Hiei stood still as a statue. His eyes were empty and his skin was cold to the touch. Sayomi clenched her teeth and glared at Kaito. "What did you do?!"
Holding up Hiei's soul, Kaito calmly answered, "Say the forbidden word inside my territory… and your soul gets sucked out. Doesn't matter how powerful you are…" He pushed up his glasses and said, "I became aware of this ability about a month ago, and set out to understand its effects. I can create a peculiar 'space' around me, and so can my friends. We call them 'territories.' Mine has a maximum radius of 10M. You may leave or enter as you like. Those with a sixth sense, though, feel uneasy when they set foot inside it. And those are pretty much the parameters."
"So if we win, Hiei's soul will be restored?" Kurama asked.
Kaito looked down at the purple flame in his hand. "I don't know what will happen. I've never lost." He looked up at Kurama as he adjusted his frames. Kurama returned the stare. "So will you leave or fight? No pressure. It's entirely up to you."
"Hah! There's another option!" Kuwabara declared. He pumped his fist and said, "We leave Hiei to stew and go on! That's my choice!"
"Huh?!" Botan reeled on the boy and yelled, "You want to leave him like this?!"
"You bet I do!" Kuwabara stuffed his hands in his pockets and scowled. "It's his fault! He puffed himself up and said the taboo word right to that guy's face. He deserves to be stuck here."
Sayomi listened to Kuwabara's reasoning then looked at Hiei's soulless body. He does make a good point…
"I agree," Kaito said. "That's the best option. You're smarter than you look."
"You can just shut up!" Kuwabara growled.
"Coming through, then?"
"Who said that?" Sayomi and the others looked down the hallway just past Kaito. There was another teenage boy standing in front of a door with an abstract pattern. He wore baggy clothes similar to Kuwabara's and he was chewing gum. Half of his purple hair was braided tightly around his head while the rest stood straight up.
Kaito slid a glance over to his comrade and said, "That's the only way forward and he's got the key."
Kuwabara stomped towards the newcomer and towered over him with a menacing glare. "Gimme the key and step aside."
"No thanks." The boy blew a bubble until it popped. He smirked and held up the key. "Why don'tcha take it from me, Kuwa-Baby?"
Sayomi ducked her head as she quietly laughed at the name. Heh heh, sorry Kuwabara. That one was kinda funny…
Kuwabara twitched and he pulled back his fist. "I'll do just that!" Before his punch could land, an invisible barrier stopped Kuwabara's assault. He reeled back his aching fist instantly. "Eeouch!"
"Heh…" The new boy raised a finger and gently poked Kuwabara's forehead. "You seem to forget… violence is verboten in Kaito's territory. You need to go easy, and think!" Kuwabara could only glare in fury as the boy smirked and tucked the key into his breast pocket. "Heh heh…"
"Seems we have no choice. It's his rules, or retreat." Kurama pulled up a chair and took a seat, crossing both his arms and legs. Botan pulled up a chair and sat down with the tool kit in her lap. Kuwabara sat backwards as he rested his head and hugged the back of the chair. Sayomi leaned against the main door with one foot propped up behind her and crossed her arms.
As time ticked on, Sayomi could feel the tension in the room. The silence dragged until Kuwabara threw up his hands and said, "Argh! I can't stand just sitting here! It's driving me nuts!" He turned to Kurama and asked, "Can't you think of a way to beat him, Kurama?!"
"And get us through that door? Hmm… Maybe."
"Really? How?!"
Kurama turned his attention to the flame in Kaito's palm. "We'd have to get Hiei's soul back first."
"Why? What for?" Kuwabara groaned.
"He may be a pain sometimes, but he's still part of the team." Sayomi arched a brow and asked, "Would you still call yourself a man if you left one of your teammates to perish? Would you still see yourself as better than Seiryu or Risho?"
Kuwabara opened his mouth and shut it a couple times before he frowned and slumped back into his chair. Sweat glistened on his skin as he clenched his teeth and turned his annoyed glare towards Kaito.
