Chapter
6
Learning the Basics of Control and Preparing for the Trip
The
fire demon and strange girl landed in the Genkai's yard, surprising
the old martial artist who owned the place. Mere seconds after they
landed Genkai came out and watched Hiei and a girl she did not know
dismount from a large, black dragon with red eyes.
"Are you
the girl that Koenma sent to be assessed?" asked Genkai, going
directly to the point as usual.
"My name's Andrea and
according to Hiei, I am the girl that you refer to," said
Andrea.
"Then follow me girl," said Genkai, already
walking away.
But Andrea did not follow. Instead she said, "Do
not call me that again," in a cold voice as a ki-blast formed in
her palm. Genkai stared in shock; she had felt very little spirit
energy in Andrea. There was no way that one so weak could make an
attack so strong. "Fine, I'll call you by your name,
Andrea."
Andrea's response was to extinguish the ki-blast
that had been forming in the palm of her hand and to walk towards
Genkai. Turning slightly she nodded at the dragon, sending it back to
the Shadow Realm with a mental command.
Genkai had heard that and turned around with surprise and shock evident in her eyes. "You really believe that the attack you almost launched was weak?" asked Genkai.
Andrea shook her head and said, "Of course it was weak. I've seen attacks more then a million times as powerful then that one, by exhausted soldiers who were considered weak."
"And just where did you see this?" asked Genkai, who was now quite interested and walking backwards.
"In another dimension and on the spaceship of an evil warlord named Freiza. Freiza could blow up entire planets with a single ki-blast. The only thing that surpassed his power was his evilness. Don't ask any more about him," said Andrea.
Genkai turned around and continued walking. Andrea followed her all the way to a semi-familiar clearing in the middle of a forest. She looked around wondering if this had been the place was Yusuke had defeated Rando. She reached out with her mental senses and confirmed her assumption. It didn't take much spirit awareness to be able to feel the way it bolstered her small amount of spirit power.
An hour later Andrea stood in the middle of the clearing, exhausted, but also exhilarated. Somehow in less then an hour she had managed to learn how to control an ability she had never used before.
"Botan's note said that you had information on something that Koenma wants Andrea to do for him. Do you?" asked Hiei, lounging happily in a tree overlooking the practice field.
"Koenma wants the two of you to join a team called SG-1. They use a portal-device to travel to other worlds. According to Reikai information they have discovered a threat to all three worlds. You two were chosen because you're the only two people Koenma can trust who can speak English. The team is part of the American Airforce and you need to be on a plane there at eleven. Here are the tickets and everything else you'll need. It includes a passport for Hiei. I suggest you go pack now."
Andrea and Hiei asked lots of question. They got no answers. Genkai ignored them and left the clearing. Andrea opened the packet and found inside a pair of first-class plane tickets to Grand Junction, Colorado, Hiei's fake passport and identification information, information on the person who would pick them up at the airport, and a warning that said that they were to reveal information about things that Reikai didn't want humans to know about only if necessary. It was pretty much exactly what they expected.
"Can your dragon carry us to Kurama's house?" asked Hiei, leaping from the tree.
"No, it would be too far for him to fly with two passengers after the length of the earlier flight." said Andrea, sticking the packet into her jacket pocket.
A split-second later she let out a small yelp as Hiei picked he up and started for Kurama's at top speed. He braced himself for further protests, but none came. Instead she laid her head on his shoulder and was quiet until he put her down on Kurama's front porch.
"I'm not complaining but I would have preferred some warning from you."
"Hn," was Hiei's response.
Trying the door knob, Andrea found it was open and let herself in. Heading for the staircase she saw Yusuke and Kurama curled up on the living room's identical chairs and watching a movie. Kurama hit the pause button and looked over at where Andrea stood before saying, "Botan told us about the assignment. Welcome to the team. Oh, and a package that was addressed to you suddenly appeared on your desk next to the small teleportation device."
"Thanks for telling me about the package and about joining your group. Do you really think I'm strong enough to really be a good part of the team?"
