Lucky Pendant

By: KC

Alright! Chapter Two is here! I'm going to plunge right in, assuming you've already read Chapter One. If you haven't....well, your loss. Good luck catching up, you poor Chapter One-less people. As for the rest of you...well...do you like it?

Valgaav: They wouldn't have gone on to the second chapter if they didn't like it.

Oh...I guess you're right.... ::Pats Valgaav on the head, being careful to avoid the big pointy horn:: Thank you.

I hate writing disclaimers, so the disclaimer from Chapter One carries over to this chapter. (None of my bishie want to read it after what happened to Bakura.)

Bakura: ::Holds head and moans::

Uh...eh heh. If that's not okay, then it's too darn bad - I already said I didn't own them.

So...if you do like it...well...enjoy!

Chapter Two: The First Match

It was then that I realized a member of the opposite team was looking at me. Even though I couldn't see his eyes under the hood, I could feel his stare. It was unnerving.

I was in a bad mood already. This was the last thing I needed.

I stared right back at him.

He turned away.

The announcer seemed completely oblivious to all this. "Will the team captains please come to the ring and discuss terms for this round!"

Is that a question or an order? I can never tell.

Yusuke and the hooded figure who had been staring at me stepped into the ring.

"Let's make this short," the figure said softly. "One-on-one fights. Best of five."

"That's fine with me," Yusuke grinned. To Yusuke, one-on-one fights are nothing but an opportunity to be in the spotlight.

I personally could care less.

Hiei raised an eyebrow and glanced at me. "Great. Another chance for him to feed his ego."

"My thoughts exactly," I replied.

"Do you think we'll end up saving this round too?" Hiei continued.

"Maybe."

"Will the first fighters please enter the ring!" The announcer exclaimed in her eternally perky voice. That's either a natural high, or a hell of a lot of coffee on her part.

Yusuke grinned and stepped into the ring. A different one if the hooded fighters entered opposite of him.

"Ready, and...begin!"

- - - -

"Ready, and...begin!"

Yusuke immediately sprang at his opponent. The hooded fighter evaded him easily and, turning, struck him in the back. Yusuke slammed into the ring floor. He immediately leapt to his feet and tried it again, with the same results.

"Idiot," Hiei muttered.

I sighed. "The way he's fighting, we will have to salvage this round."

"At least we can count on the masked fighter," Hiei grumbled. "We'll have to scrape Yusuke off the ring floor with a spatula."

I smothered a laugh. The sad truth was, it looked like Hiei's dire prediction may come true. Yusuke was in the process of getting absolutely flattened when I looked up.

Not for long, though.

Having jumped to evade Yusuke's last attack, the hooded fighter was closing in from above. Even though he was flat on his back, Yusuke was wearing a smirk, meaning only one thing - there was some sort of ace up his sleeve.

I could see his fist was glowing blue with spirit energy.

I knew what was coming, and I also knew that dodging in midair (without the power of flight, that is) is nearly impossible. I immediately began to pity the hooded fighter. This match would not end well for him.

"SHOTGUN!"

The blast struck the cloaked fighter square in the chest. He gave a cry of surprise and tumbled from the air, landing flat on his back. He did not rise.

The announcer began the count.

"One!...Two!...Three!...Four!..."

Hiei raised an eyebrow. "Why bother? He's obviously not getting up."

"Five!...Six!...Seven!..."

I shrugged. "Rules are rules."

"Eight!...Nine!..."

Hiei snorted. "Pointless."

"TEN! The first match goes to Team Yurameshi!" The announcer waved grandly at the scoreboard. A green O appeared under our team name.

"One down, two to go." Kuwabara grinned arrogantly as Yusuke left the ring. "I'm next!" He started towards the second cloaked fighter, who already stood in the ring.

"No." I held out my arm, blocking his way. "I will fight this one."

Kuwabara's eyes widened. "But...but...Hey!"

"No buts," I said firmly. "It would be easy for him to conceal a weapon or something equally as deadly under that cloak. I am better prepared to take the chance than you."

What I didn't say was that he would probably make some stupid, ego-related mistake that would cost him the match, maybe even his life.

We just couldn't take the risk.

I stepped away from my friends and into the ring.

The announcer grinned at me. Despite my "traitorous nature" (allying with humans is a demon's mortal sin), I think she might actually like me.

Or maybe I'm flattering myself.

The announcer turned to the crowd. "I think we can look forward to a good beating now, folks!"

I sighed. So she only wanted to see me get pounded.

Thank you oh so very much for your support.

The announcer turned back to us. "Fighters ready? Okay! Let the second match begin!"

- - - -

Alright! Two chapters done already! I'm so proud of me... . So do you still like it? I realized when I was writing it that Kurama is a little OOC - he's too cynical, more like Hiei. He's fun to write like that, though! (Please - how can you know Kuwabara without being a little cynical? It's not humanly possible.) Oh well. I'm not changing it! Please forgive the fight scene - I'm particularly bad at writing action. I do psychotic humor much better. (All you have to do to know that is read my other fics.) Also, notice the abundance of unnamed, hooded fighters. That's right, folks: if it's not a main character, then I don't give a damn. .

I must go find chocolate before I start the next chapter. NEED CAFFEINE!!!

Kurama: 0.0 I beg to differ...

So R&R and keep reading! Arigato de gozaru yo!