Botan sighed as she fanned herself with her hand. Sayomi stole a glance of Kurama and Kaito. Despite the obvious heat, the two intellectuals seemed just fine. She fought the urge to cover up with her hood. It could show weakness. If anything, I can handle the heat. It's just the damn humidity…
"At least let's discuss stuff," Kuwabara groaned. "We just won't say… y'know, that word!" He pointed at Kaito and said, "So Kurama, this dude here… what's he like anyway?"
Without taking his eyes off his classmate, Kurama answered. "He's Yu Kaito. We're in the same class, but he's the quiet type. I've never seen him hang out with anybody. He's always been known to have an exceptionally high IQ. He may be the smartest student the school's ever known."
"You know better than that, Kurama." Without looking up from his book, Kaito said, "Your combined exam scores always exceed mine."
"But you excel in the humanities, Kaito." Kurama continued. "He's already published several philosophical papers and books of literary criticism. He's a rising star among the literati, a specialist of the written word."
"A literary prodigy, eh?" Kuwabara grunted. "Guess y'can't judge by appearances."
"Thanks," Kaito replied.
"Man, it's freakin' steamy in here!" Kuwabara wiped the sweat from his chin to emphasize his claim. "That yer way of gettin' us to say you-know-what?"
"80 degrees F, 80% humidity… for my tropical plants. Rough for anyone not used to it." Kaito looked back down at his book and said, "There're drinks in the fridge if you're thirsty. Glasses are in the cabinet."
Kuwabara stood up from his seat. "Laced with poison or truth serum, I bet! You drink first, pal."
"Truth serum… hadn't thought of that." Kaito looked up from his book as he pondered over the idea. Then he smiled and pointed at Kuwabara. "Darn clever, guy."
Gritting his teeth, Kuwabara grumbled, "Don't sound so surprised about it!"
Botan took the chance to get up from her chair. "I'll fetch them. Sitting's driving me bonkers, too." She kneeled in front of the small fridge to check its contents. "Wow, all kinds of beverages!" She looked back at the group and asked, "How about orange juice, guys?"
"Sure," Kuwabara accepted eagerly.
"That'll be fine," Kurama smiled.
"Never tried it, but it sounds good," Sayomi nodded.
Kuwabara held up a finger and said, "Two shots, with ice, in a clear glass, and a straw if there are any."
"Want fries with that?" Botan asked sarcastically.
Sayomi smirked until she noticed Kuwabara gasp. She looked at the teen and saw a bright orange flame surrounding his body, much like Hiei before.
"What?!" Botan gasped and got to her feet.
"Two down," Kaito mumbled.
The orange flame surrounding Kuwabara burst from his body and landed in Kaito's hand. Kuwabara's body remained still, frozen in shock.
"What's this?!" Kurama racked his brain for an explanation.
"Hey four-eyes!" Botan yelled and pointed an accusing finger. "Kuwabara didn't say 'hot'!"
Kurama turned to the reaper. "Um…"
Sayomi slapped her forehead with her palm. Damn it, Botan!
"Oops!" Botan laughed nervously and covered her mouth. "Nerts!" Then a pale blue flame engulfed Botan and flew to Kaito's hand.
Sayomi clenched her fists and kicked off from the door. She glared down at Kaito as she slowly walked forward. "What did you do? Botan I can understand, but why did you target Kuwabara? He didn't say the word."
"The thing about my taboo is…" Kaito pushed up his glasses and looked up at her, unfazed by her anger. "…It's very strict, and most unyielding. Simply expressing 'H,' 'O,' and 'T' right in a row is enough. I didn't think that up, it's just how it is."
"Likely excuse." Sayomi narrowed her eyes dangerously.
"Believe what you want," Kaito replied without worry.
"Let's see…" Kurama pondered out loud. "…Kuwabara's mistake was…"
Sayomi glanced at Kurama before glaring back at Kaito. So H, O, and T, huh? Botan asked if we wanted juice. Kuwabara went off on a short list of things. Let's see, he said something about two shots, with ice, in a… Oh… damn… Her eyes widened as she began to piece everything together.
