Don't Close Your Eyes In the Dark

Chapter 10

After his personal first meeting with Kami, Beast is hopefully not thrilled to be the only person in the room, his lab, with the rogueish and temperamental ghoul should he awaken from his not so delightful slumber.

Hank was working fast at his computers, easy wasn't the best word to use while hacking Michael's mainframe, even for the X-Men's blue furry genius but he finally got in when he heard a sound in the room

Kami was stirring after the several hours he'd been here as Hank's head snapped in his direction...Hank couldn't say he'd been any more scared in his whole entire life as he was right now

He had help earlier to take Kami's shirt off, despite his age he was very old yet still relatively young among the full adult Ghouls by Ghoul terms and his body was always kept in peak condition

Kami indeed rose with a heavy groan, his body felt like lead as he rose to a sitting position with one hand over his face and one question on his mind as he looked over his body, temporarily tattooed by the seal placed on him then stared blankly at Beast through his fingers 'Nani ga kowai jigoku... Ittai doko ni iru no?' (What the freaking hell...where the heck am I?)

Hank froze as he looked at his blue eyes...which was different from the other Kurosaki's eyes for some reason but refused to answer and Kami looked around the room with curiosity then stepped off the metal bed and chuckled, which caused Hank's skin to crawl "I want water...I'll help myself" he walked to the door

"Don't leave...I have tests to run first" Beast breaks his silence as Kami looked at him "Bite me, helping you play with Ghoul blood isn't going to help either of us any more than it helps the humans that are determined to make sure we both cease to be"

Beast had no patience for this and got up to stop Kami by force, but the Ghoul Lord's speed was still too much for him in this weakened state as he got a scalpel at his throat "Were you planning to cut me open?" Kami asks pressing the blade at Beast's throat without cutting him "I wouldn't want to take my eyes off me either in the mood I'm in, but you buddies outside can easily subdue me until I get this infernal seal off me...until then, you're dead if you turn a blind eye to me or even think of making a science experiment out of me, I will get this seal off eventually though"

As if on cue, Kami's captors came in and tossed him water...this seal was very different from previous seals placed on him, it was actually powered not just by the special Kurosaki Clan magic used to burn it into his body, as permanent as the caster desires it to be but also his own magic and life force...though not enough that he felt it right away

"Are you gonna hide from me forever, what would you have done if I'd killed your genius?" Kami asks as the door opened and Xavier wheeled in "I would've stopped you before then...I only wish to speak with you, you needn't be so hostile"

"I'm hostile...when you're the one threatening me with the shit ton of C4 you have wired to this room?" Kami glared at him "Magic or no magic, I'll make you all suffer...especially if you touch me"

Everyone else was on edge by the as one of the Ghouls said "Explosives and Blaze Runes are a volitile mixture..."

"Blaze Runes?" Beast asks as the Ghoul nodded "red shards that are scarcely found different area of the world and vary in power...some SSS Class dangerous shit that is said to have originated from the mana of the Earth itself"

"I told you he and I were two peas in a pod..." Kami smirks as Xavier tried not to look as angry as he was "Why'd you think you and I are the same, Kami?"

"We're both masters at getting what we want, no matter what" Kami explained "where we both may make a demand of someone, say your Logan-san, and I may get it by threatening the lives of those he cares most for or even his own life...you will do nothing if you get a no...as far as he knows and he'll still lose someone or something of grave importance to him either way unless we both get our yes"

Kami met Xavier's eyes "he would expect no less of me while he'll never trust you ever again...maybe turn and kill us both out of grief and anger...even Bakemono-san seems to get it, so why are you being so stubborn about it?"

Kami was right, Beast did get where he was coming from but it didn't mean he believed his actions are justified as he asked "What's the point of you saying this to us...are you trying to redeem yourself or something?"

"No...I know full well that I'm irredeemable" Kami said "that's why I lost my heart and my soul and died twice in the process in the first place, but now worse threats than me or even Michael Darkstone, that fool...are out there, I think I'll call your bluff and detonate your little bomb myself right now"

"You won't survive...you know this" Charles said as Kami looked at him "I thought you believed I was deserving of death...Wolverine, despite my respect for him feels the same for us both and besides I have no complaints with dying...knowing I'll take you to hell with me!"

