Chapter VII
There's something disturbing while Kurama observes the concrete walls that laid on the other side of the observation deck. Fastened together with that of an aging flesh of a human body, coupled by the site of such enclosed space, made him want to gag due to the incessant inkling of claustrophobia. The room is an appearance of being engendered with absolute precision for all its sharp and straight corners. It gives off a soulless vibe that seemingly constitutes as an additional punishment, integrated with the intrinsic swirls of red paint adorning the grey cement.
"Are you certain that this will not harm her in any way?" The fox demon queried in a smooth voice though latent with worried undertone. His forested attention, keenly following each purposeful flick of the paintbrush as Ruka finished the seals surrounding his mate who duteously sat on her folded legs while in the middle of the room.
Kamiya briefly regarded the red-head from the corner of his eye before turning his attention ahead once more. "Not entirely..." He disclosed in all honesty, unperturbed when the fox demon flicked a disapproving glance. "The barrier was put up with the purpose of blocking out the shared consciousness of the legion. Without it, Botan would've succumbed to their calling long before Yonaguni. What's more, prodding for information in her subconscious mind will leave her vulnerable to the psychological stress that she will be subjected into..." The doctor divulged, drowned in his thoughts when a fleeting recollection of what transpired during the course of their initial encounter with Botan came into mind.
"And?" Kuwabara pressed when the statement dangled in the air, darting an uneasy look from their holding area to the other side of the looking glass.
The spectacles gave off a sharp gleam when the doctor adjusted it on his nose, gracefully tucking his hands inside his pockets while regaining his bearing before carefully articulating his words as he spoke. "I'm sure you're all aware of how soft-hearted she can be regardless of her profession... For her to witness their henious undertakings and knowing that she had the source of their strength but was powerless to stop them from regaining it made her feel accountable for all the deaths that ensued afterwards... More importantly, there is also the matter of metamorphosis..."
"Like that of a beautiful butterfly?" Suzuka ostentatiously put forth, earning a few sets of embarrassed groans.
"A beautiful and deadly butterfly..." Amanuma quipped while cradling Puu, causing the men to eye him in curiosity before their attention returned to the doctor who resumed his account.
"Have you ever seen her wield the Deaths' scythe?" Kamiya propounded while watching their collective gawking, back-channeling at the dead air that followed his divulgence. "I thought so..." He said before half turning to regard the development on the spadework. "Erratic brain activity could affect the soundness of the state of mind. It creates a cognitive impairment that could often times lead to altered perceptions... delusions in extreme cases... Generally speaking, no matter how contrasting an idea is, you tend to adopt radically to the belief when you are constantly bombarded with the same line of thoughts."
"Brainwashing... in colloquial terms." Kurama surmised, worry flitted in his features upon perusing the deity's uncomfortable fidget, exchanging a meaningful look with the fire demon who impatiently stood by the farthest wall in the other room while listening telepathically to the conversation, conscious of the nervous act.
'Hiei–'. The fox demon mentally strived and was cut off by an annoyed huff, slightly relieved while a grateful slant found its way on his lips when a gruff voice permeated his mind. 'You owe me this one, Kurama.' He heard him say before returning to the discussion.
"Like what Sensui did with Chapter Black." Yusuke proffered, oblivious of the non-verbal exchange, petting his spirit beast while Puu, in his adorable form, came to perch himself atop a seated Amanumas' head.
"That's right." Kamiya pronounced soberly, shifting his attention towards a slight shuffle before the hexed ice-master stated his thoughts.
"How did you manage to bring her back when she transformed?" Touya asked.
"Good question..." The doctor remarked before averting his gaze, observing the strength of the binding seal while the barrier practitioner urged the deity to move her bounded wrists. "They are able to tap her mind, however, it is still far-off for Botan to be in par with the legion, making her easier to subdue by different modes of rendering a normal person unconscious. Moreover, aside from intensive psychotherapy and confrontation, roses proved to be the most effective intervention, no pun intended."
"Roses? Heh..." Jin reiterated with a mischievous grin.
"Yes, and other herbal remedies... Albeit Botan responded more to the particular flower variety because it has the most potent polyphenols that reduces cognitive disease... among other things..." Kamiya disclosed while giving a fleeting glance towards the former thief.
"And here I thought we could rest assured since Kurama is here." Kuwabara mumbled.
"If I didn't know any better, you just want to test out the theory regardless the effect." Chu pronounced challengingly, daring the doctor to say otherwise.
