Disclaimer: See Chapter 1 and as always, please, don't flame.
------ WARNING! This chapter contains a spoiler from episodes 16-18! ------
Chapter 22: We Need to Talk
High in a citadel overlooking a jungle of metal and glass, a lone figure stood in the shadows as lightening and thunder crackled outside.
'Soon Yoko. Soon, you will produce my heir.'
o0o0o0o0o
The night was cloudy. No stars were shiny. A lone street lamp was all the light available as a utility truck pulled up to a dock warehouse.
Once parked, A darken figure got out and opened the back. About 25 green skinned humaniods jumped out.
Breaking into the warehouse was the easy part. Getting away wasn't.
o0o0o0o0o
Batgirl was worried. Kurama had stopped talking to her. He even canceled their dates. She knew that he had returned walking the streets, prowling for clues. That plant matter he had found seemed to have him spooked.
Finding another leaf, Batman didn't show it to Kurama but took it back to have it analyzed. The result was confusing. It had both human and plant DNA.
"Batgirl!" came Robin's voice from her communicator. "Break in down at the docks."
"On my way."
On the roof over looking the warehouse, she found Batman and Robin, but their attention was on the scene below. "What are those things?"
o0o0o0o0o
Kurama stood on the edge of a tall building. He was scanning the area as the wind played with his hair and clothing. He had been going out every night since Batman had shown him that leaf. He was troubled by the very fact that someone from the Makai was here in Gotham. Just who is behind it, he didn't have a clue.
/There. Smell it/
Following the scent trail, he came across a scene that he was very familiar with. Batman and team were fighting. An utility truck was speeding off into the distance. Kurama let out a frustrated growl as he had to chose between the truck and his friends.
Robin was being overwhelmed by several plant men. "They just keep coming!"
"They don't stay down!" Batgirl shouted as she ducked under one only to be grabbed by another.
"Rose Whip Lash!"
Kurama landed in the middle of the green men. With brutal and savage intent, he mowed them down without thought. Red and green blood sprayed the area as he cut them into pieces. Freeing Batman, Robin and Batgirl, the trio tried to stop him from killing only to find themselves trapped in one of Kurama's vines.
"Don't do this Kurama! You said yourself that you aren't allow to kill humans," Batgirl pleaded, struggling against the vines.
Stunned, they watched as Kurama poured gasoline on the bodies and set them afire. Kurama then turned to them, his eyes were cold green and gold, cold and cruel. "They weren't human."
Pulling out a compact shaped communicator, he said, "Koenma. I need a portal open for myself and Batman."
"This had better be important, Kurama."
o0o0o0o0o
Kurama led Batman through the maze of desks, filing cabinets and ogres to a large set of doors. Inside, they found Koenma in toddler form sitting at his desk, busily stamping stacks of papers, muttering to himself.
"Koenma, we have a problem," Kurama said in lieu of a greeting.
"Yes, I know. It's got red hair and a large black bat following it," Koenma said without looking up. "Can't you see I'm busy?"
"With all due respect, sir. You say that to everyone," said the blue ogre standing next to him.
"Yes, well. It's the truth."
"Koenma, someone is using cultivated humans in Gotham," Kurama said.
"WHAT?" Koenma stopped stamping. Papers started to slide into a huge puddle on the desk.
Kurama sighed. "Do you have any information on who might be sending them?"
Batman stepped forward. "Kurama?"
"Sorry Batman," Kurama said softly. "I couldn't tell you while we were in human world."
"Cultivated humans," Koenma said, clicking on his monitor. "are more plant then human. They are grown in fields on the Makai. They are mindless soulless slaves, with no free will. They look human. They are used mainly as slave labor, obeying whoever grew them without question. They can be used also as shock recruits as they feel no pain. Demons with an appetite for human flesh love these as snacks."
Narrowing his eyes, Batman nodded. "I see."
Kurama shrugged. "Koenma, I destroyed what I found but the person that was controlling them got away. It couldn't be helped."
"I'm sending Yusuke to help you," Koenma ordered.
"That won't be necessary Koenma. I can handle this. I just brought Batman here so that you can explain why I had to destroy something that looked like humans," Kurama explained. "Yusuke and Keiko just had another baby. It wouldn't be fair to ask him to leave her at this time."
"Very well, Kurama. But I warn you. Keep Yoko under tight control. The last time you let him out, he grew a tree in the middle of a restaurant. I hate to think what he'll do with cultivated humans."
"Don't worry, Koenma. Yoko has never used them nor does he care for them."
"Then we understand each other."
o0o0o0o0o
"AND YOU LEFT? JUST LIKE THAT? HOW COULD YOU! WHAT IF BATMAN FOLLOWED YOU?" screeched a woman's voice above him. He couldn't quite make out her form which was just as well. She gave him the creeps.
"Relax. No one followed me," said driver of the truck, annoyed that he lost the shipment more then the workforce.
"BUT YOU LEFT MY PRECIOUS SLAVES BEHIND!"
"Well, you can just grow more, can't you?" he asked in a bored voice as plants began to encircle his feet.
o0o0o0o0o
Kawaii: You are so good at guessing.
Kara: I'm not really into male pregnancies, but it does make for a great motive, don't you think?
Cuteness: I love to make people guess, it adds to the fun. Thanks for the wonderful review.
Until next time. --GF