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Chapter III--Caught
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It took five blasts of Yusuke's Rei Gun to subdue the violent Lightning demon. After he finally knocked her unconscious, the four boys carried her into Yusuke's apartment building. Kurama tied her to a chair with vines. They sat on the couch in front of her, looking at her.
Kuwabara was still rubbing his throat where Nariko had tried to choke him. There was a collar of ugly purple bruises around his neck. "Damn," he said in a raspy voice. "If that's how all girls are like when they get mad, I'm never getting married."
Hiei looked at him. "Then I guess that means that Yukina won't be stuck with a clumsy, ugly baka like you."
"Oh, of course I'm still getting married to Yukina," Kuwabara croaked. "She's not a mere girl; she's a goddess."
Yusuke grinned. "Sorry, Hiei, but I think he's pretty stuck on her. To think that you would be fighting with him over your own--"
Hiei's hand wandered onto the hilt of his katana. Yusuke glanced at it.
"--crush," he finished, wondering exactly what he had gotten himself into. "Crush" was better than "sister", but not a whole lot better.
Kuwabara swelled like a bullfrog and sounded just like one when he spoke. "SHE'S _MY_ GIRLFRIEND, SHORTY!!"
The small fire demon threw a look at Yusuke that plainly said "Great, you're going to die, you incestuous bastard" and scowled at Kuwabara.
"I'm not interested in her. I don't care."
He did care. He cared a lot about his sister.
Kurama had been silent for the whole conversation, thinking about Nariko's energy: how it wasn't evil, how he couldn't find the right words to express its temperament. Now he decided that the others should know about it if they hadn't noticed.
"Hey," he said softly. They all stopped what they were doing and looked at Kurama. "Did you notice anything...strange...about Nariko's energy? Anything at all?"
"No," Yusuke said, puzzled. Hiei and Kuwabara shook their heads.
"Well, I did," Kurama said. "It's not evil, as we expected. Actually, it's not bad at all...for us, anyway."
"What do you mean?"
"Her energy...it's like..." He struggled to find words good enough to explain. He couldn't. "I don't know. Her energy is more confused than evil, I guess. I don't know how else to explain it."
They sat there in silence for a while, looking at the unconscious Nariko.
Hiei glared at Kuwabara. "If you hadn't stepped on that can, you clumsy oaf--"
"Be quiet, you two," Yusuke said tiredly. "I don't want to hear it right now."
To his surprise, they obeyed. There was silence for the next five minutes.
Nariko shifted in her chair and opened her eyes, which had a slightly dazed look to them. As she caught sight of the boys in front of her, though, she became alert.
"Who are you?" she asked in a soft, angry voice. "Where am I? What do you want with me?"
Kuwabara opened his mouth to speak, but Kurama said swiftly, "I think that I'd better do the talking now, Kuwabara."
Kuwabara shut up. Kurama continued.
"We're the Reikai Tantei; I'd expect you know what they are."
Nariko nodded, not taking her eyes off them.
"We're in Yusuke's--" he indicated Yusuke, who raised his hand so Nariko could see him. "--apartment; the living room to be precise. And, to be blunt, we've been sent to kill you."
He expected her to burst into tears, beg for her life, start straining against her bonds. Anything besides the satisfied, knowing look that she gave him.
"Well, finally you come," she said. "I knew that it would happen someday. Me being captured and killed, I mean."
Yusuke stared at her. "Nani?" he said, puzzled. "You were..._expecting_ us?"
Nariko smiled bitterly. "Well, of course. There's not much to do over the course of 550 years than await your own death, is there." It wasn't a question. She looked at Kuwabara, surveying him over her glasses. "Kuso, you're ugly."
Kuwabara swelled up again, but didn't speak. He had a certain respect for girls. Yusuke laughed at him. "She's right, you know."
Nariko turned her head to face him. "You really shouldn't talk. You're almost as bad-looking as he is."
"Well, at least I'm not plain looking!" Yusuke shot back. "Do something with yourself!"
"I don't think the fact that this isn't my true form has sunken through your thick head," she replied loftily. "This is a disguise, as I'm sure that girl with the oar told you. I'm not particularly fond of this illusion, but it keeps me unnoticed, for the most part."
"Then let's see your true form," Hiei said dully. Nariko glanced at him.
"Aren't you going to kill me?" she asked, sarcasm dripping from her hard voice. "Isn't it your 'job'?"
Yusuke rolled up his sleeves. "Of course it is," he said. "We just want to see the real you before you die."
Kurama took a step towards him. "You're not really going to kill her, are you?"
"Sure I am." Yusuke seemed surprised at the question. "We have to, remember?"
"Won't your mother notice if there's blood all over the living room?"
Yusuke snorted. "Yeah, right. She'll come home so wasted that she won't even notice if she's ankle-deep in the stuff."
