*Anemone's room...Kurama is playing with a venus fly trap, Hiei's got
the music on full blast--"Rectifier" by Ra (a very good rock band)--and
Anemone's taking a nap.*
Hiei: *singing along* why, don't you, care? don't, don't you, dare! Rectifier...how's the world supposed to be? Rectifier...take my hand and set me free...
Kurama: *gently shakes Anemone awake* Mones? the readers are here.
Anemone: *gurglegurgle* huh? what?
Hiei: *notices readers, jerks away in surprise* ah! oh, uh...*shifty eyes* I wasn't singing...
Kurama: *snicker* anyways...the story must continue, Mones, *gently takes her arm--she's still half-asleep--and escorts her to the computer*
Anemone: okay, okay *yawn* anywho...so, Mrs. Minamino thinks he's in love...
Hiei: she aint the only one with suspicion at this point in the story...
Anemone: obviously...anywho, here you go, my loyal fans...chappie 11.
Kurama: enjoy.
Chapter 11: A Growing Threat
Hiei cast his crimson eyes dead straight into the depths of the night sky. He lay flat against a radnom rooftop, lost in thought and gently brushing his cheek...where his skin had been slit just slightly by his enemy. Hiei was weighed down by fatigue and heavy contemplations, a sigh just barely shifting his chest.
"This isn't good, Kitsune," Hiei's voice randomly punctured into the night air. Kurama's figure slowly stepped outward toward's the fire demon, the fox in perfect balance upon the slanted rooftop of shingled roof.
"What do you mean? The threat of my demon father, or Botan's condition?" the fox responded sarcastically. "Because Botan is just as bubbly and positive as ever...she's perfectly fine, healed, and on her way back to work."
"You know well what I mean, Red!" the fire demon snarled.
Kurama shook his head slowly, a soft smirk tinting his lips. "I do, Hiei...and, I must say...he can't be that bad."
"Hn..." Hiei grunted, jerking his face towards Kurama. "See this scar, Kitsune?! He was responsible...and I didn't even have the speed to stop him from grazing my cheek...imagine if he wasn't playing!"
Kurama's face dimmed just slightly...he had been fully aware of his Yoko self's father's speed...it was insane.
"Well, Hiei...with my assistance, we can fend him off."
"Don't you get it?!" Hiei snarled. "He was so fast that I couldn't sense him until he purposely slowed down to taunt me...he's more than a threat, Kitsune...he's our executioner." the demon glared soft, half-angry eyes at his friend.
"Hiei...we've Yusuke on our side...and trust me...since Keiko's saftey was threatened, he's willingly decided to help us out."
"Hn...one man, even the Spirit Detective, will not do much difference with our fate."
"Why do you not trust our chances?"
"Because," a voice, foreign to Kurama's human ears, but vaguely familiar to his Yoko memories, snarled. Kurama pricked slightly, his emerald eyes sparking wide, and Hiei's eyes widening in pure shock and fear. "I've speed that neither of you suspected, even dreamed...not even Hiei's Jagon sensed my coming."
Hiei breathed hard in fear, Kurama, somewhat calmer, doing likewise. "Oh, and Hiei," the voice sneered at the fire demon, who pricked slightly.
"I've found your weakness," the enemy taunted, hidden in the shadows of night and veiled from their sights. Hiei grunted softly in confusion and defense, hoping to God...
"In a little green-haired aperition by name of...Yukina."
Hiei growled viciously, anger staining his features and utter fear draining into his crimson eyes. Kurama snarled hard, jerking for the hidden figure, Hiei doing likewise in a raw rage.
"You think out loud too much...it was so easy to find out you have a weakness in her...though I've yet to learn how..." Kurama's father chuckled deviously from the veil of shadows.
"Don't you DARE lay a finger on her!" Hiei wailed, leaping for the shadows and drawing his Katana. The glare of his blade sliced the air, and nothing more...the villain had melted into nothingness, before his Jagon Eye could sense.
