Author's Note: Hey look, it didn't take me more than a month to post the next chapter. Hopefully that's a sign of how this month is going to go, which is much better than the last.

Part Two

.o.O.o.

Chapter 11 Endless Rondo

"Are you absolutely sure this is wise, Master Genkai?" Kurama asked with a worried frown. "It's only been a couple weeks. Has he had enough training?"

"He'll be fine," Genkai said. "I have every confidence in him."

Touya hovered at his bedroom door, listening in on the conversation. He had slid his door open as much as he dared so he could peek out at them. He had already dressed himself in human clothes in anticipation of today's outing—Kurama was taking him into the city so he could acquire more human clothes. It was necessary in order for him to be able to better fit in with humans, but it was also a test to see how he handled being among the humans. He didn't feel as confident as Genkai, but he trusted her judgement.

The past several weeks had flown by quickly, filled with training from Genkai. He learned various habits and customs of the human race as well as how to read and write the human language. He spoke the human language fairly well—all Shinobi were taught several different languages during their training, but according to Genkai, he needed to be able to read and write as well. These lessons he shared with Yukina in the morning. Then after lunch, Touya had private lessons with Genkai, improving his fighting skills, particularly in hand to hand combat. Even now, it wasn't his strongest skill, but he was improving.

The conversation between Kurama and Genkai ended and Touya hurried away from the door so he wouldn't be caught eavesdropping. A few moments later, there was a gentle knock on the door.

"Come in," Touya said, hoping he didn't sound too nervous.

His door slid open and Genkai entered. Touya had the feeling that she knew he had been eavesdropping, but thankfully, she didn't bring it up.

"Are you ready to go?" she asked.

"Yes, Master Genkai," Touya said.

"Good," Genkai said. "You shouldn't run into any difficulties, but don't let your guard down."

"Does Kurama know?" Touya asked.

"I'm sure he suspects something is amiss," Genkai said. "Hell, I'd be worried if he didn't notice, but I haven't said anything to him."

"Should we tell him?" Touya asked.

"What is there to tell?" Genkai said. "All we have right now is a bunch of humans suddenly developing psychic powers. We don't know for sure if there's been a breach. It could just be a border fluctuation."

"I think there are too many new psychics in too short a period of time to be just a border fluctuation," Touya said slowly.

Genkai gave him a sharp look and then sighed. "You're right. Damn."

"What should we do? Should we cancel the trip?" Touya asked.

"No, I don't think that's necessary," Genkai said. "In fact, I think it would be better if you do go. That way, you can see with your own eyes how things stand rather than relying on secondhand information which may be incorrect, incomplete, or exaggerated."

"What about Kurama?" Touya asked.

"I leave that up to you. I trust your judgement in this situation," Genkai said.

"Thank you, Master Genkai," Touya said, a little bit surprised. "I'm honored you trust me with such a heavy burden."

"Oh now don't get sappy on me," Genkai said, rolling her eyes good-naturedly. "Kurama is probably wondering what the hell is taking so long."

Kurama waited patiently in the living room chatting with Yukina when Touya and Genkai arrived.

"Ah, hello," he said with a friendly smile when he saw Touya.

"Hello Kurama," Touya said, blushing as Kurama's eyes traveled down his body, taking in his human clothes.

"Are you ready to go?" Kurama asked. Touya merely nodded. "We should get going then. It's quite a long journey into the city."

They said goodbye to Genkai and Yukina and headed out.

"How long will it take us to get to the city?" Touya asked.

"A couple hours," Kurama said. "While there are advantages to Genkai's compound being so isolated, it can make traveling a bit of a challenge."

Just how much of a challenge it was became clear to Touya when they finally reached the road. They waited for half an hour or so for a bus that only came out this way twice a week and they'd had to get up at the crack of dawn in order to catch it. The bus ride itself took two and a half hours. Kurama napped, but Touya stared out in wonder at the ever-changing landscape. The forest where Genkai's compound was situated gradually thinned and the mountainous land flattened into gently rolling hills.

Kurama woke as they approached the first major settlement Touya had seen. There had been several stops along the way, some like the one they had gotten on at in the middle of nowhere, and some in small villages. Most of them had been deserted, but a few people joined them. Now, more people got on. Some gave him a long look as they passed by, but most of them ignored him. Touya went back to staring out the window as the bus departed.

They passed through several more of these settlements, which Kurama called "towns". People came and went from the bus, generally minding their own business. Touya was surprised at how orderly and calm the whole thing was. As the landscape became more barren, Touya's anxiety rose because he knew they had to be getting close.

