Chapter Four

Dru

Dru stared at the wall. She had never really noticed it before, but Kheldarson was right. She did paint him over and over in her paintings, and he was always holding something.
A flash of her screaming under her step-father made her close her eyes and shiver. She'd killed the bastard. No one knew that but her. Her mother had told her to go away and never come back. So she had.
Dru opened her eyes again as a sound came from behind the door. She went to door and opened it to find a small man in a suit.
"Sam?" she asked in mild confusion.
The man handed her a note. With that, he smiled, bowed, and went down the hall. Sam was mute, so Dru merely shook her head and closed the door. She opened the note and scanned its contents. Once finished, she sighed and walked to a candle. She lit the tall white thing and burned the note whole. She watched it burn and then went to the phone. She dialed a number and then went to her paints and canvas to finish a painting.
"Hello?" came a slightly tired voice.
"Kheldarson?"
"What?"
"The Boss wants us back."

"So you're telling me," Asilin said as they were walking down the street. "That there's some big dinner for some demon overlord, and we're supposed to go to this dinner and kill him?"
Dru nodded.
Asilin smiled. "The Boss always knows what to get me for Christmas."
"Of course, this means we have to dress up."
"In?"
"Dresses, what else?"
Asilin stopped as her eyes bugged out of her head. "Dru in a dress. I never thought I would live to see the day."
"Shut up Kheldarson. You have to wear one too."
"Aww, damn it!"

Asilin sighed. "Dru, come out of your bedroom, NOW!" she yelled.
"I don't want to! Go without me!"
"Oh no! If I have to look like a girl then so do you!"
The door opened and Asilin had to repress her laughter. Dru looked stunning in the black evening gown, but it was rather funny to see her so elegant. This was the girl who went for black jeans and long sleeve shirts and boots. The same girl who had a gun and a sword. The same girl who rode a motorcycle!
Dru, on the other hand, was thinking in her mind how long it had been since Asilin had worn a dress. It had been so long...
"Are we going, or are you just going to stare at me more?" Asilin asked in irritation.
"Shut up Kheldarson." She hiked up the skirt of her dress and attached Brink to her left garter, and then Alucard to her right. She then picked up a small purse with silver bullets. Good for anything.
"Ready?"
"And away we go."

The evening hall was large. The two stood in front of it in awe.
"Wow..."
"Shall we?" Dru asked, beginning up the steps.
"Dru?"
"Onna?"
They both froze. They turned slowly to see Kurama and Hiei regarding them strangely.
Kurama's eyes bugged out of his head. Dru was wearing a two-piece black evening gown. The back was mere laces criss-crossing up and down. She looked sexy and stunning at the same time.
Hiei was well amazed too. Asilin, little miss tomboy...wearing a rather sexy looking blue dress. It was a little tight to right above the waist, and then it flared out in a sort of spiral.

Kurama walked up the stairs towards her, his hands in his coat pocket. He stopped a few steps from her.
"I don't have time--" she began, but Kurama took her hand.
"Wait."
"Kurama, let me go!" she said, a slight panic attack arising in her. Her step-father used to do that, and it was all too familiar and painful.
Kurama wouldn't let go. "Look Dru, I care for you deeply in the short time that I've known you. I know there's something wrong, and I'm not going to let a small fight push me away. You can't. Whether you like it or not, I'm falling for you, and I happen to believe you feel the same for me. I'm asking...I'm begging you to get over whatever the deal and move on."
Suddenly Kurama doubled over. Dru had kicked him in the groin . She stood there, rubbing her wrist.
She turned to her companion who had had some words with Hiei it seemed. "Kheldarson."
"What?"
"Come on. We have to do this."
And with that, the two entered the building, leaving the two boys outside.

Asilin

Asilin was still seething as she and Dru headed into the hotel. If it weren't for their cover, she seriously would've been fighting Hiei right about then. True, it was nice he had attempted to apologize, but insinuating that she could honestly enjoy fully sleeping with him was just wrong! Especially when he sounded so sure of himself.

"What's wrong, Kheldarson?" Dru pulled them both into a semi-secluded corner.

"Just that bastard out there. Nothing else. Although I'm kinda curious as to why they're here." Asilin frowned slightly. "Especially since it seemed they were waiting for something."

Dru looked at her friend in amazement. "They were just walking by."

"And just happened to notice us halfway up the steps? I don't think so."

"Well, a little bit of suspicion won't hurt. Now come on. We're going to be late." Dru stalked off towards the ball room doors only to be stopped by Asilin.

"Dru!" Asilin hissed. "Now it's my turn. Calm down! We'll worry about both of the bakas later." Asilin then glided over to the ball room doors herself. Dru rolled her eyes but moved over to join her friend who was now simpering to the usher.

