*************
Mirage
by Rei Himura
*************
Disclaimer: If I'm being paid to write this, why then can't I buy a Ferrari?
*************
Chapter 4: "Oh curse ye bag o soundrels..."
*************
Rain pelted down heavily on the windscreen. Tokiya Mikagami sighed. He looked out, at the scenery of dark and shady figures. His heart sank even more.
Why the hell did I kiss Yanagi?
What the hell was I thinking?
And when in the hell did I begin to use the word hell?
He groaned and shook his head, leaning back, he closed his eyes. Hoping that the soothing hum of the car's engine could somehow lull him to sleep and erase his worries. He wondered how Fuuko was doing, how Yanagi was doing, how Recca was reacting and why he suddenly cared how they felt and how they were. The silver-haired male turned his head to his left.
Believe it or not, the Hokage had finally melted the ice man.
*************
"Where am I? What are you doing to me... you... you bad excuse for a fashionable ignoramous!" Fuuko yelled. She was tied to a wooden chair placed precariously in the middle of a dark room. She hated dark rooms. She hated it especially when she could hear thunder growling outside.
"That's something new in your vocabulary." Joker flicked the lights on, watching Fuuko squint and turn her head to shield her eyes from the sudden glare. When her pupils had finally adjusted to the new lighting, she face him. Eyes full of hatred and rage, or did that lie in her body language. It was a tad bit cold, central heating went bust. The girl was shivering. Being the gentleman he usually was, the jester walked around her and palced a woollen blanket on her shoulders. She shrugged them off.
"I don't need you sympathy."
"Well you don't, but I need you to stay alive." Fuuko narrowed her eyes. Stay alive? What for? She watched Joker pull out a chair and turned it the other way around. He sat down, arms folded on the back of the chair. She couldn't see his eyes for they were hiding behind a pair of Calvin Klein shades.
"I'm surprised you can still see in the dark."
"If you were in Uruha, you'd be able to do anything." Fuuko snorted and then turned her head away. Her mind was busy trying to formulate a plan where she could get free of the ropes and then beat her captor into oblivion. A familiar looking item was dangled in front of her. The Fuujin.
"HEY! That's mine! Give it back! Untie me! Or else..." Joker raised an unseen eyebrow.
"Or else what?" he placed the madougu onto a nearby table. Strange... why didn't I see that before? Oh yeah... it was dark... I hate dark places... Fuuko growled, baring her teeth, which were chattering. Rolling his eyes, Joker got up and placed the blanket back on her shoulders.
"Or else I'll beat you into a bloody pulp."
"Sitting down, tied, in that chair? Oh yeah, I can't wait to defend myself from being bitten by the rabid and raging hormonal 18-year old seated across me. Give me a break Kirisawa. I'm not here to hurt you or do hentai things you think the males in Uruha do in their free time. I don't move in Mokuren's circles. You should know that by now." he stretched his limbs. Long but not bony, with sinewy muscles hiding beneath the long-sleeved sweatshirt he wore. He lifted his shades up for awhile and Fuuko got a glimpse of amber.
"Then why are you here?" curiosity got the better of the Fuujin-wielder. If he wasn't here on account of the dead and rotting Mori Kouran, was he here then because Kurei suddenly took on his father's demented brain? She waited in silence.
"Raiha-han sent me." The name sent chills up her spine. Even after he abandoned her, left her, his name still had the power to turn her knees into jelly. If she were standing, or at least not bound by nylon cords, she would have crumpled to the floor.
"R-Raiha?" her voice was almost a whisper. Joker nodded his head. Well that was a certain change in attitude. He adjusted his position on the chair.
"I'm sure you read the letter." he waited for a response from her and took the nod from her head as a yes. He continued.
"Well, you weer supposed to have been here five days ago. Here I was, a Joker on his own, playing cards by himself, waiting for this mysterious onna who had so-called snagged the heart of my good friend."
"Oh get it over." Fuuko snapped. One thing about the former Jyushinshuu member, he talked to much. Always one to lament his own personal comfort. But she knew that he cared for Raiha deeply, like a brother of his own. Like the brother he never had. She hated to say it. The pair were like family. Joker pouted, a bare glimpse of his white fang.
"Fine. You were supposed to be here, I was supposed to get you into the damn machine. But you didn't come, so I got tired of waiting and dragged you here. Of course, with a little help from Hokage boy." Fuuko blinked.
"What machine?" She didn't recall Raiha stating anything about a machine in his letter.
"The one waiting for you outside. Honestly in my opinion, he could have just made you travel around the whole world if the aim was for you to find him. Weird fella, but I like him."
"But he said it was a treasure hunt where he was not the treasure." What was it thatR aiha wanted to do? She didn't get it? And boy was she suddenly getting to feel hungry.