"Y'know, souls are really quite pretty." Kaito stared down at the three colored flames in his hand. "The girl's color is especially nice. The soul is the one thing no one can fortify… it's vital, yet so very fragile. A little squeeze can crush it… and not just a physical one. Our doubts and insecurities are its greatest enemies." He looked up and locked eyes with Kurama. "If I scratched one… what do you suppose would happen?"
Before Sayomi could speak, Kurama leaned back in his chair and clasped his hands together in front of his chest. "Try it, if you like. But that would violate my taboo." He extended a single index finger to point at Kaito. His eyes, though still green, reminded Sayomi of the Fox Demon. "You harm those souls, in any way… and you will not live. Those are my parameters."
"Well…" Kaito adjusted his frames. "…I do believe you're showing your true face."
"That's not all I'll show." Kurama held up a familiar key.
When did he…? Sayomi's eyebrows creased in confusion.
"Huh?! Is that…" Kaito quickly got to his feet and checked his pockets. "…the key to the door?!"
"No! Can't be!" Sayomi looked down the hall. She saw Kaito's accomplice pat down his own pockets. "How'd he get it?! Whuh?!" He looked up at the ceiling when he noticed vines hanging down above him.
"You never noticed, did you?" Kurama crossed his arms, tucking the key away. "A simple trick, really, and quite painless." Sayomi stepped back when the greenery in the room sprouted behind the fox. "Nice to know I can still do my thing, even by your rules."
"He controls plants, and had one pick my pocket!" The young boy perspired nervously.
"Take good care of their souls. Because I will take them back." Without relaxing his glare, Kurama continued. "So tell me… could you change your taboo if you wished? I'll not break yours… nor will you break mine, however long we may sit here."
Kaito sat down in his chair and laced his fingers in front of his face. "Of course I can change my taboo. It was always my intention to take things to a more advanced level once you were the last one left." He glanced at Sayomi. "Though it is a little sooner than planned."
"Need I remind you of your own comrade in the room?" Kurama pointed at Kaito, as if aiming a gun at him. "If you'll let me choose a mutual taboo, I'll guarantee to make you say it within 26 minutes."
"Oh?" Kaito stroked his chin as he mulled over the proposal. "And if I don't say it within that time?"
Kurama locked eyes with Kaito for a solid minute before he spoke. "You may have both of our souls."
Sayomi shifted her eyes from Kurama to Kaito and back respectively. When Kurama finished speaking, she could feel the heat drain from her body. Ah damn. Kurama, I hope you know what you're doing…
"The point is, the matter will be settled!" Kurama explained for all parties. "Whichever of us says the taboo loses, but if time runs out you're the winner by default. Are we agreed? Or don't you trust the terms?"
Kaito took more time to think over Kurama's terms. Meanwhile, Sayomi tried to figure out Kurama's plan. If he guarantees it, then it can't fail, right? But betting my soul too really puts me on edge.
"Very well, we are agreed!" Kaito pointed at Kurama and asked, "What taboo do you propose?"
Kurama calmly explained the rules. "It consists of one letter, to which, each minute, another will be added. The first will be 'Z'. After that 'Y,' and then 'X'… and so on, in descending alphabetical order. Putting it another way, the letters we can say will vanish, one after the other, until all 26 letters are gone."
"Ha ha ha!" Kaito laughed and smiled at Kurama like an old friend. "A clever scheme and a worthy challenge." He glanced at the clock behind him. "It's now 12:50 AM. Let's start at 1:00 AM on the dot."
"Sayomi."
The demoness turned to the red-head curiously. "Yeah?"
Without taking his eyes off Kaito, Kurama said, "I want to apologize for waging your soul as well, but time is of the essence. I will advise you to refrain from speaking from this point forward."
