AUTHOR'S NOTE: Oi, almost done with this story! Don't get me wrong, I love Badass Bat, but a part of me is just so glad to be getting this story done and over with. I have another project story project I need to work on. It's even bigger than this one in Word. Assassin's Touch is actually 156 pages long and it's still not done! Where Badass Bat has reached 138 pages already! Dear Ra, I need a drink.
My mind went completely blank.
I couldn't even begin to tell you what I did next. I remember staring at Yomi in complete shock trying to process what he had just said. I know he said something else, tried to talk to me tell me what happened. Then screaming, launching myself across the table intending on killing him. I truly meant to rip Yomi apart the entire time sobbing and cursing him for not protecting Youko. My Youko. My son. My kit. My child. Yomi had been his second in command, wasn't it his job to watch Youko's back?
Later I was told Yomi had to hold me down while calling his men to come get me. He didn't want to kill me which he said I demanded in earnest. They locked me in the dojo and I tore the place up. I refused any food or drink they offered me. Usually throwing it out the window or spilling it across the floors. Days passed like this. To me, I was in the dark. I could not feel anything or where I was. No one could touch me.
Then, one day I just woke up. I came to on the floor of the dojo. I could suddenly feel the warm wood beneath my back. I was aware of my entire body aching as if I'd thrown myself off a cliff. Twice. I blinked gazing at the rafters amazed spiders had so much time to weave such intricate webs. Didn't they have any other hobbies beyond catching flies all day? I stopped to think about it for a minute and couldn't fathom silk coming out of my ass.
"You're awake." Said a voice above me. My turned my head my neck cracking as I did so. I winced at the sound since it made it me think of several guns going off. As if reading my mind, which I suspected he could do, Yomi let out a soft chuckle. I noticed my head was near his boot as he stared down at me. Or his head was turned down towards at me as it were a smirk on his face.
"Jerk." I snapped too tired to try and get up to attack him. Yomi's forehead wrinkled at the insult but at the moment I didn't give a damn. For all I cared he could go throw himself off the top of his palace.
"A strange way to show your appreciation for someone who knows the name of his murderer." Yomi stated calmly as if we were discussing the matter over tea. We would have to if I hadn't lost my mind.
At this new information my thought process just about gave up and fell down. What was left was auto-pilot as I raised myself up on my elbows glaring at him. He gave me a serene smile as if everything was going to be okay. I already knew it was a trap, a way to rid himself of one of the last people that could possibly be a threat. Have a bit of information that could be his downfall. Youko had been the same way eliminating those closest to him or had known him as a kit with me as the exception to his rule. I never saw it for myself but I know Asami met a grisly end at the hands of Youko. The reason being Asami had offered to buy him when he was a child. Though, come to think of it may be the guy did deserve his fate considering how many he sold into slavery.
"You let him live?" I hissed surging to my feet. The room spun around me and I had to grab Yomi's arm to keep from toppling over. He didn't seem to mind only raised his eyebrows in response to my touching him.
"Why would I seek to end the life of a man who murdered the one who blinded me? It seemed a fitting revenge, if a petty one. Besides, I did not care about his existence until I came across you by accident. It seems fitting you should kill him." Yomi answered bluntly. I bared my fangs but I knew he was right. At the moment I didn't care whether I lived or died. I did had fulfilled my promise to the ice maiden that had helped me escape. At first I had not been sure when I first met him but I recognized the eyes. He had her eyes, and her face. Though the expressions mother and son expressed were completely different.
"Will you help me? Or are you just going to point me in the direction and send me on my way?" I asked letting go of his arm since the room had stopped spinning. Yomi shrugged his shoulders reminding of the young demon he once used to be.
"I do have a few conditions in concerns to this exchange of information. I believe you will find, however, they are suited to your tastes." Yomi stated his blind eyes watching me the entire time. I remained silent for a while, considering what he was saying.
The S.D.F was on my tail, probably knew where I was already. The just didn't appear since I was so near another powerful demon. I shivered at the thought of those men getting their hands on me again. They had been charged with extracting information from me into how I had managed to "create" Youko Kurama. When I had left they had still been convinced I had been concealing a secret to raise an A Class demon. I closed my eyes trying to push those memories back. Several days later they were beginning to seep back into my mind. I had no Jin here to distract me. To tell me or talk to me about what was happening.
Poor Jin, he had taken such a gamble to befriend me. To help me out when no one else would even look at me. Now that I thought about it the Makai Tournament had probably already started. I remembered hearing one of Yomi's men telling him he was due to report to the tournament tourney this afternoon. I felt a tear slide down my cheek as I thought of her. I had promised to never return to Spirit World. Sorry, Hina, it turns out my son is dead.
"Tell me his name. And what sorts of conditions are we talking about?"
…
"How do you know he's not just a fake?"
