A/N: Hey all, sorry about the wait. I've been pretty busy, and waiting for some inspiration to come to me. But, here's the next part, hopefully the following chapter won't be too long in the works. :)
Carmen stood still, slowly stretching her neck. She could feel Kurama's eyes boring into her, but she refused to look at him. "You needn't give me that look." She commented dryly. "I know what I'm doing."
"I'm trying to find the logic in any of your actions till now, but I confess I'm having little success. Do explain."
"You are neither judge nor jury." She looked at him finally, her yellow eyes unreadable.
"No, but I could turn you in to Spirit World and let them decide your fate."
"You could do that. But you won't."
Kurama raised an eyebrow. "At present it seems to be a bad move, yes, but that doesn't stop me later on. What is the purpose of keeping your plans a secret?"
"If it's secret, I'm safe." She replied enigmatically. "However, in this case, I will share what I'm going to do, since I will need assistance putting it into action. Not just your's, but Spirit World's as well." She took a breath and continued. "I'm going to put together a tournament. One-on-one battles, winner takes all."
"What's the prize?"
"The completed medallion."
"That's seems a rather stupid plan. Who's going to fight in the tournament?"
Carmen turned to face him, an excited glint in her eyes. "I am. I knew you wouldn't fight, and I am not leaving this thing to those guys you ran around with playing hero for a while."
"Don't underestimate Yusuke and Kuwabara."
"Whatever. I'm not bringing anyone I don't have to into this scheme."
"Did you consider Hiei?"
Carmen's lips twitched. "Oh I considered him. However, our history is not such that he would willingly be within a hundred kilometers of me if he wasn't trying to kill me. In any case, it should be me – it must be me."
Kurama didn't press her about the history with Hiei, although he was sure it was an interesting one. "Where do you propose to hold this tournament?"
"The Makai plains."
"What happens if you don't win?"
Carmen's face seemed to change, to tighten a little. "You better hope you can get yourself and Chloe out of there in time."
"What exactly do you have planned?" Kurama pressed, unease creeping into his heart.
Carmen face smoothed back into her normal easy and unreadable expression. "Like I said, get yourselves out of there quick." She repeated, walking past him. "I'm going to check on Chloe."
Kurama snagged her arm. "Perhaps it's better if I do that. I have a feeling she'll respond better to me."
Carmen snorted. "I beg to differ. The problem here is that she doesn't have a choice. She just has to accept and move on. There is no room for coddling here."
"Throwing cold water on her and telling her to accept it won't help either." He retorted.
"She is right here."
The both looked towards the sound of Chloe's voice. She was standing a few feet away from them, her face more peaceful than when she left them a little while ago. "Well?" Carmen asked, pulling her arm out of Kurama's grasp.
"I'm not doing it. You can find someone else to guard your shard."
Carmen snorted. "You do have a sense of humor." She said dryly.
Chloe's brows furrowed. "I'm not kidding. You can-"
"Listen Chloe," Carmen stepped towards her, her presence somehow more impressive than her stature "I didn't tell you everything because you had a choice: you don't. I told you so it would be easier on all of us for protecting you and protecting the shard."
"I don't want to do it." Chloe bit her lip, scowling a little.
Carmen chuckled. "Of course not. Who would? I don't even want to do this. But everthing is already in motion. Frankly, it doesn't matter whether or not you want to do it; it doesn't even matter by this point if you actually have the shard. Half of Makai now views you as the connection to myself and the shard. I could leave now and they would still come after you and kill you for not giving them what they want."
Chloe swallowed. "If you can spread that I have it, can't you tell people that I-"
Carmen laughed disbelievingly. "You are so naïve and innocent Chloe, it truly amazes me sometimes. I'm not the one that told anyone where the shard was, and no one who wants the shard will believe me if I claim that you don't have it. Even if they did, they'll come after you anyway because they know I won't abandon you."