Hiei's blade dug deep into the shingles of the rooftop, the demon landing lightly, slumping against his blade, whimpering in fear...for the first time in the fire demon's life, tears threatened to streak his face. "No...no...not Yukina...he'll kill her! He can't do this! She can't defend herself...I can't save her, he's too damn fast...he can't do this...he, he can't!" the demon's voice softened as his whimpers shook him harder. "he can't..."
Kurama was lost of words...his emerald eyes stung through the darkness of night and stared in shock at his friend, who was actually...crying. The fox was engulfed in utter fear...Hiei never showed as much emotion as a real smile...Kurama had always thought Hell had to freeze over three times before one tear dripped from Hiei's eyes...and that being a tear from a yawn, let alone utter sadness and fury. Kurama now knew their chances weren't even a third of what he had dared hope.
%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%
"Yusuke!" Kurama called, racing through the streets for the Detective's home. Hiei streaked the air, heading in the same direction as the fox. Yusuke's head shot outward from a window high up in the apartment building, the teenager jerking from side to side looking for the source.
"Kurama?" the teenager called back.
"You have to get down here, now!" the fox wailed, halting in the street and staring up through the night air and dead-straight at Yusuke. Without a second thought, the Detective drew his head from the window and shot out his front door.
The punk rushed for the end of the hallway, sided one way by doors of separate apartments and sided the other way by a wall spanning halfway upward and leaving an exposure to the city outside. Reaching the end of the corridor, Yusuke jumped the side, clasping loosely to the building's gutter and sliding towards the ground, fifteen stories downward. With one floor left, the punk kicked off against the wall and landed softly to the ground, pushing himself from his leaning pose against the cement to a calm stand.
"Hey Kurama," the teenager stood still, his face painted in concern as the fox jogged towards him. Hiei's form jerked to human speed beside the Detective, standing calmly and waiting for the fox to catch up.
"What's wrong?" Yusuke eyed them both when Kurama had approached the two.
"Trouble," Hiei grunted, concern and worry staining his scarlet eyes.
"Big trouble," Kurama breathed slowly, his eyes narrow in a serious tone.
%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%
"He's threatening Yukina?!" Kuwabara wailed in a fury as the group explained the situation to him. "HOW DARE HE!"
Hiei glared at the love-struck Kuwabara, his eyes sharpening to daggers. Kurama lay a hand against Hiei's shoulder, firm, calm stares meeting Hiei's angry eyes. The fire demon loosened up slightly under the fox's reassuring, loose glare, but he was still in negative thoughts towards Kuwabara.
"We've gotta stop him!" the angry red-head punk shouted, swearing to defend his beloved Yukina.
"No duh, idiot," Hiei snarled.
"But how are we supposed to stop someone who could scar Hiei's face before Hiei even knew he was there?!" Yusuke piped.
"We've no idea...but we must try, and soon," Kurama breathed slowly.
"Oh boys," a voice pricked their senses, all four jerking defensively at the sound. "I know who your weaknesses are," the voice taunted. "and I know where they are."
Hiei's eyes bulged wide, a low snarl wincing his face. Kurama's breath sharpened in a quick gasp, emerald eyes quivering wide. Kuwabara jerked his angry eyes in all directions to find the source of the cold, evil voice. Yusuke growled in raw anger. The figure disappeared before any of the four could force an attack upon him.
"Do any of you know where the girls are?" Hiei asked in a low, angry growl, his eyes casting the opposite direction of his comrades.
"I do," Yusuke glared straight ahead, kicking off into a bolt run for the direction of Botan's apartment.
%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%
Botan skipped slightly down the sidewalk, Yukina and Keiko trailing behind. The girls were heading for Botan's to watch a movie...something nice, to lift their spirits.
"So," Botan giggled lightly, pausing from her skip to cast her candy eyes for her friends. "What movie shall we watch?"
"Your choice," Yukina offered politely, a little, calm smile curling her lips.
"I don't know," Keiko answered thoughtfully.
"Hmm..." Botan pressed her finger to her chin in contemplation. "Well, I suppose a good movie is Legally Blonde..."
"I don't mind," Yukina answered respectfully.
