Ch. 14!
Cora shifted, grunting as the surface beneath her pressed stiffly against her sore limbs. She wasn't entirely sure where she was exactly; the last she could remember was being in the forest with Kurama and Hiei. But the sound's and smells around her were evidence that they had been successful in at least escaping Dr. Ichigaki's robot and cowardly minion. She vaguely wonder weather the idiotic lizard demon was still alive... Cora reached out with her senses, unwilling to open her eyes at the moment for fear of being blinded after sleeping for so long. A strange energy pulsed around her, and if not for the smell of smoldering cinders, wood land musk and sweat she would have shot up in a panic. Where ever she was, Hiei was close by, so the situation couldn't have escalated any further, right? Cora sat up, her muscles tight and knotted from her deep slumber.
"About time you woke up, stupid girl."
"Good morning to you too."
"Hn."
Cora looked around in mild confusion; it seemed she was in some kind of medical tent with Hiei and the masked fighter. She could hear shouts from a massive crowd coming from outside the tent, and assumed they had made it back to the tournament. The energy she had sensed before was surrounding the tent, electric blue in color, and felt rather weak in Cora's opinion. Cora was about to question Hiei about why they were in the tent, when a booming voice came over the PA system.
"Attention! This is an order from management- the rules states that a fighter standing in the ring can not be removed against their own free will. As Kurama is still standing, he can not be removed by force. Therefore, the request that a replacement fighter be brought into the ring for the next match has been denied." Cora glanced over to the ring, her confusion mounting. They were still fighting? Then what were Hiei and the masked fighter doing inside this medical tent?
In the ring stood a large man, with bulky muscles and heavily scared skin. A victorious grin was split across his face as he eyed his opponent with chilling eyes. Kurama stood only a couple feet from him, his body bloody and beaten from his previous fight.
"What the hell?!" Cora shouted, jumping from the table and towards the entrance of the medical tent. "I leave you guys alone for a couple hours and Kurama try's to get himself killed?!"
"The council is playing dirty." Hiei said, his jaw clenched so tightly it was a shock his teeth hadn't shattered. "They started the third round right after the Dr.'s team was defeated, and then trapped the three of us in this tent to prevent us from participating."
"Kurama isn't even conscious at this point." The masked fighter stated making Cora's eyes widen in shock. "With the declaration from the overseers, this makes Kurama's third match. Unfortunately Bakken will take this point."
"I give zero fucks about the damn point! If Kurama's not even conscious, how do they expect him to fight?! That's bull shit!"
"That's life little girl." Cora turned back around to see a woman with long red hair, voluptuous curves and a cocky grin staring down at her. A nurses cap sat upon her head, and strange green vines crisscrossed her skin, covering only what was necessary. Cora turned back to Hiei, pointing at said woman with her thumb.
"Who's the prostitute?"
Hiei bit back a smirk, a little entertained by Cora's lack of fear despite the situation at hand. The woman growled, a deep sneer contorting her beautiful face.
"She's the reason we're stuck here. Her name is Ruka, and she's an enchantress who specializes in defense incantations. She's trapped us here using a force field." The masked fighter said, her arm's folded neatly behind her back. Cora's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates at the sound of their silent team mates voice; how much did she miss out on?! Before she could question the shocking turn of events, Hiei spoke.
"The match has started." He said, making everyone turn their attention to the ring. It soon became apparent to Cora that the masked fighter had been right; Kurama was completely unconscious. He was little more then a rag doll in Bakken's grasp, his arms and legs flailing with each punch. Bakken knocked Kurama to the ground, kicking him repeatedly and making Kurama's body roll lifelessly across the ring. Koto, the ring announcer, shouted into her microphone for Bakken to back off.
"BAKKEN! Back off; Kurama's already on the ground! I have to do the count!"
Cora sighed, hopeful that the ten count would be quick. "I have to go; Kurama's going to need healed right away-"
"Didn't you hear what your team mates told you brat?" Ruka asked, the smug smirk playing on her lips again. "If a demon as strong as Hiei cant break through my force field, what makes you think a pathetic nobody like you could-?!"
