Disclaimer – "Yu Yu Hakusho" and all known related characters do not belong to me. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters.

"What Goes Around . . . "
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 10 – Scene of the Crime

Two figures slipped through the late-morning shadows of the forest, as silent and unnoticed as ghosts. Gaining the ridge overlooking Tarukane's estate, they paused while, overhead, a figure on an oar continued down into the vale.

"What do you see?" Kurama asked after a moment, watching Botan fly an aerial scouting sweep of the grounds. He had settled himself into a crouched position, allowing his body a brief rest.

Hiei had removed his bandana and was concentrating, natural eyes closed, the purple-irised Jagan glowing faintly. He still could not see into the top of the tower - the vile talismanic cards still hung in place, forgotten - but the rest of the mansion told a gruesome story. "Those guards from last night told the truth. All the humans inside are dead, at least three or four dozen - in the kitchen, the garage, the main hall, the bodyguards I left with the toad, even the two pilots in the vehicle on the cement square out back."

"Whoever did this was quite thorough, then." Kurama sighed. "And Yusuke and Kuwabara?"

Hiei shook his head with a grunt. "Not here."

"Not here yet," Kurama corrected mildly.

Hiei ignored him, continuing his search of the mansion and surrounding yards. "There are no youkai bodies anywhere. None of the Triad were actually killed, just knocked senseless. They must have cleaned up their fallen buddies outside on the grounds. The Toguros' bodies are gone, too." Hiei shook his head in disgusted wonder. "The humans have not even discovered the murders of their kind yet."

"The human authorities are not aware of the existence of the crime circle nor this estate," Kurama reminded him, "or else have had their silence purchased."

"Hn . . . What's that?" Hiei muttered. Kurama watched him patiently. After another moment, Hiei opened his eyes. "There's something in there but it's blocking me. It must be a youkai. No human has that kind of ability."

No human you know of, Kurama thought but this time refrained from speaking it. "Youkai or human, if it is not the murderer, perhaps it at least knows what happened. Where is it?"

"In the kitchen but, as soon as it sensed me, it disappeared."

"Then let us see if we can persuade it to reappear."

Hiei helped Kurama to his feet, frowning at his partner's stiff movements. Botan had tried to convince them both to leave Kurama with Genkai but Hiei understood his desire. He knew that he would have made the same decision. The two traversed the steep pitch to the vale below, approaching the mansion with caution. Botan landed and joined them, shuddering with horror. "Even the helicopter pilots . . . beheaded . . ."

Kurama put a steadying arm around her shoulders. "We know. Perhaps you should wait outside."

She recovered herself and gave him a wan smile. "No, I'll be all right. I'm a ferry girl, remember? I've been escorting the dead since the Muromachi Period. It's . . . just been a long while and I've always hated the violence."

"Humans are no better than youkai in that," Hiei grunted as he approached the door through which he had entered yesterday. It stood ajar as he had left it. He looked through the Jagan before exposing himself to the hallway within. The human security personnel who had tried to stop him lay just as he had left them, except that their heads had been severed from their bodies. Botan and Kurama followed.

Kurama resisted the urge to block his nose, the thick reek of death palpable to his sensitive olfactory. Then he paused as he caught a faint odor lingering in the air. "Youkai," he murmured.

"You smell someone?" Hiei asked. Kurama nodded.

Botan giggled. "You smell Hiei."

Hiei only rolled his eyes at her ignorance but Kurama pointed out with a mild grin, "I know the scent of my friends. No, this is familiar but . . . " His voice trailed off, his eyes going wide in shock.

"You recognize it?"

Kurama looked at Hiei, about to answer, then shook his head. "It's . . . too dispersed to be sure." He knew Hiei too well to speak his suspicions until he had better proof. Hiei would take him on his word but, if Kurama were right, far more than the word of a convicted thief would be needed - and they did not need Hiei taking things into his own hands to complicate the matter. "Let's keep moving."

Hiei did not respond. He was staring at the bodies on the floor, the Jagan glowing again. Kurama realized what he was doing and groaned inwardly. He knew that one of the powers of the Jagan was a sort of clairvoyance. Hiei was reading the recent events of the area. As the seconds ticked by, Hiei's eyes hardened with fury. "Why that - !" he raged at last.

"Hiei!" Kurama interrupted him. "We must find proof before we speak names. Your word alone will not be honored, nor mine."

Botan looked back and forth between the two but kept her peace at the look in Kurama's eyes as he shook his head at her.

Still fuming, Hiei led them along the route he had taken the day before, passing more bodies. He recognized every one of them, having subdued them himself. Each was like those of the first group, beheaded where he lay. Eventually, they found their way to the observation/control room where Hiei had confronted Tarukane. The decapitated corpses of the bodyguards lay perfectly in position. The headless body of Tarukane himself still sat on the console like an overstuffed teddy bear. Kurama noted that the glass of the observation window was broken inward, the pattern of the shattered hole centering about where Tarukane's head had been. Glass shards littered the bodies and floor. "Whoever killed him," Kurama murmured, "did so from outside, from the arena." Hiei nodded, having realized the same.

