Doubt
Random Beginning Notes: Yukina's image of her brother looks like a pirate. Not the scary modern ones, the weird Disney ones. (Jack Sparrow) I'm still trying to figure it out. Maybe Yukina... Oh never mind.
Chapter 14: Walk Out
Wouldn't it be nice if he came in and saved me? Yukina thought. That my brother would be out there somewhere and then he comes and breaks down the window and take me away? That's crazy though. He probably doesn't even know that I'm in this world if he remembers me at all. I think I vaguely remember him myself... I really wonder if he remembers me. She leaned against the wall. She tried to imagine her brother but she could only imagine an outline of a body dressed rather plainly in a white long sleeved shirt, black slacks, and black boots. The face was blank except for the word brother pasted across his face.
There's something out there. I wonder what's... She heard a series of crashes and gunshots below her. Someone... There's someone trying to break in. Suddenly, she felt conflicted.
-:-:-
A man in a black suit saw Yusuke and Kuwabara coming down the hall. He ran down the hall and screamed over his shoulder, "Here!" Then he turned around and ran back down the hall.
"What the...? What, does he have a pack of crazy dogs here to get us?" Yusuke said, cocking a brow.
"I don't care if he sends a thousand wolves. I'm not stopping," Kuwabara replied, apparently thinking he was Beastmaster.
"Are you listening to yourself? We'd die if they sent a crapload of wolves. I don't care if we killed the Saint Beasts, that's still not fair and you know it."
A woman in a red dress walked down the halls. She had long blue hair that fell and framed her face in shining waves. In the middle of her forehead, near her hairline, was a small horn about an inch in length. Her eyelids were faded out with a touch of skyblue glitter eyeshadow, her lashes dark with mascara, and her lips covered with a lipstick the same shade as her hair. She stared at them, confused at first, but then she giggled. A half smile crossed her face as she spread her leg to reveal a white thigh through the slit of her crimson qipao. "So. You're the intruders. I didn't think they would be a couple of cute boys like you... Too bad I can't go easy on anyone."
"That's perfect because I won't go easy on you either." Yusuke stepped forward, cracking his knuckles.
"Are you crazy, Urameshi? She's a girl. You're not supposed to hit a girl."
"Okay, whatever. So you mean to tell me that if some girl walks up to you and kicks you in the nads you're supposed to sit there and be nice? Hell no. I'm kicking that bitch in the taco. Screw you, now's not the time to start being chivalrous here."
"In the... Oh come on, you didn't have to go and say that..."
"She's a frickin fighter anyway so if she doesn't want to get hit then she wouldn't've gone out and started challenging us Anyway..." He turned to Miyuki. "Let's do this!" He lunged forward.
Miyuki stepped back after the first blow, crossing her arms over her breasts. "You...! You pervert. I can't believe you."
Yusuke turned to her, his hand still cupped. "Yeah. Just to give you a taste of what I'm capable of. Now that I have you figured out, I just want you to know that I'm really not gonna hold back on you, you hear me?" He lunged forward again but she blocked his punch by grabbing onto his arm. She lifted her leg to throw a roundhouse kick, but Yusuke rolled under her and came out from between her legs. He shivered a bit before sliding a foot under her leg, knocking her down. She shrieked and struggled to kick him in the face. Yusuke pivoted and kicked her on the face. Kuwabara knew it, Miyuki was on the ground with a black eye.
"God... You really weren't kidding, were you?" Kuwabara was appalled. He practically looked brain dead at that point.
"Okay. I'll admit I'll take it a little easy on a girl, but that's if she were really a girl." He groaned and his face turned a tinge of green. "But shit, Kuwabara, if you say that to a girl's face, she'll think you're a douche..."
"Wait, so that means that just now when you... Ew... You really are a perv, aren't you?"
"Oh shut up, I just happened to run into something that wasn't supposed to be there when I dodged her attack. I'm just trying to make myself think of something else. I'm not gonna be the same after that. Quick, tell a joke, fart, something."