Cora, infuriated by the very sound of Ruka's voice, picked up a pebble and threw it at her, smacking her right in the face despite her force field. Ruka held her cheek, a small dribble of blood running down the side of her chin and her eyes wide in shock. "Shut up! The only reason this shitty force field is even working on them is because their energy is depleted and you know it!" Cora, much to the shock of Ruka and Hiei, walked straight through the force field, the strange blue aura seeming to part for her like a curtain. "Lucky for me, I just woke up from a nap."
"Wha-how did you-?!" Ruka stepped back; despite her obvious size advantage, watching Cora walk through her force field unscathed was enough to make her second guess attacking the infuriating woman on the spot. Cora shot Ruka a harsh glare as she passed by, making her way to Yusuke's side. Ruka gulped in response, laying her hand over her chest in an attempt to calm her nerves. "Wh-what kind of monster is she...?"
Hiei stared after Cora, his face as calm as ever despite having witnessed Cora accomplish something he couldn't at the moment. "Don't act so shocked Hiei; Cora's energy doesn't work like ours. Unlike Cora, our energy is used offensively. As a meimu demon, Cora's energy acts as a mirror, reflecting back energy based attacks."
"Hn, so Ruka's energy was reflecting off of that stupid girls, making it possible for her to pass through unscathed." The masked fighter nodded in confirmation. "How convenient. And to think she would be forced to stay out of trouble."
"Cora's energy reflects around her alone. Even if you were to carry her yourself, you would still be unable to cross through the force field."
Hiei scoffed, slightly offended that the masked fighter would even suggest that he use that stupid girl to escape. He didn't need her help. Hiei flexed his right hand, pleased to feel the lessened pain that accompanied the action. While it was painfully slow, it seemed that Ruka's energy did have some kind of healing property to it, as he could feel his energy as well as that of the Masked fighter being restored. And all it would take is 75% of his energy restored to show Ruka that it was going to be hard to keep him in her cage.
Cora stared down at Kurama, gaging his wounds. He was lucky to be alive; various gashes, all an inch or more deep, covered his body from head to toe. His arm's were covered in vines from his death plant, which he had sewed into his own body. Cora grit her teeth, an unbelievable anger seeping into her core as she powered up her hands, tracing along the injuries. She started with the smallest wounds, barely flinching as she felt the sting of tearing flesh upon her arms and legs. When she moved on to the larger gashes, she hissed through her teeth, thankful for her raging emotions for taking the edge off. Cora felt her blood start to seep through her clothing, but she pressed on, taking the majority of Kurama's damage onto herself. She heard Yusuke and Botan gasped in shock as the injuries disappeared from Kurama's body and reappeared on Cora. "Whoa! Cora, stop-!" Yusuke reached out to try and pull her back.
"Don't touch me." Cora snapped at him before his hand could make contact. Yusuke gulped, pulling his hand back in a flash; he was unused to such a dark tone coming from the small girl. "If you touch me while I'm working, the injuries will transfer to you instead."
"You're fucking crazy! Are you trying to kill yourself?!" Yusuke shouted at her just as Cora finished her work. Ten bruises, four of which are from broken bones. Fifteen cuts, three gashes, one major wound to her abdomen. She let the death plant be, knowing that it would definitely kill her to try and remove it. "You're going to bleed out-"
"I'm taking this match." Cora said, standing up with mild difficulty due to the hair line fracture on her right femur. Cora glanced over at Kuwabara who too seemed to be to injured to move, though she wasn't sure where he had obtained his injuries. "I'll come back and take care of Kuwabara after I've taken out Bakken."
"Like hell you are!"
"Cora, please don't be rash- you are in no condition to fight, especially now!" Botan said, her eyes pleading with Cora to change her mind.
Cora shook her head, turning on her heal and hobbling towards the ring. "I'm going to give this ass hole what he deserves; I'll make him feel every ounce of pain he put upon Kurama."
"I'm not going to let you enter the ring looking like a zombie-" Yusuke reached out again, this time with the intention of hitting Cora in the back of the neck. If he knocked her out, he could take this match and allow her to be healed-
"Don't. Touch. me." Cora said, her tone making every hair on the nap of Yusuke and Botan's neck stand up. Cora continued walking, her eyes set on Bakken who was watching them with amused eyes. She felt as if her chest was about to explode with the anger that had settled into her core.
