Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of its characters. They are the property of Yoshiro Togashi.
A/N: Hello. This is your conscience speaking. Why have you yet to review this academy award worthy story? WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU?!! REVIEW!!
Chapter 3
The smoke and ash danced over the boy's nostrils and face, slowly radiating around his form as he stood, hazel eyes wide open as sheer horror wracked his entire body. All that the innocent child had ever known, ever cherished, ever loved….. was gone. Consumed in the raging flame that burned before him, consuming all that had once made up his life.
His legs buckled, no longer able to support his heavy and broken soul, forcing him to his knees, his gaze never breaking from the great fire before him that roared through the desert night, ripping upwards as though it were a funnel into the sky.
All that he could do was try to fight the weak whimpers and sobs that escaped from his trembling lips, his fists clenching as the tears began to flood down his smooth cheeks. It was then that, from the corner of his defeated gaze, through the searing flames and smoke, that he spotted him:
The embodiment of all that he would hate.The epitome of evil and rage.The bastion of darkness.
He sat there, calmly and without remorse, upon his mighty black steed, his dark overcoat billowing about him as the horse moved about in place at the head of his men. Slowly the boy's eyes moved over them, taking them in one at a time as his memory caught every one of their faces in its web.
The men were a band of mercenaries. Killers for hire who took as they pleased and gave nothing back, destroying anything that would stand in their way. They were the Toguro "Family", headed by the two brothers whom actually possessed the family name. The giant of a man before the small child was the youngest of the two, but the leader.
The boy's hands clutched at the dirt beneath them rigidly, his frame shaking as he gritted his teeth together. In the flames before him he could see various parts of what was once his home, now being reduced to nothing more but ash. He could smell the burning flesh of his mother and father, enveloping his miniature frame in blackness. But not his sister's. No. Not hers. She was safe. She lay beside him out of harms way.
But she would not wake again. It was just her shell that he had managed to save from the heat of the flames, not her soul. He moved to her and cradled her bloody form in his hands, holding it close to his chest as his eyes remained fixed on the killers, who now turned and galloped off into the distance.
Innocence was gone, consumed by that raging fire. But that was not the only thing that the flames claimed. The brilliant hazel that was once the boys eyes now burned an enraged crimson, the color of spewing blood and burning embers. Those irises would never return to their original shade again….. at least not in his lifetime.
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Click.
That was all that it took to wake the sleeping bandit. His eyes shot open as his hand, moved instantly to his belt.
"I wouldn't be doing that." Barked a voice from below. Slowly, Hiei's eyes moved downwards to the seven men standing around the base of the tree, firearms drawn and pointed directly at him.
"Why don't you come down here and make a friend or two." The man at the head ordered, a small smirk playing on his lips. His hair was long and black, cascading down his back. His face was sunken and pale, and to tell the truth… he looked like a vampire. But that was the least of his concerns. What truly failed to catch his eye was the blue haired damsel clutched the grubby paws of one of the thugs.
"Hiei!" Botan shouted, only to have a hairy and sweat stained hand slap down over her mouth, making her cries muffled. Hiei scowled, rolling left and flipping down off of the tree branch and landing before the men. Straightening himself out, he cracked his neck.
"Were I wearing your shoes I would tell me quickly why you disturbed my sleep." The bandit growled. Botan continued to squirm in the man's hands.
"Hurry up, Karasu. She's feisty. I don't know how long I can hold her." He laughed, earning a smile from the leader.
"No real big reason. It's just that I've got this friend." Karasu started, moving his weapon to a more relaxed position as he circled Hiei, scanning him up and down as he licked his lips, "And this friend knows everybody." He continued. Hiei resisted the rising urge to grimace as he felt the man's breath dance over the hairs on his neck, "But my friend… doesn't know you." Karasu finished, coming to a stop in front of him once again, offering a demented sort of grin.
"Hn. Then he's not as popular as you thought." Hiei snorted, now humor showing in his eyes. Karasu chuckled, shaking his head.
"Alright, we'll do it your way and cut the bullshit." He announced, his smile fading, "Boss Sakyou doesn't like people he doesn't know, and there are some people he does know that he doesn't like."
"Get to your point." Hiei barked, causing the man to jump slightly.
"The point is, he doesn't like the sheriff. And we've seen you hanging around with him quite a bit lately. The two of you look like good pals…. And that's a problem." Karasu continued, now scowling and raising his gun. Hiei never broke eye contact with him, "So how's about you come and enjoy a cigar with us and the Boss, and your pretty little girlfriend here can skip on home."
Hiei smirked. This man was just some messenger boy. Not worth his time.
"I usually smoke just after I eat. Come back in an hour or so once I've fixed breakfast." He grunted, turning his back on Karasu, whose face was now turning red.