"Um, um... If a quiz is quizzical, then a test is... Oh, geez! Now I'm polluted. I can't... Ugh..."
"Okay, I am a woman, but I'm only trapped in a man's body. So go ahead, call me a freak, just like everyone else." Miyuki growled. She stood up. She rushed over and with her hand held at a ninety degree angle, fingers and thumbs purled towards her palm, she brought her hand towards Yusuke's nose. He raised his arm to make a high block, bringing the other arm down to punch her in the gut. She doubled over, was kneed in the face and she went down.
"That's it, lady?" Miyuki looked up at him. "Yeah, I called you lady. That's what you look like, and I'm sticking to it. And as weird as it is to me, I really don't care. So you done here or am I gonna have to add some bruises on you? I'm not gonna let you off as long as you keep that girl locked up."
"She's down the hall. Turn left at the first intersection and keep going straight. You'll reach a doorway and that'll take you to the tower," Miyuki stood up. "That's all I'm telling you. You're the first person I met that knew and treated me halfway decent. You're still a brute. You don't hit a lady's face. I'm out of here. I'm not really a fighter." She started stumbling her way out.
Yusuke shrugged. "You heard her. Thanks for your support, Kuwabara, by the way."
"Ha, you're welcome!" Kuwabara started laughing. "Hey, wait. What if she WERE a girl?"
"...I dunno. I guess I would have gotten some cheap thrills."
"Keiko'd love to hear that."
"You wouldn't tell her something like that."
"Sure. If you don't but me this CD I've been wanting." Yusuke was about to protest but then something rushed past him. Something with claws that made a gash in his arm.
A small man hidden in black robes appeared. His face was covered with a mask, whisps of black hair sticking out from behind it. He raised his hands, showing claws which were attached to his knuckles. "So you've gone through Miyuki. We should have known how useless she was. She will fight decently when she thinks it's worth her time. She holds back too much and that's her flaw but not mine. I'm Inmaki and I won't be so easy to defeat!" He disappeared.
Kuwabara saw his shirt get slashed. "He's fast. Too fast."
"I can't even get a shot at him. Let's get out of here." They ran down the hall, hearing a scratch across the wall. They knew that if they turned around, they would see deep slashes in the wall. Yusuke faltered slightly. "Wait, Kuwabara, I just got an idea." They turned into another hall. "You ready to tell me when he comes this way?" Kuwabara nodded.
Inmaki laughed in his head. These boys aren't that bad at all! I might just...! He turned into the hall and was slammed into the wall before he turned to the two. He saw he was surrounded by various holes in the wall. Then he quickly realized what happened. "What? But how?"
"Well, you were so fast so you would be hard to see but you still couldn't hide from my spiritual awareness so all Yusuke had to do was attack so that you could be hit even if you moved." Kuwabara smiled smugly when Inmaki hit the ground. "Yeah. I told you, Urameshi. I told you. Nothing is gonna get between me and Yukina. Nothing. Not even..." He saw the large red skinned Gokumonki and tackled him with such force that he knocked him over. He sat on the demon's chest and started punching him the face, breaking his nose.
"H-hey stop. What's going on?!" He dropped the club he was clutching.
"Yeah. Gimme that thing. Mwa ha ha..." He struggled to pick it up. "Oh, forget this. Can't pick this crap up. I'm gonna... Hey, quit crawling away. I'm gonna... I don't know what I'm gonna do."
"Uncle! Uncle! I surrender! Leave me alone! I don't wanna do this anymore!" Yusuke noticed the security camera above him. He flipped it off, shaking his hand as he did so.
-:-:-
"What?! They're just boys," Tarukane gasped.
"It looks like Sakyou may be right. I think I'll step out of this one."
