Signed Anonymous : Taken
A/N: Thank you for the reviews. I appreciate them. Please review again! I love them!
I
Yusuke felt his head droop. He needed Hiei and he needed him now. Maybe he even needed that Kurama fellow too. At the moment, it seemed like he needed everyone he could get. Anyone who could protect the country and work a computer. Hiei could kill anything that moved... and Kurama could manipulate a computer better than half of the NSA.
Mukuro snored slightly in the back of the van. A thin line of drool was starting to run down her lower lip. They had been looking for Hiei for three days now. No leads. Nothing. The Head of the CIA leaned back in the car seat.
His car suddenly turned on. Yusuke bolted upright, Mukuro snorting as she jerked awake.
"What happened?" Her hand was on her gun. "Did we find them?"
Yusuke shook his head.
"The car just started by itself."
A beat of silence.
"What?"
"The car just started itself, okay? Don't ask me to explain it! You're the computer expert!"
Just when the two leaders were about to go at it, hands wrapped around necks, the navigational system booted up. The screen flickered. Yusuke and Mukuro jumped at the burst of static, their attention on the screen.
Good afternoon, Yusuke and Mukuro. The Head of NSA was climbing into the front seat. I don't have to see your exhausted faces to know that you haven't found Hiei Jaganshi or Kurama Shuiichi.
Mukuro's mouth fell open.
"Shit..."
No. You're not in "shit" yet. The two occupants of the car jerked around, looking out of the tinted windows. I'm going to be honest with you. I am a member of Anonymous. A very important member. Anonymous wants to help you. No matter how corrupt America may be, it's one of the best countries in the world.
There wasn't a voice. It was just the text appearing on the screen.
"Yusuke... I can tell what you're thinking, and the answer is no." Mukuro glared at the Head of the CIA. "We do not negotiate with terrorists!"
I assure you, we are not terrorists. Terrorists are the ones who have taken the President as their hostage. Terrorists are suicidal. Anonymous wants to help.
"Fuck negotiating!" Yusuke slammed his fist onto the steering wheel. "If they fuck us over, we just are back at square one."
Great thoughts, Mr. Urameshi. There was a pause in text. We can show you Hiei and Kurama. However, if we do so, they will not be taken in as prisoners.
II
Botan wiped her eyes as she typed into her laptop. Each and every moment was packed with adrenalin. She was at ground zero of what was going to explode into the media very soon. When that happened... chaos... chaos was going to break out.
The ferry girl wondered how the Vice President was holding up. Not to mention the Senate. Heck, did they even know?
She closed her laptop. She slipped it into her bag. Botan stood up and slung the bag over she shoulder, walking down the street swiftly. She flipped open her cell phone. She dialed Yomi's number.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Yomi. It's Botan."
"Botan... how are you?"
The ferry girl tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Good. I got Them to work with us."
Yomi raised his eyebrows. Botan could tell by the tone of his voice.
"You did? That's good. I thought it would take longer than that."
The ferry girl laughed airily.
"You'd be surprised at what a woman's charm could do."
"You mean girl."
Botan rolled her eyes. Yomi would never stop arguing with her about their difference. He would always view her as the little eleven-year-old girl he met several years ago. Right now they didn't have time to argue in their own foolish way.
"I think... I think we should call Hack and Slash on this one."
"Really? We rarely use those two at all. And never at once."
Botan frowned.
"The President's current situation is obviously just the beginning. God forbid the citizens find out... we need them. This is... a very bad mess we're in."
The pause on the phone was long. The sky was bright blue, the sun shining merrily. Even with the glorious weather, Botan could feel that a storm was coming. A cold breeze blew, goose-bumps rising up on her skin.
How long will it be before the first bolt of lightening strikes?
III
Hiei woke up first. He blinked slowly. He had... the most horrible headache. Hiei had never been hung-over in his life, but he imagined that it was feel just like this. He rolled off of the couch, fumbling through the hallways. He finally found the bathroom.
He made the mistake of turning on the light. Hiei hissed loudly, slamming into the sink. He growled as he frantically shut off the light. If there was one thing that didn't make his mornings was bright lights. And there were six lights in the bathroom. Six!
He opened a small cabinet. All sorts of bottles were inside. Toothpaste, cough medicine, cream, soap, everything you could think of. The Excedrin was right next to... a cream that got rid of herpes.
The Mercenary scowled. He opened the Excedrin bottle and swallowed two pills. He massaged his skull. What is wrong with me? He rarely got headaches. He walked back into the living room. The Hacker was still sleeping, sprawled out on the couch.
Hiei threw a sheet over the man so he would stop shivering.
