Well, you know what time it is. Summer Vacation! *grins* Personally, I think this is the best time of the year! Mostly because now I can work on my fanfiction all I want and don't have any school projects or exams to worry about. Thanks to everyone that reviewed: Jesaenae Tekani, Angelfire, Jesscheaux (I love your 'Revenge' fics! They're so hilarious!), Kaz, Lead Ed 89, Mercury Elf, Kizuma Kuwabara (I love your fanfics! You're a talented writer with great potential. And Kuwabara rocks!), Susue, and purplechaos04! You don't understand how much your reviews mean to me! Enough of my continuous babbling; enjoy the chapter!

Just for your enjoyment, this chapter's extra long and contains some gory violence :D

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Chapter Three

"How the hell did I get myself into this again, Urameshi?"

"I called you this morning and you said you'd come with me, idiot."

"Oh... oh yeah."

The two boys grudgingly walked behind Keiko, exchanging snide remarks and comments while she looked back and gave them reproving looks. It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon. The streets were crowded in their usual manner, consisting of hundreds of people shopping or just going out for a good time. The two boys were doing neither.

"Aw, c'mon you guys. This isn't that bad..."

"Yeah, if you call going to a stupid movie surrounded by little, loud annoying kids not bad."

Kuwabara gave a content smirk, thoroughly enjoying the fact that Yusuke and Keiko were always arguing. To any normal bystander, it would've been a normal day... if not the fact that just beyond the tall skyscrapers, just under the fluffy, white clouds lay an evil watching the crowds and the streets below with close surveillance. Among the hundreds of humans that congested the streets, there was only one very special person he was keeping an eye on.

Kazuma Kuwabara.

Yes, he's heard many unique stories about his victim. Stories of the cases he's completed with young Urameshi... stories of his famous Spirit Sword and his undying pride and honor. He would soon find out if any of these stories were true. His eyes wandered down to his prey. How happy he seemed... he knew it was all a mask, just some cover so nobody would think something was wrong. Oh, but he'd have a reason to tell someone soon. And that person would probably be Yusuke Urameshi.

***

A cold chill swept up his heart, causing fear to explode in his eyes. In a quick whim, he looked up into the sky, expecting an angel of death to come and take him.

There was nothing there.

Breathing a sigh of relief but never regaining his composure, Kuwabara stuffed his hands into his pockets and continued trailing after Keiko and Yusuke. The Spirit Detective noticed the slight paranoia in his best friend's eyes and decided to ask why.

"Hey Kuwabara, what's wrong? You look like you just saw a demon or something."

A pained expression crossed Kazuma's face, and a twinge of fear swept through his eyes. Almost instantly, a wry smile forced it's way on his lips and he laughed a small, but fairly fake chuckle.

"Heh heh... Urameshi, always such a kidder."

Yusuke's eyebrows raised in disbelief and he eyed Kuwabara warily. Something wasn't right... something was very wrong. The fourteen-year-old Spirit Detective felt it with every fiber in his body. Something was going on with Kuwabara, and he was going to find out what it was. Yusuke knew what he was feeling wasn't just a stupid hunch; ever since the early morning he had been acting very strangely. Cautious, almost scared.

Was there another mission he wasn't aware of?

Or... was Kuwabara only sensing something that he could not?

Whatever the case was, Yusuke knew that something was troubling his best friend. It was obviously something terrifying, because it took a lot to shake Kuwabara's usually unshakeable nerves. Sure, he had seen Kuwabara scared before, but not like this. Something in his eyes... was different. It wasn't the same defiant eyes that he had become so accustomed to; it was more like fearful onyx orbs of coal that had a haunting look about them.

Damn... what could possibly be wrong?

"C'mon Urameshi... hurry up! Let's get this stupid movie over with!" Came Kuwabara's loud voice, snapping Yusuke out of the daze he was in and earning Kuwabara a death glare from Keiko. Yusuke tried to find humor in the situation but too much was troubling his mind. He hurried his walk and now was walking along with Keiko to his right and Kuwabara to his left.

Everything would seem normal, if Kuwabara stopped being an idiot and lost that anxious look in his eyes, Yusuke thought morbidly. Why was that look bothering him so much? Was it the fact that he didn't like his friends being worried, or...

Was it because whatever Kuwabara was sensing, he could sense it too?

Trying to shake the grave thoughts from his head, Yusuke growled and muttered to himself to stop being so weak. Maybe he was just over exaggerating. Maybe Kuwabara really wasn't scared about something and maybe there was nothing really wrong with him.

Yep, it settles it then. Kuwabara's just being stupid...

With a satisfied smile, Yusuke finally let go of all the tension he had been feeling for the past couple of minutes.

... Only to gain every ounce of it back. His apprehension was awakened once more by a grunting noise coming from his left. His head snapped back and he directed it to the direction from which the noise was coming from... only to find Kuwabara wincing in pain, and grabbing his head, trying to soothe the throbbing that would never go away. Sweat dripped down his already damp face. Yusuke immediately stopped walking and turned to face Kuwabara.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

Instantaneously, the look of torment and fear and the expression of horror changed into a look of immense anger and abhorrence.