"Damn it..." Yusuke said, a cold sweat breaking out over his forehead.
"I've never heard Cora sound so... demonic before." Botan said, a deep frown tugging at the corners of her mouth.
"Just let her go guys." Kuwabara said from his spot on the ground some four feet away. "Kurama... he's like a brother to her. He was the only person she had for a long time... I can't imagine, how I would feel... if I ever had to sit back and watch my big sis take a beating like that... no matter how injured I would be... I'd want to kill the bastards..."
"But she could die!" Yusuke exclaimed. He turned to the medical tent, pointing at Hiei who looked rather calm about the situation. "Hey! Why don't you knock some sense into your crazy partner?! She's going to get herself killed!"
"Don't interfere." Hiei said, his eyes narrowing in a threatening way towards Yusuke.
Yusuke growled, turning to walk towards the ring where Cora and Bakken now stood facing each other, waiting for the announcer to signal the start of their match. Botan grabbed his shoulder, stopping him mid step. "What the hell Botan?! You're just gonna let her fight like that?!"
"I think Kuwabara and Hiei are right, Yusuke. Demon's are much more territorial then humans. The are solitary by nature, but if a pack is formed, they are lethally loyal. They are willing to die to avenge their fallen members." Botan said, staring at the ring with worried eyes. "I don't like this anymore then you do, but with Hiei incapacitated, Cora must feel that the duty lies with her to avenge Kurama."
"Heh, heh, heh- what is this? Some kind of practical joke?"
Cora stood in the ring, her face devoid of all emotion and her shoulders slumped in a relaxed way. She didn't bother to answer Bakken; words would do no good when dealing with an idiot such as him. Bakken stared back at her, his smug smile faltering ever so slightly when Cora made no move to respond to his taunt.
"Umm, I'm sorry Miss Cora, but the rules state that an alternate fighter can only be brought in after a member of the team has died-"
"I'm taking this fight." Cora said, her eyes never straying from Bakken who was starting to look irritated by the whole situation.
"B-but the rules-?" Koto's protest was interrupted by the PA system, the same female voice from before echoing out across the stadium.
"Attention! This is an order from management- it has been decided that due to team Urameshi being down by three fighters, it is acceptable that Cora take a match. This act will not use up the alternate slot for Team Urameshi, and the point system will not change. In the match of Bakken VS Cora, the winner will secure a single point for their team."
Koto sputtered and cursed, her ears and tail wiggling in annoyance. "But that's not following the rules!"
"You heard the boss lady!" Bakken said, flexing his muscles as he spoke in an attempt to intimidate. "If this little girl wants to fight, I'll be more then happy to pound her face in." Cora didn't even flinch as Bakken popped his knuckles, and his flexing muscles did little to sway her away from the fight at hand. Her blank expression seemed to be irking Bakken, who's smug smirk had turned into an annoyed scowl. "I'll give you one more chance to run back to your team little girl."
"I'll give you a free hit." Cora said, her voice as even as her face. Koto blinked in surprise, a cold sweat developing on her forehead. Bakken smiled, a vicious gleam coming to his eye. "Hit me as hard as you wish."
"WHOA! Cora, you said you were going to kick his ass! If he hit's you with all his strength it will kill you!" Yusuke shouted. Cora paid him little mind, blocking out his disapproval. Bakken chuckled and lowered himself into an offensive stance. In the medical tent Hiei shifted on his feet, his eyes set in an unwavering stare on Cora. He mentally cursed himself and his inability to break free from this witches force field; if he had, it would be himself in the ring.
"This will be the quickest match I've fought in this tournament."
Cora didn't respond. Instead she dropped down into a defensive stance, though she left her self open. She could hear Yusuke and Botan shouting from behind her, but managed to push them to the back of her mind. She didn't dare look towards the medical tent; she could already feel Hiei glaring a hole into the side of her head. In a way, she hoped Bakken would kill her. It would save her from getting a beating from her partner.
Koto fidgeted nervously with her mike for a moment longer before announcing the start of the match. "Bakken VS Cora- BEGIN!"
Bakken laughed, flexing his muscles in delight as the crowed shouted at him to rip Cora to shreds. "Allow me to set the stage for your death girl!"
"Please make it quick; I'm losing a lot of blood waiting around on you."