He couldn't help gasping when he first caught a glimpse of the city. Some demons had organized themselves into cities, some more advanced than others, but none of the demon cities Touya had seen were as advanced as this.

Touya tried not to gawk as he and Kurama walked down the street, but he couldn't help staring at everything. The sights, sounds, and smells were overwhelming. The buildings were all crammed together, which made him feel claustrophobic. And there were people everywhere of all shapes and sizes. Everyone seemed to be in a perpetual hurry; they walked with their heads down at a swift pace and it was a wonder they didn't crash into each other. There was no silence, though. People chattering, their footsteps on the concrete, rustling clothing, the sounds of vehicles on the road, horns honking, all combined into a dull roar of noise that made Touya feel dizzy.

He was relieved when Kurama led him into a clothing shop; it was far quieter and less hectic than the street. Kurama helped him try on and purchase several different types of clothing, shoes, and socks. Touya silently wondered if he really needed all this clothing, but trusted Kurama's judgement. Kurama arranged for everything to be sent back to Genkai's so they wouldn't have to carry it all around with them.

By the time they were finished shopping, it was lunchtime, so Kurama found them a nice little restaurant with tables outside to eat at. Touya was glad they were outside; he didn't think he could bear to sit inside a dark, crowded building crammed with people. A waitress brought them menus and poured water for them.

Touya frowned as he stared at the menu. Even with all of Genkai's instruction, he didn't know what most of the things on the menu were.

"Touya," Kurama said in a gentle voice and Touya looked up at him. "You need not be ashamed if you don't know what any of this food is. You are still new here. Please don't hesitate to ask any questions you may have."

"Uh…" Touya paused.

He had the feeling all of a sudden that they were being watched. Moments later, Kurama seemed to sense it as well because his eyes narrowed.

Do you see them? Touya mouthed, hoping that Kurama could read lips.

Kurama gave a curt nod and glanced at a point over Touya's shoulder. Touya turned in his seat and bent down as if to check his shoelace, allowing his gaze to briefly turn in the direction Kurama had silently indicated. One glance was all Touya needed to see them lurking in the shadows. He straightened up and gave Kurama a look. Kurama glanced at the street, indicating they should leave. Touya nodded. Both of them stood up, leaving their menus neatly folded on the table.

When they hit the street, Kurama said in a low voice, "We need to split up."

"Is that wise?" Touya asked in an equally low voice; every instinct in his body screaming for them to stay together.

Kurama gave a slow nod. "Lure them into a false sense of security. Make sure they are away from humans. Yusuke and Kuwabara are nearby." Touya gave Kurama a surprised look. "Wanted them on standby just in case something went wrong."

Touya nodded, not offended that Kurama had brought in Urameshi and Kuwabara as backup. It made logical sense.

As they came to the end of the street, Kurama said, "Go right. I'll go left."

"Good luck," Touya muttered.

"You too," Kurama said.

At the end of the street, Touya turned right towards a small park. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw two of the demons turn his way while the other two followed Kurama. Good. He kept his pace casual, trying to make it look like he was unaware he was being followed. He rounded the corner to enter the park gate and walked straight into a third demon. He grunted; it was like running into a brick wall and it knocked the wind out of him. The demon smiled a horrifying smile revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth and grabbed Touya by the shoulders.

"We've been waiting for you," the demon said.

Then, something hit Touya hard in the back of the head and he knew no more.

.o.O.o.

Ironically, he woke up because he hit his head. It was not a pleasant way for him to wake up and it took him a few moments for him to get his bearings. He lay on his side with his wrists bound behind his back. He lifted his head a bit to look around and saw that he was in the back of some sort of vehicle traveling very fast. There was someone else with him, a blonde human male around the same age as Urameshi and Kuwabara sitting cross-legged in the corner. Blue eyes widened when he saw Touya awake.

"Black Angel!" he called. "He's awake! What do I do?"

"Use the chloroform," a man answered patiently from the front.

"That's what we brought it for," a younger man's voice added.

"Right," the boy muttered.

He produced a bottle and cloth and unscrewed the bottle's cap. He waited for a moment as the vehicle hit another bump and they both bounced wildly. When the danger was past, he tipped the bottle onto the cloth. He carefully replaced the cap and crawled over to where Touya lay.

"Sorry," he muttered, pressing the cloth to Touya's nose and mouth.