"The seal...I almost forgot that it makes him powerless" Beast said as Kami said "wrong again...I don't need my magic to do it, I'm still physically stronger than and far superior to a mere human being...don't confuse me for one of those weaklings that you're so determined to protect as much as they are to kill you"

Kami ran over to one corner of the room, above where he knew one of the explosives are and stared at Charles daringly...

"You wouldn't...knowing you'll kill yourself in the process" Charles said as Kami stomped the ground, cracking the spot causing the mansion as a whole to shake "Shut up, every word you say only proves my point"

"I fully intend to make you regret bringing me here and thinking a little bomb and sealing my magic was enough to make me behave, datte" Kami said as he made his way to the other charge but Beast jumps at him "Stop this!"

Kami caught him though and a marvellous idea popped into his mind "Stop...why should I when you just gave me a great idea?"

Kami throws Beast to the corner of the room then walked towards him "Arigato, Bakemono..." he clenched his fist and jumped at him, but Xavier accessed his mind for a brief moment to cause a pain that stopped Kami in his tracks before he was blocked out totally

"I came here to talk to you...not have you intimidating my staff" Xavier said "I'm not concerned with what you want...I just want you to reconsider my past offer..."

"You mean your past offers, right?" Kami was still unnerved and is already showing that he's still a danger without any magic as Xavier said "I want you to betray Michael Darkstone and join us"

"Huh, and that's how you go about persuading me to join your side?" Kami said drawing a dagger "Remove this seal and let me stab you first and...I'll think about it, it's not like I don't have my own plans to betray and ultimately remove Michael from the equation already"

"I saw it in your mind...your mother, don't you want to make her proud?" Xavier said as Kami snapped and looked in his direction but avoided his eyes "Don't call that figment of my imagination my mother...my family is dead"

"I will join you on only one condition...I want Nightcrawler, Rogue and Temujin and you can't stop me from doing whatever I so please with them" Kami added "do this and I'm indefinitely yours...otherwise, forget it"

"You don't do anything if there isn't something to gain, do you?" Beast said waking up as Kami simply looked at him "I don't negotiate...there's no point or fun in doing it if it's a lose-lose situation, datte"

Elsewhere, the X-Men face Michael's men and Logan is trying to tap into the powers he tapped into accidentally while trying to save Beast from Kami...doing this at will is stressful and hard for a beginner though, even for Logan who has no real experience with having or using any offensive magical abilities

"I'll take this one apart..." Kakuzu gave Walt an icy glare "my pride as a bloodborn Ghoul is on the line here"

"Bloodborn?" Berserker queried as the other mutants shared the same look as Kakuzu explains "there are Ghouls that have no clan relations...they were bitten as a human, then there's those like Temujin and Bane who were born human, to a Ghoul and mutant parent respectively...with the genes of both laying dormant until he was bitten by his pussy of a father that's right here..." he points at Yang who gives him the finger "there's also the Ghouls from a Clan, who all of which share a similarity but are noticably different all the same while lastly, there is me, a bloodborn Ghoul...was never born human to begin with, they're the rarest of all Ghouls to see or meet"

Kakuzu nodded, smiling under his mask "This guy's very existence just pissed me off...can you fight so we can wipe him off the face of the Earth?" Berserker nodded as Walt disappeared then Kakuzu grabbed Berserker less than gently before disappearing himself

"That just leaves the snake and this guy..." Logan said as an aura came over him that all could see as Anakondrai went into his full snake form and replied "Well, if it isn't Pythos...have you come here expecting mercy where you of all people know it isn't?"

"Father..." Pythos said quietly as Anakondrai went into an armored form, his brown patterned scaled body turning pure white as a luminescent gold armor plated his body as Pythos "Let's go!" As he went into his snake form

This left Logan and Yang with Jason X, who still wanted X-23 "So, you're that clawed bitch's daddy she was talking to, eh runt?"