Bakken scoffed, tensing himself up. He flexed his muscles again, keeping them firm as he powered up. Sweat began to poor profusely from his pores, making Cora scrunch up her nose in distaste. The whole arena started to fog over, and the stench of Bakken's sweat hung heavy in the air. The demon's in the crowd started shouting in disdain; the fog had grown so thick it was impossible for Cora to see more then a few inches in front of her, let alone for the crowd to see what was happening in the ring. Yusuke and Botan's worried voices grew more frantic as their view was obscured, but Cora managed to keep her cool. She could hear Bakken laughing, over joyed that his strange and disgusting move had been a success.
"Let's play a game of tag; I'll take my free hit, and then the game can begin."
Cora sighed, closing her eyes in order to heighten her other senses. "Sounds fair. Take your best shot."
Bakken wasted little time in doing just that; mere seconds after speaking Cora felt Bakken to her right, followed by a solid blow to the right side of her head. The impact was impressive, and managed to knock her off her feet. She slid across the ring, coming to a stop right before sliding off onto the grassy court. Cora sat up, touching the side of her face with the tips of her fingers.
"How was that?" Bakken asked, giving off a dark chuckle.
"Pathetic. If Kurama had been at full strength, you would have been defeated in mere seconds." Cora said, pushing herself back to her feet. She could sense Bakken's irritation though the fog that rolled across her skin. "You held back, thinking you could win with out giving it your all." Cora closed her eyes, visualizing her chosen host.; they would be perfect in dealing with this damn fog. "A grave mistake on your part."
Yusuke and Botan both froze up as a cold chill suddenly enveloped the arena. A flash of white energy erupted from the center of the ring, rippling out over the entire arena like a wave. Botan gasped, grasping hold of Yusuke's shoulder to gain his attention in the thick fog."Cora's transforming!"
"Really? I didn't think she'd still have the strength to after that stunt she pulled with Kurama." Yusuke said, rubbing his bare arm's as the temperature dropped many degrees. "Who the hell is she taking over this time?! It's cold as hell in here!"
"You don't think it's Toya do you? She was unconscious when he fought Kurama, so she shouldn't know who he is-!"
Botan and Yusuke gasp in shock as a massive wave of icy energy swept across the entire arena, freezing the sweat fog into millions of icy beads. They fell to the ground with a clatter, making everyone in the arena shout in shock as they were suddenly pelted with hail. With the fog cleared, they were able to get a clear view of the ring. Bakken stood dumbfounded, his eyes wide in shock as he looked across at Cora, who appeared to have switched spots with another fighter. The new demon in the ring was a male, with white hair and black eyes. He wore the same clothing Cora had been wearing, with the exception of her shirt which seemed to be lying in tatters around his bare feet. Ominous blue energy swirled around him, and the ground beneath him was slowly frosting over.
Hiei grunted his disapproval, his arms crossing over his chest. "That little fool; she's pushing herself to far."
"Do you know the demon she chose for a host?" The Masked Fighter questioned, earning a nod from Hiei.
"His name is Edur, and like Toya he is one of the few Ice masters in the world." Hiei said as the remainder of the ring froze over. "His power is great; to great for Cora to fully control given her own physical state."
"W-whoa!" Koto shouted into her microphone. "I can't believe what I'm seeing! Not only was the fog frozen in mid air, but it seems that Cora's somehow disappeared from the ring, leaving a strange new fighter in her place!"
"W-what is this?! Who the hell are you!" Bakken shouted, clearly spooked by what had just transpired. The demon who stood across from him stared blankly into Bakken's eyes. "Where did that little runt go?! It's illegal for another fighter to interfere with a match!"
"Are you ready?" Edur said, his black eyes narrowing in contempt as Bakken took a tentative step back.
"For what?!"
"It's my turn, Bakken." Edur growled out, his gravely voice sending an unpleasant shiver down Bakken's spine. "You got in your hit; now I'm 'it'."