"It looks as if you've gotten to a disadvantage now. These boys can walk right in, and you can't back out. The Black Black Club dictates you finish." Sakyou paused. He stared at Tarukane again, but then he realized that all that time, his eyes were really on the Toguro brothers. "And it looks as if you're the last two left. I'll wager two hundred twenty trillion, sixty two billion dollars."
"What?" Tarukane left vomit jump up his throat.
"You hear me right. Two hundred twenty trillion sixty two billion."
I can't pay that off! If I lose I'll be bankrupt, but if I win... All that money... It'll be all mine. All the things I can do with that money... "I... Yeah, I've saved the best for last. I have the Toguro brothers." Sakyou was not fazed. Instead of a theatrical gasp, he took a cool drag of his cigarette. "Just wait and I'll be prepared." He whispered to the servant. "Get Yukina. This'll get messy. If worse comes to worse, we'll just have to load her up in the helicopter and get the hell outta here. Get to it."
"Yes, sir." Sakashita groaned. I don't like where this is going...
-:-:-
"Hey, stop right here, Urameshi," Kuwabara gasped.
"What now? You telling me we're going the wrong way? I'm pretty sure that Miyuki girl knows what she was talking about here," Yusuke replied. "I'm really getting tired of you stopping me every five seconds. Let's move on."
"No... I feel something. But it's not evil or anything. I know it's a demon but it's not the kind that they've been sending after us. That means, it must be her. Gimme a moment. I think I can figure out a way to talk to here. I've been pretty good with my powers." He shut his eyes tightly. Yusuke was more afraid for a moment that he would swoon in happiness rather than make any real progress. I dunno how this works but... Come on. Come on... Hello?
(Yukina nearly jumped out of her seat. The door was opening at the same time. She looked at the man who was entering, but she knew it wasn't his voice that she heard. The gate was opening and he grabbed her by the arm. She tried to slap him, but he caught her by the arm and restrained her. She felt an openness in her mind. Something told her to answer its call.) Who...? Who is this?
The name's Kuwabara, and I'm coming over to save you.
What? No, go away.
What? Why?
They have the Brokers of Darkness. They're going to kill you. They're bad men.
Don't worry about that, sweetheart. We've already taken care of them.
(She saw the other three men waiting for her as soon as she stepped out of the room. She refused to make eye contact with them. So much for having them out of the picture.) He felt a faint question-Sweetheart?-but she responded, No, that can't be right. I'm looking at them right now.
Well, then, we'll take care of them!
No. You don't have to. You should go. It was then covered in a language he didn't know. And then the communication stopped.
"Well, what'd she say? Or were you just standing there acting like you did? Derp, derp, derp," Yusuke asked.
"No, she just said that we should just get out of here. But we can't. I can tell that she's suffering! It's like she's been through this kind of thing before... I can sense it, you know. This telepathy really brings you into the person's head. You can tell what they've been through, and sometimes you can even feel what they're feeling from what I just experienced."
"Just by listening in on her thoughts?"
"Kinda hard to explain. So we can't go to where that lady told us to go. They're going to another place. Follow me."
Yusuke shrugged, and they ran back down the hall. They found a staircase going down. After a moment's hesitation, Kuwabara nodded for them to go in. Once down, they realized they had reached the basement, which looked like a series of cells containing strange looking demons. They passed once which had large lumps of flesh lying around.
"Ew, what is that? Actually on second thought, do I even want to know?" Yusuke grumbled to himself.
"Hey, look we're almost there." Kuwabara indicated double doors. They ran to enter the room before they closed.
The first thing they heard when they entered the room was Tarukane's cry, "There they are. Ha ha ha! The idiot kids!"
"That's the guy!" Kuwabara growled. He stared at the window about ten feet above them. "Look at that jerk. Just sitting there watching us like it's all one big show. Bet he'll really be laughing when we pound our fists in his face." He saw a familiar face up there as well. "Yukina..." He sent her a message, Don't you worry, Yukina. We'll be up there to save you.
The two standing in front of them were silent, though the younger Toguro smirked.