Botan studied the window. "But . . . how? The glass is shatter-proof."

Kurama shrugged carefully, blocking the pain in his muscles. "No glass is truly shatter-proof, just highly resistant. It might have been a weapon of some kind or even a powerful physical strike." He studied the other walls of the room. "There is no damage to the opposite wall to indicate an attack from a weapon that carried through. Whatever force hit Tarukane stopped at his body. Hiei, can you read this like you did before?"

Hiei shook his head. "It can only be done once in 24 hours."

"How disappointing," Botan muttered.

"Well, that's a hell of a greeting. Good to see you, too," a familiar voice teased softly. The three turned as Yusuke entered the room, Kuwabara a step behind. "Hey, guys."

Kurama allowed a thin smile. "Glad you two could join the party."

"Isn't that my line?" Yusuke grinned back, his temperament otherwise grim. He turned to Hiei and joked, "You're pretty vindictive when you're pissed, huh?"

Botan huffed at him. "That is not even funny, Yusuke!"

Yusuke ignored her, stepping past into the room. Kurama had turned to look out the window into the arena. "How're you doing, buddy?" he asked, giving Kurama a friendly clap on the back of the shoulder. He jumped back as Kurama yelped in surprise and pain, collapsing away from him.

Kurama caught himself on the console, unmoving for a moment as his body recovered from the unexpected strike across the still-healing whiplashes. "S-sorry, Yusuke. You . . . startled me."

"Uh, Kurama . . . where's your other arm?" Yusuke queried, noting for the first time the empty sleeve tucked through the belt of the borrowed kimono.

"Who was it, Kurama?"

Kurama turned in surprise, having never heard such a tone in Kuwabara's voice. Kuwabara stood staring back at him, arms crossed, a look of hard anger in his eyes such as Kurama had never known from the usually jovial, even buffoonish human.

Kuwabara's frown deepened at his friend's hesitation. His voice was rough with the horror of his words. "You were . . . tortured, Kurama. I know. I felt it."

Now Yusuke was scowling, too. "Yeah, that's right. You mentioned something about that."

"Who did this to you, Kurama?" Kuwabara asked again.

Kurama looked away from them, eyes closed to the memories, wanting nothing more than to forget. He knew both humans' hearts. Fiercely loyal and protective, they would avenge him against any opponent without hesitation, regardless of whom. He was deeply grateful for their friendship but the last thing he wanted was to involve them in this matter any more than they had to be.

Hiei snarled when Kurama failed to respond. "His name is Bokuma - and when I get my hands on him - !"

"You'll do nothing."

Hiei turned in shock. "What?"

Kurama looked at him hard, his expression brooking no argument. "Technically, he has done nothing wrong - not against me, anyway. He acted completely within his power. We cannot afford to complicate matters by going after a prison warden for doing his job. You know that we are in it deeply enough as it is."

"Wait - prison what?" Yusuke stammered in shock. "What do you mean this Bokuma guy was doing his job?"

"Yeah, since when do guards get to hurt people like that?" Kuwabara wanted to know.

"And if they think Hiei did this, why'd they go after you?" Yusuke added.

Kurama sighed heavily. "Since said guard . . . is head of the Pit. It's the torture chambers at the heart of the prison. And because I am the one they caught."

"They're partners," Botan reiterated softly. "If one is to be punished for a crime, they both will be. That's Spirit World's justice system for youkai." Glancing at Hiei and with an almost accusing tone, she explained, "Hiei disappeared when the guards showed up, so they took Kurama instead."

"I told him to," Kurama put in before either human could respond. Hiei only stared at the floor, silently fuming, fists clenched at his sides. "Had we both been taken, we would still be in prison and no one would know the difference. With Hiei free, he could discover the truth and clear his name. He was able to free me early this morning." Kurama turned to his partner. "You did the right thing, Hiei. I know you came back as soon as you were able. Do not continue to blame yourself for my sake."

"Bokuma will pay," Hiei swore softly, finally meeting Kurama's eye.

Kurama nodded with a small grin. "I heard an American saying in English Language class once." The comment he made next was unintelligible to Hiei, who did not speak English. "It translates basically as 'What goes around, comes around.' It refers to the idea of Karma."

Yusuke nodded. "Why do I get the feeling this guy's got a lot of bad Karma backlogged just waiting to strike?"

Kuwabara produced his Spirit Sword, swinging it around before propping it confidently against his shoulder. "Well, that bad Karma's got a name and it's Kuwabara Kazuma! We'll give that bastard what for, won't we?"

Kurama shook his head. "We need proof first."

"What? Proof? It's written all over you!" Yusuke argued.

"The murders - " Kurama began, motioning at the bodies at their feet.