Chloe stopped chewing her lip. "You wouldn't?" She'd never quite thought of Carmen as a friend, but perhaps Carmen-
"I brought you into this and I will bring you through it; can't leave my assets hanging. As simple as that. Small matter of honor and the like."
Chloe's face fell a little. So it wasn't that Carmen cared about her at all. She just had a reputation to protect.
Kurama saw the face fall and hurried to reassure her. "Don't worry Miss Scott, I'll be with you every step of the way. I'll see you through." He caught her eye, giving her a small, warm smile.
She blushed and turned away, facing out to the ocean. "What do I do?" Her voice was small, defeated.
Carmen smiled triumphantly. "You don't really have to do anything except hang on to the shard and stick with Shuiichi or myself at all times, and I do mean at all times. Today should have been a good enough lesson for you on that subject. Speaking of which, I have business to attend to. Enjoy the rest of your," she looked at the two of them, then finished with a shrug "whatever you were doing." She strolled away, disappearing on the other side of the rocks.
Kurama allowed silence to fall for a moment as he collected his thoughts and tried to sense how Chloe was feeling. "We should return home to change clothes." He pointed out, draining a little more water out of his hair.
Chloe nodded, pulling his jacket closer around her shoulders. "I am pretty cold." She admitted, following him as he collected the rest of their things and headed home. "Thank you...by the way." She looked at him for a moment before quickly averting her eyes.
"What for?" He looked at her curiously.
"For saving my life." She met his gaze again, smiling gratefully.
Kurama simply smiled and replied "You're welcome", but inside was a different story. Saving a life was nothing out of the ordinary for him; he was going to have to remember that he was not with Yusuke and Kuwabara anymore. She was an ordinary human with knowledge, no special skills. Near death experiences was a very new experience for her.
"Is this what I should expect from now on?"
He looked at her, blinking a few times. His mind had been wandering. "Pardon?"
"Near death experiences. Is this what I should expect?" She asked calmly.
Kurama's lip quirked a little. She may be an ordinary human, but she wasn't entirely an ordinary girl. "I wish I could say no, but even I'm not entirely sure how everything is going to play out from now on. Put simply, expect anything."
She nodded. "I see. It doesn't phase you, does it?"
"What doesn't phase me?"
"Nearly dying, demons, everything. None of it phases you anymore, does it?"
The red-head had to fight a wry smile. He'd grown up on it, so no, it had never phased him. "It was a very normal occurrence in my life for a long time." He said instead, not lying, but leaving it vague enough to eleborate on later...if it came to that.
The walk was quiet, but not uncomfortably so. Kurama walked Chloe to her door. "I'll be back as soon as I've changed, all right?"
She started to nod, then shook her head. "I'll come to you after I dry off. No one but me when my parents are gone, remember?" She pulled out her keys and stuck them in the lock. Her eyes widened when she turned them - the door was unlocked? "I'm sure I locked it." She swallowed, pulling out her keys and grabbing the knob.
"Let me." Kurama put his hand over her's, opening the door cautiously. He took a deep breath of air; he didn't sense anything unusual. No demonic presence, at the very least. Kurama stepped inside, treading lightly. He came around the corner, coming face-to-face with a pair of familiar brown eyes.
The eyes widened and the mouth exclaimed "Who the hell are you?" as the young man tripped backwards.
Kurama took a step forward, noting the use of English and switching into that mode. "I might-"
"Ethan?" Chloe put a hand on Kurama's shoulder, straring, her face white as a sheet.
The young man looked at her, staring as hard as she was. "Chloe? My gosh, look how much you've changed!"
Kurama looked to Chloe, unsure of how to proceed. The similarities between the two were shocking. They almost looked like- "You're the brother." He stated.
The brown-eyed young man, recovered himself, nodding and smiling. "Yeah, name's Ethan. Nice to meet you." He stuck his hand out.
Kurama nodded and shook it. "My name is Shuiichi. I live next door. Nice to meet you." Both men looked to Chloe, who was still in shock.