"Sure ya are. According to what Botan said you're every bit as strong as the rest of us. Besides anyone who can scare the heck out of Grandma with an attack they call weak has got to be good enough," said Yusuke while trying to keep from laughing.
"The Detective is right. You are not as weak as you have been led to believe," said Hiei.
Andrea jumped up and down liked an excited schoolgirl and hugged everyone present before she managed to calm herself down enough to speak. "Thanks guys. I'll do my best." Then she went upstairs to pack the stuff she would need. Hiei stayed downstairs perched next to a window in the corner, half-heartedly watching the movie.
Andrea
packed only the essentials. She could buy anything else she'd need
when she got to Grand Junction.
As she packed she came across
the package that Kurama had mentioned. It was from Vegeta. It was a
plain brown box with the words 'To Andrea' written on top in
Vegeta's handwriting. She opened it and found inside two things
resembling pills, one purple and one red, and a small note that read:
The two items are inventions of my mate. Believe it or not
but if you press the button on top they expand into various things.
The purple one is a suitcase that no security system on the planet
can see the inside of and has no metal parts. The red one is a GR.
That is a room in which you can increase the gravity for better
training. Don't overdo it. If you break either, you'll have to
fix them. If my mate knew I took them I'd be on the couch for a
year. Happy Birthday.
Vegeta
"It isn't your
birthday," said Hiei who had walked in to the room and read the
note over Andrea's shoulder.
"I know. But at least he
sends a present when he does remember. It is the thought that
counts," said Andrea as she pushed the button on the purple
pill-like object.
Sure enough, a huge purple suitcase
appeared. It was rectangular with only one noticeable feature that
was not normal. A small, rectangular red buttons with the word
'reduce' on it. Andrea opened the suitcase and put her laptop in
it along with her small dagger collection. Then she pushed the red
button and put it in her pocket. She put some clothes and her DVD
collection in her other suitcase before asking, "Have you packed
your stuff, Hiei?"
"Of course I have. I'm wearing
everything I own," said Hiei with a small hint of sarcasm.
"Then
I'll just have to buy you some stuff. It'll look weird if you go
to another country with only the clothes on your back. Besides what
would you do if the clothes you have on now got ruined? You'd have
nothing to wear," said Andrea with a laugh.
"Hn," came
the predictable response.
Andrea looked at her watch. It read
five o' clock. They had enough time to do what they needed to
do.
"I'll take that as a yes," said Andrea as she packed
the rest of her belongings. Most went in her old suitcase but a few
things such as the fanfics she had printed off the computer and most
of her floppy disks. It only took a few moments for her to finish.
She put the GR and the 'Capsule' suitcase in her pocket.
Picking
up her purse, Andrea went back downstairs and explained the slight
clothing problem to Kurama who immediately thought of a place that
they could go to get Hiei what he needed. He gave them directions and
then turned back to the movie that he and Yusuke were still
watching.
As Andrea walked the path that Kurama had indicated
she kept looking over to where Hiei was flitting from lamp-post to
lamp-post. Moments later they had reached the clothing store that
Kurama had recommended. It was a small shop full of clothes as
clothing stores usually were. A friendly saleslady whisked Hiei away
after Andrea told her exactly what was needed. Hiei made no verbal
complaint when she told the saleslady that ten complete sets of
clothes and two pairs of shoes would be needed.
"I can't
pay you for all that," said Hiei grumpily, a small pout on his
face.
'Who said I wanted you to pay me back? I certainly
didn't. Just take it as a gift and come to me when anything needs
to be replaced. I like giving things to people I like,' said
Andrea without realizing that she had spoken telepathically.
There
was no response. Andrea pulled a Walkman out of her purse and began
listening to some music she had downloaded off the Internet as she
waited for Hiei. Several people gave her odd looks when she began to
sing along to the song Complicated by Carolyn Dawn Johnson in
English and then went on to sing several more country music
songs.