Sayomi opened her mouth to ask a question, then closed it and nodded. If I risk speaking the wrong thing at the wrong time, then I really will lose my soul. I won't have a problem staying quiet, but neither of us are telepathic. What if something happens and I can't warn him?
When the clock struck one, Kaito pulled out a sheet of paper and the letters of the alphabet appeared in black ink. "We begin!" Seconds ticked by before Kaito said, "Our conversational options will diminish minute by minute."
Kurama stared without speaking. Sayomi glared at the smug boy. He's showing off…
"Heh…" Kaito smirked as a minute ticked by and a red X crossed over the letter Z. He leaned over the table and pointed at Kurama. "So much for the last letter of the alphabet… and 'Y' is next to go. We should say 'Y' now while we still may. I just used it four times."
Kurama smiled a friendly smile and said, "I had no idea you could be so chatty. There… that's twice for me. Just don't get too eager to prove something."
"Don't worry." Kaito smiled with pride. "Words are my forte."
A few more minutes ticked by. Y, X, and W were crossed out on the list.
"So it goes." Kaito stared down at the letters in wonder. "Interesting that talk is still possible missing these letters."
"It's about to get a lot trickier," Kurama warned.
Letters V, U, and T followed shortly after.
Kaito adjusted his glasses, putting his thoughts in order. "I am, I see, less glib."
"As am I," Kurama replied.
Kaito stood up from his seat, catching Kurama's attention. "Going?"
"Need a break." Kaito made his way to the hall and opened another door. He pointed at his friend and said, "No speaking, hear me?"
Once Kaito shut the other door, Sayomi saw Kurama take immediate action. He smiled at her and put a finger to his lips. She saw the plants in the room grow at a surprising rate around her. Within a few minutes, the room was entangled with tropical greenery. Sayomi looked back towards Kurama and found his chair empty.
Where did he go? She looked at her friends' souls left floating on the table. Is it really okay to just leave them here? Maybe he's got something planned. Should I hide too? Or does he want me to do something else? Man, I never thought I would miss Hiei's telepathy.
She heard a loud thud down the hallway followed by a toilet flush. Oh crap! Sayomi quickly engulfed herself in her aura and maneuvered through the shadows in the room.
She could hear the door slam open and rushed footsteps, but no other sound was made. What made that loud sound anyway? It came from the hallway… does it have to do with that other human?
Sayomi continued to listen as Kaito's footsteps brought him into the thick of the small jungle. He walked until he was back at the table. Sayomi resisted the urge to manifest too soon. How much longer? Please make your move soon, Kurama!
Kaito stayed at the center of the room, taking nervous steps as he stayed alert of his surroundings. He listened and watched for movement in the brush. He perspired as the challenge drew close to its end.
Sayomi could almost feel his anticipation to win against his academic rival. Any minute now, Kurama…
Time seemed to drag on as the only sound of the ticking clock echoed in the room. Every few seconds felt painfully slow as Sayomi lost track of the actual time. Just as she was about to manifest in front of Kaito, she was shocked out of her thoughts by a loud yell.
"A!"
Sayomi felt relief that soon slipped into worry. I'm glad I'm still a shadow. Can't make a sound without a physical body. Uh-oh… He didn't scream or anything? He must really want to beat Kurama.
"Pfft… Ha ha ha ha ha! Ha… Aw crap!"
Sayomi solidified in time to see a yellow flame leave Kaito's body. He fell back, frozen mid-laugh and pointing up at something. She looked up and saw Kurama smile and wink at her. The plants in the room quickly receded back to normal and Kurama jumped down from the chandelier. He took a seat in his chair and said, "You did well, Sayomi."
"Whoa!" Botan exclaimed.
"We're body and soul again!" Kuwabara stared at his hands in wonder.
"Yep. And Kaito's territory is gone," Kurama confirmed.
"Kurama!"
"Sayomi!"
Sayomi couldn't stop smiling at her rescued friends. "You guys missed out! Although, I kinda missed some of the end. Probably a good thing." She smirked down at Kaito's body, his soul floating above his chest.