"Hey, Toguros, you better not let me down!" Tarukane added.
He didn't acknowledge him. "Ready, Brother?" He let the older one jump off his shoulder, and with a loud screech, he bent over into a tighter and tighter fold. He lifted his arms behind his back and twisted them together and he spread his legs so the bottom of his feet were touching. Then he started to scrunch and twist in a sword. The younger Toguro chuckled at their expressions of shock. "My brother can change shape. It's nothing really. And me? I can expand my muscles. But together..."
"More demons. Go frickin figure. Guess they are as screwed up as humans are." (No, You're wrong, Kuwabara, and you know it. Something isn't right here. I don't think these guys are demons... And that we know it just like this... That's what the scariest thing is. Yusuke didn't say anything.) He took his Spirit Sword and leapt forward to make the first blow. Toguro caught his sword and kneed him in the solar plexus, sending him flying so he hit the wall..
Yusuke fired his Spirit Gun at that moment. Toguro jumped over it, and Yusuke then used his Shotgun technique. Toguro blocked his chest and face with his arms, deflecting some of the shots right back at them. Yusuke had to do a pseudo-military roll just to avoid some of them. Kuwabara got back up on his feet, raised his Spirit Sword, then attacked again only to be flung away into a wall again. He thought he heard something crack.
Yusuke came behind Toguro and aimed when he was right next to him. "Right on target!" And the room was filled with dust. "Hey, don't feel bad. I have a cousin who took the heads off all his sister's Barbies. Maybe he can lend you one." Then the dust cleared. "Oh, cr-"
The older Toguro had become a shield. That was wrapped around his brother's arm. "He has a large range of forms, you know. He's much more talented than I am." He brought his arm and smacked Yusuke, who also bit his tongue as the force lifted him off his feet, in the gut.
-:-:-
Yukina looked away, shutting her eyes tight. Please, oh... Please... I can't stand this. I told him. I didn't want him to die. Why did he come this way when I told him not to? I don't want anymore people to die for me. I'm not that... Her image of her brother then fell into a coffin and the lid was nailed shut and... She gasped.
"Look up, toots. This is how you like it, isn't it? This is a reminder of how it will always be for you! Just like last time," Tarukane said, his hand lifting Yukina's chin so he could look into her eyes. Yukina felt some tears rolling out.
-:-:-
Kuwabara was close to passing out at that point. His vision of Yusuke fighting was blurring. He started seeing other things flash before his eyes. Are these... Are these her memories?
-:-:-
Hiei stood in the middle of the hallway, looking this way and that. They went in. That's all I know. But where...? Hiei suddenly felt a strange sensation. What is that? Is it THEM? The Toguro Brothers? But... There's no one else here. And there's Yukina. Just a little longer, and I'll make that asshole sorry that he even tried to use you like he did. You can wait for your brother a few more minutes, right?
-:-:-
"You know, I have a sister your age." The man in the black suit smiled. "Say..."
Tarukane walked in. "You get out. You're just here to feed her and teach her English so she can understand what we're saying to her. You already did enough of the last one. But still that's it." The man shrugged and walked out, though pausing to look over his shoulder at one point. Tarukane held up a talisman. "Now then, let's get down to business, babe. I heard these burn the skin right off freaks like you." A couple of servants held her down so she couldn't even shake them off. "So let's see those tears." He pressed it down on her arm and her skin felt like it was on fire. She even saw what looked like smoke raising from the wound. She shut her eyes tight...
...
"Today's the day," the man in the suit said with a smile again.
"What day is it? A holiday? Is it someone's birthday? Is it yours?" Yukina asked.
"No. Even better. Tarukane's going out of the country to go on vacation or something. He took almost all of his guards with him so no one would really go after us now."
"But if he finds out, he might know it was you and he'll know where to find you. I can't do that to you."