"But sir! I know I had the invitations right here, couldn't you just let my friend and me in?" She smiled a smile more befitting of an airhead. "I'm sure Dhaemhon will be so upset to hear we aren't allowed in!"

The usher gulped. "Of course, ma'am," he stuttered. "I'll let you in right away." And the doors swung open.

Inside was a whirlwind of colors and people. Couples were dancing on the floor, hanging over railings, sitting at tables. In an upper balcony, across from the door, Dhaemhon sat with his cronies, overseeing the festivities. Asilin and Dru hurried to a corner to check their gear.

"Got Alucard and Brink?"

"Of course. What about your daggers?"

"I've got five on me. Couldn't find a sixth place to put the other."

"So we're good to go?"

"Yes."

"Do we socialize briefly for info or go right for the kill?"

Dru sighed. "You always want more information, don't you?"

"How else do you prepare? You have to have the information!"

"You know, Kheldarson, I'm going to laugh the day you make a decision without collecting data." Asilin growled as Dru chuckled.

"Fine, we won't socialize. Let's just do this then." So the two of them headed down the stairs to mingle in among the crowd.

It wasn't long before Dhaemhon invited the two of them up see him. "It seems that you lovely ladies are all by your lonesome," he drawled.

"Well, sir," Asilin simpered, "we were hoping to have the chance to talk with you, and dates just wouldn't have worked. It's not every day one gets to meet someone as powerful as you." She sat in the chair next to him and leaned on his arm.

Dru gagged slightly but moved to do the same, carefully watching the other men and their dates move away to join the dancing. Just a few more to go...

"What about you, delightful girl? Do you feel the same as your friend?" Dhaemhon leered at Dru.

Dru felt the old anger rising but squelched it briefly until the final few began to leave. "Well, sir, actually..." she lowered her voice to a whisper, forcing him to lean in closer, "I'm here to kill you." She whipped out Brink just as the last couple disappeared into the crowd.

Dhaemhon roared in shock. "Assassin!" He transformed from his human form into his demon one. Dru and Asilin rolled away, but not before getting a few cuts in.

"Why'd you go and do that, Dru?!" Asilin yelled as she pushed a few underlings down the stairs and then blocked an arm sent by Dhaemhon.

"Sorry but I will not stand to have a demon leering at me!" Dru yelled back as she attempted to get past Dhaemhon's flailing arms.

"Could you have at least not told him we were going to kill him?!"

"Can we discuss this later? I'm kinda busy here!"

"And you think I'm not?!" Asilin decided that enough was enough with the underlings. She sighed but hurled one of her daggers at a nearby column, hitting it in the weak spot. It collapsed immediately, but her dagger shattered. Asilin winced before pulling out another dagger out from underneath her dress. She then turned to face Dhaemhon.

Asilin and Dru fought long and hard, but every time they cut off one of his arms, it grew back a few seconds later. "How the heck do we get rid of a guy if his body parts just keep growing back?" Dru growled to Asilin.

"Not sure," Asilin said cutting another arm. "Hope he gets tired before we do, I guess."

"What really stinks is that I can't even pause long enough to get out Alucard!"

"I could try to cover for you."

"Fine." Dru backed up briefly, letting Asilin take over the whole fight. However, she still found herself blocking just as many arms as before even though Asilin was moving faster than ever.

Suddenly, a voice called out, "Rose Whip!" Dhaemhon's eyes widened in shock as a thorn-covered whip passed through his body, ripping him to shreds.
Asilin and Dru backed up, fully prepared to take on whoever had just stopped their fight. Their eyes widened as they took in a couple of familiar faces.
"Kurama?"
"Hiei?"
"What the heck are you two doing here?" the two yelled together.

