I do not own Dragonball Z, Justice League, Batman Beyond, X-Men Evolution, Iron Man, Incredible Hulk, Bleach, or Yu Yu Hakusho

****Chapter 20.5: The Sidekicks****

Special

Kuwabara stretched hard and lay back down on the grass, completely exhausted by the endless hoard of alien invaders. Luckily, the majority of the aliens seemed to have left this area untarnished. Good thing too since Yusuke up and vanished a day or so ago.

"Ah, Urameshi, why do you guys always leave me behind?"

"Probably because you're an annoying fool," a dry voice said.

Kuwabara looked up and saw both Kurama and Hiei walking toward him, serious expressions on both of their faces. "And why are you lying on the ground doing nothing?"

"Hey guys, what's up?" Kuwabara said, so relieved to see them that he didn't even take offense to Hiei's words.

"We have come to help you here," Kurama said, looking around perplexed. "But it would seem you have everything handled here without us."

"More like this small human town was not worth the alien's time," Hiei snorted. "There focus seems to be on larger cities where the effect of their terror can fully be realized. On a small town like this, their efforts would be wasted as nobody would realize it was gone."

"Hey," Kuwabara said. "This is a great little town."

"Exactly," Hiei commented emotionlessly. "Little."

"Then perhaps we should depart for a larger area," Kurama said, staving off Kuwabara.

"Fine," Hiei said. "You lived with the humans, Kurama, any ideas as to where?"

"A place that has not been attacked already, you mean?" Kurama asked dryly. "I am not sure. I recommend heading toward the mainland and going from there."

"Alright," Kuwabara said excitedly, jumping to his feet. "Come on guys."

"Where are you going?" Hiei asked. "The mainland is the other way."

"I know that, you half pint," Kuwabara shouted back over his shoulder. "We need to stop at my house first."

"I cannot believe this," Hiei muttered, once again amazed at the sheer stupidity of humans as Kuwabara, grinning broadly, opened the garage to his house to reveal a truly beat up van.

"What a piece of junk," Hiei said, almost unable to even look at the rusted van with its falling bumper, mismatched paint, and duck tape that was holding the rest of the van together.

"She may not look like much but she'll push point five past light speed, Hiei," Kuwabara said.

"What?" Hiei asked, completely lost by his stupid ramblings.

"Never mind, Hiei," Kuwabara said, opening his driver's door.

"I believe he was quoting a movie," Kurama said under his breath.

"You wouldn't know anything about that, shrimp," Kuwabara said closing the door behind him. He opened it again and slammed it shut, this time succeeding in closing it firmly. "Hurry up and get. We haven't got all day, you know."

The two demons glanced once at each other then went to the passenger side sliding door and climbed in apprehensively. Kurama immediately buckled his seat belt and hid his nervousness under his ever calm exterior and simply folded one leg over the other.

Hiei eyed Kurama silently for a moment, noting that with his crossed legs, long red hair, and slightly feminine facial features as to why he had been mistaken for a female for most of his college life. He, on the other hand, did not strap his seat belt but simply gripped into the seat in front of his like a vice as Kuwabara reached forward and turned the ignition. With a rumble and a cloud of black exhaust, the three were on their way.

"Look," Ishida said, pointing up the road to an abandoned looking gas station. "Let's make a stop there, grab some food, and rest up a bit before going on."

Chad, as was usual, said nothing but Orihime jumped up and down in joy. "I can't wait! Chocolate, ice cream, and snacks of all kinds."

Ishida watched her, feeling his face reddening as certain parts of her anatomy bounced more than others. He coughed to clear his throat and tried hard to tear his eyes away from her bouncing bosom. "I was thinking maybe some water or melons to grab." He stopped, horrified at what he had just said. "I mean, not that I am thinking about anybody's melons or anything. I mean, I just wanted something juicy to eat. I mean-"

Orihime laughed, ignorant as to what Ishida was saying. She ran forward and grabbed his arm and starting pulling him faster toward the station. "You are so weird, Uryu. Hurry up. They might even have some beef jerky!"

Ishida gulped, feeling his face burning as they entered the store. It was completely abandoned yet the doors swung open without the least resistance. Above them, a little bell rang.