"You're turning down an offer to be freed so I wouldn't be put in harm's way? You need to think about yourself for once!" After a moment's hesitation, she followed him out the room, and they ran down the halls. They saw the main entrance when Tarukane standing behind a group of armed guards blocked the way. The man saw what was coming and he pushed Yukina to the ground so that she wouldn't be shot by any stray bullets. And down he went...
...
There was a faceless man in a white shirt and black slacks who fell into a coffin and it was nailed shut and shoved down a cliff... Out of her reach...
...That was the last decent human she met until...
-:-:-
"You... You call yourselves men?" Kuwabara found the strength to jump to his feet. "That's not what you are. I'll call you monsters. But even that's too nice." Yusuke was by his side. Kuwabara whispered to him, "Hey, how many shots you got left?"
"Just one. Why? You got a plan all of a sudden?" Yusuke asked. "This better be good, cause I'm so damn tired of falling on my ass. And also..." He spat out some blood. Kuwabara leaned to his ear and whispered.
"Finish 'em, Toguros. I've had enough of this drama," Tarukane said over the intercom.
Oh shut up! Kuwabara took a running start. Toguro readied himself to attack in a swinging motion like an axe. Then Yusuke fired his Spirit Gun, launching Kuwabara forward. The blade went into the younger Toguro's solar plexus. It was the final blow.
"So you found a way... Brilliant..." Toguro mumbled as he fell. He died moments after.
-.-.-
What? What?! "You've got to be kidding me! This can't be happening! I'm bankrupt! Bankrupt! All because of some stupid kids!" Tarukane feel large droplets of sweat drip down his face and neck. He slumped against his chair. He reached a shaky hand into his pocket and pulled out a hand kerchief, but he dropped it. "Damn it, bitch. Pick that up." Yukina didn't move.
"I know you've started the Black Black Club but we really can't associated with the poor. No hard feelings, right?"
"I'll expect you to come back if you find any way back to wealth."
Sakyou smirked and took a drag on his cigarette. "I expect my payment at the end of the month." His image on the screen disappeared.
"No. No, I'm not going to do this! Sakashita, get the helicopter. We're going out of the country! We'll... Damn it, bitch. Pick that up!" He raised his hand to smack her. Yukina still didn't move. She stared at his hand, daring him to do it. The door was kicked in at the moment and there was a flash. The three guards and the servant all hit the ground. Tarukane was slammed against the window. He looked into someone's eyes. Yukina's? No, this was a man. A dark haired man. "Who... Who the hell are you?! What the hell do you want?! I... Is it money cause that broad over there can cry tears worth more than you can imagine...
So that's how it is, you bastard... "You fucker! I don't want your dirty money. You can shove it so far down your throat you start shitting gold coins for all I care." Hiei slammed Tarukane against the window again and slammed his face into the wall so blood gushed out of the man's nose like waterfalls. He slammed Tarukane's face into the window again so he cracked the glass. He stepped back when the man's pants started getting soaked with urine.
Yusuke heard the sound and looked up to see what was happening. It took him a moment to figure out who the figure in the window was. Then, he remembered what Mukuro said. "Hiei, goddamn you! Don't kill him! I know you want to and I sure as hell want to but don't do it!"
And just letting him get off like this is enough? He's saying that what's he's done can be repaid by light punishment?! He reached for his pistol. "I've had enough of you. Every second of being near you makes me want to vomit. You know what I'm here for." He spat a few curses at Tarukane in his native tongue.
Yukina saw Hiei's finger on the trigger. Just as he was about to pull it, she pushed his arm so he shot the ceiling.
"Why? Why did you do that?!" Hiei growled. He caught himself and looked away. He put the safety on the pistol and put it in his pocket. "...Didn't he make you suffer for his own greed? And now you want me to stop?"
"Don't! Please don't... I can't take this. All this hating everywhere I go. All this hating and killing... He did do some terrible things but maybe... Maybe he just lost his way. But please... No more."