"He said that?" Joker bit his lip and thought for awhile. Ah heck, the ninja was as cryptic as an unseen and unheard of madougu.
"Well, whatever. Anyway, once you're stomach digested some food, we'll hop into the machine and find him." Fuuko blusehed, her stomach had once again made a spectacle of herself.
"He told you where he was?"
"Not exactly... okay fine. He didn't tell me. Though I have a strange idea he's somewhere in there. Just gotta look at the right places."
"You're coming in with me?" Fuuko wondered how she was going to tolerate his wise-arse comments. Joker wondered how he was going to put up with her constant PMS.
"Regrettably, yes. I'm supposed to be taking care of you. If there was to be a scratch or a scar on you, he made it quite clear he wants my head, with my armour, on a platter." Fuuko giggled, Joker glared. He cleared his throat.
"Alright. Now what'll it be? Chinese? Japanese? Europeanese?"
"I think it's called Western."
"Whatever. I personally prefer Mexican food."
"Chinese."
"Whatever suits the rabid wind rabbit."
"Hey!"
***************
The door opened easily to him and he stepped inside, glad to be under a roof. Glad to be away from the rain. He looked up to find that there was a light in one fo the rooms, his cerulean blue eyes narrowed. Who else was here? Who else knew of his private haven? Who else dared to intrude his peace?
He stepped forward and then moved silently and stealthily. His weapon was armed in his right hand. Slowly, he lifted his hand to place it on the decaying wood which served as a door. He heard voices. Two of them, but he couldn't quite discern whether they belonged to man or woman. Sounded too general. Or was it because of the sounding pounding in his ears.
Whatever.
He didn't care.
For all he knew, might be a secret rendezvous. He very idea sickened him. He braced himself, and then on the count of three, kicked the door down.
***************
"What in Kami-sama's name-!" Joker yelled. He was thrown off his chair and was now nursing a lump at the back of his head. His shades dangled precariously on the bridge of his sharp nose.
"Kirisawa?"
"Mikagami?"
"Ice boy?"
"Jester?"
"What are are you doing here!" all three shouted in unison.
***************
Author's Notes: Ah well, it was expected now wasn't in? Well, we're going to get to the really good parts pweedy soon. Just relax a little, I gotta go change to get to school. Muahahahaha, now isn't this a nice lil cliff hanger? ^_^
[rei]
Mirage
by Rei Himura
*************
Disclaimer: If I'm being paid to write this, why then can't I buy a Ferrari?
*************
Chapter 4: "Oh curse ye bag o soundrels..."
*************
Rain pelted down heavily on the windscreen. Tokiya Mikagami sighed. He looked out, at the scenery of dark and shady figures. His heart sank even more.
Why the hell did I kiss Yanagi?
What the hell was I thinking?
And when in the hell did I begin to use the word hell?
He groaned and shook his head, leaning back, he closed his eyes. Hoping that the soothing hum of the car's engine could somehow lull him to sleep and erase his worries. He wondered how Fuuko was doing, how Yanagi was doing, how Recca was reacting and why he suddenly cared how they felt and how they were. The silver-haired male turned his head to his left.
Believe it or not, the Hokage had finally melted the ice man.
*************
"Where am I? What are you doing to me... you... you bad excuse for a fashionable ignoramous!" Fuuko yelled. She was tied to a wooden chair placed precariously in the middle of a dark room. She hated dark rooms. She hated it especially when she could hear thunder growling outside.
"That's something new in your vocabulary." Joker flicked the lights on, watching Fuuko squint and turn her head to shield her eyes from the sudden glare. When her pupils had finally adjusted to the new lighting, she face him. Eyes full of hatred and rage, or did that lie in her body language. It was a tad bit cold, central heating went bust. The girl was shivering. Being the gentleman he usually was, the jester walked around her and palced a woollen blanket on her shoulders. She shrugged them off.
"I don't need you sympathy."
"Well you don't, but I need you to stay alive." Fuuko narrowed her eyes. Stay alive? What for? She watched Joker pull out a chair and turned it the other way around. He sat down, arms folded on the back of the chair. She couldn't see his eyes for they were hiding behind a pair of Calvin Klein shades.
"I'm surprised you can still see in the dark."
"If you were in Uruha, you'd be able to do anything." Fuuko snorted and then turned her head away. Her mind was busy trying to formulate a plan where she could get free of the ropes and then beat her captor into oblivion. A familiar looking item was dangled in front of her. The Fuujin.
"HEY! That's mine! Give it back! Untie me! Or else..." Joker raised an unseen eyebrow.
"Or else what?" he placed the madougu onto a nearby table. Strange... why didn't I see that before? Oh yeah... it was dark... I hate dark places... Fuuko growled, baring her teeth, which were chattering. Rolling his eyes, Joker got up and placed the blanket back on her shoulders.