"Ick, no...sorry, but it's too...nevermind I just don't want to watch it..." Keiko tucked her hair behind her ear.
"Any other suggestions, then?" Botan asked lightly. Both girls stared blankly in thought, Botan's candy eyes arching slightly. "Oh come on! It's the first time in days I've felt myself, and I want to do something fun!"
"Well..." Yukina bobbed her scarlet eyes to the side. "How about A Walk to Remember?"
Botan smile dimmed, Keiko doing likewise. "That's a tad sad, isn't it Yukina sweety?" Botan tipped her head to the side. Yukina nodded in quiet agreement.
"Hmm...A Brilliant Mind?" Keiko piped.
"I didn't really get it..." Botan cast her eyes upward, lost in memories of the film. Yukina shrugged.
"Oh! I know..." Botan giggled. "The Sound of Music!"
Keiko and Yukina both nodded positively. "Bingo! A mutual agreement!" Botan tipped her head to the side in a perky manner.
Suddenly, Keiko pricked. "Huh?" she jerked behind her, a shadowed figure approaching the girls.
"Who are you?" Botan bounced in front of her friends in defense. The figure continued his slow, stride for the girls.
"Who are you?!"
Again, silence graced his lips as he continued his trudge. Botan's eyes bubbled wide as his eyes jerked from the shadows and stared threateningly at the girls. They were golden, cold, heartless eyes, that seemed VERY interested in them.
"Get away from them!" Yusuke wailed as he sprinted for the girls, coming up the road from the opposite way as the stranger. Kurama, Kuwabara, and Hiei followed, all four with anger-glazed faces.
"Hmpf," the stranger grunted, clasping the long cape draped over his shoulders tightly between his fingers and swishing it from the shadows and coiling it tightly around the three girls in a split-second's time. All three girls wailed as they were dragged against his chest into the shadows without time to draw a breath.
"No!" Yusuke wailed as he leapt head first for them. Keiko's hand flung loose from the cape, and their fingers just brushed each other before she was dragged into the sky, wailing out for him.
Yusuke collapsed into the ground on his hip, a wince snarling his face but jerking upwards to where the four had disappeared to. "No! Keiko!!"
"Yukina!!" Kuwabara cried in desperation.
"Kazuma!" Yukina wailed in return, tears brimming her eyelashes.
"No..." Hiei whispered in disbelief, his eyes frozen wide in fear, his body quivering. "Not this...no..."
'Botan...' Kurama thought in fear and shock. 'No...no, come back...'
'Kurama,' Botan thought sadly and in fear to herself as her candy eyes bobbed downward at the retreating sight of the fox. Tears stung her eyes as she and her two best friends were dragged away into the night sky by this evil demon. "Kurama!!"
The fox's heart was weighed as he saw her dragged away, and all he could do was extend his arm slightly for her, pure shock, confusion, and fear controlling him. Yusuke lay on his side, whimpering as he tucked his head against his collarbone, whimpering for Keiko, punching his fist against the conrete sidewalk, a dent forming on impact with his knuckles. Kuwabara's body racked in utter rage as he slammed his fist into the wooden fence towards his left. A huge hole splintered on impact, the teenager slumping against the fence, breaking down. Hiei stared blankly ahead of him, eyes frozen wide and breaths hard. Kurama collapsed to his knees in silence, gripping his arms and hugging himself as he quivered. He stared blankly into the street before him.
"I don't care if that beast is my father..." Kurama hissed in an uncharacteristic manner. Hiei, Yusuke, and Kuwabara all jerked to face their friend. Kurama's eyes, hidden by locks of crimson hair, revealed themselves as a brush of wind laced his hair to the side. His eyes were flashing in brilliant emerald, anger singeing their shade even darker than their usually stark green. "He will pay," the fox snarled, all three of his companions pricking in shock at his behavior. Kurama kicked himself off his knees and stared dangerous, angry eyes dead ahead. "I will find him...and I will slay him."
%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%
Anemone: hey! I'm lovin' this...
Hiei: THAT ASSHOLE! HOW DARE HE TAKE YUKINA!