"A clinical trial to discover the weakness of evil?... You sure are one hell of a madman to experiment on things which you cannot fully comprehend, let alone, control." Shishiwakamaru asserted while resting a suspicious stare at the stolid practitioner who eventually gave an airy shrug before replying with an impervious slant of his lips - the curious miscreant doctor rising to the surface.
"As a creature of medical science, I conceptualize evil as a pathogen that needs to be recognized, contained, examined and destroyed... A disease that, no matter how deep it borrows its way into our souls, will surely be obliterated with the right cure..."
"Given the possible cure... Is there a chance that Botan-chan may never come back to herself in the event that this - whatever you call it, goes out of hand?" Rinku fretted while darting a nervous glance between the rest of the team and the deity.
Kamiya strangely regarded the child demon, assessing his distraught before uttering as a matter-of-factly. "She is death incarnate, and meant to be Death itself if they succeeded. Unless we missed out a necessary precaution... Well, technically... Yes."
Kurama, upon hearing such an off-handed remark, balled his hands in an attempt to control his stirring agitation while trailing his focus ahead, almost seeing red just when his lady-love regarded him with a reassuring smile that further compelled his fists to tighten the tension on its digits, knuckles blanching with every second that passed. Green irises irradiated by a gilded shine that seared the lovely features to his memory while the former thief made a conscious effort in offering the same quirk of his lips, albeit strained, dropping the facade when his view was blocked by Ruka thereafter. "In essence, exposure to the malicious indoctrination involves the prospect of decimating her mind. Care to tell me the reason why you did not disclose such risk prior to seeking my approval in letting her do this?" He muttered, almost hissing under his breath that had the other's bite their tongues apprehensively.
"They have an undetectable nature compared to other supernaturals and the only means to track them down is to recognize their faces in human form, Kurama... Even if the extreme probabilities are high for Botan, with so much at stake, we don't have much of a choice but to choose the lesser of two evils. It is dangerous and risky but I know that even you would understand." Kamiya reasoned without peeling his attention from the finishing touches of the barrier, sighing inwardly at the agitational statement from the newcomer.
"And it will be best to finally blow off some steam with a proper outlet, wouldn't you agree?" Hagiri interjected like a shot while passing through the threshold, not bothering to properly address the inflamed flickers on the fox demon while sauntering towards the testing chamber.
Wordlessly, the non-participants observed the careful attachment while Mitarai secures the final electrode patches on both of Botans' temples with Ruka giving out her final instructions, motioning for the water master to vacate the area before turning towards the remaining gentlemen and urging them to position themselves inside the perimeter of the magical circle with Hiei sitting on the viewers left, Botan in the middle while Hagiri was stationed on the right.
"Ready when you are, Kamiya-san." Ruka says, half-turning towards the observation window.
"Botan." Kamiya called out through the microphone while dimming the lights and pressing a couple of buttons from the control panel, eyes following the wavy pattern of brain activity on the monitor in meticulous inspection. "You can relay information but try not to dwell on anything that you might see or hear. In any case, you have Hagiri and Hiei with you, they will be the ones scouring through your connection with the legion... Above all, if you feel that you're drifting away, it is imperative to immediately call for Ruka regardless the situation, understood?"
"Okay." Came Botans' affirmation before the deity spared a look towards her friends, meeting the stern yet doting gape of her beloved who gave an encouraging nod prior to inhaling a large breath of air as her lids fluttered to a close.
"Oh, right... A final thing that goes for both gentlemen... Kindly be a dear and refrain from your usual habit of reactivity while inside her head. We have other places to indulge on the social domination if you must insist..." Kamiya suggested with a knowing smirk and a couple of sniggers at the background that had both stoic men grunting in response before simultaneously closing their eyes in concentration. Shaking his head at the momentary respite, the doctor casted a final survey towards the displayed figures in the telemetry device before nodding at Ruka who outstretched her arms to signal the start of the ritual, heartbeat mimicking the subtle, sharp intake of breaths from the men behind him.
Ready or not, here we come...
Kamiya mused just as the room buzzed with a low and continuous sound before the chamber was flooded with a bright spectrum of cackling white light.
"Shiro. Why are you - " Jiro abruptly stopped mid sentence when he caught wind of a familiar energy, halting his steps beside his lover who stood while having the same pensive state.
"You can sense her too, can't you, Jirou-kun?" Shiro circumspectly queried with a furtive dart of his eyes, shifting to throw an inquisitive gape at the silver-haired man who gave a single nod of affirmation.
