Well, I got the next chapter done finally! Sorry it took so long. Between school starting again and Fira not cooperating (Fira: Not my fault this is a stupid story. Me: Stop arguing with me!), it took a while. But I got Fira to cooperate and yay for weekends!

Anyway thanks for all the reviews! I'm glad you all are liking it. For those of you who preferred the original, I would've continued it if I could've, but FFN removed it and shut my account down once already. I don't want to push it. I was also told that Fira seemed a little cliched or stereotypical in the first chapter, but I'm hoping this nextchapter smooths her out into her own character.

Also, the link didn't fully appear for my C2, so here it is again: www. fanfiction. net/ c2/ 9713/ 0/ 1. You're going to have to take the extra spacings out, and I apologize for that. But it won't work any other way. You might recognize some stories in there...

Disclaimer: See chapter one. Only thing I'll add is that any resemblence to a real gang in my fic is totally coincidental.

Gangs and Demons

Chapter Two: School Fun

The alarm rang obnoxiously, rousing Fira from her sleep. "Damn that clock," she muttered, groping blindly for the snooze button. Failing to find it, she hurled the thing to the farthest corner in the room, an action which caused the plug to rip from the outlet, effectively turning the clock off. However, the crash of the clock hitting the wall woke her even more than the alarm had. Her father called up, "Fira, what on earth are you doing in there?"

"Nothing, Dad! My clock just…fell," she called back.

"Alright, hon," was his reply after a brief pause. "You better be getting up. Your bus will be here soon."

"I know," Fira groaned. "I'll be out in a sec." Then she buried her head into her pillow. She didn't dislike school—in an academic sense. It was the social side which caused her to balk at the idea of attending. All girls were expected to be weak, submissive, and under the protection of a gang. Those who tried to be strong in their own right found themselves the brunt of fierce fights—both physical and verbal. It was the only time the gangs ever worked together.

As Fira dug through her closet for an outfit, she saw a simple black t-shirt with a red dragon design on it. She smiled slightly as she remembered who had given the shirt to her. Krista had given it to her, but at a time when she had called herself Kris. She had moved into the area a year ago and had refused to conform. Fira had befriended Kris, and despite Fira's own aspirations, she had tried to get Kris to hide her strength. Kris had refused though. The boys' campaign to force her to conform was brief and cruel. Krista wasn't friends with Fira now. In fact, Krista didn't have any friends outside of the Damasu.

Fira shook the memory from her mind. She couldn't change the past, so why worry about it? You would just worry unnecessarily if you did. But why had all these memories decided to plague her now? She grabbed an outfit while pondering the question. She knew why. Rumor had it that the gangs were tired of seeing her neutral. Someone was going to try to claim her. She had until the end of the school year, and then, she was going to be in a gang, one way or another. She just had to make sure it was as a fighter.

"Fira!" her dad yelled. "You're going to be late! Get down here now!"

"Coming, Dad!" She raced out of her bedroom and into the bathroom. She quickly ran a brush through her hair and pulled the mass back into a loose ponytail. She glanced at how she looked before leaving the bathroom. She was wearing another black outfit, but this one declared her a definite girl. She had on a somewhat form-fitting black top that had a silver fairy on it and black jeans. Fira hated having to dress to convince the gangs she wasn't trying to be strong; she just wasn't interested in any of the guys. Which was why last night worried her a little. What would Hiei do now that he knew her secret?

She ran downstairs, grabbing her book-bag on her way out the door. Her dad was standing on the porch with a breakfast bar in one hand and some money for her lunch in the other. She grabbed the items and gave her dad a brief hug before sprinting to the bus stop, making it there right before the bus did.

Fira could hear the students on the bus whispering even as she stepped on. The Cadres, it seemed, had decided to try and play on everyone's sympathy by telling what had happened last night. However, Fira was hearing gloating, not sympathy, from the kids. What was funny though, were all the different descriptions of the person who defeated Kurt's gang. Some were saying it was a karate master who had done it. Others said it was seven foot tall man with bulging muscles. But all were thankful to the strange boy who had defeated six—well, some were saying the entire—of the gang, for the Cadres were now in hiding, licking their wounds. Yet, it was interesting to note that there was no mention of Hiei. 'Guess Kurt decided it was better to be defeated by one fighter than to admit to turning tail and running,' Fira surmised.

As the bus continued its route, Fira tuned out the conversations around her and considered last night's events. The only thing that worried her was Hiei's response. She knew he wasn't going to give up just because she had stood up to him. If anything, it would just cause him to continue. She didn't want her freedom taken away yet; she still had a few months left. 'And I can't stop it from happening,' Fira grumbled to herself. 'It's like trying to stop a truck—or a dream.' Turning her head to look out the window, she recalled the strange dream from which she had awoken this morning.

It had been dark there, wherever there was. It was the dark of a moonless night when the power had gone out. The dark of an unlit alleyway, even. Fira had wandered in the dark for what seemed an eternity. Finally she had shouted, "Is anyone out there?" It had echoed endlessly in the silence of the void.

To her surprise, a voice had answered her—a deep, rumbling voice that seemed like the passing of the subway underneath her. "This is what your life will seem like if you join a gang as you desire to."

Fira had barked a laugh. "I seriously doubt that. Personally, this seems more like how my life is now!"

"This will be your life," the voice had repeated.

"It won't be!"

