Chapter 1: "A Simple Suggestion"
I was walking down the streets by myself when I sensed the familiar spirit energy of Yusuke Urameshi. My crimson eyes flickered with annoyance.
"Hey Hiei! What's up?" he called.
I stopped and glanced over my shoulder. The idiot, Kuwabara, was with him. I just barely held a sigh back.
I continued walking.
"Hey! Wait up!" he ran up next to me. I resisted the urge to teleport, disappear right next to them and they wouldn't be able to find me until I wanted them to.
I stopped. "What do you want?" I asked, my voice cold, my emotions locked in that mental, small room in the back of my mind, as my barriers went up.
"Well, I was wondering where you've been for the last two months," he replied. I held back a smirk from the annoyance in his voice.
"Why the hell should I tell you?"
"Fine. Don't. But hey… " Urameshi trailed off as he stared at something behind me. I was turning around to see what he was staring at when I heard a loud, a very, very loud siren. My body went rigged as the sound vibrated in my chest.
I turned around to see a fire truck driving by. I had never been this close to one. The sirens were ringing in my ear as it drove by fast.
Urameshi and Kuwabara got quiet as they watched it drive by. It was Urameshi who spoke first. "There must be a fire nearby."
Kuwabara nodded in agreement.
I looked at them, and then pretending to run a hand through my hair I pulled my bandana away from my Jagan just enough so I could search.
My curiosity was too strong. I wanted to see what would happen. How ningens handled fire.
I focused on my Jagan and found what I was looking for. A building was on fire and humans were working on putting the fire out. Others dressed just like the first ones in clothing that looked heavy were going inside the building to rescue anyone left inside the flaming building.
Urameshi and Kuwabara ran off to watch. I watched them go then looked to make sure no ningens were watching, then I teleported to a roof by the fire.
Smoke turned the sky black and flames turned the cool February weather into an intense heat. The wind blew blowing embers around. I felt a few hot embers touch my face and hands. It didn't feel painful but more of a warm feeling as the flames greeted me. It didn't matter that they were burning hot; I was a fire youkai after all.
I pulled my bandana off and closed my eyes to watch the rescue fire teams progress. No one was in there except for a little girl. I cursed. Why did it have to be a kid? A full-grown ningen I probably wouldn't have cared but a child's a different story. Cursing my soft spot for kids I teleported into the building, right in front of the little girl. She was covered in soot and was coughing from the smoke.
I pulled my scarf off and put it around her mouth and nose.
"Don't remove that," I told her, picking her up. "Hold onto me and no matter what don't scream." The little girl nodded, eyes widening as she saw my Jagan but she didn't scream and kept quiet. I coughed as I took a breath. Smoke wouldn't kill me but it was an annoyance. It irritated my throat and lungs and a few times it's made me loose my voice and it also irritates my Jagan and the little girl held on to me tightly. "Now, close your eyes."
She buried her face in my cloak and tightened her grip. I teleported to one of the lower floors, a wall of flames separated me from the fire team. I shifted the little girls weight and used my spirit energy to get the flames to move.
If I was lucky the fire team wouldn't think it was un-natural and more of good luck.
"Hey! Hold on we're coming," one said as he saw us. The others stayed behind to help him get back over the rubble. I handed him the girl and he handed her to his partner and looked back to me.
/Damn. He's not going to let me go./ I sighed and climbed over the rubble with him.
The guy who took the little girl looked at me. "Is there anyone else in here?"
I shook my head.
"Alright. Let's get outta here," he called to his teammates. We all started to walk out of the burning building.
I read the thoughts of one of the firefighters and saw that he knew every danger in this building. I have to say I was impressed. The ceiling creaked and everyone looked up except for the girl who kept her head down.
I got the flames away from the ceiling. The last thing any of us wanted was the ceiling to collapse on us. I would survive but the child more then likely wouldn't and neither would the firefighters. The firefighters quickened their pace and soon we were all out.
I suddenly felt nervous. A bunch of human took the little girl and out and put an oxygen mask on her face. I waved them off when they tried to get one on me. They made me sit down even though I told them I was fine and tried to glare at them.
Urameshi and Kuwabara stared at me and ran over. "Hiei, what the hell were you doing in there?" Kuwabara asked.
"Obvious. He saved the little girl," Urameshi said.
I felt the urge to kill the two morons rise until the fireman who took the little girl from me came over. He pulled his helmet off and mask. "Hey kid." I twitched at the 'kid' remark. I allowed one person to get away with that remark and this guy wasn't him.
"You're a hero." That made me twitch even worse.
Yusuke and Kuwabara grinned. "Yup! That's our Hiei!"
He walked away when someone called as Urameshi looked at me. "What?" I asked, coldly.
"You really would make a great fireman." I shot him a look. He grinned. "Just a simple suggestion. I mean think about it. You can control fire, you don't get burned," he added with more of a whisper. "You're not human."
I nodded. "I get it detective but why would I save human lives?"
He pointed to the little girl who was crying now. "Why would you save hers?"
I quickly thought of the only remark that was still in my head. "Hn."
"Alright buddy." I glared at Yusuke. "See ya around!" And off they went to leave me thinking.
The little girl walked over and held up my now soot streaked scarf. "Thank you mister for saving me. Here's your scarf back."
I took the scarf from her and risked a smile. "It's no problem. Are you alright?"
She nodded. "Yes," she said. "Why do you have that…" she seemed to sense I wanted it secret and she tapped her head.
I continued to smile. "It's a secret. Now, find your parents and stay with them. Do me a favor too and keep me a secret, Okay?"
She nodded again then heard her mom called her, crying. She bowed quickly. "Thank you!" Then she ran off to her mother. I sighed.
Great… a hero. Me… a hero. This day was getting better by the minute… and that was sarcasm in case you didn't notice.