Touya was aware of a sweet smell and struggled, but to no avail the chloroform took effect and everything faded to black.

.o.O.o.

It was dark when he woke again and he was no longer in motion. Once again, his hands were bound behind his back, though these restraints felt like metal instead of rope. When he tried to raise his head to get a better look around, he felt a wave of dizziness and had to put his head back down. He didn't understand. Why did he feel so weak? The chloroform shouldn't have made him feel this bad. There must have been something else going on. But what?

From what he could tell, he was in some sort of prison cell. It was small, square, dark, and bare with a single window high up on the wall that provided a meager amount of light. The walls and floors were made of solid concrete and the door was made of metal.

"Hello?" he called out in a hoarse voice. "Hello? Is anyone there?"

For a few moments, there was only silence, but then he heard an equally hoarse voice call back, "Yeah! I'm here!"

The voice was the baritone of a male, coming from the other side of the wall, presumably from a cell identical to Touya's. He could hear something else in the man's voice: fear.

"My name is Touya," he said, trying to keep his own voice calm. "What's your name?"

"M…Murota," the man stammered. He sounded close to tears.

"How long have you been here, Murota?" Touya asked.

"I…I don't know!" Murota's voice rose in hysteria. "I can't tell if it's day or night!"

"Easy there," Touya murmured. He thought for a moment. "Murota, do you remember what day you were captured and brought here?"

"Uh…" Murota trailed off for a moment. "June 5th. I think."

"Okay," Touya said. "I was captured on the 12th. I can't say how long I was unconscious so you've been here at least a week, if not more."

"Oh god." Murota's voice quivered. "What do they want with us?"

"I don't know," Touya said.

He felt like he was missing something vastly important, though for the life of him, he couldn't think of what it was.

Murota began weeping. "I wanna go home."

"I know," Touya said in what he hoped was a soothing tone. Empathy had never been his strong suit. "We're going to get out of this."

"Really?" Murota asked hopefully.

"Yes," Touya lied. "But you need to stop crying, okay?"

"Okay." There was a loud sniffle and Murota's sobs stopped.

"Good," Touya said, relieved that the crying had stopped. "Now, I need you to think. Do you remember anything about the people who captured you? What they looked like, their names, anything?"

"Uh…" Murota said slowly. "You're gonna think I'm crazy."

"Try me," Touya said.

"Don't laugh, okay?" Murota said.

"I won't. I promise," Touya said.

"I was surrounded by these…creatures that dragged me off. They had beady eyes and grey skin," Murota said. "You don't believe me, do you?" he added angrily.

"Of course I believe you," Touya said. "It sounds like you were taken by the same group that got me."

"Really?" Murota asked.

"Yeah," Touya said. "Now, do you remember anyone else besides the creatures? Were there humans too?"

"Yeah," Murota said confidently. "There was a dark-haired man with tan skin and a dot on his forehead, a younger kid, maybe seventeen or so with dark hair and brown eyes, and another kid who was even younger, like fourteen or fifteen with blonde hair and blue eyes."

"What about their names?" Touya pressed.

"Uh…" Murota said.

"Quiet!" Touya hissed as his sharp hearing picked up the sound of footsteps heading in their direction. "Someone's coming."

"You can hear them?" Murota asked in amazement.

"Just be quiet!" Touya hissed again. "I don't know if they want us talking to each other or what they'll do to us if they find out."

"Okay," Murota said.

Thankfully, he fell silent after that. Touya held his breath as he listened to the footsteps come nearer and nearer. Then, they passed his cell. He exhaled as quietly as he could. Then inhaled again when the footsteps stopped in front of what Touya presumed was Murota's cell. There was a loud metallic groaning sound and then a man started speaking in a low voice. Touya strained to hear what he said.

"Have you thought about our proposal?" the man said.

"Yeah and my answer is the same as it was before. I ain't joinin' a buncha freaks like you," Murota said with a surprising amount of vehemence.

"That's too bad," the man said, his voice never losing its calm, polite demeanor, and for some reason that chilled Touya to the bone. "We could have used a man with your talents." He sighed rather dramatically. "I had hoped you would see our point of view. There are more persuasive methods of convincing you, but we are short on time. I'm afraid we're going to have to do this the hard way. Gourmet?"

There were heavier footsteps and a yell from Murota.

"What are you…?" Murota's question ended in a horrible scream.

Touya closed his eyes and tried to block out the sickening sound of Murota being eaten alive. He knew there were certain demons who ate humans. As a Shinobi, he had occasionally come into contact with them either as an employer or as a target. He had tried to work with them in a polite, professional manner even though he generally found them repulsive.