Kurama: I hope I do kill him...*glaring to the side, mumbling*
Anemone: rightio then...please review, readers! latr
Hiei: *singing along* why, don't you, care? don't, don't you, dare! Rectifier...how's the world supposed to be? Rectifier...take my hand and set me free...
Kurama: *gently shakes Anemone awake* Mones? the readers are here.
Anemone: *gurglegurgle* huh? what?
Hiei: *notices readers, jerks away in surprise* ah! oh, uh...*shifty eyes* I wasn't singing...
Kurama: *snicker* anyways...the story must continue, Mones, *gently takes her arm--she's still half-asleep--and escorts her to the computer*
Anemone: okay, okay *yawn* anywho...so, Mrs. Minamino thinks he's in love...
Hiei: she aint the only one with suspicion at this point in the story...
Anemone: obviously...anywho, here you go, my loyal fans...chappie 11.
Kurama: enjoy.
Chapter 11: A Growing Threat
Hiei cast his crimson eyes dead straight into the depths of the night sky. He lay flat against a radnom rooftop, lost in thought and gently brushing his cheek...where his skin had been slit just slightly by his enemy. Hiei was weighed down by fatigue and heavy contemplations, a sigh just barely shifting his chest.
"This isn't good, Kitsune," Hiei's voice randomly punctured into the night air. Kurama's figure slowly stepped outward toward's the fire demon, the fox in perfect balance upon the slanted rooftop of shingled roof.
"What do you mean? The threat of my demon father, or Botan's condition?" the fox responded sarcastically. "Because Botan is just as bubbly and positive as ever...she's perfectly fine, healed, and on her way back to work."
"You know well what I mean, Red!" the fire demon snarled.
Kurama shook his head slowly, a soft smirk tinting his lips. "I do, Hiei...and, I must say...he can't be that bad."
"Hn..." Hiei grunted, jerking his face towards Kurama. "See this scar, Kitsune?! He was responsible...and I didn't even have the speed to stop him from grazing my cheek...imagine if he wasn't playing!"
Kurama's face dimmed just slightly...he had been fully aware of his Yoko self's father's speed...it was insane.
"Well, Hiei...with my assistance, we can fend him off."
"Don't you get it?!" Hiei snarled. "He was so fast that I couldn't sense him until he purposely slowed down to taunt me...he's more than a threat, Kitsune...he's our executioner." the demon glared soft, half-angry eyes at his friend.
"Hiei...we've Yusuke on our side...and trust me...since Keiko's saftey was threatened, he's willingly decided to help us out."
"Hn...one man, even the Spirit Detective, will not do much difference with our fate."
"Why do you not trust our chances?"
"Because," a voice, foreign to Kurama's human ears, but vaguely familiar to his Yoko memories, snarled. Kurama pricked slightly, his emerald eyes sparking wide, and Hiei's eyes widening in pure shock and fear. "I've speed that neither of you suspected, even dreamed...not even Hiei's Jagon sensed my coming."
Hiei breathed hard in fear, Kurama, somewhat calmer, doing likewise. "Oh, and Hiei," the voice sneered at the fire demon, who pricked slightly.
"I've found your weakness," the enemy taunted, hidden in the shadows of night and veiled from their sights. Hiei grunted softly in confusion and defense, hoping to God...
"In a little green-haired aperition by name of...Yukina."
Hiei growled viciously, anger staining his features and utter fear draining into his crimson eyes. Kurama snarled hard, jerking for the hidden figure, Hiei doing likewise in a raw rage.
"You think out loud too much...it was so easy to find out you have a weakness in her...though I've yet to learn how..." Kurama's father chuckled deviously from the veil of shadows.
"Don't you DARE lay a finger on her!" Hiei wailed, leaping for the shadows and drawing his Katana. The glare of his blade sliced the air, and nothing more...the villain had melted into nothingness, before his Jagon Eye could sense.
Hiei's blade dug deep into the shingles of the rooftop, the demon landing lightly, slumping against his blade, whimpering in fear...for the first time in the fire demon's life, tears threatened to streak his face. "No...no...not Yukina...he'll kill her! He can't do this! She can't defend herself...I can't save her, he's too damn fast...he can't do this...he, he can't!" the demon's voice softened as his whimpers shook him harder. "he can't..."
