AUTHORS NOTES: Wow, sorry about the long period without an update. Ill try and make up for it by getting another chapter out quickly.
As always please review and leave any kind of feedback you wish. Enjoy
Keiko blinked at the light above her head, her heart racing at the rush of images that had gone through her head.
That guy…that guy Hokin, he took me, Keiko realized. She knew it had been him; the flash of violet that she had seen just before she had lost consciousness was still vivid in her mind.
But why? Why had he taken h-
"You're a real nice catch. Someone is really gonna pay a lot of money for you."
Pay?...OH GODS!!!
Hokin was going to sell her!
Suddenly Keiko's lungs weren't cooperating with her efforts to breathe. She felt as if the air was too big to take in, and her body started to shake in fine tremors that slowly grew.
Clenching her fists hard enough to almost break the skin, Keiko forced herself not to scream.
Because Keiko was incredibly, undeniably, pissed.
How dare that guy! He thinks that he can sell her? What kind of barbaric person would do that?! Nobody could buy her, Keiko wasn't anyone's property! They weren't in the middle ages anymore!
As she ranted and raved inside of her head, a part of Keiko knew that she was just reacting with anger instead of dealing with her fear of her situation. But Keiko didn't care, because right now, being angry was a lot better than being scared.
Why did this always happen with her?
When she had been with Yusuke, she had been viewed as a weakness to him and had been used as such countless times. It had wounded something deep inside her to know that Yusuke and their friends had been caused pain because of her.
People always thought they could just use her and that she couldn't do anything about it.
Keiko was sick of it.
Now it was just her, no one else knew what was going on so no one else could save her except herself.
But could she really get herself out?
Keiko pushed this negative thought out of the way. She was Yukimora Keiko, and she could solve just about any problem once she put her mind to it!
"Ok, Keiko, now what?" she asked as she stared at the light.
Well, for starters, why not see if there are any possible exits in this room.
Of course, Keiko didn't let the fact that she was currently tied down discourage her.
Turning her head to the right, Keiko tried to get a good look at the room she was in. On that side of her, there was only a blank white wall about three feet away, and as well as directly in front of her.
Shifting so that she could see to her left, Keiko noticed that there was a door about six feet from her and she felt her spirits rise a little, until she noticed that there were no handles or knobs on this side.
This door could only be pushed in from the other side, from where the hinges are placed, Keiko guessed. There were only thin lines on the sides and top, showing were the door frame rested. The bottom, however, had at least about two inches of gap between the floor and the door itself, allowing Keiko to see the little strip of light showing through it.
"Well, I guess walking out of this room on my own is definitely out of the question," she mumbled darkly to herself.
But her humor was short lived, because Keiko noticed something that, despite her earlier resolve, made her stiffen in fear.
That little strip of light beneath the door now had two shadows in it…
…and the door was opening.
"Ah Koenma sir, we have finally received that information you requested from the informant sir."
The small ruler turned to the large blue ogre that stood in front of his desk. A look of impatience colored his baby-like features as he spoke.
"It's about time! I requested that information a long time ago and it has been six hours!"
Ogre sweat dropped and did his best to be repentant." I'm sorry sir, but the informant was hard to find and it was even harder to get him to talk. We had to promise him complete amnesty and two tickets to the next fight at the Tokyo dome!"
Koenma's frown deepened. "You did get the information that we needed right?"
"Oh yes sir, we know the location of Hokin's latest operation, as well as some other info the hustler gave us."
With that Ogre dropped a thin unmarked file onto the desk in front of Koenma.
Quickly opening it, Koenma scanned all of the information, a lot of it he already knew. On the third page however, there was something there that made the spirit prince come to a halt.
Not wanting to believe what he had seen, Keonma reread the passage several times before he gave up with a pathetic groan and hid his face in his hands.
Concerned, Ogre leaned in closer to the small prince.
"What is it sir?"
"Riosuke," was the muffled answer that came from behind the Koenma's small hands.
Ogre blinked in confusion. "Who sir?"
Putting his hands down, Koenma sighed.
"Riosuke. He is a fire demon that is well known for his desire for destruction. He is very powerful, second only to Hiei in terms of his ability, and very cruel."
Here Koenma jumped off of his chair and began to pace up and down the room, his round face scrunched up in worry.
"In the past, none of our forces have been able to catch him. In fact, they have all been killed horribly." Koenma added.
"And this Riosuke sir, he is part of Hokin's slave trade?" Ogre asked
"There is no information as to what his exact involvement is, but whatever it is, it is not good."
Worried now, Ogre started to pace as well.