About half an hour later Hiei had everything that they
came for and she paid for it all with a credit card.
As Hiei
and Andrea left the clothing store, their arms full of Hiei's new
clothes, they spotted and ice cream shop. They stopped and each got a
small cone of vanilla ice cream that they ate there before returning
to Kurama's house. Hiei grabbed the packages she had been carrying
and entered the house through Kurama's open bedroom window.
When
Andrea opened the front door and entered she noticed that something
was wrong. The house was much too quiet. She reached out with her
mental senses but did not feel anyone's presence. For one long
moment she thought something was seriously wrong.
Then she saw
movement out of the corner of one eye and a split-second later Kurama
and Yusuke, jumped out from an open doorway. Andrea jumped back,
startled but not afraid. She extinguished a small ki-blast as it
started to form in the palm of her hand. It had been formed by reflex
and extinguished the same way. Her younger years had ingrained many
reflexes into her that had saved her life on many an occasion.
Hiei
walked down the stairs carrying a cake that said, "Welcome to the
team."
"I've had very little training and I've never
been in a 'real' fight. What possible use could your team have
for me?" asked Andrea who was at the moment quite surprised and
confused. For a moment she had forgotten the conversation that had
taken place not even two hour s before.
"Of course we want
you on the team. We need someone to replace Kuwabara. He wants to
retire, but Koenma won't let him until we have a replacement ready.
Besides recent rumors in the Makai say that the Dark Tournament
Committee is going to insist that my team returns and Genkai can't
fight the tournament again, not after passing most of her power to
me," said Yusuke with a shrug.
"I'd love to be a member
of your group, but all I can promise is to do my best," said Andrea
as she grinned at the others. Then Kuwabara came in and completely
shattered the mood. His loud, stupid sounding voice could be heard
from the kitchen as he walked from there to where the small group was
gathered at the front door.
"Is she here yet Urameshi?"
asked Kuwabara.
"Of course I'm here. I wouldn't miss the
opportunity to tease you for your stupidity for all the tea in
China," said Andrea, her grin growing wider.
They walked
into the living room to serve the cake that Hiei had carried down
from upstairs, but the moment they got there Andrea noticed a
sheathed katana on one the couches. The sheath seemed to be made of a
dark, purple leather and the silver handle had the head of a dragon
carved into it. The eyes of that dragon seemed to be made of a dark
substance that seemed to glow as if each contained an unknown
fire.
"Is this your sword, Hiei?" asked Andrea, fingering
the hilt. "It's beautiful."
"No, it's a gift for
you.," said Hiei.
Andrea picked up her sword and took a
closer look at it. She unsheathed the blade and gave it a few
cautious swings, marveling at how natural it felt to have a sword in
her hand. Once again the eyes drew her attention. She couldn't help
but wonder about what they were made of. She carried it over to where
Hiei now stood and asked, "Do you know what the eyes are made out
of?"
He took a look at the sword and then suddenly turned
to Kurama and said, "Where did you get this sword, Fox?" asked
Hiei with anger in his voice.
"It was in one of Youko's
stashes. He recommended it and no he does not remember who he stole
it from. Is something wrong with it?" asked Kurama. He was
surprised that Hiei would get angry over a katana.
"The eyes
are carved from Hiruiseki," said Hiei through gritted
teeth.
Everyone with the un-notable exception of Kuwabara
immediately understood Hiei's anger.
"But they can't be.
Hiruiseki are all blue. The eyes on the sword are black," said
Kuwabara, taking another bite of cake.
No one paid him any
attention. They were after all either used to or getting used to his
constant stupid remarks and even if they weren't most of them were
caught up in their own thoughts.
A few moments later Andrea
said, "Would you prefer it if I used a different sword Hiei?"
"No.
I was just surprised by the choice in materials," said Hiei, his
voice oddly distant.
The small impromptu party lasted of all
five minutes. They each ate a piece of cake and went off to do other
things. Andrea and Hiei went to do last minute packing for the
flight.
