Jin watched as Yusuke used his shotgun blast, which knocked all the enemies to the ground. It broke off the leg contraptions of the two bouncy ones completely. They had lost their speed advantage.
The one with the explosives blew a hole in the ground, grabbing the bleeding leader, who was closest to him, and pulling him down into the hole with him. The clawed woman grabbed the other bouncy one and tried to follow, but the two were caught in a sudden encasement of ice around the woman's legs.
Ah, so Toya had finally arrived. Ninny, taking forever. This was his element, after all. He ought to have gotten here sooner.
The Ice Master, clad in his usual shinobi gear, was greeted by Yusuke as he came closer. Ice apparitions weren't often bothered by the cold.
The two captured were struggling hard, but no human would be able to break Toya's ice…
Jin, Toya, and Yusuke gasped in surprise as the woman's spirit energy spiked, and she burst free. Leaving her comrade behind, she disappeared into the hole. Och, Toya! Should have held her better.
To prevent the escape of the other, Toya completely encased him in ice.
How interesting… These human assailants were unusually adept at hiding their spirit energy.
Jin floated down, hovering just a few inches off the ground. The girl held his shoulder tightly, watching the wind currents with fascination.
"Oi, Urameshi! 'Tis gran' ter clap yer again." Jin smiled in his carefree way.
"I don't know what that means, Jin, but I'm glad to see you." Isn't that what he had just said?
"Kuwabara?" The girl asked, peeking around Jin's chest. Ah yeah, he'd forgotten about the large sprog.
Kuwabara stirred under his arm at the girl's voice, finally waking up.
"Ah! Why am I floating?!" The man screamed, wiggling around. "Am I dead?!"
"Calm down, doofus!" Yusuke said, smacking him on the head.
"Urameshi? Are you dead too?" Kuwabara asked, holding his head. Then he caught sight of Jin's leg. He whipped his head up, surprised at seeing the single-horned apparition.
"Jin! And Toya! What are you guys doing here?!"
Little late to the party, boyo.
"'Tis a bit av a long scayle, we 'ill tell yer over a cup av tay in a wee bit. 'Tis perishin' oyt 'ere!"
Everyone except for Toya looked at him in total confusion, sweatdrops on their heads.
Toya coughed, "He said it's a long story, and we'll tell you once we've gotten back."
"Innit dat wot oi said?" Jin asked, and Toya sighed.
"Kuwabara, are you ok?" The girl said, concerned.
"Heh, don't worry about me, shorty. I'll be fine after I see my honey and her magic hands." Kuwabara began fangirling about someone named Yukina. Jin smirked and dropped him.
"OW! Watch it! I'm injured here!"
"We need to get these guys back to Yuki-" Urameshi froze, a look of horror on his face. Toya and Jin tensed, wondering what was wrong.
"CRAPPPP! I completely forgot about Keiko and the Yuki Kondo Book!"
Now it was Jin who had no idea what Urameshi had said.
"Pardon?"
Urameshi turned to Jin with crazy eyes, sweat drops rolling down his face.
"Jin! Toya! Please do me a favor and get these guys back to the Inn so Yukina can heal them! Kuwabara, do you have any money on you?!"
Kuwabara pulled out his wallet, alarmed by Yusuke's panic. "Uh, I've got about $35, Urameshi, whats-" Yusuke swiped his wallet.
"Hey!"
"Sorry, man, I need to borrow this. I'll pay you back eventually!"
Yusuke took off running, ankle injury forgotten, leaving a wave of snow in his wake.
"Well…" The girl said. "That was weird."
Jin made a noise of agreement.
"Oh, you can put me down now!" The girl said, her teeth chattering. Poor lass must be freezing. From the looks of her thin red knit shirt and shoeless feet, they grabbed her by surprise.
Jin set her down much more gently than he had Kuwabara. Had to treat a lass nicely after all.
Och, she was a teeny thing! She barely came above Jin's waist. She weren't no child though, Jin had felt the proof of that.
"Which way to the inn?" Toya asked, turning the caught prisoner's encasement into a sled of ice. He was keeping a careful eye to prevent any other breakaways.
"Um, I think it's this way-" The girl took a step, and then cried out in pain and dropped to her knees.
"Hikari!" Kuwabara said in concern.
Hikari was her name? Suited the fine bright lass.
"What's wrong, lass? Are ye 'urt?"
The girl grimaced, her strange silver eyes shining with tears. Her hand gripped her ankle, bare except for a sock. It was enormously swollen.
"My ankle… I think it's broken…"
Ah, she probably had been running on pure adrenaline when she ran in front of the big paddy just as Jin arrived. Poor wee one.
"Here, Hikari, I'll carry you!" Kuwabara offered. Jin reminded him that he was in no position to carry anyone by flicking his wounded back. It caused a chain reaction of pain and spurted blood. Kuwabara yelped and dropped to the ground.
"Naw, boyo. Yer too injured, we 'ill av ter carry ya both back." Jin paused.
He looked at the two humans. They both were trembling with cold. Their clothes were shredded from withstanding the assault. Och, Humans were so delicate. Apparitions got cold too, but not as quickly. They ought to get them back to their comrades soon…
After thinking for a moment, Jin removed his cloak and wrapped the girl in it. She protested, citing that she was going to get blood all over the white garment, but he waved her off. It wouldn't be the first time he had gotten blood all over it. He was a shinobi, after all. That article of clothing had seen him through plenty of messy jobs.
"What am I, an afterthought?" Kuwabara pouted and shivered. Jin had to laugh, a mischievous glint in his eye.
"Nah, friend, but let's jist say ye ain't me type." Jin winked at the girl, who blushed a little. "Plus, the lass is much more fine than ye." The girl blushed even more. She was quite cute for a human. Toya was the only one who knew this, but Jin had quite a weakness for adorable things.
"Here, lass. Let me 'elp yer." Jin held out his hand to Hikari. She took it after a moment of hesitation and a nod of reassurance from Kuwabara. Tch, well, she HAD just escaped an attempted kidnapping. Of course she'd be wary.
Jin easily lifted her in his arms. She was a teeny thing. Och, her skin was like ice!
"Tell yer what, Toya- why don't yer take de big wan an' de prisoner, an' I'll take de lass. Tink of it as a penalty for bein' late."
"What?!" Toya protested. "Why do I have to take them both…"
"It's yer own fault fer takin' yer time!" Jin floated upwards, grinning down at Toya. The girl was watching the gathering wind with wide eyes. She wiggled an arm free of Jin's cloak and reached out a trembling hand to touch the air currents. A ghost of a smile touched her lips as she felt the air churning with her fingertips.
"Cool…" She whispered.
Jin smirked at her amazement. Was she new to this world of spirits and demons? Maybe he'd give her a little thrill. He rose quickly, twirling with the air. She gave a little yelp, her free hand gripping his shoulder. He began to show off a little, doing aerial acrobatics. He made sure to hold her snug throughout his display.
After a moment of his shenanigans, a laugh bubbled from the girl. Jin grinned at the sound and soon joined in. It was freeing, to be one with the wind. He was still mesmerized by it even as its master.
"och, ye 'av a nice laugh, lass!"
She didn't answer, only giggling with exhilaration as they turned and twisted in the air.
"Stupid show off of an imp…" Toya muttered on the ground below.
"Oi, I 'erd dat!"