Kuwabara groaned. "Ursai, Urameshi, you're making me sick." Yusuke ignored him, cracking his knuckles. "Let's do this." He pulled back his fist to punch her in the neck. "True form or not, I'm afraid you've got to go. Any last words?"
She glared at him. "Bite me."
Yusuke's rock-hard fist flew forward, the angle perfect for a somewhat quick kill, even though he couldn't guarantee a painless one. It would shatter her windpipe, and she'd be dead within the next minute or so. His fist was about a foot away from her throat when it landed in someone's hand.
Kurama had blocked Nariko from the blow, catching it himself. His emerald green eyes looked into Yusuke's puzzled brown ones imploringly.
"No, Yusuke," he said softly but firmly. "Don't do it."
Yusuke withdrew his fist. "But..." he began blankly. "Why?"
"It's not worth it." Kurama lifted his hand, which made the vines disappear, and turned to look at Nariko, who surveyed him with a nonplussed gaze.
"Do you expect me to be grateful?" she asked him. "I didn't ask or want you to save me; you did it for your own petty wishes."
Kurama sighed wearily. "To tell you the truth, I didn't expect anything from you." He turned back to Yusuke. "Don't do it."
The delinquent hesitated, then dropped his arm, still looking at Nariko, who stared back at him sullenly. "Fine, you get to live a little longer. You're going to have to stay here, though...we don't want anyone finding out that you're still alive. You can stay in the guest room and borrow some of my mom's clothes. She won't care."
"But Keiko-chan will," Kuwabara muttered.
"What Keiko doesn't know won't hurt her," Yusuke replied.
To everyone's surprise, Nariko nodded curtly and made her way to the bedroom. Just before she entered, she turned around to face the others, who had formed a circle, talking in low voices. "Hey."
The four boys looked up, expecting to see a slightly nerdy-looking girl. What they did see, however, made their jaws drop.
The girl with mousy hair and glasses was gone. In her place stood a goddess with chin-length black hair and dark purple eyes that were quite visible against her creamy white skin. The white sweater and blue slacks were gone, but a tight black leotard-like outfit with a skirt attatched replaced the aforementioned clothing.
Needless to say, the boys were very happy about this.
"Well," Nariko said indifferently. "This is me." She smirked at them. "I guess you're the one who should pay more attention to their looks now, huh, Urameshi?"
They were still gaping at her when the door shut with a snap.
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::A.N:: Ah, the plot thickens...Anyway, please review and tell me your thoughts. ~D.M.
Chapter III--Caught
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It took five blasts of Yusuke's Rei Gun to subdue the violent Lightning demon. After he finally knocked her unconscious, the four boys carried her into Yusuke's apartment building. Kurama tied her to a chair with vines. They sat on the couch in front of her, looking at her.
Kuwabara was still rubbing his throat where Nariko had tried to choke him. There was a collar of ugly purple bruises around his neck. "Damn," he said in a raspy voice. "If that's how all girls are like when they get mad, I'm never getting married."
Hiei looked at him. "Then I guess that means that Yukina won't be stuck with a clumsy, ugly baka like you."
"Oh, of course I'm still getting married to Yukina," Kuwabara croaked. "She's not a mere girl; she's a goddess."
Yusuke grinned. "Sorry, Hiei, but I think he's pretty stuck on her. To think that you would be fighting with him over your own--"
Hiei's hand wandered onto the hilt of his katana. Yusuke glanced at it.
"--crush," he finished, wondering exactly what he had gotten himself into. "Crush" was better than "sister", but not a whole lot better.
Kuwabara swelled like a bullfrog and sounded just like one when he spoke. "SHE'S _MY_ GIRLFRIEND, SHORTY!!"
The small fire demon threw a look at Yusuke that plainly said "Great, you're going to die, you incestuous bastard" and scowled at Kuwabara.
"I'm not interested in her. I don't care."
He did care. He cared a lot about his sister.
Kurama had been silent for the whole conversation, thinking about Nariko's energy: how it wasn't evil, how he couldn't find the right words to express its temperament. Now he decided that the others should know about it if they hadn't noticed.
"Hey," he said softly. They all stopped what they were doing and looked at Kurama. "Did you notice anything...strange...about Nariko's energy? Anything at all?"
"No," Yusuke said, puzzled. Hiei and Kuwabara shook their heads.
"Well, I did," Kurama said. "It's not evil, as we expected. Actually, it's not bad at all...for us, anyway."
"What do you mean?"
"Her energy...it's like..." He struggled to find words good enough to explain. He couldn't. "I don't know. Her energy is more confused than evil, I guess. I don't know how else to explain it."
They sat there in silence for a while, looking at the unconscious Nariko.
Hiei glared at Kuwabara. "If you hadn't stepped on that can, you clumsy oaf--"
"Be quiet, you two," Yusuke said tiredly. "I don't want to hear it right now."
To his surprise, they obeyed. There was silence for the next five minutes.