"So he got the giggles and lost his soul, huh? What a moron." Kuwabara rubbed the back of his hand across his chin. "Nailed by his own talent. Dunno how you did it, Kurama, but nice work."
Kurama smiled and said, "In such a contest, trying to avoid the taboo is the best way to trip up."
Botan looked down at the frozen teen in curiosity. "Wonder what was so funny?"
Kuwabara looked down at Kaito and his face became slightly pale. "Yeah… Did you pull a goony face or something, Kurama?"
Kurama rested his head against his open hand and wagged his finger with a glint in his eye. "That is a trade secret."
Sayomi smirked when she saw Hiei looking at anything except the group. She walked up to him and crossed her arms. "So how did it feel to be the first to purposely get caught by a human?"
"Hn." Hiei turned away from her and shoved his hands in his pockets.
"awww, come on," Sayomi teased. "I even told you how similar you were to Yusuke."
"Stop comparing me to the detective," Hiei snapped.
Sayomi sighed and glared at the fire demon's back. "I don't mean anything bad by it."
"I don't care what you mean." Hiei turned back to return her glare. "I told you to stay out of my sight. Do I need to restrict you from speaking to me as well?"
"Hiei!" Botan scolded the fire demon. "There's no need to speak to Sayomi like that! I thought you two were good friends."
"I don't need friends." Hiei aimed his glare at the reaper, silencing her protests. "I'm just here to earn my freedom. After that, the rest of you can perish for all I care."
"I told you guys we shoulda just left him behind!" Kuwabara glared down at the swordsman. "Listen short-stuff, if it weren't for us, you'd still be in that wordy nerd's hand!"
"If I recall, it was Kurama who handled the situation," Hiei countered.
"At least I didn't get captured by humans…" Sayomi replied.
Hiei glared at her. Before he could retort, Kurama interrupted. "That's enough. We need to move forward. I have one key, Kaito should have the other."
Kuwabara kneeled down and searched Kaito's pockets until he found the key. "Got it! Let's go."
They made their way down the hall and saw the other teen passed out on the floor. Sayomi shook her head in pity. At least he doesn't look hurt. Probably Kurama's plants if I had to guess.
Kurama opened the first door and Kuwabara opened a second door. They were immediately met with a third locked door with a note.
Sayomi sighed. "So there's a third key? Are all human homes this annoying?"
"Let's look for the key first. After that, we can progress forward." Kurama turned back to the main room and began searching.
"Right!" Botan rummaged through her briefcase and pulled out a small, round piece of glass. "The See-Through Glass is perfect for such an occasion!" She held the small glass to her eye and started scanning the walls, shelves, and floorboards.
Kuwabara looked through the cabinets and brushed his hands along the high shelves. Hiei walked around the room with his eyes closed, but Sayomi could see the faint glow beneath his headband. Kurama rummaged through the plotted plants, digging through the soil and checking the leaves. Sayomi searched the bathroom and came up empty.
"I can't find anything," Botan said worriedly.
"Me either. Are we sure there's a third key?" Kuwabara asked. "Maybe it's another trap."
"Let's wake our sleeping friend," Kurama suggested. "If it's not in this room, then he should know where to find it."
They walked back to the unconscious teen and Sayomi nudged him with her foot. "Hey, wake up."
"Unh! Uh…" The boy groaned and opened his eyes. He looked up and saw Sayomi and the others looming over him.
"How are you feeling?" Kurama asked.
The boy sat up and smirked. "You beat Kaito, I presume. Too tricky for his own good, eh?"
"Where's the third key?" Kurama skipped straight to the point.
Botan glared and said, "We found the second key on Kaito, but we couldn't find the third one even with the See-Through Glass."
"Naturally." He pointed behind them and chuckled. "It's buried under the tree outside. Good thing you didn't force this door open… It wouldn't have gone well for Urameshi."
"Harm him and see what happens," Sayomi warned.
Kurama held up the note and said, "This sign was on the door… 'Open without Yanagisawa's permission and Urameshi dies."
