"Get Rushiyo into Solitary Confinement now! Delete Kurama from the VIP database and put his face on every poster we have! I want his family in Living World trailed until we catch him. Go, go, go!"

"Yes, sir!"

The ogres sprinted out of Koenma's office, almost knocking Botan over as she arrived. "Uh, sir?"

"Botan! Get in here!"

She was barely beyond the doors when they snapped together. "Sir, are we sure Kurama's the guilty one here? It just doesn't sound like him."

"What do you mean, doesn't sound like him? He's been stealing for centuries! I'd say this sounds exactly like him!" Koenma clawed at his scalp, forgetting his breathing exercises.

"Sir, please calm down!" Jorge tried to stop Koenma from pulling out his out hair, but the Prince of Spirit World barked for him to leave. The ogre knew better than to object, and worriedly slipped out of the room.

"We have Kurama on the security tapes, Botan," Koenma resumed. "There's no doubt it's him."

Botan turned to the screen, an idea striking her. "Sir, he told m—uh, well . . . I left him by the dungeon when I came to report to you. We can see his entire interaction with Rushiyo I bet!"

Koenma grumbled. "What would that prove?"

"D—um, let's see . . . I guess I don't know, but it's a start, isn't it? That's when he first was left alone in the Palace tonight. It's the right place to begin an investigation!" Botan mentally thanked the thief for reminding her to check the tape; though she didn't know why he'd do something stupid like that if he knew he was on camera.

"Right about . . . here." Koenma pushed 'Play,' and Kurama and Botan appeared on the screen right outside the closing dungeon doors. Kurama repeated to her that she ought to go on ahead and report to Koenma. "I'd like to cross-examine Rushiyo, so I'll be repeating questions I've already asked, and you can watch on the screen. If you think I'm up to something."

Botan in the video started down the corridor while Kurama turned back into the dungeon. The feed jumped to the white, sterile light of the dungeons, the crackling force-field bars glowing red.

Kurama sat before Rushiyo again, and after the jackal's snide comment about Botan leaving, Kurama resumed his questioning.

Botan glanced at Koenma, who was nearly falling asleep; he caught himself before his face hit the desk, then resolutely pushed the button to skip forward.

"We're not learning anything new!" Koenma whined. "Oh, here's something."

When the screen-Kurama stopped moving in fast-motion, the dungeon's light casting his shadow into the corridor before the doors closed, he pulled his sleeve down to his wrist, and Botan remembered how he'd grabbed her in passing the note; was he reminding her to heed the note's advice?

He turned into a passage that was most definitely not the one leading to Koenma's office, and Botan had to remind herself to blink as he entered the Evidence Room. The feed hopped to the camera inside, catching Kurama approaching the section for their current case; it was locked behind a chain-link fence—the area for the high-profile cases.

From his wrist sprang a bundle of vines, reaching through the diamond-holes of the fence toward the Band of Shadows.

"But—! What's he doing?"

"Quiet, Botan. He isn't stealing it, here. It's too wide to fit through the holes in the fence."

"Koenma! Why aren't the SDF there? I thought they stationed someone in there twenty-four hours a day!"

"Yes, usually. But Shunjun thought it would be a good exercise to see if Kurama would take advantage if we appeared negligent. He'll catch him any second, I know it. Just watch."

Yet no one came. Kurama lifted the Band of Shadows—or, the fake one, anyway—up off the table, and over to a circular device on the wall.

"What's he doing?"

Botan's eyes widened. "He's putting it on the alarm box!" Just like with the ring in the clock!

"There! Here comes Shunjun. Bah, you idiot! Just look on the table, the Band of Shadows isn't there anymore!"

"Kurama's standing just in his way," Botan pointed out, gaze unwavering. "And Shunjun won't look at the alarm console for any reason. This is brilliant."

Koenma shot her a look. "Could you keep your admiration in check? This is partly your fault."

"My? What! How?"

Koenma pouted. "You probably told him too much! Wait, I'm going to turn it up." He rewound the tape and blipped the volume to its max.

"—Think you're doing in here, demon scum?"

Kurama pulled his hands out of his pockets, which Shunjun took note of. "I'm not here to steal if that's what you're assuming."

"Funny that you go straight to your favorite felony," Shunjun said, his hand quivering until an orb of charged energy grew in his palm. "I know of your connection to that jackal, Kurama."

Kurama scowled, but he dared not move.

Shunjun grinned. "You thought you could keep it a secret. Once I tell the Prince, you'll be sharing a cell with that brother of yours."

Kurama cocked his head to the side. "You're jumping to conclusions, Shunjun," he said. "I intended only to inspect the artifact."