Nariko shifted in her chair and opened her eyes, which had a slightly dazed look to them. As she caught sight of the boys in front of her, though, she became alert.
"Who are you?" she asked in a soft, angry voice. "Where am I? What do you want with me?"
Kuwabara opened his mouth to speak, but Kurama said swiftly, "I think that I'd better do the talking now, Kuwabara."
Kuwabara shut up. Kurama continued.
"We're the Reikai Tantei; I'd expect you know what they are."
Nariko nodded, not taking her eyes off them.
"We're in Yusuke's--" he indicated Yusuke, who raised his hand so Nariko could see him. "--apartment; the living room to be precise. And, to be blunt, we've been sent to kill you."
He expected her to burst into tears, beg for her life, start straining against her bonds. Anything besides the satisfied, knowing look that she gave him.
"Well, finally you come," she said. "I knew that it would happen someday. Me being captured and killed, I mean."
Yusuke stared at her. "Nani?" he said, puzzled. "You were..._expecting_ us?"
Nariko smiled bitterly. "Well, of course. There's not much to do over the course of 550 years than await your own death, is there." It wasn't a question. She looked at Kuwabara, surveying him over her glasses. "Kuso, you're ugly."
Kuwabara swelled up again, but didn't speak. He had a certain respect for girls. Yusuke laughed at him. "She's right, you know."
Nariko turned her head to face him. "You really shouldn't talk. You're almost as bad-looking as he is."
"Well, at least I'm not plain looking!" Yusuke shot back. "Do something with yourself!"
"I don't think the fact that this isn't my true form has sunken through your thick head," she replied loftily. "This is a disguise, as I'm sure that girl with the oar told you. I'm not particularly fond of this illusion, but it keeps me unnoticed, for the most part."
"Then let's see your true form," Hiei said dully. Nariko glanced at him.
"Aren't you going to kill me?" she asked, sarcasm dripping from her hard voice. "Isn't it your 'job'?"
Yusuke rolled up his sleeves. "Of course it is," he said. "We just want to see the real you before you die."
Kurama took a step towards him. "You're not really going to kill her, are you?"
"Sure I am." Yusuke seemed surprised at the question. "We have to, remember?"
"Won't your mother notice if there's blood all over the living room?"
Yusuke snorted. "Yeah, right. She'll come home so wasted that she won't even notice if she's ankle-deep in the stuff."
Kuwabara groaned. "Ursai, Urameshi, you're making me sick." Yusuke ignored him, cracking his knuckles. "Let's do this." He pulled back his fist to punch her in the neck. "True form or not, I'm afraid you've got to go. Any last words?"
She glared at him. "Bite me."
Yusuke's rock-hard fist flew forward, the angle perfect for a somewhat quick kill, even though he couldn't guarantee a painless one. It would shatter her windpipe, and she'd be dead within the next minute or so. His fist was about a foot away from her throat when it landed in someone's hand.
Kurama had blocked Nariko from the blow, catching it himself. His emerald green eyes looked into Yusuke's puzzled brown ones imploringly.
"No, Yusuke," he said softly but firmly. "Don't do it."
Yusuke withdrew his fist. "But..." he began blankly. "Why?"
"It's not worth it." Kurama lifted his hand, which made the vines disappear, and turned to look at Nariko, who surveyed him with a nonplussed gaze.
"Do you expect me to be grateful?" she asked him. "I didn't ask or want you to save me; you did it for your own petty wishes."
Kurama sighed wearily. "To tell you the truth, I didn't expect anything from you." He turned back to Yusuke. "Don't do it."
The delinquent hesitated, then dropped his arm, still looking at Nariko, who stared back at him sullenly. "Fine, you get to live a little longer. You're going to have to stay here, though...we don't want anyone finding out that you're still alive. You can stay in the guest room and borrow some of my mom's clothes. She won't care."
"But Keiko-chan will," Kuwabara muttered.
"What Keiko doesn't know won't hurt her," Yusuke replied.
To everyone's surprise, Nariko nodded curtly and made her way to the bedroom. Just before she entered, she turned around to face the others, who had formed a circle, talking in low voices. "Hey."
The four boys looked up, expecting to see a slightly nerdy-looking girl. What they did see, however, made their jaws drop.
The girl with mousy hair and glasses was gone. In her place stood a goddess with chin-length black hair and dark purple eyes that were quite visible against her creamy white skin. The white sweater and blue slacks were gone, but a tight black leotard-like outfit with a skirt attatched replaced the aforementioned clothing.
Needless to say, the boys were very happy about this.
"Well," Nariko said indifferently. "This is me." She smirked at them. "I guess you're the one who should pay more attention to their looks now, huh, Urameshi?"
They were still gaping at her when the door shut with a snap.
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::A.N:: Ah, the plot thickens...Anyway, please review and tell me your thoughts. ~D.M.