"The guy who built this place was bats," Kuwabara commented. "A foyer with three doors? Sheesh!"
Yanagisawa got to his feet and Kuwabara followed him outside. When they came back with the key, the third door was opened. They were immediately faced with another mind-bending obstacle.
"Aw, cripes!" Kuwabara exclaimed. "Three doors, then seven stairways?!"
"Urameshi's on the second floor," Yanagisawa told the group. "Question is, which of these stairways goes up there?"
"Just one will, I take it," Kurama replied.
"Did I say that?" Yanagisawa smirked. "Doesn't matter, really. You still have to choose."
"Hold on a sec!" Botan raised her finger to stop everyone. She opened her briefcase and pulled out a round sticker with small souls floating around the border. "Underworld Tools 5: Tracking Stickers! (Stack of 100!) They're a modification of the tattoo stamps we use when arresting criminals. Only the person who sticks it on can peel it off. It will come off by itself only if that person dies. The color changes with his or her condition. Blue: normal. Yellow: minor wound. Red: major wound."
"So if we put our names on them and stick them on each other, we'll each have a way of knowing if anything's happened to anyone else." Kurama looked up at Yanagisawa for permission to use the stickers.
The teen closed his eyes and said, "I'm fine with that."
Botan pulled out a marker and passed out stickers for everyone. Once they had their names written, they proceeded with placing them on each other. Sayomi smirked when she noticed Hiei's annoyed expression.
"Hmph…" Hiei glared down at the blue stickers on his chest.
"Okay, we're all blue," Botan observed.
"So who's taking what set of stairs?" Sayomi asked.
"I'll take this one." Kuwabara claimed the orange stairway.
"And me… this one." Botan chose the pink stairs.
"Be careful everyone…" Kurama stood in front of the green stairs.
Hiei silently walked to the blue stairway and Sayomi chose the purple. "See you guys upstairs."
As Sayomi ascended the stairs, the hallway became pitch black. The only lights to guide her steps were the neon purple lights outlining the stairs. She arched her brow and said, "Whoever built this home must have been a very peculiar human."
As she climbed, she noticed the steps gradually became smaller and smaller until it was a smooth ascending slope. Sayomi had to use her hands and feet to climb up the steep angle. "I wonder if the others are having better luck with their climb… Huh?"
She quickly looked to the side and noticed another lit pathway. She turned to the other side to see another. "Oh great… I should be okay so long as I don't stray from this path, right? How much more do I have to climb anyways?"
She climbed for what felt like an hour until she bumped her head against an invisible wall. "Ow… What the hell? Don't tell me I somehow took the wrong path!"
She raised a hand to feel the black wall and she carefully got to her feet. She leaned forward to keep from falling back and she groped the wall with her hands. "Please…"
When she found a round knob, she grinned. "Yes!" She opened the door and stepped into a large room. She immediately saw Yusuke standing still with his fists raised in front of a large lamp. A third kidnapper stood in front of him without worry. Then, four other doors opened to her left. Hiei, Kuwabara, Botan, and Kurama had made it to the top.
"Yusuke?!" Botan called in worry.
"Guys!" Yusuke yelled in relief.
"Here we go," The kidnapper muttered. He had short, bleached blond hair and dark circles under his eyes, making him look tired. He wore a black school uniform, but his white undershirt was untucked and it hung low under his jacket.
Kuwabara pointed at Yusuke and said, "You're just standing there? We thought you'd been captured!"
"I have been!" Yusuke yelled angrily. "And stay where you are! He can freeze anyone by stepping on his or her shadow!"
"What?!" Sayomi glared at Yusuke's abductor. A human with a shadow technique? Why didn't I think of that?
"That's right…" the kidnapper confirmed. "But to be frank, that's the least of your worries."
"Whaddya mean?" Kuwabara asked.
"Mr. Urameshi…" The boy pointed a thumb at Sayomi and the others. "One of your friends here is a fake."
"What…?" Yusuke looked at his friends in shock.