Shunjun took Kurama by the lapels, a few seeds shaking out of his sleeve. "I've already killed you once. I don't care if you're Koenma's new pet—I will kill you again. You thought you'd just sneak i—"

Kurama's seeds sprouted from the floor, surprising Shunjun into releasing him; the stems curled around the officer's throat, and Kurama righted his jacket. "Chase your phantoms," he said. "You're angered only by your own impotence."

Kurama started out of the room, but paused at the door. "You would be wise to wait for those to wilt," he said to Shunjun's scowl. "If you struggle, they'll only kill you."

"So that's how he did it!" said Koenma, his eyes bright with wonder.

"But he didn't even steal it!" Botan said, pointing at the alarm console.

"Just wait," Koenma ruefully replied.

They watched as Kurama entered Koenma's office and exchanged a few words with Botan: "Writing is difficult after 'lights out.'"

Botan balled her hands into fists. What was he trying to tell her? Lights out for whom?

Koenma blubbered from his desk. "I can't believe I'm falling for it!" He screamed at his counterpart on the screen. "He's taking you for a sap! Hey! Don't believe him!"

Botan turned her attention back to the screen, where Kurama was encouraging Koenma to allow Rushiyo to escape.

"Why in the world would I do that? It'd make us look dumb!" said screen-Koenma.

"He meant to be caught," Kurama told him. "He allowed the SDF to take him into custody, because he knew that he would be able to escape. If we move him to Solitary, they'll know we're onto them."

"I hadn't even considered Solitary Confinem—"

"Shut it you dope!" Koenma interrupted himself.

"Sir, please be quiet! I'm trying to hear."

The toddler banged on his desk, but after Botan glowered at him, he calmed. "And all the while, my best officer is being held hostage by killer daisies," he grumbled.

"That's right!" Botan turned on him. "What's Shunjun doing during your talk with Kurama?"

Koenma flipped the archived feed to the Evidence Room, where Shunjun was calling out for help.

"Please, someone! He's stolen the artifact!"

"No he hasn't, you dolt, look behind you." Koenma smacked his forehead. "Kurama played him well, Botan. He warned him against acting through anger, but Shunjun can't get past his hate for him."

"It looks like he was anticipating that, sir," she replied as Shunjun broke free of the dying plants and unlocked the fence. He looked under the table, behind file stacks, and all along the floor, but he never saw the Band hanging on the circular alarm console; it fit almost perfectly around it.

With seemingly nothing inside the high-profile area to really protect, the fence was useless; Shunjun didn't bother to even lock it as he left the room, yelling for backup and a search of the grounds.

Kurama ducked into the room and up to the alarm console within the open fence, slipping the allegedly fake Band of Shadows into his pocket.

But why? The fake artifact held no value to anyone. Even the real one is not worth your freedom, Kurama. What have you done?

"Now, watch," Koenma said, leaning forward on his desk. "It's as if he wants to be caught. He knows the cameras are there, and yet he doesn't jump out of the nearest window—he runs down a few halls, getting his image on nine different security cameras before he leaps out here."

Kurama withdrew his Rose Whip and crashed through a window, fading into the night.

"From there, we have footage of him evading all the SDF officers. Of course the ogres were of no help."

Botan materialized her oar. "I have his hair in the Demon Compass, sir! I can go get him!"

"Don't be silly, Botan," said Koenma. "We'll get Yusuke on this."

"Please, sir! Keiko would never forgive me if I let a case get to Yusuke while they're trying to plan a wedding. Especially if I had the means to take care of it myself." She sat on the oar, though she was still in her pajamas. "Let me pack a few things, and I'll be off in a jiffy!"

"Botan, don't let your little crush cloud your judgment," Koenma said. "It's not worth losing you over."

She smiled at him, but she was determined. "I appreciate your concern, Koenma, but Kurama wouldn't hurt me. I know it."

He watched her leave, and on his screen, he could see her zipping down the halls on her oar. "Oh, Botan," he groaned. "You don't even know the real Kurama."

#

Sorry for the slowness! I have a few chapters already written, and some are still on paper. The transcribing sure doesn't take long, but I want to be solid on the goings-on of the characters before I publish anything. That means sleeping on it. I hope it'll be worth it to you all, and I wouldn't be able to do this if I didn't do it my way. Trust me, I hate fics that are stuck in the update limbo as much as you do, but I don't want to produce an inferior piece. I feel I jumped the gun a bit with a certain scene (remember the Hiei-Kurama argument?), and I won't do it again, even if the response was encouraging. Thanks, guys!

On to chapter nine!