeds in his direction.
------------------------------------
Hiei Jaganshi awoke with a start, his skin drenched with sweat as he moved to sit up quickly, only to be restrained by a pair of soft hands.
"Hiei!" He heard a familiar feminine voice shout, "Hiei, you have to stay down or else you'll start bleeding again!"
He snorted defiantly, turning his head to the side. In that moment, crimson met violet.
"Hiei, it's okay… you're safe now." Botan assured him, keeping one hands on his bandaged torso while the other wiped some sweat from his brow. He managed to regain control of his breathing, forcing it to slow as his brows furrowed.
"...w-woman?"
Botan giggled softly, grabbing a washcloth and dipping it in a bucket of cold water at her side, "My name is Botan. Haven't we met?" She joked, placing the cloth on his forehead. He resisted the urge to moan as the cool waters rushed over his skin, making all the pain in his body subside for that brief instant.
"Hn." Hiei answered, closing his eyes for a moment, "You followed me." He stated more than asked. She gave a small smile and a nod as she continued to rinse him in cold water.
"Bingo. Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Keiko are outside." She answered.
"And where are we?"
"At my home. My father, Mayor Enma, won't let any of those killers near here."
Hiei nodded weakly in response, now staring at the ceiling.
"You were the one who killed those men?" He questioned, giving her a disbelieving look. She gave another soft smile.
"I told you I could shoot. My father made my brother Koenma and I learn when we were younger. If you haven't figured out yet, this isn't the friendliest place." She chuckled, applying more water, for which he was very grateful.
"You're…. not really a soap salesman, are you, Hiei?" She pointed out more than asked. Hiei allowed a smirk to play on his lips.
"Hn. No. Not quite."
---------------------------------------------------
A/N: Alright. That's chapter 4. Yes, I intentionally made Elder Toguro messed up as hellllllllll. Leave me a review or two? My thing says 104 views, but only 6 reviews. Am I that bad?
Peace!