"IN AN HOUR YOU'LL BE SMOKING IN HELL!" He roared, firing his gun. Time seemed to slow down for that brief moment as the bullet ripped through the air and into Hiei's cloak, disappearing into the darkness within. At the same time, two revolvers were drawn in its place, one in each of Hiei's wrapped hands as his fingers danced on the triggers, arms moving about as he fired off into the men.
Karasu went down quick enough. One bullet tore through his kneecap, forcing him down to the ground where a second made a hold right in the middle of his forehead, blood blowing out the back of his destroyed helm. The other men fired off their rounds as well, their inexperience truly showing as most of the shots whizzed right by the bandit as he nailed each one of his with expert precision.
Botan shrieked in terror as a shot whizzed just by her head and into her captor's neck, making him stagger back as a fountain of blood spewed through the air, some of the liquid splashing on her fine dress as the thug fell to the ground.
"Hn." Hiei murmured, sheathing his weapons and looking to her stoically, hands disappearing into his cloak as she stumbled forward a tad.
"H-Hiei.."
"Why are you here?" He questioned coolly, drawing a cigar and lighting it, inhaling deep and letting the smoke fill his lungs before breathing out. So he had lied about only smoking after he ate. Big deal.
"Yusuke h-had told me where you were staying the night… I thought I would c-come see if you wanted that tour today…." She said quietly, looking about in a shaken manner at the corpses before back to him, "How… How did you…."
"Where was the detective when you saw him last?" He asked, taking another drag.
"At his home with Keiko. Why.. do you…. Do you think they were attacked too?!"
"Hn. Go home woman." Hiei answered, giving her an annoyed look while walking around her and towards the main plaza.
"What? No, I can help! I can use a gun!" She exclaimed, lifting up the front of her dress as she ran to catch up with him. He doubled his pace.
"I said go home." He repeated, his eyes narrowing and managing to stay fixed ahead. Yusuke's house… they had passed it the other day and the sheriff had shown him around the outside. He just couldn't place his tumb on where exactly it was.
"But I swear…"
"Fine. Where is the house?" He barked, giving a glance.
"Down this alley!" She answered, practically sprinting just to keep up with him. He removed a six shooter from his belt as he moved, restocking it with bullets without even looking at it. Spinning the chamber and slamming it back into the firearm, he handed it to Botan.
"Do what you want." He murmured before breaking into a run, seeing the house. Darting up the steps, he leapt through the door, knocking it off of the hinges and aiming a handgun all about before looking up the stairs, where he could hear a commotion. Bounding up, he rounded a corner into a bedroom to find a scantly clad Keiko shaking under the covers and staring at her fiancé, who stood in nothing but a pair of boxers over the bodies of four men, a small revolver in his hand. Blood ran down his side from a bullet wound in his chest as he looked to the doorway at Hiei, giving a weak smirk.
"Heh… so they paid you a visit too?" He asked, grimacing suddenly as he felt the wound sting when he tried to move. The bandit nodded, stepping towards him and examining it.
"Don't worry about it. It's not like a I haven't been shot before. I know what to do." He laughed, turning to look at Keiko who was still wide eyed.
"Hey, It's over. We're fine." He said softly, moving over to her and letting her throw her arms around his neck. Hiei frowned and put away his firearm just as Botan entered the room, looking about and crying out in shock.
"Gracious, are you alright?!" She exclaimed, running over to her friends.
"Y-yes… we're fine." Keiko answered, regaining her composure. Yusuke scowled, looking to Hiei.
"You think it was…."
"Hn. It was Sakyou. His errand boy told me before I lodged a bullet in his head." He answered, turning and leaving the room.
"Where are you going? We have to go to the station and get Kuwabara and the rest of the deputes together! And then Kurama!"
"I doubt that they were not hit as well. They'll find you soon enough."
"Then why are you leaving?" Yusuke barked, stepping away from Keiko and towards the doorway where Hiei stood. The short marauder removed his cigar from his mouth, staring at it for a brief moment before taking a deep puff, exhaling through his nose.
"Because I don't have time to waste waiting for your friends. I'm dealing with the slug now so I can be on my way." He answered.
"Dammit, just wait until we at least have a plan! Have you forgotten those mercenaries I told you about?! They'll skin you alive!" The Sherriff exclaimed, trying to reach the bandit's sense of reason. Hiei simply smirked, his crimson orbs narrowing.
"….You don't know the half of it." He muttered before disappearing through the entrance leaving a furious sheriff, an exasperated bluette, and a shocked wife-to-be behind as he let the door slam shut behind him.
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Alright. I made the action happen a little soon at the expense of some story and plot development in hopes of getting a few reviews. Tell me what you want to see happen or what you don't like. Hell, tell me if I should stop writing. Poice