"Yeah, about that," Yusuke jumped in. "Any leads yet?"

"You're the Spirit Detective," Hiei groused. "You tell us."

Kurama looked at him in surprise. Surely he saw the perpetrator in his psychic reading-?

"What about the security cameras?" Kuwabara pointed at the fixed appliance in the corner of the ceiling.

Yusuke nodded. "Where would they keep the tapes for that?"

"A main security room of some kind?" Kurama guessed.

Botan snapped her fingers. "Of course! That would prove exactly what happened and who did it!"

Hiei was shaking his head. "It won't prove anything."

All four looked at him in confusion. "Why not?" Yusuke asked.

"Whoever it was is a shapechanger of some kind. My guess is a type of youkai called an illusion beast. A tape will only prove to anyone watching that I did this."

Kurama nodded to himself. That would explain the burst of outrage. Whoever it was impersonated him to be certain he would be blamed. So he does not know -

"Hey! Where are the Toguro's?" Kuwabara demanded, looking down into the arena.

Hiei shrugged. "We'll never know. Probably carried off by the surviving members of their mob. Or maybe you didn't actually manage to kill them," he murmured with a shrug.

"Hey, Shorty! That's not even funny! Bet you couldn't have taken them on - "

Yusuke shook his head, in no mood to listen to their banter. "Come on, gang. We're not gonna learn anything more here." He turned to leave, the others following. A heavy pall hung over the group, each lost in his own thoughts.

The group had made its way through the expansive home and were in sight of the massive front double doors when Hiei froze, the Jagan glowing faintly. "It's him." His eyes darted this way and that, trying to pin down the presence. Then, he took off.

"Wha - Hey! Wait up!" Yusuke and Kuwabara bolted after him. Kurama moved to follow, then clutched at his wounded shoulder in pain, dropping to his knees as his legs buckled.

"Easy, Kurama." Botan knelt by his side, fussing, "I told you - you should have stayed at Master Genkai's. You're just not up to all this moving around yet."

Kurama chuckled in spite of himself, appreciating her concern. "I do not need a second mother."

"Well, you've got one if that's what it takes to keep you from hurting yourself. In fact, hold still. I'll give you another dose of healing."

Kurama smiled at her. "Do not discount the strength of friendship." Genkai's voice echoed in his mind just then. Never! he thought. Friends are far too precious to be underestimated.

Elsewhere, Yusuke cursed under his breath. He and Kuwabara had lost sight of Hiei. "The halls in this stupid place are like a freakin' labyrinth!" he complained. "Kuwabara, can you sense Hiei anywhere?"

Kuwabara paused, then, "Yeah, that way."

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Ahead of them, Hiei had chased the sensation into the kitchen. He paused, taking in the sight of the decapitated cooks littering the floor, his nose wrinkling at the stench of death and forgotten food. Well, I won't be joining them, he silently assured whoever was hiding. Come out, coward! He prowled noiselessly into the room, one hand on his sword hilt. The lights were out and there were no windows but Hiei did not need light to see.

The room was huge and laid out as one would find in a restaurant's kitchen. Pots and pans of all descriptions hung from frames on the ceiling. One section of the room was filled with tall shelving units of food goods. Along another wall were the cooking appliances. The other two walls sported stainless steel counters with open shelves underneath and stainless-steel-doored cabinets above. Numerous small appliances and trees of preparation and cooking tools lined the lower shelves. Tables filled the center of the room, half-prepared meals spoiling on platters and cutting boards. Very few hiding spots anywhere in this place, Hiei noted. The cabinets, maybe? He started for the nearest set but stopped at a small creaking noise behind him. Whirling around, he dropped into a battle-ready stance, eyes scanning the room. Was it his imagination or was there movement behind the darkened glass of the largest oven?

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Yusuke arrived at the door of the kitchen to see Hiei staring intently at the appliances across the room. Then Hiei stiffened. Yusuke felt it, too - a building of Yoki in the air.

"Hiei, look out!" Kuwabara hollered from behind him as the two rushed into the room.

Hiei was already moving as the tables to either side of him toppled of their own accord, pelting him with their rotten dishes. Small appliances leaped off the shelves, spinning through the air. The structures bolted to the ceiling ripped free, raining cookingware all over the room. As he dodged the heavy pots, some of them practically as big as he, the fire apparition did not see the nearest storage unit rocking. It fell, knocking Hiei off his feet and burying him under numerous bagged pounds of rice and flour. Dozens of kitchen knifes pulled free of wooden storage blocks, streaking right for him. Yusuke leveled his hands, intending to blow them away with his Spirit Gun, but a flying toaster smashed into the side of his head. Knocked momentarily senseless, he was further delayed when Kuwabara shoved him to the ground, then sliced a charging ice machine in half with his Spirit Sword. Yusuke sat up in time to see the butcher knives and other deadly cutlery dive right into the pile of rice bags.

"Dammit, no! HIEI!"

Author's Notes: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!