General

Dru's anger continued to rise until she found herself once more holding Alucard up to Kurama's head. "That's it! I'm gonna kill ya!" she began yelling in her crazy state.
"DRU!" Asilin yelled, shoving her friend's arm down. "Do you have to use Alucard all the time? At least do something original!"
"Like bleeding them to death? That would make me really happy right about now!"
"Dru."
"Drat," she spat. She took some deep breaths and pulled back into her calm stage. She sighed and looked down. "You know, this dress cost five hundred dollars. And now look at it," she said, indicating that the dress had been ripped and burned almost to her...well, you know. She looked and felt like a hooker.
"Oh well. The Boss--"
"Is dead."
"Right. Dead. You know, like in a video game."
"Right."
"Yup."
Dru and Asilin merely looked around, then at each other.
"That was lame."
"Yeah."
"The Boss?" Hiei asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, look at the time!" Asilin said. She grabbed Dru's arm. "Getting late. Gotta go--"
"Asilin! Dru!"
The two froze. A big black man appeared from the stairs with a small squad behind him. "Stay where you are. And you two!" he said, looking at the boys. "Move, and you die."
"I rather like that concept," Dru said.
"Sir, it's all right. They're fine. We handled the demon."
"What?" the man exclaimed. The girls ducked their heads in embarrassment. "You're telling me that the pretty boy and the short guy--"
"I AM NOT SHORT!" Hiei yelled.
"--beat you guys here?"
"Well, sorta..." Dru said.
"Sorta?"
"Can we go somewhere a bit more private?" Dru asked, looking around as several people were coming out from hiding.
The Boss sighed. "Fine. Outside."
"Oh yeah, much more private," Asilin mumbled.
"And you two!" he pointed to the boys. "You're coming with us."

The ride back to HQ was silent in the back of the large garbage truck looking vehicle. Asilin and Dru sat across from Hiei and Kurama who wore cuffs. They would look at each other, and then away. No one spoke. Until...

Asilin

The big black man turned around to look at the four in the back. "Dru, Asilin," he barked. "Take those two to level 4. Put them in one of the cells and then report to me. I want some answers!"
The girls glared at him before replying, "Yes, Boss."
The doors to the back then opened, and the girls pushed the boys out. The boys glared at the girls but subsided as multiple guns were cocked all around them.
"Damn you, onna," Hiei muttered to Asilin as she escorted him through the brick building.
"It's not my fault you guys showed up," Asilin hissed back.
"It's a good thing we did! You'd never have beaten him."
"You don't know that!"
"Hn." Asilin sighed at this before pushing him into a cell with Kurama. She blinked as Dru stalked off.
"You're just going to leave me here with them?!" she yelled after Dru.
"I'm getting out of this thing. They can't do anything in there anyway," Dru called back before disappearing around the corner.
"Asilin?" Kurama's quiet voice asked.
"What, Kurama?" Asilin leaned against the wall facing the cell.
"Where are we?"
"Can't tell you that." She shrugged. "Besides, I don't think you'd like the answer very much."
"Then can you tell me what's up with the cell? It's very uncomfortable."
Asilin glanced at him sharply. "I wish you hadn't said that. I really wish you hadn't."
"Why?"
She ignored that. "Is it affecting you too, Hiei?"
"Hn." His eyes refused to meet hers.
"I'll take that as a yes."
"DRU!!! ASILIN!!! Get in here NOW!!!" the Boss's voice filled the hall.
Asilin winced before running down the hall to the office. Dru joined her shortly before entering the room. Both of them grimaced as they watched him pace back and forth behind his desk. Finally, he slammed his hands onto the desk. "Do one of you want to tell me what happened?!" he roared.
"She started it. She can tell it." Dru pointed at Asilin.
"Traitor," Asilin muttered. Dru just smirked.
"Well?" the Boss demanded.
"Well, you wanted me to get a social life, so there you go. The one with black hair is a guy I met online a couple of months ago. He told me a couple days ago, in fact the same day you put me on leave," she glared at him, "that he was going to be in town. So I went to meet him. I asked Dru to come with me, and he had his friend with him." She paused for breath.
"Well, what are their names?"
"Hiei's the black haired one and the other is Kurama," Asilin replied, noticing the slight frown on the Boss's face. He motioned for her to continue as he began to sift through files. "Well, we had some issues, but that isn't really important. When we got to the hotel, they noticed us entering, and we had some light discussion. We shrugged it off and went in to take care of Dhaemhon. Turns out somebody failed to tell us he could regenerate those arms of his. Basically, we were having a hard time till Kurama pulled out something he called a rose whip," she finished in a rush.
"Hmmm...very interesting," the Boss said, all his attention turned toward the files in his hands. Asilin frowned and turned towards Dru with a question in her eyes. Dru shrugged in response. They sat silently, waiting for the Boss to tell them what was going on.
Finally, he put the files down. "I suppose it's a good thing you met them. Turns out those two are some of the most powerful demons out there. You two need to go question them." Asilin and Dru just looked at him in shock.

Dru and Asilin raised an eyebrow each. "Now that's just disturbing," Asilin said. Hiei and Kurama were both asleep, leaning against each other in the back of the cell. "You can begin," she said.
Dru smiled. "Be happy to." She slammed the door open, causing Kurama and Hiei to fall into the floor. "All right, you two. Get up," she said, whipping out Alucard. "We want answers. And my good friend Alucard is here to make sure that we get them."