"I'm fine Urameshi! How many times do I have to tell you?"

With those words being said, the two didn't say a word to each other the entire time they were together. Even when the three of them parted, Yusuke only said goodbye to Keiko and Kuwabara did the same, and both were completely avoiding any form of eye contact. Kazuma bitterly sauntered away to his house while Yusuke did the same, both of them not knowing that someone was keeping close watch on the feuding friends. Someone that they knew very well...

***

Damn it! How stupid could he get?

Kuwabara lay on his bed, cursing resentfully to himself. Why the hell does he keep pushing Urameshi away? Why doesn't he tell him that something's wrong... that he keeps having these weird nightmares and that he gets anonymous phone calls from the same weirdo that's giving him the nightmares? It would've been so easy today to tell him, but no... His stupid pride blinded him and that resulted to no conversation between him and Urameshi at all.

He sighed... Oh well. First thing tomorrow morning he would call his rival and tell him all that's been worrying him.

But... did he really want to do that? For the first time in weeks Yusuke looked happy; not completely happy given the situation of shopping and going to the movies, but happy, nonetheless. He didn't want Urameshi worrying over some stupid nightmares and phone calls. For all he knew, the damn calls were probably some gangs messing around with him. They must've heard about his great strength and decided to get to his head. Well, there was no way some stupid gang would get to the Great Kazuma Kuwabara's head... no way. And the stupid nightmares... what nightmares? They were just probably some stupid dreams that meant absolutely nothing.

For the first time in a week, Kuwabara closed his eyes in total bliss with the reassurance that nothing wrong was going on.

*~*

He was running, running down the black, long eternity of nothing. He was the prey and the victim, running like a coward from whatever it was that was chasing him. No! He would not die like a coward! His whole life had been bound by an honor code and he wasn't about to die without it. He lived with honor, and dammit, he would die with it as well. Determined and not afraid anymore, the fourteen-year-old stopped moving his legs.

HA! He would love to see his predator try and kill him now.

But what he saw, was absolutely nothing...

... Except the minuscule, burning light in the near distance.

'Not this again...' he thought, gritting his teeth together and dreading for what he would see. He expected the four haunting figures to be standing there, coming closer and talking behind his back, but instead he got a very horrific surprise.

Instead of four ghastly bodily outlines, there was only one. And the one was running towards him, as if it was being chased.

'Who the hell is it?'

He squinted his eyes to try and see and then realized it was to no avail. He could just imagine Hiei's voice saying, "You don't squint in darkness, fool. It doesn't help." He clenched his fists in confusion, not knowing why the figure was running nor who he was. The light continued to grow, almost reaching the figure, much to it's horror. It kept turning it's head back, as if it was making sure it's pursuer was gone. But as far as Kuwabara could see, no one was following the figure.

Then, suddenly, the figure tripped and fell a mere feet away from him. The light grew steadily, until it shone brightly on the fallen hero.

"Urameshi?!"

Sure enough, Yusuke was on the floor, quivering in fear and shivering with pain. What in the hell was he so afraid of? Yusuke winced and whimpered in horror, trying to get up but his legs seemed to be paralyzed. In the very near distance, Kuwabara could finally see what his best friend was running away from.

The Toguro Brothers.

Kuwabara narrowed his eyes in shock, but walked forward to help his friend.

"Don't worry Urameshi, I've got your back."

He reached out to help his friend up, but his hands went right through him. At first he thought Yusuke was dead, but then the realization sunk in.

He was the one who was dead.

A dreadful feeling in the pit of his stomach exploded into paranoia and he watched the impending scene with fear. Yusuke lost himself in panic and tried to scoot away from his enemy.

"Don't worry Urameshi, you'll be with Kuwabara soon."

"No... NO! Just stay away from me!"

Without much hesitation, Toguro's elder brother transformed into a sword, the exact look of when they fought the Toguro Brothers for the first time. With this sword, Toguro clenched it tightly and stabbed Yusuke with it, and the sword stabbed deep into his chest, going through to the other side. Toguro took the sword out and with it, was Yusuke's heart attached to it. Toguro's maniacal laughter filled the dark oblivion and just before the darkness let go of Kuwabara, Toguro and his brother looked right into his eyes. . .

*~*

"NO!!!"

His eyes shot open, and his heart hammered in his chest. Sweat and nausea filled his forehead and a burning sensation covered the top of his head. He shivered involuntarily and felt the urge to die. Never feeling more scared in his entire life, he snatched his phone and started to dial Yusuke's number.

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Ooo... creepy. I love evil cliffys... *smirks* As most of you noticed, I e-mailed you to tell you that I've updated. Well, if you want to be part of my Mailing List, please leave your e-mail. Leave it even if I e-mailed you.