Jirou became thoughtful for a moment, intrigued by the nature of the pulsating energy as it continues to tease his senses while closing his eyes for better discernment. Seconds passed before his heavily-lashed lids slowly fluttered open, revealing a set of amused lavender orbs that twinkled as he propounded. "The strength of her energy is perceivable yet too minimal which means that she is probably nearby given the careful moderation."
"We have to alert Ichiro-kun. He will be delighted to know that we found her yet again." Shiro, at the prospect of seeing their desirable but elusive leader, giggled in excitement before his exhilaration went down the throat of his lover as Jirou smashed their lips together in punishment, paying no heed to the gawking passers-by as they lose themselves in the sensual act while standing at the sidewalk.
It was after a few moments before Jirou broke the kiss, tenderly brushing his thumb across the blondes' reddened lips prior to pulling back completely, urging his partner to walk towards a very familiar direction. "By the time he arrives, traces of her would've been long gone..." He paused to address the raised and unimpressed eyebrow of his lover before expounding his utterance. "She was rescued, Shiro... No doubt they are striving not to cause alarm but to acquire information to catch us off-guard. It's a fools game."
"What would you suggest then?" Shiro asked, brushing off the small disappointment at the notion of his hindered attempt to bed Ichiro, smirking nonetheless at the hoards of lecherous humans who immediately swarmed them as soon as they stepped inside the swingers club. His golden eyes glittered mischievously while scanning over the scantily-clad congregation before proceeding to drape his arms over a couple of unlucky women while leading them towards the private rooms.
Lavender eyes, hooded with desire, followed the alluring sway of ebony tresses as they entered their usual spot just as a small hand reached for his prominent erection after successfully undoing his trousers. Briefly flicking a charming gape at the oblivious human, Jirou proceeded to carry his prey towards the window while she struggled to free his arousal before placing the head of his member against her dampened folds. With a forceful buck of his hips, the silver-head reaper sheathed himself hilt-deep at the suspended debauchee, thrusting into the lust-crazed woman like there's no tomorrow before regarding the expectant eyes of Shiro who was currently enjoying a pleasurable dual fellation. With a smirk, Jirou abruptly tore away from the ruttish deed just to settle on a more primitive position, urging the swinger to spread her legs apart before burying himself yet again inside the battered cunt, eyes glowing to a bright purple while feasting on the sweaty flesh of the woman's back.
"They may be expecting to unveil our abilities, best not to disappoint the enemy."
Shiro's laugh that followed, perceived as one of pure ecstasy by the humans, was cruel but music to his lover's ears as it melded with the lascivious sounds at the background.
"It's done." Ruka pronounced as the blinding light was reduced to a dull glow.
Kamiya nodded once before casting a critical look amongst the psychologically preoccupied trio, briefly glancing at the monitors before speaking through the microphone. "How's everyone?" He asked and was answered by a round of hushed okays' and 'fine' before prompting the course of their actions. "What do you see?"
"It's all lights and sounds, and... " Botan, after a split second of reluctance, diffidently put forth with a tinge of blush on her face that had Kurama narrow his eyes in suspicion after apprehending the familiar lust inspiring expression.
"And?" The fox spirit urged when the doctor placed the microphone for general use.
"Ridiculous company of libidinous mortals..." Hiei supplicated without a trace of discomfiture.
"Man, this might be the only time that I wish I had the eye rather than the booze..." Chu mumbled begrudgingly before a mixture of shameless affirmation resounded from certain individuals.
Kamiya, ignoring the suggestive statement, inquired once again, "No facial perception?"
"Negative." Came Hagiri's response.
"Try to familiarize yourselves with their voices and look for anything that could project their reflections, they might be cautious and may have detected Botan already." Kamiya instructed after expelling a frustrated breath, directing an impassive stare towards the demon samurai as he voiced out their mutual sentiments.
"The task will be difficult if what you say is true."
After a moment of dead silence and non-reactivity from the magic circle, all their heads snapped forward at the sound of a sharp gasp just as tears started to fall from Botan's wide albeit unseeing eyes.
"What's happening?" Kurama sought immediately while keeping an eye on the seemingly terrified deity, hackles rising at their deferred response.
"Hagiri... Hiei... Talk to us." Kamiya enjoined and was nonplussed upon discerning the disturbed and perturbed expression on their faces, knitting his own eyebrows in careful consideration of their furrowed brows and the formation of sweat on both of their temples just as the prideful men uttered a rather consensual term in unison.
"Bastards."
"Damn it... Is it so hard to tell us what's going on there?" Yusuke stated rather brusquely with eyes darting among the psychic men on the other room.
