Disclaimer: See Chapter 1, the terrorist leader is my own creation. Remember, please don't flame.
Chapter 11: Whose side is Yoko on?
"SHOW YOURSELF!" shouted the leader as he dived for cover under a table, pointing his uzi to the jungle of vines and plants.
"As you wish, little vermin." Stepping out of the tangle mess of shrubbery, vines, and plants, a very tall wiry silver hair man with fox ears and a bush fox tail smirked, folding his arms.
"WHAT ARE YOU?"
o0o0o0o0o
This was going better then he had planned. Allowing the foliage to continue to grow around him, Yoko had managed to hide what he was really doing. Bruce, Dick and Diana were position near a glass wall. When he had pelted everyone with acorns, he had used a little bit more of energy to break the glass to allow them to escape before he made his appearance.
Of course, no one heard the glass breaking where Yoko was standing. Everyone's eye was on him, the star of the show.
"Little vermin, don't you know perfection when you see it?" Yoko asked as he checked his claws for dirt.
Walking over to Vanessa Wythycombe, Yoko smiled as he cupped her chin, "What do you think? Don't I just make you drool?" She stared up into his golden eyes and fainted like a love struck fan-girl.
o0o0o0o0o
Bruce and Dick didn't waste any time finding Batgirl. As she tossed the carry all that housed their gear, Diana asked, "Just what or who was that?"
"You mean, Yoko? Anyone seen Kurama?" Dick asked as he ducked into the shadows to change.
"Kurama is around," Batgirl said, as she watch Diana magically made her lasso appear. "He's taking out the outside guards. Yoko is a kitsune. According to legends, silver kitsunes are very rare. How and why he's here in Gotham, we haven't figured out yet. Only that Kurama has control over him."
Twirling the golden lasso over her head and slowly bringing it down over her, Diana Prince changed into Wonder Woman. "Well, let's hope he doesn't kill anyone," she said as she waited for Batman to join them.
"He hasn't so far. According to Kurama, he isn't allowed to kill humans. Said something about not wanting to spend the rest of his life in Spirit World prison," Robin said, stepping out of the shadows.
o0o0o0o0o
Yoko let go of the girl as he jumped into oak tree. Resting on the lowest limb, he surveyed the room. "By the way, little vermin, were you planning to use this?" Yoko held up a defused bomb.
The leader made a grab for the remote on his waist. When he pressed the button, nothing happened, but Yoko's attention was caught by a large stuffed bag laying on the head table. "What do we have here?" Yoko asked, tucking the bomb into his shirt.
"That's mine!" shouted the leader, throwing the useless remote away, training his gun on Yoko, ready to fire.
"Temper. Temper." Yoko tsked. Sprouting a seed in his hand and allowing it to grow onto his arm, Yoko said, "Vermin. It isn't wise to anger my Death Tree. Each limb is a gapping mouth and it is always hungry."
The plant shot out and swallowed the bag, just as Batman, Robin, and Batgirl landed in front of the oak tree.
Yoko' laughter rang through the oak leaves as he recalled his death tree and turning it back into a seed.
The leader cried in anguish, "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" as he sprayed the oak tree with bullets.
Wonder Woman came crashing through the foliage, her steel brackets reflected several rounds. Seeing her, the leader dropped his uzi. The terrorists were beaten.
/Let's go, Yoko. We aren't needed anymore. /
o0o0o0o0o
It didn't take long for the rest of the terrorists to be rounded up. It was more of an anticlimax to deal with superheroes then something that belonged in a Japanese legend. It didn't take long to clear the hall of civilians and police. The canines weren't much help in finding Yoko.
The bomb squad couldn't find the bomb. The bomb dogs had found where it had been placed but it was quite evident that someone had removed it. Robin shrugged when he heard the report, "Bet ya, fox boy found it and fed it to one of his plants. Speaking of plants. . . "
All eyes turned to the huge oak tree in the middle of the hall and the wild vegetation. "Yoko really had a field day, didn't he? Well, we'll have to cut it down," Commissioner Gordon said as he surveyed the tree.
However as he spoke, the foliage began to quiver and shrink back into its original containers or seeds depending on what and where they were. By the exit, a red haired young man was leaning against the wall, his head bowed as if studying his shoes. He was dressed in a white fighting outfit with a golden tabard over it, his arms folded across his chest.
"Where did he come from?" Gordon asked. "I distinctly ordered all civilians to be removed."
Seeds of all sizes and colors flew up to hover in mid air as Kurama disengaged himself from the wall. Placing them into his pocket as he walked by, Kurama gave a slight smile, "Hello, Batman. There is no need to harm them." He looked to the oak tree as it slowly returned to a sapling, then a lowly acorn lying on the floor. "As you can see, I am quite capable of undoing Yoko's handiwork. He was in rare form tonight, I see, but then he doesn't get out often and I have no control over him when he is."
"About time you showed up, Kurama. Thought we had to go get a weed whacker," Robin quipped. Kurama shrugged as he pocketed the acorn and started to leave.
/He's sounding just like Yusuke/ Yoko chuckled. /You should let me out more often Red. That was fun/
"Hey! I have a couple of questions for you, young man," said Gordon, moving to stop him.
Kurama smiled and gave a back handed wave as he walked into the darkness only to be stopped by a golden lasso wrapping around him. Turning, he found Wonder Woman holding the other end.
/Feel the magic in that thing? I want it! Can I, can I/
'What kind of magic is it?'
/Old and powerful. I think I can get around it but it'll take time. /
o0o0o0o0o
Wonder Woman stood in front of Kurama, "Well, if you won't answer one way, we'll try it my way,' she said, keeping the lasso taut with a determined look in her eyes.
Kurama smiled and bowed slightly. "As you wish. What do you want to know?"
"Yoko. Who is he? Where is he? Where did he take the items he stolen? And, you can't lie as long as you are being held by the lasso."
Kurama narrowed his eyes as he felt compelled to tell the truth. "Yoko is a silver kitsune. They are very rare. He was a legend in his own right in the Makai for over 800 years. He's busy right now, and the items are in his Death Tree. It isn't wise to stick your hand in there to retrieve it." He was amazed he didn't blur out like the lasso wanted him to about where Yoko was actually.
/Drat right I'm busy. There. Got it. The truth spell won't work as long as you take the questions literally. /
"What is your relationship with him?" Wonder Woman asked.
"We are soul bonded," Kurama said as he slowly unwrapped the lasso's coils. "Yoko is a law unto himself. I do not want to cross him, if I can help it. I believe this belongs to you?" he said, holding up the coils.
With another bow, he walked away into the night, leaving behind a stunned set of superheroes.
/Nicely done, Red. /
o0o0o0o0o
Kawaii: In a way, it will be a Barbara and Kurama pairing. You'll just have to wait for it.
Mizuki: Well, Koenma doesn't say much. After all, he knows what Kurama/Yoko is really capable of.