Fate: Hello y'all. I don't feel like stringing this out, since it's already written. So…here you go. Chapter three. More blood, gore, and other fun stuff.
Disclaimer: This still does not belong to Fate. Fate, however, does have a doubleshot espresso-in-a-can. This is your last warning. Run away! Run away!
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Kurama skidded to a stop in the front of the alleyway, breath rattling irregularly. The sudden harsh sound made the man counting cash at the end of the alley look up in irritation and fear, automatically pushing his money into a pocket on his baggy, bloodstained pants.
I found you, he thought. I've found you at last. You and I are smeared with the same blood. You and I bathed together in my mother's lifeblood. We could be brothers, in that sense. And now...now you're going to die...
A smile curled his lips, feral and alluring under bloodstained hair.
"Hey!" the man snapped. "What the hell do you want?"
Kurama's strangled breathing was suddenly broken by bursts of soft laughter. "I want...I want..."
"Look, pretty-boy," the man started. "You're a little messy for my tastes."
Kurama stumbled closer. "You're messy too," he breathed, staggering closer to the man. "But that's to be expected."
The man's eyes narrowed, and one hand drifted out of sight to the small of his back. Kurama had no illusions about what was concealed there. The knife...the thing that killed her...
"It's the same blood, you see," he said, halting just out of arm's reach. "The same woman who spread it over us. It's on you...and now it's on me."
The man eyed him. "Hey, are you another one of ours? Look, that job was mine, and if you're here for a cut--"
"I'm here for a cut all right," Kurama said, leaning forwards and trailing a finger down the man's face, starting by his eye and slowly letting it drift down. He abruptly sank in the nail on that finger and yanked, ripping a hole in the man's face.
He dodged out of the way as the man swung a fist at him, missing completely. "You little bitch! What the hell was that?" he yelled, cupping a hand over his bleeding cheekbone.
"I'm here for a cut," Kurama enunciated with a smile. He reached into his hair and pulled out a tattered, bloodstained rose, his hand clenching around the thorns angrily. Blood dripped onto the pavement at his feet. "Do you understand?"
"Who are you?" the man demanded. "Look, pretty-boy, they make houses for people like you. Nice, padded little rooms with nice people to take care of you."
Kurama snapped out his rose whip, lips pulled back in a wild grin as white hair drifted across the reddish matted mass. "Not where I'm from," he replied. "I don't want to sully her blood by getting yours on me too, so don't make me chase you and tear you apart myself."
"Like hell," the man snarled, glancing around for an escape while flicking out the already-bloody knife.
"You ripped her apart and left her to die. You didn't even make a mercy cut. She bled and bled until her sweet human blood ran across the floor and became a pool an inch deep. She bled and bled and bled and then died," Kurama breathed. "I would stop trying to escape. It'll just make it worse for you."
"No!"
*
Hiei was lounging against the side of one of the buildings, arms crossed, watching Kurama half-seduce his prey with a blend of fascination, admiration, and a slight twinge of something else that he didn't bother to identify. The hysterical ferry girl was some distance behind him, giving
him time to get a good look at the resurfacing demon melting into and through the human exterior that the brainless kitsune had adopted.
"No!" Botan screeched, spinning around the corner on that ridiculous oar she rode. "No, Kurama, please! Stop and listen to me!"
Hiei considered examining his nails as Kurama whirled partially, keeping one eye on the human and another on Botan. He was fairly sure that he was still unnoticed. "Why should I?" Kurama snarled. His voice was still the distorted almost-growl from earlier. "What'll the humans do to him?"
"I'm going to arrange something with Koenma-sama to get this human interrogated by our people," Botan squeaked. Her voice was really starting to grate on Hiei's nerves, what with the panic that she was obviously feeling. "He killed the mother of one of our kind. There are laws for this. Our laws. This is out of human jurisdiction. We'll get it resolved here fast and then we'll handle it ourselves."
"So he's mine," Kurama breathed, the growl softening to a possessive purr. Dark lashes ghosted over murky, muted eyes. "Mine forever. Mine..."
Hiei tensed as Kurama's voice trailed away. He had absolutely no idea why. It just seemed like a good idea, and following his instincts had kept him alive this far in life.
"You can't kill him," Botan spoke slowly, as though to a small child. "You'll be arrested. I may get an order to arrest you soon because you attacked Yusuke and Kuwabara."
Hiei glared at her. Botan glared back and waved the oar threateningly at Kurama. "Pneumatherapy and white magic aren't all I can do. I'm the shirigami. If you attack this man, I will be forced to take steps to stop you, and I can." Her voice lost the harsh edge. "Please don't do this, Kurama. It's not like you. Not anymore."
"Of course it's like him," Hiei burst out. "Don't you know anything, woman? This is Kurama we're talking about. Underworld's Most Wanted pretty little poster boy. It won't hurt anyone if he gets revenge," Hiei said dismissively. "No one cares about human scum."
Botan snapped her fingers and pointed at Hiei, her eyes suddenly cold. Fire gouted up from the asphalt in front of him. "Fire to warn a fire demon," she snapped. "You may not encourage Kurama now. He will not thank you later when he's executed," Botan hissed. "I'd thought you were one of the few demons left who weren't out for his blood. Do you hate him that much, to have him killed without getting your own hands dirty? To make the ones who wanted you both dead at one point kill him for you? Go over and slit his throat if you want him to die. If you want him to live, then you will help me with him," Botan finished angrily. "And you're no better," she added, whirling to face Kurama. "Now stop harassing that human right this instant!" she said, knocking Kurama down with a quick swipe of her oar and sitting on his back once he
hit the ground. His rose whip tumbled out of his grasp and dissolved.