"Or else I'll beat you into a bloody pulp."
"Sitting down, tied, in that chair? Oh yeah, I can't wait to defend myself from being bitten by the rabid and raging hormonal 18-year old seated across me. Give me a break Kirisawa. I'm not here to hurt you or do hentai things you think the males in Uruha do in their free time. I don't move in Mokuren's circles. You should know that by now." he stretched his limbs. Long but not bony, with sinewy muscles hiding beneath the long-sleeved sweatshirt he wore. He lifted his shades up for awhile and Fuuko got a glimpse of amber.
"Then why are you here?" curiosity got the better of the Fuujin-wielder. If he wasn't here on account of the dead and rotting Mori Kouran, was he here then because Kurei suddenly took on his father's demented brain? She waited in silence.
"Raiha-han sent me." The name sent chills up her spine. Even after he abandoned her, left her, his name still had the power to turn her knees into jelly. If she were standing, or at least not bound by nylon cords, she would have crumpled to the floor.
"R-Raiha?" her voice was almost a whisper. Joker nodded his head. Well that was a certain change in attitude. He adjusted his position on the chair.
"I'm sure you read the letter." he waited for a response from her and took the nod from her head as a yes. He continued.
"Well, you weer supposed to have been here five days ago. Here I was, a Joker on his own, playing cards by himself, waiting for this mysterious onna who had so-called snagged the heart of my good friend."
"Oh get it over." Fuuko snapped. One thing about the former Jyushinshuu member, he talked to much. Always one to lament his own personal comfort. But she knew that he cared for Raiha deeply, like a brother of his own. Like the brother he never had. She hated to say it. The pair were like family. Joker pouted, a bare glimpse of his white fang.
"Fine. You were supposed to be here, I was supposed to get you into the damn machine. But you didn't come, so I got tired of waiting and dragged you here. Of course, with a little help from Hokage boy." Fuuko blinked.
"What machine?" She didn't recall Raiha stating anything about a machine in his letter.
"The one waiting for you outside. Honestly in my opinion, he could have just made you travel around the whole world if the aim was for you to find him. Weird fella, but I like him."
"But he said it was a treasure hunt where he was not the treasure." What was it thatR aiha wanted to do? She didn't get it? And boy was she suddenly getting to feel hungry.
"He said that?" Joker bit his lip and thought for awhile. Ah heck, the ninja was as cryptic as an unseen and unheard of madougu.
"Well, whatever. Anyway, once you're stomach digested some food, we'll hop into the machine and find him." Fuuko blusehed, her stomach had once again made a spectacle of herself.
"He told you where he was?"
"Not exactly... okay fine. He didn't tell me. Though I have a strange idea he's somewhere in there. Just gotta look at the right places."
"You're coming in with me?" Fuuko wondered how she was going to tolerate his wise-arse comments. Joker wondered how he was going to put up with her constant PMS.
"Regrettably, yes. I'm supposed to be taking care of you. If there was to be a scratch or a scar on you, he made it quite clear he wants my head, with my armour, on a platter." Fuuko giggled, Joker glared. He cleared his throat.
"Alright. Now what'll it be? Chinese? Japanese? Europeanese?"
"I think it's called Western."
"Whatever. I personally prefer Mexican food."
"Chinese."
"Whatever suits the rabid wind rabbit."
"Hey!"
***************
The door opened easily to him and he stepped inside, glad to be under a roof. Glad to be away from the rain. He looked up to find that there was a light in one fo the rooms, his cerulean blue eyes narrowed. Who else was here? Who else knew of his private haven? Who else dared to intrude his peace?
He stepped forward and then moved silently and stealthily. His weapon was armed in his right hand. Slowly, he lifted his hand to place it on the decaying wood which served as a door. He heard voices. Two of them, but he couldn't quite discern whether they belonged to man or woman. Sounded too general. Or was it because of the sounding pounding in his ears.
Whatever.
He didn't care.
For all he knew, might be a secret rendezvous. He very idea sickened him. He braced himself, and then on the count of three, kicked the door down.
***************
"What in Kami-sama's name-!" Joker yelled. He was thrown off his chair and was now nursing a lump at the back of his head. His shades dangled precariously on the bridge of his sharp nose.
"Kirisawa?"
"Mikagami?"
"Ice boy?"
"Jester?"
"What are are you doing here!" all three shouted in unison.
***************
Author's Notes: Ah well, it was expected now wasn't in? Well, we're going to get to the really good parts pweedy soon. Just relax a little, I gotta go change to get to school. Muahahahaha, now isn't this a nice lil cliff hanger? ^_^
[rei]