The assassin walked into the kitchen, leaving all the lights off as he opened the refrigerator. The interior of the ice box had been stuffed full of food. Everything was in here. From vegetarian dishes to a meal with so much meat in it that Hiei was surprised it wasn't still moving. He dug through the masses of nutrients to find eggs. He then found strips of meat still in a package, so he took that out as well.
He found a bowl and cracked four eggs into it. He whisked them up, letting them settle as he began to cut slices of some meat and toss them inside the eggs. He threw dashes of spice and then began to heat up the pan. With a slab of butter sizzling away, the omelette was ready to be made.
That was the image that Kurama walked in on. The Hacker was rubbing his eyes, yawning, as he rounded the corner. He saw Hiei Jaganshi flipping a very thick egg over in a pan. It smelled delicious.
"I swear," Kurama smiled as Hiei jumped a bit and turned to glare at him, "there will never be a day where you are predictable."
The Mercenary huffed, turning his back to his best friend. He turned off the stove.
"Hn. Just shut up and eat."
Hiei sliced the omelette in half. A perfect slice. He slapped it on a plate. The Mercenary stalked over to the table. He began to eat. Kurama snorted as he found a plate and served himself. He sat down across from the shorter man. He took a bite.
"Mm! This is good!"
Hiei grunted, chewing the delicious eggs slowly.
"It better be. I picked up this recipe in Western Berlin."
Kurama felt a slight shiver pass through him. It was little things like that which made the Hacker remember just how little Hiei would ever delve into his personal affairs. Kurama knew all there was to know about Hiei, what he liked, where he likes to go, and what his favorite foods are. Everything that a friend should know.
But he wasn't the type to ask about his jobs or... what he did to live comfortably. Hiei didn't ask what Kurama did on the computer and Kurama didn't ask why Hiei knew a myriad of ways to kill a man. Or how he could cook so well.
"Well, it's genius."
They ate in silence. Hiei finished first, tossing the dish into the sink, giving it a quick rinse.
"Get to work. Or... whatever you computer people do."
Hiei stripped off his shirt. Kurama raised a red brow.
"Where are you going?"
The little man turned. A scar ran from his right shoulder down to his last rib on the left side. He had many scars, but that didn't stop him from being a fine human specimen.
"There's nothing to do in this hell-hole. I'm going to work out for about three hours, and then taking a shower."
Little did either of them know, it would be the last time they would see each other for a long while.
IV
Turn left. Yusuke and Mukuro were at the mercy of the text appearing over the hacked navigation system. Proceed down this road at my command. So Mukuro and Yusuke waited.
V
The ferry girl pressed her back against the side of a house. She closed her eyes and took out a small remote. With a slow inhale, she licked her lips. Her thumb slid over a button. There was a lurch, and the defense system to the house was deactivated.
VI
Kurama opened up the laptop, down the hall a door clicked shut. Hiei was already testing his body. The Hacker sank into the couch, the laptop heating his legs. He opened the file with the imposter video on it.
Instead of watching it, Kurama opened a de-constructing program and uploaded the video. Instead of getting the usual two or three layers, Kurama Shuiichi found himself starting at seven different layers on the video feed.
The first was the single screen shot.
The second was the audio, a regular voice.
The third was the voice after it had been run through a scrambler.
That was where the layers should have stopped.
The fourth and fifth were just walls that were easily broken down by the program. Just firewalls.
The sink was another audio file. Kurama frowned. Another audio file? It didn't make any sense. Eyes narrowed and shoulders tensed, the Hacker opened the audio filed.
"Please! Please let me out!" Kurama jumped back, his heart leaping up into his throat. "Please... please..." The sound of a man sobbing filled the living room. "I... I don't want to die..." There was a long pause. Kurama turned the volume all hte way up. He could hear the voice breathing and crying softly. "LET ME OUT!"
Again, Kurama pressed himself back into the cushions of the couch. The audio file ended. The Hacker took a few deep breaths. He then listened to the message left by the imposters. Or were they terrorists?
"We have the President of the United States."
The world stopped. Kurama's mouth went dry as he squeezed his thighs together to stop his bladder from exploding. A deep fear ate away at his insides. The President... really was being held hostage. It was impossible. The President. President Koenma. Helpless like any other citizen.
Please! Please let me out! LET ME OUT!
Good God... that was Koenma! Kurama closed his eyes. Anonymous was going to rescue the President. And he had to help. The Hacker closed the audio files and opened the last layer of the video.
334:57:15
Numbers scrolling down. Counting down.
334:56:15
Hours. Minutes. Seconds.
334:56:26
Jesus Christ.
"Security System Deactivated."