Kurama glanced at Hiei who was scowling impressively near the window. They were up high on one of the viewing platforms overlooking the arena. Down below them a general roar from emated from the crowd as demons from all over Makai milled around. Shoving, cursing, and trying to scare away potential opponents before the actual fighting even begun. Him and Hiei had already been assigned to their battle royale groups. Everyone in their groups had quit as soon as their names were drawn so now they were forced to wait for everyone else. Yusuke was down below with the others trying to find Kuronue. He still wasn't aware of the connection between the fox and the bat.
"Because only Kuronue would act like a fool. Besides, his leg is…" Kurama couldn't finish the sentence. He could have, but he chose not to. Hiei glared at him for pretending to be weak when he wasn't. It was true, but Kurama was reluctant to state the obvious between them. The weakened limb, the dry flesh that had pulled back to almost reveal the bone. It was a wonder Kuronue was able to even walk let alone run as he did when he had tried to approach him. He had been unable to track Kuronue ever since he ran off. It was as if he had simply disappeared off the face of the planet.
"So you believe it's the real thing this time? You're growing soft, fox. Before you would have just given him one of your planets and asked him questions while it slowly devoured him." Hiei snorted stepping closer to him. Kurama raised his eyes to lock gazes with the fire apparition raising a brow in question.
"Hiei, I'm surprised. I would never do anything so barbaric. You and I both know I melt the bones first before I even let my plants begin to let them feed. And we start with the legs first, you know that." Kurama corrected him clucking his tongue. He saw Hiei tense growing weary near his friend. No jokes here. The fire apparition knew he was serious.
"If you're so eager to throw caution to the wind be my guest. Considering how he acts, he reminds me of Yusuke. You may be right in saying he has no idea how to conceal himself. Surprising considering he used to be his partner." Hiei commented. Kurama sighed turning away from window. Underneath his shirt he felt the purple pendant shift pulsating slightly as his mood turned sour. His inheritance, Kuronue had called it. Only after he had taken it from the first Kuronue, the fake one did he realize what its true power was. Why Kuronue had risked his life trying to save it.
"He's the man who raised me, Hiei. I think even you may wish to talk to him." Kurama said calmly. He watched with amusement as the fire apparitions eyes widened at the claim before just as quickly turning into his famous glare once again. Kurama chuckled watching as Hiei became pissed at having been tricked. A shame it wasn't a joke.
"Not today, fox."
"I'm quite serious, Hiei. Kuronue-" Kurama began before he was cut off.
The windows were sound proof in the viewing room. They had even left the TV off so they could talk. There had been no sign of the bat ever since four days ago and Jin had become increasingly more anxious ever since the disappearance of the bat. However, the TV flickered on Koto holding a microphone as she talked. Outside the huge plasma screens came on as well.
"Fighters of the Makai Tournament! Today we have a special treat for you, a show before all of you start tearing it other limb from limb! A man of mystery has asked to issue a challenge to a friend in town wishing to find him. I have been informed this special friend is the captain of the S.D.F." Koto announced her face flushed as she announced it. Immediately the entire stadium went silent as the demons heard this. Kurama's face went pale as he watched the broadcast. Could he truly be….?
"The challenger in question claims to be an escaped convict of Spirit World. Now, may I present, the one, the only Badass Bat!" Koto said. Her face faded from view to panorama of one of the main arenas used in the Makai tournament.
The entire stadium watched with baited breath as a black cloud above the arena began to form into a tornado. Touching to the bottom of the arena swirling and thickening as it surged forth. Then Kurama noticed something odd.
Bats. It was a colony of bats, thousands of them all flying in that circle. All at once they all broke apart revealing a lone figure standing there a ragged hat drawn low over his face. Kurama's eyes widened as he turned on his heel to go outside. To stop him before he did anything foolish.
…
I smirked at the effect the bats must have had. Yomi had told me to be flashy, after all. Theatrical as a matter of fact and what better way than to come in with my namesake? Wolf demons had the same ability, though I never found bats to be particularly useful other than scaring the occasional girly-girl. I was dressed in the clothes I had come back to life in, now clean. Straps newly mended and crisscrossing my arms, my blades polished and showing the autographs I had received from Hiei. Though title I had added myself. Yomi didn't like it, but so what? I was no King of Thieves, by far. I did crazy shit no one else wanted to try all with a stylish hat to boot. I was a bat demon as well which added to my air of mystery. So, why not?
Giving the camera across from me a cocky grin I flicked the brim of my hat up to reveal my face. Knowing the camera was zooming in for a close up. I drew one of my blades casually swinging it in a circle idly for effect.
"Hey, Kuro here. So, I heard you were looking for me?"
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Classic Kuronue fashion! I loved all the reviews I got last chapter, thank you! Not much longer to go now, I have to say. Even though I'm glad to be so close to the ending I'm also kind of sad. I spent of lot of hours typing this story and have a finished product is just…I can't describe it but as a sort of high. Well, ALMOST finished but we have only two or three more chapters to go. This is the second longest fic I've ever written the first being Assassin's Touch. Geez, Kuronue talks a lot.