Kurama was lost of words...his emerald eyes stung through the darkness of night and stared in shock at his friend, who was actually...crying. The fox was engulfed in utter fear...Hiei never showed as much emotion as a real smile...Kurama had always thought Hell had to freeze over three times before one tear dripped from Hiei's eyes...and that being a tear from a yawn, let alone utter sadness and fury. Kurama now knew their chances weren't even a third of what he had dared hope.
%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%
"Yusuke!" Kurama called, racing through the streets for the Detective's home. Hiei streaked the air, heading in the same direction as the fox. Yusuke's head shot outward from a window high up in the apartment building, the teenager jerking from side to side looking for the source.
"Kurama?" the teenager called back.
"You have to get down here, now!" the fox wailed, halting in the street and staring up through the night air and dead-straight at Yusuke. Without a second thought, the Detective drew his head from the window and shot out his front door.
The punk rushed for the end of the hallway, sided one way by doors of separate apartments and sided the other way by a wall spanning halfway upward and leaving an exposure to the city outside. Reaching the end of the corridor, Yusuke jumped the side, clasping loosely to the building's gutter and sliding towards the ground, fifteen stories downward. With one floor left, the punk kicked off against the wall and landed softly to the ground, pushing himself from his leaning pose against the cement to a calm stand.
"Hey Kurama," the teenager stood still, his face painted in concern as the fox jogged towards him. Hiei's form jerked to human speed beside the Detective, standing calmly and waiting for the fox to catch up.
"What's wrong?" Yusuke eyed them both when Kurama had approached the two.
"Trouble," Hiei grunted, concern and worry staining his scarlet eyes.
"Big trouble," Kurama breathed slowly, his eyes narrow in a serious tone.
%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%
"He's threatening Yukina?!" Kuwabara wailed in a fury as the group explained the situation to him. "HOW DARE HE!"
Hiei glared at the love-struck Kuwabara, his eyes sharpening to daggers. Kurama lay a hand against Hiei's shoulder, firm, calm stares meeting Hiei's angry eyes. The fire demon loosened up slightly under the fox's reassuring, loose glare, but he was still in negative thoughts towards Kuwabara.
"We've gotta stop him!" the angry red-head punk shouted, swearing to defend his beloved Yukina.
"No duh, idiot," Hiei snarled.
"But how are we supposed to stop someone who could scar Hiei's face before Hiei even knew he was there?!" Yusuke piped.
"We've no idea...but we must try, and soon," Kurama breathed slowly.
"Oh boys," a voice pricked their senses, all four jerking defensively at the sound. "I know who your weaknesses are," the voice taunted. "and I know where they are."
Hiei's eyes bulged wide, a low snarl wincing his face. Kurama's breath sharpened in a quick gasp, emerald eyes quivering wide. Kuwabara jerked his angry eyes in all directions to find the source of the cold, evil voice. Yusuke growled in raw anger. The figure disappeared before any of the four could force an attack upon him.
"Do any of you know where the girls are?" Hiei asked in a low, angry growl, his eyes casting the opposite direction of his comrades.
"I do," Yusuke glared straight ahead, kicking off into a bolt run for the direction of Botan's apartment.
%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%
Botan skipped slightly down the sidewalk, Yukina and Keiko trailing behind. The girls were heading for Botan's to watch a movie...something nice, to lift their spirits.
"So," Botan giggled lightly, pausing from her skip to cast her candy eyes for her friends. "What movie shall we watch?"
"Your choice," Yukina offered politely, a little, calm smile curling her lips.
"I don't know," Keiko answered thoughtfully.
"Hmm..." Botan pressed her finger to her chin in contemplation. "Well, I suppose a good movie is Legally Blonde..."
"I don't mind," Yukina answered respectfully.
"Ick, no...sorry, but it's too...nevermind I just don't want to watch it..." Keiko tucked her hair behind her ear.