"You'd better not be referring to X-23 as that 'little bitch' you just mentioned..." Logan twitched at the very thought of the man before him, who could be some sex offender for all Logan knew or cared...laying hands on Laura but it was enough for him to tap into the power he used against Kami as the snakes, Ghouls and Logan himself (who could care less at the moment) can see as bright yellow and a slightly black and Logan was surprised but too livid to be as surprised as everyone else

"Raah!" Logan roared as he threw himself at Jason but was thrown back by the winds as he smiled "don't worry runt, I'll teach her real good"

Yang suddenly screamed as Jason was too busy being smug about what he'd do to Laura and just about every other female in the X-Mansion 'Byōki no akuma... Shi wa, anata no yōna sukamu no tame no jūbun'na batsude wa arimasen!' (Sick bastard...Death is not a good enough punishment for scum like you!) He kicked the larger man in the face

'Gūru wa hontō no monsutāde wa arimasen... Anata wa ningendesu' (Ghouls aren't the real monsters...you humans are) Yang snarled as he chuckled like a psycho

This had Logan thinking back to when they'd saved Kurt and Rogue from Kami, Yang's expression was indifferent to Kami and vice-versa, as if they were more than just former allies as he thought of what he saw...something a Ghoul shouldn't and doesn't possess but felt all the same in only very small doses 'Fear...why is a being devoid of such emotions as fear feeling dread right now...?' As he looked at Yang's eyes as the two faced Jason X

Yoru managed to get past the fighting and into the Base, he felt Juggernaut's life force draining away...

Yoru made his way through the prison until he met up with a group, gladly Michael or anyone else looking for a fight wasn't there...hopefully they won't be hostile either.

Yoru came upon the Acolytes, Juggernaut was barely conscious on a bed and there was a hole in the wall directly across from the bed indicating that he'd punched Magneto through earlier

Remy looked at him sharply as he raised his hand "No need to worry, I am not an ally of the people here...it seems your friend is no longer fighting for his life though"

Remy was pissed now as he threw a card at his feet "Are you saying he's dead?"

Yoru sensed a lot of turmoil in Remy and with his Kakugan he could see that his heart was beating fast "Calm yourself, bakayaro, I never said he was dead...but he should be by now...he should enjoy whatever food he can now as in a few days, two weeks give or take, his prey and diet will go from fried food to the flesh and blood of humans"

"No, he's not a monster" Toad said shooting his tongue at Yoru who simply side stepped "Get a grip of reality already, he will get severly poisoned, if not killed now from the food you eat and will go after humans no matter what he or you have to do or say about it!" He snapped, he hated people who thought they knew everything about Ghouls when they actually know little to nothing as he turned to leave them "We shouldn't cross paths again, we'll have to fight..."

"Magneto is useless...he hasn't done anything to help us" Remy said in tears as Juggernaut opened his eyes, which were now bronze with a black sclera in one eye to look at Yoru who looked at him over his shoulder as he said weakly "I...ain't one of you"

"You can blame neither me nor the Ghoul who bit you really...a member of your family must've been a Ghoul, even if it wasn't your parents" Yoru explained "you had the same genes as any full blooded Ghoul hidden somewhere in your body since you were born and weather you wear that with pride or not is all up to you as long as you heed my warning about your diet...then again, you can thank the magical properties of Cyttorak as well that you still walk among us"

He left with that as they all became aware of the X-Men outside and Remy went out, only to see that Yoru was gone like he was never there, but he was gone

Remy made it outside in time to see Taji outside as he made his way to the forest, ignoring Remy even when he started following him

"Hey, wait up" Remy followed Taji Kurosaki but the fast walking Ghoul seemed to easily be hearing but not listening as he suddenly disappeared from Remy's sight.

"Where'd he go?" Remy asked himself as he didn't see Taji manipulate water vapor to make himself invisible in a smokescreen, as Taji appeared behind Remy and nibbled his ear 'Anata ga shitte iru no wa, gūru no ashiato o tadoru koto wa tabūdesu. Tokuni kare no ito ga wakaranai toki, matawa kare ga dorehodo kūfukudearu ka o shitte iru tokiniha, buraddi merī' (You know, it's a taboo to follow in a Ghoul's footsteps...especially when you know not his intent or how hungry he is, Bloody Merry) he called Remy 'Bloody Merry' due to the look of his eyes and his lack of fear...just because he wasn't afraid due to being somewhat accustomed tothe presence of Ghouls, didn't mean he wasn't intimidated by the very intimidating Taji

"I'm seeking help for a friend and...advice only a Ghoul can give."