They always had really bad breath too.

At last, there was silence again, though that was worse in some ways because it made the absence of Murota conspicuous. There had not been time for them to bond or get to know each other and Touya had never even seen his face and yet he was filled with grief over his loss.

He heard departing footsteps, but he barely acknowledged them, trying to fight off nausea and fear. Would he be next? Was it his fate to die like Murota? Did they know what he really was, or did they think he was just a normal human like Murota?

Other things were bugging him as well. Why were he and Murota even taken? Why were humans and demons working together? Had Murota died for a reason? There were too many questions and no way for them to be answered. He had little hope of being rescued as well. He was sure that although Kurama and the others knew he was gone, they had no way to track him. All he could do was wait and see what became of him.

.o.O.o.

Touya opened his eyes at the sound of metal scraping and groaning. He blinked as his cell was flooded with light. A man stepped into the cell. He was older, perhaps late twenties or early thirties with short dark hair, large square glasses, and a lab coat. His expression was placid, but Touya could sense a wolfish demeanor underneath.

"Hello," he said in a soft voice that made Touya's skin crawl. "My name is Doctor." Touya said nothing, staring hatefully up at one of his captors. After a while, Doctor continued, "I'm sure there are many things you are wondering about. Who we are, what we're doing, what you're doing here, and so on. I'm afraid there's not much I can tell you."

"You can't tell me or you won't tell me?" Touya asked angrily, trying to sit up. He felt a wave of dizziness and he had to lay back down and close his eyes.

"Easy there," Doctor said, though he sounded more amused than concerned. "You don't want to overdo it in your state, do you?"

"What do you mean?" Touya asked, keeping his eyes closed. "What have you done to me?"

"I haven't done anything," Doctor said.

"Then why do I feel so dizzy and weak?" Touya asked.

"You are feeling the effects of very special handcuffs," Doctor said. "Designed specifically for demons, they sap your energy. Although it seems they're a little stronger than intended. We did not account for the child you are carrying."

Touya's mouth went dry. He opened his eyes and stared up at his captor. "You're…you lying. I can't be."

"I confirmed it myself. You are six weeks pregnant," Doctor said. "There was some concern when you took your time waking up so they consulted me. I am still a doctor when all is said and done and you are much more valuable to use alive."

"Why?" Touya asked.

"Why do you think?" Doctor's smile was predatory.

"Bait," Touya whispered in horror. "You're using me as bait."

"That's right," Doctor said.

"Why? What interest do you have with Urameshi and the others?" Touya asked.

Doctor only smiled enigmatically. Touya growled in frustration.

"Of course, just having you isn't enough," Doctor said, walking over to Touya. He crouched down. "We need to provide them with an incentive."

Touya flinched as a needle pricked the skin of his neck and then Doctor injected something into his body.

"What did you give me?" Touya demanded, fear coursing through him.

"A virus of my own creation," Doctor said with a smug smile. "We haven't had a demon test subject yet so it will be interesting to see how your reaction differs from a human's. And there's also your pregnancy to consider and the effects that will have. Will you let the child within you die so you can save yourself or will you die to try and save it?"

He laughed and Touya felt a wave of revulsion. This man was a doctor. He was supposed to save lives, not perform sick experiments like this. Touya couldn't even find the words to express how disgusted he was. Meanwhile, Doctor kept laughing as he departed from Touya's cell.

As soon as he was gone, Touya closed his eyes. If he was six weeks pregnant, as Doctor had said, he should be able to sense it. All living creatures gave off energy of some kind, even those not yet born. It would take a great deal of focus, but if there really was a child growing inside him, he would know. He tried to slow his breathing and clear his mind, not an easy task in his circumstances. He took several calm breaths and quieted his mind from his racing thoughts. Then, he reached out, searching. For a few moments, he found nothing. But then…

It was unmistakable.

He could sense his child's life, feel it stirring within him. He let out a low moan.

What am I going to do? He thought. Is there any way to survive this? I could let the baby die, but am I willing to sacrifice an innocent life for mine? No, I already have enough blood on my hands. I have to at least try to save it. I may end up losing my life but so be it.

He breathed deeply and reached out. He would use whatever small amount of demon energy he had left to shield the baby and then when that ran out, he would use his life energy.

I don't know how long I will last once I have to tap into my life energy, he thought. Please hurry, Kurama. Please.