"Chloe?" Ethan stepped forward, crouching so he was at eye level with her. "Don't I even get a hello?"
Kurama felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle slightly, inexplicably, but he said nothing.
Chloe blinked back tears. "You- .. How-...You're alive?" She choked out finally.
Ethan nodded, his shaggy brown hair falling into his eyes. "Very much so."
One second she was staring, the next her eyes closed and she crumpled to the floor in a dead faint.
"Chloe!" Ethan reached to help her, but Kurama was faster and was already turning her over. "Get some water please." He pulled some hair out of her face, placing a hand to her forhead. She didn't seem to have a fever, although her near drowning less than an hour ago certainly hadn't done anything beneficial for her health. This could be shock, after effects from the water and cold, or both.
Ethan brought a glass of water, kneeling down beside her.
Kurama sprinkling a little water on her and slapped her cheeks gently. "Miss Scott?" He kept on hand under her head as padding, using the other to wake her.
Her eyelids fluttered open after a minute.
"Chloe?" Ethan squeezed her hand. "How do you feel?"
Chloe swallowed, looking between the two men huddling over her.
"Did you hit your head?" Kurama asked.
Chloe shook her head. "I feel fine." She sat up, taking the offered water and drinking a little.
"You need to take a hot shower and get into some dry clothes." Kurama helped her stand, keeping his hands close by her in case she started to fall again.
Chloe nodded. "Okay." She handed him the water, glancing up at Ethan again as she walked past him towards her bedroom.
Kurama excused himself, his mind full as he walked back to his own house. How had Ethan survived whatever had attacked him? Perhaps he hadn't even been in the car. But had he stayed away for so long without contacting anyone? It didn't make any sense. And Chloe's reaction had been surprising. With her tone he'd been expecting her to be overjoyed, not faint. Then again, she was still coming down off of her shock over the new information she'd received just an hour ago. He shook his head. Too many questions, not enough answers.
Chloe's Point of View
I dried my hair slowly with a towel, my eyes staring into nothing. I didn't see the carpet that was right before my eyes. Ethan was home. My dear, beloved brother had finally come back. I'd been hoping and praying for this day ever since that first weekend he forgot to call me. Shouldn't I be happier? I didn't really feel anything, and that was the unnerving part right now. I looked up at my reflection in the mirror across the room, a little shocked by what I saw there. My face looked perfectly calm, no sign of any large emotions. But my eyes... they looked so different, so strange. I felt like I was looking into the eyes of a stranger.
"A stranger..." I murmured to myself, biting my lip as a pair of intense orange eyes appeared in my mind. Did he have something to do with all of this? Was that why Shuiichi had been so cautious and protective about him? Was he a demon? I swallowed hard, feeling a deep settled fear in the pit of my stomach. If Carmen could appear to be human, there was no end to who could be a demon. Even Haru could-
I stopped mid-thought as my phone lit up and started buzzing. I picked it up, a sense of ease washing over me. "Haru!" I flipped the phone open with a relieved smile.
"Chlo? Are you at your house? I came back early from Egypt. I'll come pick you up, okay?"
I smiled at his eagerness, my smile fading a little as I remembered that Shuiichi was waiting for me. "Actually I already made plans to go over to Shuiichi's." I said hesitantly. I could almost see his disappointment so I hurried to continue "Please come over anyway. I need to seee you." I tried not to beg, but I wasn't so sure that my tone hadn't sounded that way.
There was a moment of silence before he caved. "Okay, okay, if you're sure I'm not intruding." He said teasingly.
I felt my cheeks flush. "Not funny Haru!"
He laughed. "So funny. I'll see you in a minute."
I hung up the phone, holding it to my chest. Haru would help me make sense of everything. He was always there for me. I hopped up and pulled on socks, standing in front of the mirror as I tussed at my wet hair. I bit my lip, looking over at the door; my brother was still out there waiting for me.