He saw tears forming in her eyes. "Is that what you really want?" She nodded hesitantly. "Okay, I don't want to cause you anymore trouble. You've had enough to deal with."
"Don't be mad."
"What makes you say that?" She indicated that he was tapping his toe. He immediately stopped. "I'm not. Not at all."
Silence. "...Um... You seem familiar. Do I know you?" she asked.
He grabbed her by the shoulders, almost started shaking her, but then let her go. "I'm... Mr. James Madison. Nothing more." She heard something small hit the ground as he turned around to walk out. He turned back around for a moment his face void of all emotion. "Take care of yourself." I can't tell her. Don't need to.
Just as he walked out, Yukina noticed that he dropped his badge. "Mr. James! You dropped your..." He was already gone. She went downstairs in a hurry and went to Yusuke first.
"I'm fine over here," Yusuke replied when she asked him. "But you might wanna check on that guy over there." He pointed a thumb a Kuwabara. "I'll make sure everything's okay over there."
She walked over to Kuwabara. "Oh, you look horrible. I know some healing. It's not much, but it's the least I can do after what you did for me." She put a hand on her shoulder. Her sleeves rolled up revealing the scars from the burns on her arms.
Her burns... "Thanks a lot... Um... I know... I know that... I know what they did to you and I just want to ask you one thing. Please don't hate humans. Please... This guy was really rotten but there's lots of other types out there and lots of other great ones out there. Ones that would drop everything and give you a hand when you need it the most. And sometimes you don't have to keep seeking them out cause there's always someone nearby. I wish I can take all of what happened away but I can't. All I want is you to know that..."
"Oh no... No, I don't hate all humans at all. Everyone needs forgiveness."
Hiei, who was standing in the doorway, started walking away at that moment. That's all I... Yeah, that's all now. Maybe it's time I...
-:-:-
It was about two in morning when Mukuro heard the door slam. Oh, looks like he's home. Doesn't sound like he's drunk this time. That's new. She didn't move still. She heard him walk into his room and lock the door behind him. Fifteen minutes later she heard (Something? No.) him drop.
She groaned and took the key from the drawer in the desk. She unlocked the door and walked in. There was the blade in his hand, his wrist covered in blood.
Not again... I might have to... Mukuro crouched on the floor, swiped a finger in the pool of blood and licked it. After a moment's hesitation, she went on...
/And there was none.
Notes:
I don't remember the numbers on the wager. Meh. Mukuro at the end of this chapter... No, she does NOT get a sick thrill out of drinking other people's blood.
See you all later.
Much love, JC.
(edit: So demon blood... The explanation is pretty much that demon blood has healing properties, but you only get the effects if the one you're getting the blood from is more powerful than you. And for it to really have any large effect, it has to be a huge gap. Like if an S class gave blood to a C class, there would obviously be some great benefits. Humans can actually buy in to this, too. But it has to be in increments as too much demonic blood at one time will cause a human to BECOME a demon. I actually took this idea from RosaVamp, but added my own little twist to it.
Another note on Mukuro. She's NOT a vampire. I don't expect you to assume that she is in any way. But she's a mare, which is a creature of European legend that is much like a succubus, except with more of an emphasis on dreamwalking, hence the word Nightmare. The basic story is that it's an old hag that would sit on your chest and ride you in the night, causing night terrors. It's the phenomenon that's the basis of sleep paralysis. In this story, a mare is closer to a succubus, meaning that should they sleep with a man, they would suck out his life via semen. When they have intercourse with a male mare, this is cancelled out. They also have the power to enter people's minds and dreams with ease, an ability strengthened as the demon him or herself gets stronger. Mukuro being the power level she is should be able to do it easily, but it's actually her shackles that's limiting her power, hence why she needs physical contact for her to break mental walls and search. Should someone's mental guards be dropped she could just waltz in their minds easily, too. So, there. That's the explanation of Mukuro in a way that won't screw up most of the story for you.)