"W-what are you talking about!" The new demon leapt towards Bakken, his right hand glowing a bright white as he advanced on his pray. Bakken looked towards Koto who was nervously fidgeting with her microphone. "HEY! This guy's interfering with the match-"
"Don't look away." The new demon slammed his glowing hand into Bakken's chest, forcing the energy to spread over his body. Bakken stood dumbfounded, his eyes wide in shock at how fast this unknown demon was able to reach the other side of the ring. Before Bakken could issue a counter attack, the mystery demon jumped back. Bakken, infuriated by the attack, moved to chase down this strange demon only to pause in shock as unimaginable pain suddenly ripped through him. Bakken shouted in agony as multiple cuts, bruises and large gashes erupted across his body, making him spew out blood in every direction. He grit his teeth in an effort to fight it off, but the appearance of the mystery demon to his left side caused him to lose focus. "Don't try and block it out. I want you to feel it!"
Hiei watched from the medical tent as Cora, in the form of her host, continued to beat on Bakken. The pain was enough to keep Bakken from reacting with enough speed to block or retaliate, making it easy for her to land each blow with devastating precision. He was almost visibly shocked that the weak woman he was used to carting around was capable of being so brutal.
"I'm sure your curious about her healing ability now." The masked fighter said, breaking Hiei from his thoughts. He glanced over at the fighter next to him, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.
"I'm more concerned about how you know anything about her."
The masked fighter scoffed, making Hiei's eyes narrow even further. "She is not the first demon of her kind I have come across; when a Meimu demon heals an individual, they essentially mirror that persons injuries onto themselves. While many believe this to be a hindrance, the injuries they sustain can be transferred to another individual. Once they are transferred, the Meimu and their patient will remain fully healed." The masked fighter pointed at Bakken, who was now standing in the center of the ring, beaten to a bloody pulp. "The injuries Cora gave to Bakken are the injuries she took from Kurama." The masked fighter crossed her arms over her chest, letting out a annoyed sigh. "But she should be more careful; the injuries she takes onto herself are very real, and can most definitely kill her if she doesn't transfer them in time. That is why Genkai made it a rule that she not be allowed to fully heal any life threatening injuries."
Hiei hummed in thought, crossing his arms over his chest as he turned his attention back to the ring. "She's a crazy fool."
"Basically."
"Please, spare me! I'm sorry!" Bakken shouted as Cora, still in the form of Edur, walked up to him. With a touch of her hosts fingers, a thick layer of ice began to form over Bakken's body, freezing him in place in the center of the ring.
"Spare you? Like how you spared Kurama?" Edur said, his face void of all emotion once again. Edur allowed his energy to flare up again, making Bakken cry out as his arms and legs began to freeze solid. Edur slammed his fist into his right arm, breaking it off at the elbow. Bakken screamed as his partially frozen arm was severed, his blood flowing like a melting icy onto the ring floor. "You don't seem to understand what's happening here Bakken- I'm going to kill you."
"P-PLEASE! PLEASE STOP-I'M SORRY-!"
"Shut up." Edur broke off his other arm, making Bakken scream so loud that blood started to dribble from his throat and out of his mouth. Edur watched him for a moment or two, taking in his bleeding limbs and agonized features. He raised her blood soaked right hand to his lips, whispering into his closed fist. "Bakken." Edur said, making Bakken look him straight in the face. "Apologize." Edur slammed his right hand into Bakken's throat, squeezing it so hard it was a miracle that Bakken was able to speak at all.
"I-I-I'm sorry!" Bakken said, his voice barley coming out as a whisper through his crushed windpipe. Edur released him as a white light enveloped him from head to toe. Cora felt her body start to shrink, and her hair lengthen again, spilling over her shoulders and covering her chest from view. Her pant's, which had been on the verge of splitting, were now sitting loosely on her hips. The ice that held Bakken began to rapidly thaw, leaving him to fall to his knee's with his bleeding stumps for arms hanging limply at his sides. When the light disappeared, Bakken's eyes widened in shock. "P-please... f-forgive me..." Cora, still covered in Bakken's blood, stepped back up to him, stroking the sides of his face in what could almost be thought of as a loving way.
"Oh Bakken..." Cora said, a soft smile coming to her lips. Bakken smiled a little; he was alive!" I don't believe in forgiveness for the wicked." Bakken gasped, his vision suddenly turned upside down as Cora snapped his neck. With a single kick to his chest, Cora sent Bakken flying out of the ring and straight into the side wall of the court yard. Bakken crashed through the wall, his body narrowly missing one of his remaining team mates, a tall demon with crazy red hair and mischievous blue eyes, who sat idly watching the match. The red headed demon stared up at Cora from his spot on the ground, an excited gleam coming to his eye and a boyish grin pulling at his lips. Cora narrowed her eyes at him before turning to Koto. "Feel free to count if you wish, but he won't be coming back."