Taji looked at him in silence for a few seconds "I'm listening..."

"Can a mutant become a Ghoul?" Remy asked as Taji quickly replied "No...the bite will kill them"

Remy shook with a nameless fear as he couldn't even speak "I was told Juggernaut was only able to survive due to his being the Avatar of Cyttorak...Magneto's gonna pay for this" Remy turned to leave with tears of rage...his eyes were full with a vengeance Taji could sympthize with as he didn't know personally who Juggernaut or Magneto were and didn't see it as important but he wanted to meet this mutant who survived an encounter with Zaraki "I want to see this mutant with my own eyes...but not here, bring him to the X-Men and I'll judge for myself"

He then disappeared before Remy could turn to look at him with the confusion now on his face

Elsewhere, Temujin has finally emerged from the portal...this time Bane was ready however for anything that came their way...he also wanted to keep Rogue from his brother until he was safe and himself again...

The portal opened and Zaraki was tossed out and against the trunk of a tree with enough strength to break it in half as Zaraki had a smile on his face. He didn't care in the slightest if he or his opponent dies as long as his bloodlust is satisfied first...otherwise, he won't allow them to die

"Temujin, stop!" Rogue ran to Temujin as he came out of the portal before Bane could stop her as the masked Ghoul turned on her 'Temujinsan wa ima koko ni imasen... Kare wa shinde imasu' (Temujin-san isn't here right now...he's dead) he jumped at Rogue next but Jean used Telekinesis to drag her back to Bane who saw his chance to punch Temujin hard enough to break the mask as Temujin fell to the ground gasping for air as his entire body felt like it weighed a ton

"We should get out of here while we still can..." Jean said as everyone agreed once Temujin was on his feet again when suddenly everyone felt a murderous aura that made the whole place seem to shake as Scott asks "An Earthquake?"

"No...we're the ones shaking, not the Earth" Bane noted as they saw Zaraki walk out with white glowing eyes, one thing that pissed him off was his prey being allowed to escape, especially when he was enjoying himself this much "I thought I told you...you're not gonna escape from me, Temujin-san" he looked the side...something in Michael's base gained his attention, Michael was holding his own against a Demon Lord "Interesting...this is unpresidented"

"What's going on here?" Temujin asks as Zaraki clarified "that mutant...Michael or whatever he calls himself can apparently go toe to toe with the likes of Azazel"

"What do you know about Azazel?" Bane demanded as Zaraki said "Nothing...but any dumbass knows a human is no match for a Demon Lord...I want a piece of that fight, so I'd go away if I were you before I change my mind"

"Go to hell!" Temujin snapped but before any of them could attack him, Zaraki started spinning on his hands, creating a massive gust that blew everyone back as he saw his nephew catch Rogue as they were blown back...it sickened him as he hated Rogue but he took off leaving them alive "Don't worry, there's nowhere you can hide from me now"

'He had this kind of power and didn't use it?' Bane thought thinking of Triad Users, recently discovered Ghouls that can use a third element of magic beside the two most other Ghouls can use 'So he's a Triad User too, huh?'

Bane was regarded as a Triad user because he has an unknown extent of control over Fire, Kami's Amaterasu and Taeger's Reien being no exception and weak control of Dark Magic while Zaraki has revealed that he can manipulate Wind to the same extent as Yang Hiachi and Bane...another Triad User could be Temujin Indra Kurosaki due to his relation to both the Kurosaki and Asakura Clans thus he may have abilities of both Clans. He might even have a flame similar to his father's Amaterasu brewing within him that was the red on black flames he summoned while fighting Kami at the Mansion

Elsewhere with Kakuzu and Berserker, he felt he'd gotten far enough from the others that he could stop playing with Walt...

"Can you fight, kid?" Kakuzu asks as Berserker said with a nod "I think so..."