Hiei was feeling decidedly angered. His eyes lit on the human at the other end of the alley, who was edging towards Botan and Kurama, holding the knife ready.
Hiei popped his blade free of the sheath and sped over to stand in front of the human.
The man looked down at Hiei with a sneer. "Go home, little boy," he said. "What'll you do with your toy sword, gut me?"
Hiei smirked, drawing the double-edged blade and passing it between them in a blur of silver. The metal began heating up as rage coursed through his veins and heated his touch. "If I weren't so opposed to taking orders, I might think that your suggestion was a good one," he said. "As it is, I think I'll try...my own version."
"Don't hurt the human now!" Botan yelled. "I don't feel like hauling your worthless halfling koorime arse off to jail too! Now just keep him there!"
The man saw this as an ample opportunity to try and run. Hiei did not agree with this ample opportunity. Neither did Hiei's sword. The man suddenly changed his mind and agreed with Hiei and Hiei's Sharp Pointy Thing, backing up against the end of the alleyway.
"Listen to me, Kurama," Botan was saying from her position on the kitsune's back. "I know you want revenge. I know you spent years of your life doing exactly as you pleased in the Makai. But now everything's changed. You chose this life. You could have run away, but you chose to stay with your mother. Even if you die, you won't join Shiori. Not bloodstained and hurting like you are. Not if we execute you and keep your body and soul. She won't rest until you rest," Botan whispered. "She loves you even now. Don't make her regret loving the demon she raised as her son."
Kurama's eyes flew open all the way, the silver haze parting as a strangled whimper fought its way out of his throat. Botan quickly jumped off of him and ducked under Hiei's sword, pacing towards the man cowering at the end of the alley. "Get out of my way," she said to Hiei. Then she smiled brilliantly at the man and touched him on the forehead. White light spilled from where she touched as the man's eyes grew unfocused. "I'll take him to the police," Botan said. "I'll get everything fixed up for you," she said to Kurama, who was slowly curling into a ball in the shadows.
Hiei glowered at her. "This is just going to get buried in so much paperwork, isn't it."
Botan's eyes narrowed. "Not if I can help it."
"What influence do you have?" Hiei sneered. "You never do anything but simper and giggle and collect the occasional soul."
"I am the shirigami," Botan said coolly. "Ferry girl to the River Styx."
"You're Koenma's--"
"Hiei." Kurama's voice was shaking violently. "Don't tempt me. Not now. Let her go."
Hiei sulked back against the wall and clumsily slammed his sword back into the sheath while Botan poked the human along the alley and around the corner.
"It's all over me," Kurama whispered. "Her blood...his blood...my blood. It's all over. It's all sticky. It's...it's...I don't want to wash it off." He looked up pleadingly at Hiei. "I want...I want..." The fox-demon's eyes filled with tears as his voice sailed upwards. "I don't know what I want anymore! I don't know what I am! I don't know what I'm going to be! I don't know...I don't know anything anymore. I used to be an animal sometimes, and now...I don't know what I am! I'm an animal again, but...but...I could never...I could...I want to be myself again!" he screamed, collapsing on the ground and making some strange whimpering noises.
It took Hiei at least a minute to figure out that Kurama was crying.
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Fluffy: We don't particularly condone whiny hysterical Kurama. It's just rather appropriate in this setting, since Kurama is a little…on edge. Well, more than a little. He's a nervous wreck, frankly. He'll go back to normal at some point. The whiny self-loathing hysteria isn't permanent. Don't leeeeeeeeeeave us! Oh, and since Fate is stupid and forgot to include the review replies for the last chapter, they're all going in this chapter.
khmai—Mmm, no love triangle. I already have a love….funny-shaped polygon-thing going on in Loving Doctor Jekyll. Which, incidentally, you should read, because I shamelessly plug that story with few reactions.
Eagle McCloud—Never fear, insane Kurama shall return. Really.
Psychopathic Sixth Grader—Aww. You people make me blush. And that sort of thing is interesting to explain away to my roomies.
Silverchild of the Winds—Erg, yes, Botan-without-a-personality irks me. So I tried to maintain the one she has in the series—snarky, teasing, goofy, giggly, but with a definite sense of duty. She'll lighten up once her job and Kurama's life aren't on the line anymore.
Randall Flagg—Heh, you can't, can you…please do come back!
Akiko680—Sorry I took so long. Two of these chapters have been kicking around on my computer for…well, a while.
Hikaru Kosuzaku—I liketh your name. ^^;; Sorry for the longlong wait…I hope the double-chapter makes up for it.
Nips—Thank you muchly! I know it's overused, and I was worried…and ooh, you gave me an idea for a chapter name. It's bloody hard to think of them. ^_^ Sankyuu!
HieilovesBotan—Eeep. I updated, I updated…
Duel: See those people? I will spare those people. JOIN THOSE WHOM I SHALL SPARE WHEN I DESTROY THE WORLD!! Now review, frail mortals! *minor explosions break out*