Third Person Point of View
Haru hopped out of the car and strode up to the front door. There was no car, so she should be home alone. "Chlo?" He called as he opened the front door. He shut the door and walked in, stopping abruptly when he saw someone sitting in the living room, their head in their hands. "Who are you?" He asked, not wanting to sound too demanding, but still curious about who this stranger was.
The man lifted his head, rising to his feet. "Who are you?" He countered. "Why are you looking for Chloe?"
Haru faced the man directly, sizing him up. Something about him seemed very familiar... he took a step back suddenly, eyes widening. "You're Ethan." He stated, utterly shocked. Chloe'd told him about her brother before, but it had always seemed as if he was dead.
The brown-haired man nodded. "You must be Haru." He returned.
Haru nearly jumped when Chloe touched his arm. She looked between the two. "I see you've met."
Both guys nodded.
"There's food in the fridge if you're hungry. Haru and I were just going to Shuiichi's. I'll be next door if you need me." She pulled Haru out the front door with her as she walked quickly towards Shuiichi's.
"Heeey." Haru pulled her to a stop, taking her arm and turning her towards himself. "What happened back there? How is that your brother? I thought he was dead."
Chloe blinked quickly, glancing at Haru then letting her gaze dart around nervously. "I-I don't know. He just..he just showed up."
Haru pulled her to himself, resting his chin on her head and wrapping his arms around her. She was very upset, he could tell. "Take a minute, let yourself breathe, then try and tell me what all has happened.
Chloe felt her lower lip tremble a little and she gripped the back of Haru's shirt. She'd nearly died early, reality had been completely shaken, and then she came home to find the brother they'd all thought dead cheerfully raiding the kitchen. How the hell was she supposed to deal with that much emotional trauma in one day? "I thought he was dead.." Her voice quivered, but she struggled hard not to cry. If she let the dam break now, the flood waters would come.
"You always seemed so sure he was alive."
"I was trying to convince myself more than anyone else." She swallowed hard, feeling the first few tears spill down her cheeks.
"Let's get you into Shuiichi's." He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to her, keeping his arm around her shoulders as he walked her up to Shuiichi's door.
Shuiichi opened it before they could even knock. "What happened?" He asked upon seeing Chloe's teary eyes.
"That's what I'm finding out." Haru walked in when Shuiichi gestured for them to enter. He took her to the couch and sat down with her.
Shuiichi sat on her other side, not sure how he felt about having unecessary people in their business – namely Haru. But Chloe wanted him there, and this would go best if she were kept content.
"Alright Chloe, start at the beginning. What's bothering you?"
Chloe took a shaky breath and looked between the two of them before fixing her eyes on her hands. "Mom and Dad decided to go on a trip without me. I found the note when I got up. Not having many free days I decided to go to the beach. While I was on my way..."
Haru listened attentively to every word she said, his jaw clenching and tightening when she came to the part where she'd almost died. But he said nothing, just listened and held her.
Kurama grew more and more uncomfortable as she shared everything about the day with Haru. His sharp eyes caught the look Haru threw at him momentarily when she came to the demons and demon world part. But he remained stilent.
"I thought Ethan was dead. I really did. So did all my family. Then today to just walk into the house and...and see him just...just standing there...as if nothing had happened..." She shook her head in disbelief.
Haru squeezed her gently. "I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for his actions." He said reassuringly. His eyes looked up at Kurama, almost accusingly. "As reasonable as anything can be expected to be right now."
Kurama stood. "I'll get some tea."
Haru followed him first with his eyes, then physically. "I'll be right back." Once in the kitchen he stepped real close to Kurama. "Listen to me Shuiichi, I'm going to make myself real clear. I don't know what part you're playing here, but I'll be straight – I don't like anything that's happening here. I don't like how Chloe's involved, and I'm happy with the likes of you and Carmen toying with her life like this. Anything happens to her – anything – and I don't care how many worlds there are, I will make you regret it."
"You seem to already have an amount of knowledge about all of this." Kurama looked at him.
Haru tapped his fingers on the counter. "Japan isn't the only place that has touch with the abnormal."
