Operation Code 21-2100

It still felt odd to be in this body. Although he had shared it (and he used this term loosely) with the child known as Shuichi for many years, it still felt awkward and clumsy when compared to his original form. However, today he needed to speak with his host. Unfortunately, the child had been able to speak before he took control. Rather than make his host appear like a space cadet, Youko was forced to play the part. Unlike the three other children his host usually associated with, these girls had no knowledge of him and he wanted to keep it that way.

"If you have any weapons, I suggest you remove them," Youko murmured.

The girls remained motionless and Youko's eyes traveled over them. Most of the girls' clothing left no room for a weapon, even a knife, to be hidden. Since their purses were locked in the closet, he did not suggest a pat down.

He began to feel a pulling sensation as though a child was pulling on his pant leg. He envisioned himself kicking the child away. The sensation stopped for a moment before returning more strongly than before. Pausing for a moment to glare at Spirit and order him to not let the girls out of his sight, Youko entered 45's bedroom. Once inside, he closed his eyes and allowed himself to be dragged back into the depths of the mind.

When he opened his eyes he found himself surrounded by darkness. Although it was dark, he was well aware of the sounds of Spirit and 45 attempting to speak to the girls. He was well aware of the breeze that drifted into the room through the window and the cracks of the clutter. In fact, he could also 'see' the room when Shuichi opened their eyes although the area around him remained dark.

Now that Shuichi was back in control, Youko attempted to draw him back into their mind so they could speak. This time, he was the child who was kicked back. Youko did not sigh or growl in frustration. Instead he tried again. He envisioned a rope tying around the other presence and drawing the boy in. The 'rope' hit a wall and fell to the ground. It appeared Shuichi had raised his barriers again. Very well, Youko thought. He would have to speak with Shuichi when the boy slept next. Since he barely slept last night, the boy was due to collapse soon. Youko could speed up the process if he so desired but he was curious about the girls and the oddity of the changing appearances. He had a theory as to the cause, but without control, he was unable to act on it.

From the corner of Shuichi's mind, Youko reverted to a foxlike form that he was more comfortable in and curled up. He closed his eyes, allowing him to focus more fully on the outside world. Shuichi had left 45's bedroom and rejoined the other boys. Youko frowned when he noticed the girls looking at Shuichi, especially that one with the black hair.

It had been bad timing on his part that he had distracted Shuichi when the girl had attacked him. When he realized the girl's intentions, Youko had quickly retreated and allowed Shuichi to focus on the real world. He knew he would get his second chance. Moments later, Shuichi's guards had been lowered and he had gained control. Unfortunately, the event was wasted and now Youko would have to wait for another opportunity. He had a feeling that without his information the boys would stumble into danger and make it far worse due to their new powers.

Unlike Shuichi who only noticed the external changes, Youko was well aware of the internal changes. He had been intending to inform Shuichi of the changes but the boy stubbornly ignored him except to push him away when he tried to speak. Youko did not blame the boy. He understood partly because he was unable to feel emotions the way the boy did but also partly because he understood the logic behind the boy's actions. Why release a creature that 'appeared' to attack anyone close by?

He attempted to add his two cents but again Shuichi pushed him away. If he were human, Youko would have shrugged his shoulders. Instead, he merely closed his mind to the sensations from the outside world and fell into sleep. He would steal the information from Shuichi's mind later.

*O*C*2*1*

She sensed it before she heard the creature approaching. Yukina avoided looking at the window as she sat on the couch between Keiko and Sumire. She saw Keiko grip the sleeves of her coat tightly as the creature entered their hearing range. She could now hear the creature's wings flapping as it flew closer to the apartment. As it came closer, she could also hear a slight ticking noise and her blood froze in her veins. Demon World knew they had failed and had been captured and they were ready to kill everyone in the apartment block. She swallowed and glanced at Sumire, the only one who could turn the creature away with a muttered code. The girl was staring blankly at the TV which Kuwabara had turned on while they waited for Shuichi. If Sumire was aware of the danger, she gave no sign.

The creature was getting closer and Yukina heard Keiko take a deep breath and hold it. The brown haired girl slowly placed her hands on her lap and Yukina saw her close her eyes. The one called Hiei glanced in Keiko's direction as the girl began to concentrate but Yukina distracted him by asking him for a glass of water. Red eyes stared back at hers and she wondered why he would bother to put on contacts and style his hair after his team had captured them.