"They do have beef jerky," Orihime exclaimed and she let go of Ishida's arm and hurried over to the snack isle. "And potato chips, and pretzels, and popcorn, too."

"Orihime, how are we going to make popcorn?" Ishida asked.

"Oh, that's easy," Orihime said, turning her smiling face up at Ishida. "All we do is build a fire out of these cardboard boxes and have you light them on fire with your blue gun thing."

"It's a bow," Ishida said stiffly. "And I am not sure if that would really work."

"Hey," Chad said, pointing out of the nearest glass window. "There is someone coming."

Ishida hurried over to Chad and looked. Trundling toward them was a full sized caravan with duck tape holding a vast majority of it together. With a screech of over used breaks, the van came to a stop at the pump. The door popped open and a tall brawny kid with red hair got out and picked up the pump. Almost before he had gotten out, a shorter person with large black spiked hair lept out, the look on his face saying clearly that he had just undergone a near death experience.

"I would rather crawl into the bellow of a Sardanion Galapador than get into that thing with you again," he roared, completely ignoring the young woman that got out of the van with him.

Ishida pushed up his glasses with one finger as he watched her. He never had been good with the ladies but persistence always won eventually. He snuck to a closer window as the long red headed girl spoke.

"Calm down, Hiei. It wasn't that bad. That is why we wear seat belts."

"If this is the thanks I get for trying to help get us around, than you can stay here for all I care," the taller man said as he tried valiantly to feed his gas card into the pump.

"Yes, I think I might just do that, Kuwabara," Hiei said. "I will not do it, Kurama. No way."

Ishida nearly fell over. He had met these people once before. They friends with that Urameshi kid that Ichigo knew. And they were all men. He shuddered as he took closer look at Kurama. Well, anyone can make a mistake.

He opened the door and walked over to them, lifting a hand in greeting. "Hey guys. Where are you headed?"

Hiei was the first to respond. "Who the Hell are you?"

"Ishida Uryu," Kurama said before Ishida could answer. "He is a friend of Ichigo's, remember?"

"If you say so, Kurama," Hiei said and deftly turned his back to Ishida.

"We are trying to find a place to help in the war," Kurama said. "Kuwabara was kind enough to risk his vehicle to bring us to the front."

"I see," Ishida said unconvincingly as he stole another glance at the van and Kuwabara, now leaning casually against it as the gas pumped.

"Look, it's not my fault we don't have a jet or something," Kuwabara said defensively. "This thing cost me all I had so stop knocking it."

There was a ping from the gas pump and Kuwabara removed the nozzle. "Mind if we join you?" Ishida asked before they all piled in and took off.

"I'm not getting back in that thing," Hiei snarled.

"We would be glad to have you," Kurama said. Shortly after, Chad, Orihime, Ishida, Kurama, Hiei, and Kuwabara were heading down the road once more.

"I cannot stand it anymore," Hiei snarled as he rolled down the window and stuck his head out. "That putrid smell of human stink is overwhelmingly." Ishida and Orihime exchanged a glance as Hiei and Kuwabara exchanged verbal insults about each other's ancestry.

Kurama turned an apologetic smile onto the rest of the group. "How are you fairing against the aliens?"

"Well enough," Ishida said. "At least, when we can find them. Ichigo seems to be very effective. They appear to not be able to see him."

"I see," Kurama said. "Perhaps, in Caliwone's absence, he may prove to be the best hope the humans have."

With a clunk and a shudder, and the engine cut out and the van died. They rolled to a halt in silence before Hiei got out of the van.

"Terrific," Hiei said, looking murderously at Kuwabara. "Now we are stranded in the middle of nowhere with a war going on that we cannot reach simply because your van is a true piece of trash."

Kuwabara said nothing, just slammed his forehead into his steering wheel. "Piece of junk," he said.

To be continued...

Alright guys, that was the very last special in the Dragon Sagas series and I hope you enjoyed it. Since we never really had much time to get to know the Sidekicks of Ichigo's of Yusuke's teams very much, I thought I would give of one last round. :-)

I will update the main body on Friday and we will be able to see how effective Captain America is against this threat. Until then, cheers.