Disclaimer: See Chapter 1 and as always, please don't flame.
Chapter 17: Hack Job
"We will. Come on guys. Let's go." The six walked away, all waving good bye as they disappeared into the night shadows.
"Makai Tournament?" asked Robin.
Kurama chuckled as he turned to leave. "Makai politics. Three years are up and it's time to pick a new leader of the Makai. Whoever wins the tournament will be the next leader."
o0o0o0o0o
Kurama was riding on the back of Batgirl's cycle, the wind whipping through his hair. He was well aware of her propensity for speed. They were heading through Gotham. Although he was wearing a helmet, he could hear Robin's and Batgirl's conversation. Yoko was still howling with laughter over the whole situation. It had been priceless.
"Now I understand why Kurama isn't afraid. With friends like that," she was saying.
"Man, I would've given anything to see what they did," Robin said. "I've never seen the Joker high tail it back to Arkham that fast before."
"Funny, we didn't see Yoko this time," Batgirl was saying. "You would think they were his friends too. They were all demons after all."
Kurama mentally shrugged at the freudian slips he had made. Maybe they could be trusted with his final secrets. So far they have kept the authorities off his back.
/Maybe we should've gone to the Tourney, Red/
'No. I no more want to rule the Makai then you do. We've made our decisions in the last tourney.'
o0o0o0o0o
Batman was quiet through the whole exchange. Batgirl and Robin were just unwinding from the whole ordeal. He had to admit bringing in Kurama as back up had been a good plan. However, he didn't want to constantly depend on the boy. They could lose their edge.
After seeing Kurama's friends, he now had a rough idea on why the boy wasn't afraid walking the streets of Gotham at night. Also, he had wondered about the absence of Yoko as well. He was beginning to get an idea where the fox was hiding and he really didn't like it. The boy was dangerous and yet there was something so likeable about him.
Batgirl had asked and he agreed to show Kurama the Cave. It would go towards developing trust. He has the feeling that Kurama was hungry for someone he could really talk to. Also, not for the first time, he wondered just how sane the boy was.
o0o0o0o0o
The Cave was a well developed cave system under Wayne Manor that Bruce and Alfred had converted to their use. Bats of all sizes and ages flew in and out of the systems freely.
Kurama was impressed with it's scale and technology. Yoko whistled his appreciation.
Batgirl parked her bike next to the Batmobile as Robin pulled his cycle up next to hers. "Welcome to our home," Batgirl said as she took off her helmet.
"Impressive," Kurama said as he looked up at the cave roof. "It's almost feels like one of Yoko's lairs in the Makai."
Yoko was listening to the bats. Kurama sighed as a wave of sadness washed over him.
/Kuronue. /
Batgirl, unaware that Kurama had stopped to stare up at the cave roof, lost in a sea of regret and sorrow, smiled as she lead the way across a catwalk spanning what seems to be a bottomless pit. "Just be careful. Some of these abysses are bottomless. You aren't afraid of heights are you?"
Kurama chuckled, coming out of the memory. "Not hardly." Gauging the expansion, Kurama jumped over the abyss only to land on the other side. Well Batgirl had seen him leap up to the roof of the Fun House. 'Snap out of it, Yoko.'
Batman chuckled softly as he took off his cowl, "Showing off Kurama?"
He shrugged. "A bit."
"But that jump. No human could. . ." Robin sputtered a bit as Kurama smiled.
o0o0o0o0o
The tour of the Cave was impressive. He wasn't allowed to touch the computer, but did ask some key questions about its function capacity and system security. He was lead upstairs by Alfred while the trio changed.
Over breakfast, Kurama was once again explaining Demon Lore to the trio listening. This time it was Makai politics.
"Yusuke was the one that came up with the Tournament after Raizen died. The Makai was heading for chaos and ruin. The balance of power had been split three ways and Raizen was slowly dying. Something had to be done. Yusuke devised a non -killing Tournament where the winner would be the next Ruler. Demons value strength and power above all else, giving new meanings to Survival of the Fittest. Enki won the first Tournament, three years ago. He's been a good ruler so far. I'm a bit worried about Yomi, though," Kurama frowned a bit, more thinking aloud.
"Why is that?" Bruce asked.
"Well, Yomi was a bit more for unification as a front to move his armies through the Makai. He also doesn't care much for Human World. However, he now has a son which he is training to be his successor. I have heard that Yomi may have finally settled down," Kurama explained. He didn't go in how Yoko and Yomi were former partners or that Yoko had hired an assassin to kill Yomi when he had became a liability.
/Yea, let's not go there just yet. Batman isn't really happy with my sordid past as it is and he might lump you into as well./
"Kurama? You made a statement that human world was your home now. What did you mean?" Barbara asked.
Kurama inwardly cringed at the question. He knew it would be asked and was hoping that it wouldn't.
Taking a deep breathe, he said, "Well, Yoko and I had at one time thought about returning to the Makai, but we couldn't leave my mother. She does not know nor understand what Yoko is and we don't want to hurt her. Yoko and I decided to stay here to be near her."
/Nice dodge./
Barbara gave him a look but decided not to press the issue. "Well, I think I better get you home. Don't you have to be at Wayne Enterprises soon?"
He smiled. "Can we stop by my apartment first? I need a shower and change."
o0o0o0o0o
Calling up his computer, Shuichi rubbed his forehead. It has been a long night and he had been late for work, again. It had been a week since the Joker escape and recapture. Barbara had remained silent on demons and about Yoko. She seemed to enjoy just being with him. Yoko was making all sorts of lewd comments but in the end, she always went home and Shuichi slept alone. Last night had been the worse. Yoko was furious and had kept feeding Shuichi one wet dream after another and all featured Barbara either as Barbara or as Batgirl.
Thankfully, he wasn't in trouble. Although, he has been hearing a lot of whispers about banging the billionaire's ward does have its perks.
/I wish we were banging her. Anything is better then sleeping alone and using the hand does not count. /
As Shuichi ran the checks on the system, Yoko paused in his tirand. /Hello, what's this/ Shuichi double checked the data. Someone was trying to hack the system and they almost succeed. His security program has so far blocked the attempt.
/ Oh ho! This may be amusing break. /
Shuichi frowned as he tracked the source back, catching the isp, then losing the hacker. 'Hmm. . . This isn't good, Yoko. They are determined.'
The hacker tried again using a different isp but the signature was similar. Shuichi chuckled and executed his own little worm back at the hacker.
The hacker seemed determined to reach for the personal files of Mr. Wayne and several key executives. As he double checked his findings, Shuichi noted the target areas and frowned. This wasn't good.
o0o0o0o0o
So any quesses this time on the villain? Until next time. -- GF