Koto shook nervously as Cora spoke to her, nodding her head in understanding before announcing Cora as the winner of the match. Satisfied with the announcement, Cora made her way out of the ring. Yusuke and Botan, along with everyone else in the stadium, watched her with wide eyes as she made her way over to Kurama who was conscious by then.
"Kurama, how do you feel?" Cora asked, her voice no longer monotone but instead filled with concern.
"Heh, I'll live. Thanks to you I'll be able to heal in no time." Cora smiled wholeheartedly.
"Great!" She then punched Kurama upside his head making him yelp in surprise. "DON'T EVER BE THAT STUPID AND RECKLESS AGAIN! YOU SHOULD HAVE BACKED OUT OF THE MATCH BEFORE SEWING THAT SEED INTO YOUR BODY!" Cora shouted at him making Yusuke and Botan fall over in exasperation. "If you ever do something so stupid again, I'll never forgive you!" Kurama rubbed his head, chuckling nervously.
"I can't make a promise like that, but I can say that I'll try to be less reckless in the future."
Cora eye balled him heatedly. "You better try really hard." She sighed then, moving over to Kuwabara who's face was beat red. "Hey bud, sorry, but I don't think I have enough energy to heal you like I had hopped..."
"T-THAT'S OK!" Kuwabara shouted, trying to wiggle away from her only to end up jarring his injuries. "YOU'RE FIN- I MEAN IT'S FINE! OF GOD HIEI'S GONNA MURDER ME IN MY SLEEP FOR THAT!"
Cora quirked a brow at him; the hell was he shouting about?
"Yo! Short stack, as nice as it is to see that your feeling better, I'd see about putting on a shirt if I were you." Yusuke said with a snicker making Cora give him a questioning stare. "Not that I'm complaining much." Botan gasped, hitting Yusuke over the back of the head similarly to how Cora had struck Kurama.
"YUSUKE YOU PERVERT! What about Keiko?!"
Yusuke rubbed the back of his head with a growl, rounding on Botan who was giving him the glare of death. "Hey! There's nothing wrong with looking! I just can't touch, right?"
Cora looked down, frowning a bit when she realized that Yusuke was right; her shirt must have gotten destroyed when she took on her hosts' appearance. "Huh, guess I should get dressed... maybe they have to bandages in the medical tent I can use." Cora said, getting back on her feet and looking towards the medical tent. She was met with furious red eyes that made her break out in a cold sweat. "On s-second thought, I'm fine the way I am!" Kurama chuckled a bit, waving at Hiei who seemed to be stewing in his anger.
"I wouldn't worry to much; he's not even glaring at you." Kurama said making Cora give him a questioning look over her shoulder. "Yusuke isn't the only one who has noticed your state of undress. I think it would be best if you covered up."
"Kurama's right Cora!" Botan said, her voice as cheery as ever. Cora looked over and deadpanned when she saw that Botan was pushing Yusuke's face into the ground for his perverted comments. "Here," Botan reached into her pocket and pulled out a large roll of bandages handing them to Cora. "You can use these for now, though you might want to return to the tent to put them on."
"Yeah, I bet Hiei would love to help with that-OW! DAMN IT BOTAN WATCH YOUR HEEL-YOW!"
Cora rolled her eyes before making her way towards the medical tent. "Yusuke don't be ridiculous; if anything, I'll need these bandages to repair all the damage I'm going to sustain once Hiei get's his hands on me."
"Sounds kinky! OW!" Yusuke shouted, a perverted grin plastered on his face despite Botan's battering. "That one was worth the pain!"
"OH SHUT UP AND GET IN THE RING ALREADY!" Cora heard Botan shout. This made Cora shake her head and smile; Yusuke sure knew how to lighten up the mood. When in doubt, dive head first into the gutter. It's a wonder Keiko hadn't killed him yet. Cora's smile soon faded when she came close to the tent. Ruka glared hatefully at Cora as she effortlessly re entered the barrier, the mystical blue energy parting for her like a veil once again. But Cora didn't care what the little tramp thought. No, it was the very angry set of garnet eyes that made her uneasy.
