Chapter 7

Batman's Toga-Boy

Kurama blinked. Well that was one way to hit the nail onthe head... Hiei was spot on, and to honest, he was a bit amazed. "You're right... I was just making sure you did trust me, and you are quite right, my friend, I do not wish to harm you..." He smiled a bit though. "What you're eating right now is garlic bread, only poisonous if you're a vampire."

"Vampire, eh?" Hiei asked, cocking an eyebrow. "That reminds me. there was a demon bat looking for you. He looked familiar. Was he not the one you killed that day? The one with the pendant and the sickles?" As he took another bite he seemed to be thinking. "I believe he called himself Kuronue." He muttered, looking back towards Kurama.

Kurama was taken aback, staring, wide-eyed at Hiei as he spoke of Kuronue. Yoko was rambling. Kurama's eyes shook. "That...That can not be...He... He can't be back...I...I killed him!" By now Yoko was about ready to run to find him, but Kurama was insisting he sit still, and he was. "Kuronue..." The bat's name echoed in his head. It all came back in a flash...

They had just stolen a mirror...a mirror with incredible abilities and very valuable. It had been under strict survalence and even stricter guards. They had thought it would be easy... They were wrong. Among the laughter the alarm was sounding. They ran, laughing. They took a moment to stop, and laugh at their accomplishment. Yoko displayed the mirror, and the deep lavender haired bat demon, Kuronue, smirked in approval. Yoko gave a careless shrug...

Oh how careless I was...

They ran, fast, from the gaurds. They were coming fast and in large numbers. The two's laughter ceased as they ran, more focused on the fun of returning to show their catch. But it wasn't long before he heard a snap and turned to look. Kuronue had dropped his prized pendant...

"I have to get it!" He'd called running to go gather the other half.

"Don't! Kuronue!" The silver haired Yoko called after his beloved friend.

But his friend had dissappeared into the bamboo trees. He ran back too, only to find his friend peirced through and through. Blood was everywhere, and he stared, wide-eyed, in shock.

"Forget about me Kurama! Go! Run!" Kuronue ordered.

And Yoko listened, running with tears in his eyes, following his best friend's dieing wish...

Kurama looked to Hiei. "Where did you meet him? How long ago? Yoko will not cease until his questions are answered..." He said.

"About three hours before...yesterday...I met him yesterday...about 38 hours ago...yeah...not exactly yesterday...but close enough...and it was in the forest. He said 'Kurama should know where I'll be. Tell him I want my pendant back...and my hat too.'...what was that all about, anyway? He's an old friend of Youko's, right?" Hiei asked, cocking an eyebrow in question.

"Little Demon!"
"Hn?" He turned to look around. who was calling him by that name? He hated that name! "Who's there?" He called into the darkness of the hour of the dead.
"I am Kuronue. A friend of Youko."
"The Fox? How do you know him?"Whoever it was...he had peaked the little demon's interest.
"I am an old thieving partner. Youko believes me to be dead." He watched as the demon stepped out from the shadows, and recognized him almost immidiatly. He was the demon from before. the bat that had once been the Fox's closest friend...the one who attacked him...But that had been an imposter, had it not?
"How am I to know you're telling the truth, bat?"
"Tell Toga-Boy that Kuronue is lookin for him. He'll know where to find me."
Hiei blinked and the bat was gone...letting out a sigh he looked around...he was not alone.

"I believe he called you...Toga-boy..." He muttered, taking another bite. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Kurama listened to Hiei intently. He spoke of Kuronue exactly. He was back...but how?!? He didn't understand at all. All of his memorys were flooding back. Yoko wouldn't stop rambling. He'd never heard the silver fox so happy. It seemed Kuronue's death had made his heart cold, and the imposter only made the feeling of guilt worse. But Yoko seemed as if half of the wounds were healed...

Yoko, my friend, remember that it could be another trap, another imposter.' He thought.

'But Shuuichi! You don't understand! He'll be at the den! The den in our secret room! Or just with the other den members! You need to let me see them!'

'Yoko if it will calm you then I will go with Hiei and we will check, understood?' 'Yes Shuuichi, thank you.'

Kurama looked to Hiei. "Hiei, would you mind if tomorrow we go together to see if Kuronue is really waiting? I mean, if it's an imposter, then I will need you... And the Toga-boy thing is quite the odd story. He called him Bat-boy, sometimes Batman if they were drunk. They'd get drunk together all of the time. And Kuronue's nickname for Yoko was Toga-boy because Yoko made the 'uniform' and said that it was comfortable, slimming, movable, and flexable, and it didn't get hot and matched his hair. Kuronue was the only member of the bandits who didn't follow dress code."

"I do not care what we do Fox, but remember; tomorrow is day one of seven." Hiei reminded him, finishing off the last of his food. "You have a limited amount of time with me, remember? And I do not impress easily, it won't be simple to make me trust you." He told him as he stood. "Now, as you told me to do earlier, I am going to wash myself off." He muttered, walking out.
He understood the sink and shower well enough to be able to use them if necessary.
He turned on the shower and looked to the floor. Youko must have been so eagar to see Kuronue... it was asy to tell... and it was making the little demon jealous. He wanted the Fox to himself, he wouldn't allow someone else to...
His eyes widened at what he had been thinking.

"I...really do...love him..." He whispered as he watched the baby blue tiles on the floor. Suddenly he felt very dizzy, very ill, and he remembered why they had come to the Fox's home in the first place. They were supposed to be treating his wounds...

"GET HIM!"
The shouts of those demons flashed in his head...and he collapsed onto the tiled floor. He was bleeding again...when had the wound reopened? Probably when he was walking up the stairs. His head ached, and he tried to call out to the Fox, but his voice wouldn't work...
The pain overcame the small demon and he soon lost the ability to stay in the realm of the wake...and he drifted into the endless void once again.