"The humans are killing each other by feeding on the other's flesh while the legion is watching as we speak, one of them mumbling an incomprehensible ancient chant." Hiei recounted in a clipped tone before pursing his lips in displeasure as one debauchee fed on a co-swingers breast.
It is not far-fetched for the incantation to influence Botan, regardless of its purpose. Kurama thought and was unfazed by the disturbing narrative as he focused his attention on his trembling mate, curling his fingers at the trepidation that began twisting on his guts while perceiving the persistent hitches in her breath. "How is she, Kamiya?" He queried with an edge in his voice whilst cudgeling his brain for an immediate remedy to handle the situation.
"Her brain activity is aberrant in behavior. She's under stress and is undergoing memory overdrive..." Kamiya interpreted as he perused the rippling activity on display. "It won't be long if the situation persists."
"Hiei... I need you to influence her wakefulness. Induce hypnosis with your Evil Eye to keep Botan at bay without severing the connection with the legion." Kurama asserted just as a subtle glow on Hiei's forehead flickered to life before subsiding shortly after the tension on the deity's face melted into a trance-like state.
"It's stabilizing..." Kamiya remarked with a tinge of admiration towards the quick-witted fox demon while monitoring the patterns in the telemetry device.
All of them waited with bated breaths while both psychics continue their endeavors, paying no heed to the disembodied agonizing screams and pained whimpers from the unfortunate humans. Going through the gore and the tangled mess of mutilated limbs while casting about for any manifestation of their adversaries.
"Are we there yet?" Kuwabara impatiently asked after a prolonged moment of unnerving silence.
"Not quite." Hiei bode following an irritated clicking of his tongue, annoyed at the pressing remark as well as frustrated at their escapade that was hitherto been fruitless.
Kamiya shook his head while raking his brain for any possible intervention, mindful of the waves of agitation from the men in his company whilst casting a frustrated albeit imploring look towards an impassive Hiei, then to a non-reactive, hypnotized Botan until his analytical gaze fell on his silent comrade who sat as stiff as a pole and seemed to be very crossed about something.
"Hagiri, checkback." Kamiya urged before directing a narrowed gape at the whitening balls of the sharp-shooter's fists.
"..."
"Hagiri... Do you have visual?" The doctor tried once again before throwing a pointed look at Ruka who nodded before unbinding more of the complex seals to augment the transitory perception.
Hagiri barely heeded the underlying admonishment from the doctor's tone while addressing a promising perspective as a member of the legion unwittingly came close and stood in front of one mangled body. Heart thundering in his chest while adrenaline coursed through his veins as the sick vision, along with the surrounding pools of ichor, brought him a bitter reminder of the fateful night that rendered him the sole survivor of a staged slaughter - an exquisite moment when a human managed to avoid the inescapable clutches death due to the arrival of it's angel.
He could almost taste the sweet ecstasy of revenge and retribution when, thanks to his acute sight, an image of a silver-haired man came into view from the corner of the smoked-glass window situated right above the unmoving corpse...
And he could've sworn that, together with the gravelly calm intonation, it was the same remorseless hue of lavender that he caught sight at the back of his mind before aiming for his own flesh and blood...
...and pulling the trigger.
"Hagiri!"
Nii-san!
"Got him."
A/N:
Okay...This... Honestly, I did not expect really. It just came to me and was a complete overhaul from what I intended to write, but I do not regret anything. Got the first part of the next chapter done, but I'm hoping for the following parts to come serendipitously like this one.
Apologies for the lack of activity on this story and the other one (ehemTheLastMarigoldehem). Had a hard time reclaiming my inspiration for this...In the interim, I'll just cross my fingers and hope for the best.
Wendy M - I miss you!!!! Come back this instance xD
sweetcanines - You got me there...I was honestly indecisive while writing the last chapter... I just hope that I could write the next part and ... ahhh I don't wanna spoil.
h114 - It's been a while dearest! I hope your still there...helllooo???
Tashio - I think...Kamiya is well capable enough to heal lacerations with ease, considering that his arm was ripped-off by Yusuke during Chapter Black and he was able to re-attach it together with the rest of his limb not to mention seamlessly mending the threads of his lab coat lollll
heartluv - yup! And there's more to come... err.. No, actually... Nope nope..no spoilers from me xD
Kaikai.xoxo - helloooo!!! Thank you for the appreciation, loves. I hope you liked this somewhat uneventful chapter xD
Thank you for reading!
Xoxo