"You have ten minutes to figure out which one. They, however, are not allowed to speak except to answer your questions."
"A fake?!" Kuwabara reeled. "Are you on somethin'?!"
"Who could put on a disguise that quickly?" Botan protested.
"You just heard the rules," The teen calmly warned. "Don't you care what happens to the hostage? Y'see, to present one of you as a fake means that the real one is not here, but with a colleague of mine who might take exception to any attack on me."
"So this was all pre-planned," Kurama concluded.
"Nine more minutes." The kidnapper looked down at his wristwatch. "Are you in or not?"
"You say one of them's a fake?!" Yusuke questioned. "They all look real to me!"
"Eight minutes, 30 seconds."
"Kuwabara!" Yusuke yelled on reflex. "What's your birthday and blood type?!"
"Mine?" Kuwabara pointed at himself then said, "Don't be stupid! You've never asked me what they are!"
"Oh… heh… Right." Yusuke deadpanned.
"Think of something else… fast!" Kuwabara yelled angrily.
"Oh brother…" Sayomi and the others sighed at the duo's exchange.
"Your sister! What's her name?" Yusuke quickly recovered.
"Shizuru. She's 18, likes Bunta Sugawara and Ken Takakura and is way tougher than me."
"Kurama!" Yusuke turned to the red-head. "What's your mom's name?"
"Shiori Minamino, 40 years old. She's getting remarried this fall." Kurama smiled as he talked about his mother.
"Really?!" Yusuke grinned. "That's cool! Invite me to the wedding, okay?"
"Seven minutes," the kidnapper reminded his hostage.
"Sayomi!" Yusuke yelled urgently. "What's your brother's name?"
"Yasuhiro," Sayomi crossed her arms and said, "He's a wanted criminal and I thought he was dead until recently."
"Botan!" Yusuke turned to the reaper and asked, "What d'you measure?! Top to bottom…"
"What kinda question's that?!" Botan yelled. "I've never told you my measurements, moron!"
"Don't lie to me! I remember!" Yusuke protested.
"Huh? You do?" Botan blinked and tapped her chin in thought. "Umm…" She blushed and glared at the delinquent. "No you don't! And I ain't tellin'!"
"Darn…" Yusuke sulked. "You didn't fall for it…"
"Hmph!" Hiei grunted. "This is going nowhere."
"Okay, Hiei!" Yusuke turned to the swordsman. "Your sister! What's her name?!"
Hiei stared at Yusuke for a moment. Then he said, "I don't need to say. You know who she is!"
Yusuke glared and clenched his teeth. "He's right, I'm getting nowhere…"
"What?!" Kuwabara looked down at Hiei in shock. "You mean he has a sister? What an evil-eyed horror she must be! Brrrr!"
Hiei glared coldly at Kuwabara and muttered under his breath. "You're so dead…"
"Oh, he wasn't supposed to know…" Botan whispered.
"Shh!" Kurama warned, putting a finger to his lips.
Sayomi sighed and shook her head. How does she make it through the day?
"I wasn't?" Kuwabara turned to his friends. "Why? He could have a dozen sisters for all I care!"
"Well…" Kurama stared down at Hiei.
"Don't look at me!" Hiei growled.
Sayomi smirked at Hiei's awkward situation. You wouldn't be in this situation if you were just honest about it.
Shut up, woman…
"It's… a long story…." Kurama stalled.
"Then save it!" Kuwabara snapped. "You're creeping me out! Who is she?!"
"Five minutes," the kidnapper reminded them.
"I'll tell you later, okay?" Kurama relented.
"You'd better!" Kuwabara warned then turned back to Yusuke. "C'mon, Urameshi! Make a guess!"
"I can't just guess!" Yusuke yelled. "The stakes are too high!"
"Four minutes, 30 seconds…"
"Arrrr…" Yusuke gritted his teeth until he saw Kuwabara. "Eh?"
"Lookie! Lookie!" Kuwabara whispered, pointing at his own chest.