"Any other suggestions, then?" Botan asked lightly. Both girls stared blankly in thought, Botan's candy eyes arching slightly. "Oh come on! It's the first time in days I've felt myself, and I want to do something fun!"
"Well..." Yukina bobbed her scarlet eyes to the side. "How about A Walk to Remember?"
Botan smile dimmed, Keiko doing likewise. "That's a tad sad, isn't it Yukina sweety?" Botan tipped her head to the side. Yukina nodded in quiet agreement.
"Hmm...A Brilliant Mind?" Keiko piped.
"I didn't really get it..." Botan cast her eyes upward, lost in memories of the film. Yukina shrugged.
"Oh! I know..." Botan giggled. "The Sound of Music!"
Keiko and Yukina both nodded positively. "Bingo! A mutual agreement!" Botan tipped her head to the side in a perky manner.
Suddenly, Keiko pricked. "Huh?" she jerked behind her, a shadowed figure approaching the girls.
"Who are you?" Botan bounced in front of her friends in defense. The figure continued his slow, stride for the girls.
"Who are you?!"
Again, silence graced his lips as he continued his trudge. Botan's eyes bubbled wide as his eyes jerked from the shadows and stared threateningly at the girls. They were golden, cold, heartless eyes, that seemed VERY interested in them.
"Get away from them!" Yusuke wailed as he sprinted for the girls, coming up the road from the opposite way as the stranger. Kurama, Kuwabara, and Hiei followed, all four with anger-glazed faces.
"Hmpf," the stranger grunted, clasping the long cape draped over his shoulders tightly between his fingers and swishing it from the shadows and coiling it tightly around the three girls in a split-second's time. All three girls wailed as they were dragged against his chest into the shadows without time to draw a breath.
"No!" Yusuke wailed as he leapt head first for them. Keiko's hand flung loose from the cape, and their fingers just brushed each other before she was dragged into the sky, wailing out for him.
Yusuke collapsed into the ground on his hip, a wince snarling his face but jerking upwards to where the four had disappeared to. "No! Keiko!!"
"Yukina!!" Kuwabara cried in desperation.
"Kazuma!" Yukina wailed in return, tears brimming her eyelashes.
"No..." Hiei whispered in disbelief, his eyes frozen wide in fear, his body quivering. "Not this...no..."
'Botan...' Kurama thought in fear and shock. 'No...no, come back...'
'Kurama,' Botan thought sadly and in fear to herself as her candy eyes bobbed downward at the retreating sight of the fox. Tears stung her eyes as she and her two best friends were dragged away into the night sky by this evil demon. "Kurama!!"
The fox's heart was weighed as he saw her dragged away, and all he could do was extend his arm slightly for her, pure shock, confusion, and fear controlling him. Yusuke lay on his side, whimpering as he tucked his head against his collarbone, whimpering for Keiko, punching his fist against the conrete sidewalk, a dent forming on impact with his knuckles. Kuwabara's body racked in utter rage as he slammed his fist into the wooden fence towards his left. A huge hole splintered on impact, the teenager slumping against the fence, breaking down. Hiei stared blankly ahead of him, eyes frozen wide and breaths hard. Kurama collapsed to his knees in silence, gripping his arms and hugging himself as he quivered. He stared blankly into the street before him.
"I don't care if that beast is my father..." Kurama hissed in an uncharacteristic manner. Hiei, Yusuke, and Kuwabara all jerked to face their friend. Kurama's eyes, hidden by locks of crimson hair, revealed themselves as a brush of wind laced his hair to the side. His eyes were flashing in brilliant emerald, anger singeing their shade even darker than their usually stark green. "He will pay," the fox snarled, all three of his companions pricking in shock at his behavior. Kurama kicked himself off his knees and stared dangerous, angry eyes dead ahead. "I will find him...and I will slay him."
%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%
Anemone: hey! I'm lovin' this...
Hiei: THAT ASSHOLE! HOW DARE HE TAKE YUKINA!
Kurama: I hope I do kill him...*glaring to the side, mumbling*
Anemone: rightio then...please review, readers! latr