"Where are we going?" Chloe asked as she walked beside Kurama. It had been three days since the incident at the beach. She'd been in the constant company of either Shuiichi or Haru, whether awake or sleeping, ever since.
"Carmen asked us to meet her; she has new information for us."
Chloe felt an unease in her stomach. "Information about that...tournament?"
Shuiichi knew she didn't like the idea of this bloodshed, but he couldn't reassure her in any way. It needed to happen, and the sooner the better. "She didn't say, but quite probably. Now Miss Scott, she has asked us to meet her at a club that's just around this corner – stay close to me when we go inside."
Chloe cringed at the idea of going into a noisy club, but she didn't really have a choice. She moved closer to Shuiichi anyway, steeling herself for the upcoming hour or more.
The noise assaulted them before they'd even made it around the wet street corner. Kurama knew this was going to hurt once they'd made it inside; his ears were sensitive. They stepped around the line and up to the front.
"Name?" The guy with the list yelled over the music, his eyes darting to Shuiichi's red hair.
"Shuiichi."
"You're good to go. She's expecting you." He unclipped the rail and motioned for them to go in.
Chloe followed close behind Kurama, blinking at all the strange lights, none of which did a half-way decent job of providing any sort of actual light. The entire place was one dim, foggy scene. "Can you see her?"
Kurama took her arm and pulled her up next to him before leaning his lips down to her ear. "I'm sorry, it's too loud. What did you say?" He turned his head, obviously expecting her to do the same.
Chloe's heart pounded in her chest, still in shock of the feel of his breath on her ear and in anticipation of leaning up and-
"Shuiichi!"
The red head jerked, his acute hearing managing to pick out his own name now. He looked towards the bar, his breath catching in his throat when he caught sight of their target. Carmen stood there, a drink in hand, draped in an alluring forest green dress. He pulled Chloe with him, regaining control of his senses once again. This was Carmen, after all.
Chloe hadn't missed the look on his face or the hitch in his breathing when he caught sight of Carmen. When she finally saw their comrade she could hardly blame him, but still … a feeling, deep in the pit of her stomach, one she couldn't explain.
Carmen handed each of them a glass. "I'd begun to think you two were going to stand me up." She teased, her voice somehow carrying over the din. "I've got a table waiting for us. Follow me." She led the way through the heart of the dancing crowd, obviously expecting them to follow. She led them up a few stairs into a sitting area, taking the one empty table out of the many crowded ones. "I like to be prepared." She sat down gracefully in one of the chair and set down her glass.
Chloe took the chair Kurama offered her, looking intently down at her drink and trying hard not to bite her lip. Her eyes glanced around at all the people around them. "How can we possibly talk here?" She blurted, sinking her teeth into her lower lip.
Carmen laughed, taking a drink from her glass. "Going someplace private appears too suspicious, and anything someone overhears they will take very seriously. No one will be listening to us here, and anything they overhear, well, we're in a club – who would take them seriously?"
Kurama caught Chloe's eye and nodded his agreement. "This is a wise choice."
Chloe looked between the two, smiling bashfully. "Oh...I see."
"Down to business." Carmen motioned for another drink from a nearby waiter. "The time and date is all set. I have combatants lined up, a judge, lower lifes for hauling the bodies, and will be receiving the remaining pieces shortly. Have you talked to Koenma yet? Has he agreed to keep all his minions away from the plains for the duration of the tournament?"
Kurama leaned back in his chair calmly. "He has, grudgingly. As long as no humans get hurt he won't step in."
Carmen looked pleased. "Excellent, everything is falling into place accordingly."
"Does this mean I'm safe now?" Chloe shouted, curious as to why her voice didn't seem to project as well as the other two's.
"Hardly." Carmen responded quickly. "Safer, but not safe by a long shot. Only the honorable demons will keep from coming after you. The lower levels may still try to get the shard from you."
Chloe sighed resignedly. "Of course."
