I ran, the others following behind. We had exited the portal minutes ago, and Suzaku was tiring from the scorching pace. The only reason I was able to go this fast in my current state was because I had build up my body to such a degree I could maintain my speed with out any Spirit or Demon Energy.

"Got a plan?" Suzaku asked, panting.

I grinned. "Nope."

Toguro chuckled. I doubt he expected anything less.

Unless my hearing was off, I heard Karasu groan.

"Oh come on! You should know that from the Dark Tournament Karasu!"

Said demon glared at me. I grinned, then got serious. "We don't have the time for espionage or stealth, so basically, sneak in (or at least attempt to) and see what happens from there."

"Great." Was the sarcastic reply.

I ignored him in favor for picking up the pace. And avoiding the swampy ground that was the terrain. Leaping into a tree branch, I grinned.

"Well... This will be the first good fight I've had in a while... Hopefully."

Toguro smirked slightly. Who knew that I amused him?

I glanced behind me. Suzaku was lagging behind. Not too surprising, but... I glanced at Toguro. Seeing my gaze, he looked at me. I jerked my head towards Beast Boy. Toguro nodded. Before the lightning-wielder could move, Toguro had him thrown over a shoulder.

"What!"

"Be quiet." Toguro ordered. "You can't keep up."

Suzaku glowered at him, but remained silent, in what appeared to be a sulk. I rolled my eyes. Men. They were so predictable. Well... Did demons count as men...? I mentally shrugged.

When we stopped at the city walls, the moon was high in the sky. "Okay, we move into the city quickly, I doubt that the civilians have any idea of what's going on, so we just me quickly, and hopefully, no one will see us. I doubt the gate is guarded by Raizen's men, so we can't be seen. I'll go first."

With that, I vanished from their sight. Moving silently, I spread my senses out. As I suspected, all the guards were foreign. Shit. Grabbing a stiletto made for the purpose of silent killing, in other words, slicing between the vertebrae. I moved towards the guards and eliminated them in such a way they were put into temporary comas. Their auras were still there, even though they would be unconscious for a week or so, if not forever. I couldn't think about that they were living, breathing creatures at this stage of the game. There was too much at risk. Motioning for them to come, we slipped into the city. Easily sticking to the shadows, we came as close as we could to the palace gate without being detected.

Ordering for them to stay, I scouted the perimeter. So far so good, there was a gap in the guards just long enough for us to slip in, if we moved as fast as we possibly could. Either way, it was going to be close.

Flitting back to my, I guess you could call them, team, I quickly briefed them. Soon, we were standing just out of sensing range, ready to make the dash. Suzaku reluctantly agreed to ride piggyback on Toguro. Neither looked happy with the arrangement, not that I really blamed them... I tensed as the guard passed and waited, eyes closed, using all my resources to "see" where the guards were.

My eyes snapped open. "GO!" We ran. Karasu leapt into the courtyard first, Toguro with Suzaku next. I barely made it. Rushing into the relative safety of the gardening shed, we paused to plan a head. My sensing and tracking abilities weren't anywhere near Kuwabara's level nowadays, but, it would hopefully suffice.

Three guards per hall, over twenty around the throne room... Where, presumably, everyone was being held captive. My question was how the hell did they capture the old hag...? The trick was getting into the throne room, but afterwards... There was only one other, maybe two, demons that were there that weren't on our side... However... This was too easy. We could easily slip past the guards, and enter the throne room without being seen; any one could see that, but... It was intentional. What other reason was there? And... What, or who, was waiting for us in the throne room...?

I sighed and glanced at the others. "It'll be relatively easy to get to our target, but... That's what I'm worried about."

Toguro nodded. "Ambush...?"

"Possible." I acknowledged. "But unlikely. There's only one, maybe two, threats in the throne room, that I can sense, which is where we are headed, and they aren't high level demons either... So, if they really are this weak and their security this pathetic, how were they originally able to lay siege on a place this secure?"

I bit my lip. The necromancer surely wouldn't strike one country? Especially when it was only allied with Spirit World, when there were two countries allied in Makai? Unless...

I felt my blood run cold as I shook. "Oh damn... We're in deep shit..."

Toguro, from what I could see and guess, looked at me disapprovingly at my language.

Karasu raised an eyebrow.

Suzaku blinked. "What do you mean, 'we're in deep shit'?"

"You guys remember that necromancer I told you about?"

The three gave me an affirmative.

"If my guess is correct, and I pray to any god that may exist that I am not..." I shuddered.

"And your guess is...?"

I glanced at Karasu. "That the necromancer, Shinda, is allied to Mukuro and Yomi."

"You definitely did put it adequately then." Karasu lightly commented.

"And there might be another problem." I added slowly, running hypothetical situations and ideas through various scenarios.

"And that is?" Toguro asked expectantly.

"This could just be a distraction while another place is hit." I stated bluntly.

"Valid point." He acknowledged, hunching over slightly into a brooding position.

I sighed. "I'm going to see if I can gather any information. If you guys are spotted, make a dash for the throne room. I'll meet you there. If you are not seen, stay here. I'll be back in a few minutes."

"What if you're not...?" Suzaku asked hesitantly.

I glanced back at him. "If I'm not back in five minutes, storm the throne room."

The three demons nodded as I disappeared into the darkness.

I quickly and silently ran off. When I reached the open hallways of the palace, I concentrated. Feeling my body lose some of it's... I guess you could say, solidity, as I merged with the shadows, flitting through them towards the throne room. Gotta love some of the techniques we assassins learn.

I easily materialized on a pillar in the domed ceiling of the room, and listened to the echoing conversations of the infiltrators as I scouted the conditions of my friends. They were alive, 'cause I could feel their auras, but... My eyes hardened. They were conscious, but bound and gagged, and I did not like the way the second guy was looking at Yukina.

"Aw, c'mon! Let's have a little fun w' 'er!" Guy #2 pleaded. Her eyes widened in horror.

Guy #1, sighed. "Whatever." I snarled silently. Shinda.

Guy Number Two whooped and started to move towards Yukina, who tried to move back. My eyes widened slightly. He... really was going to... Shit.

I pulled out a regular throwing knife and attached a fire rune to it. Throwing it, it landed dead on the target. He was dead even before his body burst into flames, incinerating the corpse. I contemplated moving to another position, but... I quickly attached fire runes to all the knives I possessed, which was a good twenty-three or so. Before they located me, I slipped them back to their sheaths and waited a moment before speaking.

Captive's POV

"Pathetic scum..." Everyone glanced up towards the ceiling. That voice... Jin's eyes widened. Yusuke was leaning against a pillar, arms crossed, her long assassin's cloak was billowing out to the side, her figure dark against the full moon behind her. Except for her eyes. Her chocolate eyes with the crimson hue were clearly visible.

Shinda laughed. "Well, well, well... Looks like I missed one..."

Genkai closed her eyes and they snapped open when she recognized two of the three auras approaching the throne room... How was that possible!

Touya shivered when he saw the look in her narrowed eyes. Yusuke obviously somehow knew this guy, and he was willing to bet not in a good way.

"Nah... I just showed up. After all..." she idly began to toss a throwing knife into the air and caught it deftly, smirking. "I'm here for the party."

The next chapter will have a good fight scene! Promise!