Kuwabara had jumped up and rushed to the kitchen area of the apartment to get her a glass of water but Hiei continued to stare at her. She stared back, determined to keep his attention on her and away from Keiko. When she heard Keiko exhale, she looked away and accepted the glass of water from the now copper-haired Kuwabara. She took small sips and then handled the glass back with a smile. He grinned back at her and she felt a small twinge of guilt. These boys had tried to protect them last night and they were going to be repaid with bloodshed. Unless she and Keiko were able to convince the boys to let them leave and draw the creature away. Yukina glanced around the room, taking in the sight of the boys weapons all kept within arm's reach. They will not listen, she thought as she glanced in Keiko's direction.

The other girl shook her head slightly and Yukina hid her frown. The creature was still coming and now she could sense more following at a distance. If the creatures arrived, nothing would be left. It was her turn now. She heard Keiko ask for the TV volume to increase. When the one called Yusuke asked why, Keiko replied she was interested in the news about the delegate-general visiting. The boys glanced at each other as if mentally debating on the harm of the action. While they silently spoke with each other, Yukina closed her eyes and also concentrated. The creature and its pack were only five blocks away. She focused on the leading creature and willed a wind of chilled air to fly from her to the creature through the small crafts in the apartment's window frame. She envisioned the creature freezing in midflight and falling to the ground where it shattered into thousands of bloody pieces. Yukina inhaled and exhaled.

The creature paused in its flight for a second before continuing towards the apartment. Yukina opened her eyes and looked at Keiko. She shook her head and saw Keiko bite her lip. Sumire was the only one who could stop the creature now but the girl was still unresponsive. They had no other options left. One block to go before the creatures arrived.

Yukina rose to her feet and felt Keiko mirror her actions. She turned to face Hiei and Shuichi while Keiko faced Yusuke and Kuwabara. The creatures were only after them so they could leave Sumire with the boys. If she ever recovered, she could explain what had happened but that was looking too far into the future. For the moment, Yukian needed to focus on the here and now.

"I'm sorry," she said as the temperature in the room suddenly dropped. She heard the boys curse as they found their legs encased in ice. Behind her, Keiko had raised her arms. A thin wall appeared from the floor and grew until it created a sphere around the girls. The sphere was clear and virtually invisible even to Yukina although when the light hit the wall just right, she could see a shimmer of blue light. The shield was only a precaution, created in case Yusuke should fire his firearm or Fox attempt to use his whip to ensnare them. The girls ran towards the window and Yukina quickly opened it. As predicted, a brown whip flew the air towards Yukina's hand. It hit the clear shield created by Keiko's energy and bounced off.

The girls jumped through the window and Yukina allowed the air in the apartment to return to its normal temperature. The ice which held the boys would take longer to melt giving her and Keiko time enough to draw the bomb creatures away. As Yukina's feet touched the sidewalk, she looked up and saw the creatures flying towards her and Keiko. They appeared with bat-like wings connected to a large eyeball which had a mouth lined with sharp teeth in the middle of the eye. The creatures shrieked when they spotted the girls and fell into a nosedive towards the girls.

Without looking in Keiko's direction, Yukina turned on and ran towards the narrow alley. The shield that had been surrounding her and Keiko disappeared although Yukina could sense the girl running just a few steps behind her. A dumpster appeared in front of them and the girls paused long enough for one of the bomb creatures to breath down their necks before jumping over it. The creature collided with the dumpster with a shriek before the area became a fiery hell. Flames licked at their heels as the girls continued to run, the other bomb creatures following close behind.

The alley opened back onto the street. A car's brake screamed as the two girls lunged out of the alley and onto the road. They disappeared back into the alley before the car stopped but they could hear the female driver cursing them as they struggled to put more distance between them and the bomb creatures. Yukina glanced in Keiko's direction and saw the girl nod towards two alleys. Hearing the bomb creatures gaining, she nodded.

While Keiko took the alley on the left, Yukina took the alley on the right. The area was lined with toppled garbage cans, and Yukina found herself slowed down by the need to jump over each can individually or risk tripping. To her left, she could sense Keiko also being slowed down. They exited the alleys at the same time and ran towards each other. She saw a bomb creature reach out to bite Keiko. They ducked past each other and Keiko raised a sphere around the bombs. Two collided and exploded. The rest were caught in the explosion.

Yukina rose to her feet and saw Keiko staring at the remains of the creatures. She walked towards the brown haired girl and helped her to her feet.

"That is can't be all of them," Keiko muttered. "That was too easy."

Yukina nodded as the girls searched the area for signs of approaching danger. The sky was empty, and if there were more bombs, they were too far out of their senses. For the first time in ten years, the girls were out of Demon World's power. They had no money, no passports, and nowhere to go. Sumire would be back at the apartment but the boys would still be frozen so they could not return to get her. It was too dangerous and Sumire would slow them down. Yukina ignored the twinge of guilt and turned to speak to Keiko. Her eyes widened as a black figure dropped down in front of her and Keiko.

"What do you think you are doing?"