"What are you going to do sir? You know that your father specifically told you to take care of this while he was gone."
This statement caused Keonma to stop dead.
That's right, if dad finds out that I couldn't stop the slave ring, then when he comes home he'll….
Visions of King Enma spanking his son filled the Koenma's head, causing him to shiver in fear.
With a cry the small prince jumped into Ogres arms, clutching at the blue demon desperately.
"What am I going to do Ogre? Dad is going to kill me if I don't get this done! It was supposed to be a simple operation, but if Riosuke is involved, who can I send to fight him?!"
Ogre scratched his head. "Well I don't know sir. Genkai made sure that we would not be able to contact or find her while she is putting Yusuke through her new training, Kurama is still on that other mission, and Kuwabara hasn't fought anyone in last several years and-"
Ogre could not continue, because Koenma was now starting to wail and cry very loudly.
Ogre, feeling sorry for his boss, pulled out a little white hanky for him to dry it eyes on.
Koenma took the hanky, still crying pitifully, when suddenly he stopped, and studied the hanky peculiarly.
Ogre, grateful that Koenma had calmed down, smiled brightly. "Do you like that handkerchief sir? I bought it at a quaint little shop in Rizoko. This really nice old Quari demon sold it to me for only fifteen Ryo, and I just couldn't resist. I……"
But Koenma hadn't heard a single thing that Ogre had said. Because he was staring at what was embroidered onto the piece of cloth.
A black dragon with its mouth open and breathing fire, stretched along the bottom of the cloth. The dragon was poised to strike with its claws, making the image fierce.
A solution was starting to form in the mind of the Spirit World Prince.
With a Yip of glee, Koenma jumped off of the still chattering Ogre and ran over to his intercom on his desk.
"Uh sir, what are you doing?" Ogre asked, confused at the Princes' sudden change in mood.
Koenma sighed like it was painfully obvious what he was doing. "I'm getting someone who can fight Riosuke."
"But who sir?" Ogre asked, surprised.
Koenma looked at the Handkerchief again before buzzing the intercom.
Who indeed…
Keiko clenched her teeth and glared at Hokin as he walked through the door into her room and came to stand next to her.
He was wearing the same outfit that she had seen him in at the club and Keiko guessed that hadn't been that long since he took her.
"Ah, you are awake." He smiled, and it was just like his eyes, cruel.
Keiko continued to glare at him, not saying a word.
"Don't look at me like that, it ruins those pretty features of yours." His voice was slightly scolding, like when you talk to stubborn child.
Leaning over slightly, Hokin brought his hand to her face and lightly brushed his fingers down the side of her neck and then over her shoulder and down her arm.
Keiko felt disgust roll through her, but she didn't flinch or jerk away.
All the while he watched her with his eyes. Filled with cruelty, their violet color now made them look sharp, like glass.
"So soft," He murmured, his hand softly trialing back up her arm and over her collar bone. Keiko felt her eyes widen and her breath leave her body as his fingers slowly went lower, dancing lightly just above breast.
He was amused now, waiting to see when she would crack, as he ever so slowly brought his hand closer and closer.
Don't touch me, don't you dare touch me! She wanted to scream, to run, to do anything but lay there and let this pervert touch her.
But she stayed as still as death, biting her inner lip unitl she tasted blood so as not to scream. Her eyes were starting to sting and Keiko fought hard to keep the tears from showing.
She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry, she wouldn't!
Suddenly he stopped, his hand hovering dangerously close to the top of her breast. Then, with a smirk, he removed his hand and stood up.
"My my, what a feisty little one you are. If you weren't worth more to sell, I might consider keeping you myself just to see that spirit break."
Eyes leaving hers, Hokin let them travel all over her and Keiko was forcefully reminded of the state of her undress. Her stomach clenched violently and she wondered if she was going to be sick.
"Such a lovely body, it's really a shame that I can't have a go at you myself, but my clientele doesn't accept damaged goods" he said regretfully.
Bringing his eyes back to hers for a moment, Hokin continued.
"But where are my manners, I've been sitting playing and the doctor needs to see you."
He turned from Keiko and walked back out the door, shutting it behind him.
As soon as he was gone Keiko sucked in air violently as she struggled to breathe through her sobs. Her body shook as she forcefully she tried to temper her fear and disgust over what had just happened.
What was going to happen to her?
Hokin had wanted to touch her…but he couldn't because then she would be 'damaged goods'.
Someone wanted to buy her, and then they would be able to do whatever they wanted…
She had to escape before she was sold.
Otherwise Keiko was sure that she would recieve treatment far worse than what she had went through, and if that happened…
Kieko didn't know how long she could survive.