Prisoner of War

Part Five: Perception

(Italics type signals memory/dream sequence)


Since Calai's escape attempt, Mukuro kept two sentinels at the human's cell door constantly. It really wasn't necessary: Calai had not the heart to try to escape again, not to mention the fact that her allies would not allow her, the one who told Mukuro where to find them, to rejoin them. There was nothing worth escaping for.

The guards did not mind the appointment; it took very little to keep Calai in line now, and they weren't about to refuse such an easy job. Much of their time was spent lounging outside the cell doors and wallowing in whatever liquor was most readily available. It was during one of their nightly drink-fests that their boss's second in command came to the dungeons with an odd request.

Hiei was more than a little disgusted by the guards' conduct—or lack there of. Both of them were passed out on the floor at the time of his arrival; the fire yokai nudged one of them with his foot, triggering little more than a grunt from the unconscious sentinel. His second attempt at waking the guard was less passive: a black boot to the face brought the alcohol-saturated guard back to consciousness.

"Nice to know how dedicated you to are," the fire yokai said sardonically. "Get up."

Still in a daze, the guard scrambled to his feet and pulled himself into a clumsy attention.

Eyes narrowed in contempt, Hiei held out one hand. "Give me the key to this cell. Then make yourself scarce for a while."

"But sir," the guard said with some difficulty, "no one's supposed to see this girl. Mukuro's orders—"

"You think I don't know Mukuro's orders?" Hiei spat. "Just give me the damn key and leave."

Even in his addled state, the guard knew better than to refuse a direct order from the fire yokai. The guard rummaged through his pocket and pulled out the key, placing it in his superior's hand. Hiei took the key without saying anything. The guard took this as his cue to leave; he grabbed the arms of his unconscious companion and pulled him along as he left the fire yokai alone.

Once he was certain that the guards had left, Hiei slid the grill on the cell door open and peered in at Calai.

She was curled into a tight ball on the floor of her cell, clearly asleep, using her hair as a pillow.

For someone who caused so much trouble, she seemed almost…fragile.

Maybe that was why he had come to the dungeons at that ridiculously late hour that evening. This girl didn't make sense.

And it bothered him.

He unlocked the cell door and crept in, making as little noise as possible: the last thing he needed was for her to wake up.

The girl gave no indication that she was aware of his arrival; she just kept on sleeping, even as he approached her.

Hiei knelt on the floor beside the girl, watching her with narrowed eyes as she slept. After a few moments of observation, the fire yokai removed the white bandana that was wrapped around his forehead and revealed the jagan eye on his forehead. He tucked the bandana into his pocket with one hand and placed the other on sleeping girl's face. The jagan began to glow a crimson shade, and images from the girl's past began to flood Hiei's mind.


A group of nine or ten humans surrounded Calai and two others murmuring encouragements and warnings.

"You'll be fine, really. No one's been caught before."

"Keep vigilant. You never know what those damn yokai will do. You can't afford to be caught."

"Take everything seriously. It's dangerous out there."

The three humans nodded each chocking back fear.

"Alright," one of the three said. "Let's go."

The memory melted away and gave way to another


"Calai, run! For God's sake, run!"

There were so many explosions—the bursts of light were blinding her, but she tried to run none the less. She might have gotten away.

If she hadn't looked back.

"Oh God," Calai breathed, seeing that her two companions had been cornered. She turned and began running back towards them.

A well aimed explosion knocked the girl off her feet, forcing her into the darkness of unconciousness.


It hardly seemed as though it had been a week ago that she saw them. As a prisoner, she had been forced to watch the executions of her friends.

A doctor and a teacher.

The doctor and teacher whose executions Hiei himself had been present at.

Executions that he had ordered.


Hiei had not yet removed his hand when Calai woke. It took a moment for her to realize who it was touching her, and when she did realize it, her eyes blazed in anger.

"Get your hand off me you bastard," she hissed, pulling herself into a sitting position and brushing his hand away. The girl glared at him—he knew she must've had some inkling as to what he had done.

"You saw them," she said, her voice coated with loathing.

Hiei made no response.

"Like I said, it's your fault," she said. "But I guess that doesn't mean anything to you, does it? After all, you let your boss kill a little girl that had done nothing to you."

Still Hiei said nothing.

And it pissed her off.

"God, what is it with you?" she demanded. "What does all this bloodshed do for you?" She paused, glaring at him silently.

"It must be something that only murderers would understand," she said at last.

In a flash of black, Hiei pinned Calai to the nearest wall, one hand wrapped around her throat. "You," he hissed tightening his grip on the girl's throat, "know nothing of murder."

He released the girl, allowing her to slide down the wall to the floor of the cell. With not a word more, he stormed out the door and slammed it shut behind him.

Calai wrapped her arms around herself, relieved that she was still alive.

At least for now.



End Part Five