"Don't worry." Kurama leaned forward. "The moment it's safe I'll make sure you are returned to your life at home."
Chloe tried to smile, although she could barely muster one. Her eyes fell and she looked out over the dancing crowd. "I need to use the restroom." She stood and left without waiting for a response.
Carmen watched her leave, then looked to Kurama. "What are you going do about her when this is all over?" She asked, sipping at her drink while eyeing him pointedly.
He raised an eyebrow. "Whatever do you mean?"
"It's one thing for me to take an asset, make them think we're friends, whatever. But you," she chuckled as if at some private joke. "But you don't do that. You become fond of them, risk your life for them, and when it's all over, you have to deal with the consequences." Her eyes took on a strange look. "In some ways you've come so far from the old Yoko Kurama, and in others…" She didn't finish the sentence, just looked at him with blue eyes that seemed shielded, protected from any harm coming her way.
"Are you wearing contacts?" Kurama asked, not sure what to make of her comments, but deciding to leave it be for now.
Carmen nodded as she stood. "Golden eyes tend to draw more attention than I care for in the Human World." She smiled, picking up her glass. "I'm going to go check on our project." She moved expertly through the crowd of people. "Chloe?" She called as she pushed open the door to the ladies' room. A few women looked up, but none of them were the girl. "Chloe?" She called again, peering into the powder room portion. "Damn." She dropped her glass in the trash and strode out the room, moving through the crowd just as fast, but sending off such an aura as to cause the people to move out of her way. She grabbed the front of Kurama's shirt and pulled him up, whispering "Go with it" before pressing her lips to his. She felt him tense, but at least he didn't pull away.
She pulled back, a coy smile on her face. "Come. I know a private room upstairs." She took his hand and drew him through the crowd to a back stairs. The man standing there caught her eye, a smirk gracing his lips as she approached. "Have a good time."
"We intend to." She moved up the stairs lightening quick, only dropping the red head's hand when the entered a bedroom.
"Mind explaining what's going on?" Kurama asked, his tone indicating he was clearly not in a playing mood.
"Chloe's been kidnapped." Carmen stated it as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. She pushed open the window, leaning out and closing her eyes as she took in a deep breath.
"Demon?"
"Who else?" Carmen took another breath. "There. I've got her." She kicked off her shoes and leapt from the window, disappearing into the night.
Chloe stirred, blinking her eyes open slowly. She groaned; even the dim light around her was causing her head to hurt like a…well, suffice to say it hurt a lot. She moved a hand up to her forehead; every muscle in her body ached.
"Hey, girl, are you okay?"
Her eyes snapped open and she turned her head. She could see a man sitting against the nearby wall. He seemed like he must be taller when he stood, at least six feet tall. "Who-who are you?" Her throat was dry and felt like it was burning; her tongue felt thick and heavy.
"Name's Kuwabara. Wish I didn't have the honor of meeting you."
Chloe forced herself to sit up, closing her eyes to fight the dizzy spell threatening to take her down again. "Why is that?" She opened her eyes, rubbing at her neck.
"Because – now you're trapped down here with me."
Chloe felt tears welling up in her eyes, although she tried hard to keep them from spilling over. "Where is…here, exactly?" Her voice quivered.
Kuwabara shook his head. "I have no idea. One minute I'm home, the next…" He motioned to her and shrugged. "They won't tell me what they want, they just make sure I don't make it out when I try. And believe me, I've tried."
Chloe swiped at her eyes with the back of her hands. "How long have you been here?" She asked.
Kuwabara looked at the wall, motioning to the marks. "There's one mark for each day."
She looked over, unable to suppress a small sob when she saw how many marks there were on the wall. "I'll never get out of here." She buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking.
Kuwabara hurried to his feet and limped over to her, nearly falling down at the exertion. "Ah, don't cry." He patted her shoulder awkwardly. "My friends will come for me and we'll be saved." His eyes strayed to the wall. He had to keep believing that they would come rescue him – eventually.