Hiei was not pleased. Not. At. All. And the animosity rolled from him in ever thicker waves the closer Cora got to him physically. When she entered the tent, Cora braced herself, fully ready for Hiei to sock her right in the face for being so stupid as to enter a fight against an opponent five times her size and strength. So when Hiei reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her further into the tent, Cora new she was in for a rough beating-
"You're a fucking idiot." Hiei said, his voice low and harsh as he easily lifted Cora onto the examination table that she had originally woken up on. Cora's eyes widened and her mouth fell open in mute shock as Hiei turned away from her long enough to rummage through some of the drawers of a cabinet to his left. He grunted in appreciation when he found actual bandages and stitching string in the cabinet; despite being a trap, they didn't spare any detail in the preparation of the medical tent. He turned back to Cora and quickly set to work wrapping her torso, forcing her to wrap the front of her chest while he held the back in place. "You're lucky you didn't get killed. And you should think ahead next time you decide to ruin your clothing. We're surrounded by demons, or did you forget in your brief moment of stupidity?"
Cora laughed, sheepishly rubbing the back of her neck. "Y-yeah... guess I didn't think that part through..."
"Hn." Hiei allowed Cora to tuck the end of the bandage away, stepping back to examine work. He didn't like it; they still left to much showing, but he guessed it would have to do for the time being. "Next time I'll strip you down and toss you to the wolves. See if it 'slips your mind' again."
Cora heaved a sigh, allowing herself to fall back onto the observation table. "I don't understand what's so bad about it. It's not like I have that much to show off-"
"You're not some lowly demon whore." Hiei said between gritted teeth. "There is only one demon who should ever see you in such a state."
"But you've seen me half naked a bunch of times! How are you different from anyone else?" Hiei's eyes narrowed dangerously making Cora's throat go dry. Something told her that she just said the wrong thing. Again. With out saying a word Hiei turned from her, his arms crossed restlessly over his chest and his shoulders set so tightly that Cora could almost swear she could see them shaking from the strain. The masked fighter gave her a scolding glare, one that threw Cora for a loop. The hell was she getting the third degree from the smallest person on their team for?! He didn't even know them! Cora heaved a sigh and flung her arm over her eyes, making the decision to be the bigger man despite her confusion over the situation.
"I'm sorry... just forget I said anything. I'll try and be more careful from now on." She said contritely. A small amount of tension left Hiei, allowing him to breath a little easier.
He mentally scolded himself for allowing such a trivial thing to dig so far under his skin. Why was he so worried about her lack of clothing? She was right, he had seen her half naked many times, and her him. It came with the territory of sharing close quarters with another demon. Hell, it wasn't uncommon for demon's to bathe together, which they too had done during their time searching for Yukina. But it was different this time around; first Kurama had seen her, when they had defeated Yastude. It had only annoyed him, as Kurama was still a potential threat. But now, all of the stadium had been watching her transformation. And he hated it. The very thought was enough to send him into a murderous rage. He glanced back out of the corner of his eye to see Cora laying with her arm over her eyes, her breathing growing shallower by the second. Damn it, why couldn't he just stay mad. Cora yawned and rolled over, her arm falling to rub her eyes which suddenly looked very tired. And that reminded Hiei that unlike him, she was still just a pup. An ignorant, loud, impulsive, crazy pup. Did he mention ignorant? Oh to hell with it.
"Taking on a high energy host after only getting an hours rest is going to send you into hibernation." Hiei said, bringing his eyes back to the match.
"But the match..."
Hiei snorted in mild amusement." If Yusuke would take things seriously he could probably beat this opponent."
"HA! Fat chance of that happening..." Cora said, trying to suppress a yawn and failing miserably. "You should turn up the heat, these bandages aren't very warm."
"I'm not your personal space heater, stupid girl." Hiei bit out, though Cora smiled sleepily when she felt the air in the tent start to grow warmer.
"Suuuuuure your not. And Kuwabara knows his ABC's."
"Hn. Don't spout nonsense."
So there you go! A little insight on Cora's abilities!
R&R