"Running...is that all you're good at?" Walt asks as the two look back and made eye contact with him as they stopped and Berserker attacked with his powers "Shut up!" But missed every time

Kakuzu didn't turn to face him but his body was smoking, he liked Berserker's fight spirit and raw power as Walt was trying to piss Kakuzu off even further...something ill-advised to friend as much as foe as Kakuzu simply spun around and attacked with a burst of flame "You think a few transplanted body parts and a transplanted Kakugan makes you a Ghoul, but it only makes you a fool...I don't plan on wasting time and I'd burn your heart...I don't the heart of an unknown warrior within my body"

"I think I'll take your bodies for some experimentation of my own...alive but barely" Walt sends a blast of lightning at Kakuzu but Berserker gets in the way and absorbs it as Kakuzu said "You're right, time for talking is over...and I'm quite familiar with what you've done"

Walt made eye contact with Kakuzu the moment he removed his shirt and mask...this was his undoing as he could now hear Kakuzu's hearts "It doesn't mean I agree however"

Kakuzu and Berserker attack, pushing Walt back with so much coordination that it seemed that they've fought together all their lives as Walt dodged their attacks before kicking Berserker aside.

He was about to ram his arm through Berserker's stomach but Kakuzu appeared between them taking the attack as Walt backed away in surprise

"Hey, you okay?" Berserker asks coming to Kakuzu's side as the Ghoul laughed "This is just a flesh would, kid...he can't kill me because I'm actually immortal, unlike himself"

"You weild the elements, don't you?" Kakuzu saw through his ruse as he simply replied "This isn't the first time someone has noticed that without me telling them..."

"I have business elsewhere...come at me so I can kill you already, I eagerly await the payment I'll recieve for your body" Kakuzu suddenly looked murderous, he gets like this once he's at risk of losing money

"You talk like you've already won" Walt said calmly "but neither of you will be leaving here in one piece" he shot lightning at Kakuzu but he caught it in a field of Dark Magic he created in his hands "I'm too familiar with your weak powers...I thought I already told you that!" He amplified the power and returned it to him

"What's your 'job/occupation' exactly, if you don't mind me asking?" Berserker asks as Kakuzu replied "the name's simply Kakuzu, I'm a Bounty Hunter...the best, my money and making sure you're home safe and sound is all that is of importance here. Don't make me charge you for this errand, cuz I ain't no errand boy"

"Errand? And why are you charging me?!" Berserker yelped "I just met you I owe you money already...stinkin' penny pincher!"

Kakuzu smiled, remembering what Bane called him when they first met "I'll make an exception this time cuz I like you and respect your sensei, Logan...shall we finish this now?"

A/N - With the captive X-Men now free thanks to the Ghouls and Azazel's appearance, what does this hold for the X-Men and what are they going to do when they return to the mansion to find Kami there with his powers sealed...Zaraki has spared the lives of Rogue and Temujin, finding a better game in fighting Michael and Azazel, but can he hold his own against them when he's proved to be Bane's better, we'll see next chapter!

Somewhere in Bayville, Jason X, Kobrax and Fenrir make it to a haunted mansion...roughly the same size as Xavier's school to find something that may turn the fight in Michael Darkstone's favor and have his pet Wolverine walk right up to his doorstep...

"What the hell...why have you brought us here, Ghoul?" Kobrax demanded as Fenrir glared at him darkly "Your presence is sickening enough...don't talk to me, Serpant and you'll find out soon enough"

"You're not scared of Ghosts, are ya, Kobra?" Jason teased as Kobrax snarled "It's Kobrax, half-wit and no, I don't scare that easily...what are we gonna do with my brother, that berserker (Wolverine) after us, with my father somewhere else?"

"That why we're here...I don't run from fights" Fenrir broke the old door down and approached a Ghostly red nine-tailed fox demon that towered over them in the middle of the room as it's red pupilless eyes opened saying in a whisper "Fenrir...have you come to bring your soul to me at last?"

"Nogitsune-sama...I thought I told you to go fuck yourself backwards the last time you told me to give you my soul?" Fenrir snarled as the Fox simply sneered replying with a roar as it's tails rattled in the ground spikes that kept them in place in the ground "What the hell do you seek within my prison then?!"