Kurama closed the laptop and pushed it under the couch. He stared at the door, standing up slowly. In the back of his mind, he heard a soft ticking. A bomb was going to explode in under fourteen days.
Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.
The Security was down. No more protection.
Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.
Kurama slowly backed into the hallway.
Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.
"Hiei... Hiei..."
Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.
His voice was hoarse. Someone must have deactivated the security. It was either Anonymous or... someone else.
Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.
Kurama snapped. He ran down the hallway, fumbling with the doors. He heard the front door slam open. Kurama fond the door to the basement. His left heel hit the first stair.
Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.
"Hiei! Hiei Jaganshi!" Two big hands fell on the Hacker's shoulders. "Help me!"
The door at the bottom of the stairs was glass. Hiei couldn't hear him. Kurama's eyes watered as a foul smelling cloth was clamped over his nose and mouth.
No... Hiei...
VII
The Head of the CIA and NSA were holding their breath. Far away, pressed against the side of a house with a laptop was Botan, sweat gathering on her brow. She typed on her laptop.
Proceed.
The ferry girl let out her breath. She sighed as she walked away, slipping the laptop away into her bag. Botan once again slid back into the form of a regular citizen.
Yusuke burst through the door, Mukuro slipping in after him. They cleared the house, but then discovered a basement door. They ran down to discover a sweating Hiei.
Botan sat down on a park bench closing her eyes.
The Mercenary let out a shout, scrambling backwards. Yusuke calmed him down, saying that he wasn't going to be detained. That the American government needed him. Hiei only asked where Kurama was.
The ferry girl tilted her head back, letting her mouth fall open.
Hiei ran up, knocking over chairs and tables. He screamed Kurama's name. He called him an idiot, telling him to drag his sorry ass out and tell the CIA what they wanted to hear. He slammed his fists into the wall. He pinched the bridge of his nose, wailing like an animal. His friend... his best friend had been taken from him. Right from under his nose.
Botan began to cry.
The Mercenary cursed. He cursed at Anonymous. At his talent for killing people. At Kurama for being taken so easily. But mostly at himself for not being there. Not being there when he was needed most.
"You swear to me that you didn't take him?"
Yusuke put his hand over his heart.
"On my honor."
Hiei closed his eyes.
"You have no honor if you admit to working with me." The Mercenary sighed. "But I trust you."
Mukuro sat on the couch.
"This is great. We have no computer expert. Hiei is worthless."
Hiei Jaganshi sent the Head of NSA a piercing glare. He looked at the cord still on the floor. It lead to under the couch. With movements too fast for an ordinary human, Hiei knocked Mukuro to the side, reaching under the couch.
"I might not be very helpful." He clicked open the laptop. The screen hummed as it buzzed to life. "But Kurama had been working on this."
Yusuke frowned and Mukuro's eyes widened by what popped up on the screen. Hiei turned, and he felt his blood run cold.
"What is that? Why is it going down?"
334:31:27
"It's a clock. A countdown."
Yusuke shut the laptop and unhooked it from the wall. He pulled Mukuro towards him.
"Lets go. We have to keep moving." Hiei was paralyzed. Just what had his Hacker friend uncovered? "You too, Hiei."
It was Mukuro who grabbed the Mercenary's arm. Hiei was pulled out of the safe-house and into the world of twisted stories and unlimited technology. He fell into the world of the American government.
If it's the last thing I do, I swear that I'm going to get you back from Anonymous, Kurama. I swear on my life.
VIII
The ferry girl wiped her eyes as a van pulled up. The door slid open, Youko staring at her with wide eyes.
"My brother! He's been abducted!"
The ferry girl's eyes widened as she jumped into the van.
"What?"
The van drove on, wheels whirring.
"He's been taken." Youko narrowed his eyes. "He' been taken by... the imposters."
Botan sank down to the floor.
"What can we do? We don't even know who they are, let alone where they are."
The silver haired man looked out the tinted windows. His handsome face was starting to contort with a mixture of grief and anger.
"We can't do anything." The Hacker pulled out his own laptop and began typing furiously. "Kurama... he'll be brave. I'm sure that... that he'll be alright."
The van drove on, and Botan saw the tears gathering in his eyes that were glowing in the light of the computer screen. She looked away and closed her eyes, beginning a prayer. Please, Kurama, don't be a fool. Take things slow. Remember, we're Anonymous and we do not forgive and we do not forget.
They hit a pothole.
We'll find you. We'll find you and fix all of this, you'll see.
IX
A/N: Phew! Okay, done with this chapter. Please, PLEASE review! Did you like it? Did you hate it? I'd love to know. Well, cheers for the upcoming holidays! Review please!
-mia