Dru

"So, basically, you're telling us that you two are some really powerful demons...and you fight to kill demons...and you work for...?" Asilin said.
"The Reikai Tentei," Kurama answered.
"Why don't you listen, onna?" Hiei asked in irritation.
Dru sighed against the bars of the cell. She looked down. "Another demon to fight," she whispered to herself. "Just when I thought I was rid of them all."
"Hey Dru, why don't you come over here and help me out?"
"Kheldarson, who has been giving 90 of this interrogation?"
"You."
"Exactly. You like getting the facts, so you do some questioning."
Asilin growled. "Fine," she said, mumbling something about sleep and poison daggers.
Kurama frowned. Dru hadn't even looked at him, and this bothered him more than he would have liked. He sighed. "Look, we didn't want to keep this a secret from you--"
"Yes we did. We were trying to protect you two, and it seems we chose to do the right thing. You two are weak."
"Hiei?" Dru's voice came.
"What?"
"Has it ever occurred to you that no matter how cocky you try to be, you're always going to be a loser?"
Asilin burst out laughing, Hiei turned red, and Kurama stared. Dru sighed. "Look, we have to take you to the Boss now. He wants to speak with you some more. I suggest you come with us quietly," she said, beginning out of the cell.
Hiei and Kurama stood and walked out of the cell slowly, following the black trench coat and shiny gun. Asilin followed in the back.

Asilin and Dru stood out in the hallway, waiting for the Boss to finish. He had told the girls to wait for him out there. Dru sighed. "I'm so tired. I wish he'd hurry up."
"I'm finished, Dru," came the Boss' voice as he opened the door.
Dru sighed. "Sorry sir."
"All right girls. I want you two for another mission."
Asilin began laughing.
Dru sighed. "No more dresses, please."
The Boss grinned. "Nope. This one's a little...more civilian-like. I want you to take the boys home and keep them there."
Dru's eyes must have been the size of saucers. She straightened. "Sir, you can't be serious!"
"I am. That's your assignment."
"But--"
"Good night, Dru."
Dru sighed and growled as Hiei and Kurama came out of the room.
"So I suppose you're stuck with us tonight," Hiei said sardonically.
Dru narrowed her eyes at him. "Again with the fantastic, false ego."
"Dru, you take Kurama to your place. Hiei can come home with me," Asilin said.
Dru's eyes darted to her. "Kheldarson, that's not a good idea."
"Dru," Asilin's eyes bore into her.
Dru sighed. "Fine, Kheldarson. But if you wake up with one of your own daggers in your chest, don't come crying to me."
"I'll be fine," Asilin grinned.

Dru sighed at the man on her couch. He was looking at the painting on the ceiling. Dru grabbed his wrist and inserted the key into the cuffs. "Try anything and you die," she said, walking with Alucard in her hand.
Kurama rubbed his wrists and sighed. "I really wish you'd say something to me other than "Go away" and "Die". Sort of like the other night, when you shared your dreams with me."
Dru froze and turned to him. "Kurama, forget about that. Move on."
"Hypocrite."
"What?"
"You heard me. You can't stand it when someone is stuck on their past, but it's all right for you to be."
"Kurama, you don't know me, and you never will. That's the way it is."
"Why?"
"What?"
"Why do you keep yourself tucked away from everyone?" He stood. "You have several talents and beautiful qualities about yourself! You are a great woman, but you hide behind your past and call it an excuse."
Dru was fuming. "I do not make excuses, and I have never, EVER hid from anyone or anything," she said, walking forward slowly. She was becoming increasingly angry. "You were not there those nights. You didn't fear every night. You didn't think, is tonight the night he'll lose it? YOU DON'T KNOW!" she finished yelling.
Kurama blinked. "Who hurt you?" he asked.
Dru turned. "None of your business."
"Someone did."
"You're right. They did."
"Please!" Kurama nearly yelled, stomping his foot. "Tell me how I can help you past this!"
"Help me?" Dru hissed.
"Dru," Kurama began, not taken aback. "I care for you very much. That's not going to change. There is this beautiful woman inside of that darkness, and I want to be with her. "I want to hold her and kiss her and love her and chase her demons for her. But you won't let me!"

Dru's eyes watered. "Fine. You want to know the big, bad secret? My step father raped me. Every night of my life, he came into my room, blind drunk, and raped me. He crushed me under him, he tore through me. He killed my soul. And then, one night, I killed HIM. I beat him to death and then my mother threw me out. There. Ya happy?" she yelled.
Kurama watched a moment, and then stepped forward. "Dru..."
"You weren't there."
"I wasn't. If I had been..." He embraced her quickly. Dru didn't fight it. She couldn't. "Dru, if I had been there, I would have killed him for you."