"Those stickers…" Yusuke blinked. "What are they?"
"Underworld Tools Tracking Stickers!" Botan growled in frustration. "You're supposed to know all the tools by sight!"
"Oh yeah…" Yusuke grinned. "That's right."
"Some Underworld Detective you are…" Botan muttered.
Yusuke dropped the jokes and said, "I do know they can only be removed by whoever sticks them on."
"Yeah," Botan pointed at the stickers on her chest. "Each is tuned to the distinct 'aura print' of whichever human or demon handles it. Only that handler can remove it. And there's no way to fake someone's 'aura print.' An impersonator could not remove 'his' or 'her' stickers."
"That's it, Botan!" Yusuke cheered. "That's how we'll expose the fake!"
"Heh…" The kidnapper smirked.
Sayomi reached for her sticker on Kurama's arm as Botan reached for the sticker on her chest. And so everyone reached for their sticker and peeled it free.
"Huh?" Yusuke blinked in confusion. "You all did it!"
"But how?!" Botan asked, bewildered by the impossible. "One of us shouldn't be able to!"
"Which means there's no fake." Hiei glared at the boy. "It's all a bluff!"
"'Fraid not," the kidnapper denied. "One of you is not the real you. But if you can't tell, we might as well do away with the real one, eh?"
Yusuke gritted his teeth as he tried to puzzle out the imposter. Sayomi looked at each of her friends in turn and clenched her fists. Even I can't tell which one is fake. How could anyone manage such a thorough disguise?
"Time's up." The teen looked up from his watch to address Yusuke. "It's now or never. Choose. I'm now going to step off your shadow. But don't do anything foolish like attack me. It won't help. What you will do is punch the one you pick as hard as you can!"
"What?! Why?!" Yusuke reeled.
The kidnapper clenched his fist and said, "Only great pain will wipe away the assumed persona. You get one shot, so don't hold back." He stepped away from Yusuke's shadow.
Yusuke glared at the boy. "I don't get it. Why are you guys doing this?!"
"Not for ourselves, though it has been fun." He held up a rectangular device and said, "But enough talk! Choose! Or my next words will cause your real friend to suffer!"
Yusuke glared at his kidnapper and turned to his friends. "In that case… I've decided. And my choice is… you!"
Yusuke dashed forward and landed a strong punch to Kuwabara's face. The carrot-top flew back through the air until he crashed into a bunch of easels and paintings. Once the dust settled, it was Yanagisawa in Kuwabara's clothing. His cheek was swelling and his eyes stared up at nothing.
"Well done," the blond kid complimented. "How did you know?"
Yusuke glared at the boy and answered. "He was the biggest target… that's all. And I owed the real Kuwabara one."
"Heh… I see." The abductor smirked.
Yusuke explained the rest of his reasoning. "And I had to figure that, unlike me, Kurama, Hiei, and Sayomi aren't the sort to let themselves get caught by mere humans, no matter how talented. So it was between Botan and Kuwabara."
"Heh…" Sayomi chuckled. Unless you let yourself get caught on purpose, right, Hiei?
"Shut up!" Hiei growled under his breath.
Yusuke clenched his fist. "But if you were the sort of scum to nab Botan and mistreat her… then this wouldn't have been a contest but the start of all-out war. So it was down to Kuwabara."
"Aww…" Botan clasped her hands together and tears filled her eyes. "Yusuke…"
The blond boy clapped his hands and smiled. "Crude reasoning, but it worked. I'm impressed."
"Hooray for you!" Yusuke snapped. "Now release Kuwabara!"
"Yeah!" Botan pointed at him. "Or you're next!"
"Oh, we'll certainly release him…" The kidnapper swept his arm open to bring everyone's attention to the doors creaking open behind him. "But first, let me present the mastermind behind this edifying exercise."
"Who could it…?" Yusuke's eyes opened wide as he saw a figure walk into the room.
"Oh my goodness!" Botan exclaimed.
But… Why…? Sayomi couldn't believe her eyes.