"Your life and everything you hold dear will be consumed in this darkness."

"I will fight! I'll spend the rest of my life fight if need be!"

"Fine," a more familiar voice growled. Fira was only mildly surprised when she turned around and saw Hiei coming at her, his katana drawn.

'But what does it mean? True, dreams are just random neurons in the brain being fired off in REM sleep, but that dream seemed…planned. So the question is, why?' It was all Fira thought about for the rest of the ride to school.

The normal noise and excitement greeted Fira as she stepped into the school. With practiced ease, she navigated the crowded hallways, stopping only when one of the school's gangs walked by. It was easy to tell who was a member of what gang, since most of the gangs had its own colors. Fira saw the blue of the Lions, the red of the Cougars, and the orange of the Bachi. However, there were a few gangs in the city where you just had to know who was in it. Fira glanced around the hall for any of the members of the Tōshi. They preferred blending in with the crowd, even though it meant wearing neutral colors like she was wearing. She breathed a sigh of relief when she didn't see any of them.

She hurried across the hall to her locker after a group of the Bachi passed, unchecked as usual. Most people, including teachers, feared the gangs, so Fira had to play that way too. Never mind that the boys who had just passed were junior members of the gang. 'Oh well,' she thought. 'Someday I won't have to hide and act like this.'

Fira attempted to open her locker. It refused. She tried again. And again. And again. The thing mocked her by staying closed. By her sixth attempt, she was on the verge of dismantling the locker and selling the pieces for scrap metal. "Stupid thing," Fira muttered.

"Let me," someone said. Fira moved to the side quickly before the person gave the stubborn thing a swift kick. The locker popped open.

"Thanks," she said as she started transferring books from her locker into her book-bag. When she finished, she found, to her surprise, that her helper hadn't left. Most people didn't want much to do with her since she was unaffiliated with any gang. She looked to the right and saw black boots, loose black pants, hem of a black cape… 'Damn,' Fira growled mentally. 'This had to happen.' Out loud she ground out, "Can I help you, Hiei?"

Hiei smirked. "That's no way to treat someone who's helped you."

It took everything within Fira to keep her from snarling at him. "I never asked for anybody's help." Even as she spat this out, she winced mentally. She was provoking Hiei. So much for staying anonymous.

Knowing this, she wasn't surprised when she found herself against the lockers, feet off the floor and his hand around her throat. A few students passed by, most not even glancing at the scene as they walked on. Fira struggled to get out of Hiei's grasp, glaring at him the entire time. She kicked. She pushed. She punched. His smirk just deepened at her attempts. Then he tightened his grip on her neck. Fira swore silently as her windpipe was constricted. Her breath was quicker and shallower. She continued to struggle. It was lessened, though, due to the lack of oxygen.

"Not so tough now, are we?" Hiei said mockingly.

"Fuck you," she hissed between breaths. She grabbed at his hand and tugged at it to get him to let go.

"Temper," he warned lightly. His eyes narrowed slightly, however. "Now why have you been spying on the gangs? Trying to figure out which one would be best to protect you?" He sneered at this last part.

She just stared at him, refusing to answer. How long they stood like that eluded her. It seemed like an eternity staring at his blood red eyes. She wanted to look away, but that would be admitting defeat. So neither blinked or looked away; neither backed down from their declared stance. It wasn't until another person placed his hand on Hiei's arm that either looked away from the other.

Fira glanced to her left to see who it was that had interrupted their challenge. It was Kurama, the strategist of the Tōshi. Her eyes widened slightly. What was he doing here? "Hiei," Kurama said mildly. "Let go of Fira."

Fira's eyes widened even more at this. 'How does he know my name? Is it because of the rumor mill?'

"Why should I?" Hiei was saying. He did loosen his grip though. Fira took a couple of deep breaths to bring her respiratory system back to normal. Meanwhile, the tardy bell for homeroom rang. Fira flinched. So much for never being late to a class. Hiei noticed her movement and returned his attention to her. "What I do with this girl is none of you concern, Kurama," he finished.

Kurama frowned at this reply. "Hiei, quit playing. She doesn't deserve it. Besides, we need to go." Kurama lowered his voice. "The Urami are on the move. Yusuke's called a meeting so we can be ready for them."

"Hn." Kurama's frown deepened. "Fine. I'm coming." Kurama nodded and walked off, flashing Fira a smile before leaving. As soon as he had left, however, Hiei slammed her against the lockers again and had a strangle hold around her throat. She gasped for air. "As for you," he growled as he leaned in next to her ear, "you will meet me in the park directly after school. Or else." He shoved her against the lockers again. Then he dropped her and stalked off the way Kurama had gone.

Fira picked herself off the floor and rubbed her neck slowly. She scowled at his back before it disappeared around the corner. As she grabbed her book-bag off the floor, she pulled her stats notebook our of the side pocket where it had been stored. She kicked her locker closed and walked slowly to her homeroom, writing hurriedly that the Urami, the Toguro brothers' gang and the Tōshi's archrivals, were finally on the move.

But that fact didn't cross her mind for the rest of the day. Hiei's threat did. And, strangely, she could still feel his breath on her ear.

'What the hell does he want with me?!'

It's even longer than the first chapter! Wow. Anyway, I'm hoping that all of this makes more sense than in the original version, or at least seems to flow better. Well, R&R! And check out my C2!