"You need a body to get out of here, right?" Kobrax asks "How about we have him take one of these X-Men's bodies?"

"Or yours will do fine..." Nogitsune stared at him and Fenrir smirked evilly "My thoughts exactly...but why take over a small, frail, easily destroyable...not mention semi-retarded body when I offer one with a full metal Adamantium skeleton?"

"Full metal, you say?" Nogitsune seemed intrigued, just then Logan and Yang appeared breaking the door apart

"End of the line, bub" Logan said with a SNIKT! of his claws, Nogitsune had turned invisible so they weren't able to see the demonic Ghost as Kobrax "Yeah, for you it is..."

Now everyone was hearing Nogitsune's voice whispering in their ear...

'What an interesting soul you have there, o clawed one...'

Logan felt a shiver run up an down his spine, as did almost everyone else as he asked uncertainly "What was that...?"

Suddenly Logan jumps out of the way at the last second before Nogitsune could enter his body from behind as this was shown to not even be the real Nogitsune as he reappeared behind Fenrir, visible for all to see

"So that's the evil presence I've been sensing...be careful" Taeger said "Demons on a whole are nasty folk, but the real threat are the ones who aren't in this realm because they want to be or because they're sealed"

"That's relieving but what does it want?" Tsujin asks as Nogitsune remarked "I want my new host that smells like Adamantium...I have no quarrel with you Ghouls!"

Dominik Cross looked closer at the Demon "Look...it's trapped as long as those Hell Chains aren't broken but even touching this demon isn't something I'd recommend"

"You mean these chains?" Cobrax attempted break the chains, only to inflict pain on himself as Taeger laughed 'Dono kurai okurete... Jigoku no chēn wa, anata ga hebi no mahō to yobu mono no tame ni, gūru rōdo ya mōshiwake arimasen. Anata jishin no kami, Orochimaru wa jibun jishin o mita kare no kanzen'na chikara de sore o kowasu koto wa dekimasen!' (What a retard...Hell Chains are unbreakable, even by a Ghoul Lord or a sorry excuse for what you snakes call magic. Your own God, Orochimaru can't even break it at his full strength, which I've seen myself!)

"I guess I'll just break the seal then..." Fenrir said as he looked a Kobrax "I don't need to break anything if the locks are all but unlocked, hold them off"

Kobrax went into his snake form and started spitting venom replying "Gladly..."

Suddenly, as Fenrir began breaking the multiple SSS-Class seals, which were the strongest existant Demon Seals when an arm came from underground, below the old floorboards grabbing his foot and easily pulling the large Ghoul into the ground as Nogitsune gasped "No...my silent guard dog, the Mute has awakened!"

The Mute, as Nogitsune knows him then jumped out of the ground as a man with inky black skin, dark navy hair with a ponytail, a covered mass of skin where his mouth once was as he wore all white clothes and trench that wasn't dirtied from being underground as he latched onto Kobrax's throat until he fell as well as reverted to human form before giving Nogitsune a silencing look.

The Mute then took his first deep breath of the Human World in a long time then turned to face the stunned X-Men

"Baka, put away those before you get us killed!" Tsujin gestured to Logan's claws as he retracked them and walked slowly towards The Mute.

"We mean you no harm, buddy" Logan walked slowly towards The Mute who stood between him and Nogitsune before the voiceless creature ran up and rammed his head into Logan's chest, knocking him unconscious outside and glaring at the other to make themselves scarce

"Logan!" Taeger went out to find Logan unconscious.

The Mute was neither Human, Ghoul or Demon but was very powerful that magic was nullified in his very presence...no one knows what he was but he was cursed to never speak and to guard every Demon that is sealed in the Human World (excluding Michael's demons). He then turns his emotionless eyes on Jason X as he was pounded into the ground effortlessly

A/N - Fenrir, Jason X and Kobrax are taken down effortlessly by the Demon Nogitsune's merciless guard dog, The Mute but will he attack the X-Men as well or will he stay out of their conflict with Michael Darkstone altogether?