Summary: For Mika, life is a constant struggle for survival. After some very unfortunate situations, she has isolated herself and is dangerously close to losing her sanity. That is, until she meets Kurama who turns her life upside down. But things begin to get out of control when it is discovered that she could have a strange connection to a mysterious legendary force that could be plotting a major takeover of all three worlds! Could her misery be nothing more that a cruel twist of fate or is this all connected to something even bigger?
Disclaimer: I, XxWinterWindxX, do not own Yu Yu Hakusho. I forgot who does---but, I can assure you it's not me. :]
Angel's Cry
Chapter 14
"Suspicions"
Thank you to all for the kind reviews and for add this story and me as a favorite story/author! I really appreciate you all, each and every one of you.
It makes my day reading your comments, and I hope you all continue to read.
-Jasmine, XxWinterWindxX
Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!
Mika let out a moan as the piercing sound of what seemed to be an alarm rang in her ears. She squeezed her eyes shut tighter and snuggled closer to the warmth beside her. She lazily opened her eyes and was slightly confused when she caught sight of a familiar redhead lying beside her.
He let out a groan as he reached over onto the end table beside the bed. He brought the communicator to his face in one swift motion and flipped it open.
"Hello?" he answered groggily and Mika buried her face in the pillow they were sharing.
"Kurama! This is Koenma!"
"Yes, I can see that."
"You all need to get here---quick! There's been a break-in!"
"A break-in?" Kurama was instantly alert. He broke away from the young woman's grip, and swung his legs over the side of the bed.
Mika glanced at Kurama in a sleepy daze. Her eyes lazily trailed after him as he rushed to his closet to grab some clothes.
"Yes, I will explain when you all get here! Oh, and bring your friend!" Kurama seemed to be confused, and the voice on the other side clarified. "Mika!"
"Mika? But what does she have to do with this?"
Mika perked up when she heard her name, and she sat up straight in bed. The edges of her vision were blurred with sleep, but she focused on the redhead who was now fully-dressed.
"There's no time to explain. Just bring her with you!"
Kurama nodded, and he flipped the communicator shut before shoving it into his pocket. He reached into the closet and pulled out two jackets before he turned to look at Mika who was now climbing out of bed. She was staring at him as she caught the jacket that he tossed to her. Her bottom lip trembled.
"Kurama, what is going on?" she whispered softly as she slid her arms into the large jacket before following him out of the room. "You're not going to be doing anything dangerous are you?"
"There's a problem at Spirit World," he answered as they moved down the hall swiftly. "Will you help me wake everyone up?"
~.~.~.~.~
"What the hell--?"
Mika's eyes darted from side to side as she and her friends ventured through the halls of Spirit World. Ogres of all different colors rushed up and down the corridor frantically, their chattering and yells so loud that she couldn't even hear her own thoughts.
"This is ridiculous!" Kuwabara yelled over the noise.
Kurama nodded in agreement as he gently pushed on Mika's elbow to keep her moving forward. His eyes scanned the halls carefully.
"Where's Binky Boy?" Yusuke questioned in an irritated voice. His eyes were bloodshot and his deep brown hair lay flat against his head in the back and stuck up at awkward angles in the front.
"Speak of the devil," Hiei muttered as a tall brunette rounded the corner a few feet away. "There he is."
"There you all are! I've been looking all over for you!" the teenager called out, his voice sharp and impatient. A baby blue pacifier sat between his lips, and the letters "JR' were tattooed on his forehead. His brown eyes were narrowed in irritation as he scanned the faces in the small group before him. When his eyes fell on Mika, they softened a bit.
"I'm sorry, but we've never met personally." Kurama nudged Mika forward slightly as Koenma reached out to shake her hand. 'I am Prince Koenma. I take it that you're Mika?"
"Yes," she nodded as she shook his hand.
"Good," Koenma said as he withdrew his hand and turned on his heel. "If you all think that this hall looks bad, wait until you see everything else."
Mika reached out and grabbed onto Kurama's sleeve as they continued down the hall. They all walked in silence as they turned down the corridors. When they turned down the last hall, Mika's eyes went wide at the sight of all the damage.
She had been here twice before, but the infirmary wing was almost unrecognizable. Half of the windows had been blown out of the panels and millions of shards of glass littered the floor. Several doors were hanging off their hinges, and the wall at the end of the hall lay in ruins allowing the cool night air to flow in. A man lay in the broken glass unconscious and two nurses sat on either side of him calling out loudly for assistance.
"Damn, look at this place," Yusuke whistled as his eyes took in all the debris.
Koenma nodded and turned to face the group; his eyes were dark with dread. "The infirmary wing was not the only place that was stricken. The laboratory where a lot of medical and experimental research is conducted was also broken into, and the main computer was hacked. The vault was also broken into. Only four people have done that before in history."
"Four?" Yusuke questioned scratching his head. "Hiei, Kurama, and their old partner Goki. What do you mean four?"
Koenma seemed to be hesitant to talk more. His eyes shot towards Mika before he turned to answer Yusuke. "One other person broke in. And now this thief. So that makes five in total. We've amped up security each and every time... but this is ridiculous! There must be an insider---"
"Who is the other person?" Yusuke pressed, but Koenma ignored his question.
"Did you all find out what they took?" Kurama questioned.
"Yes, but we're not completely sure what they wanted with these items," Koenma said before he turned and glanced at Mika for a split second. "But... we have a pretty good idea."
"Well, what is it?" Hiei demanded impatiently.
"What'd they steal?" Kuwabara chimed in, equally grumpy and tired.
Koenma's eyes shot at Mika and back to Hiei's impatient face twice before Kurama got the hint. He turned and offered Mika a kind smile. He placed his hand on her lower back and began to talk to her while he nudged her slightly out of the inner circle.
"Mika, would you mind...?" his voice trailed off as his eyes darted at a couch a few feet away.
She felt awkward as she took a couple of blundering steps backwards. She could feel a slight heat rising to her cheeks, and she whipped her head from side to side. "O-Of course not."
"I'm sorry," Koenma shrugged and gave her a sheepish smile. "But it's confidential. You understand, of course?"
She gave a stiff nod, and she hurried away from the cluster of men. She puffed out her cheeks in slight irritation and embarrassment as she flopped down on the couch. She leaned her head on the back of it and tried to tune out all the chaos around her.
"Alright, she's gone," Yusuke said as he turned to his boss. "Now what's this all about?"
"To answer your earlier question, Yusuke, there was one person who managed to force an entry into Spirit World's vault. And a legend goes along with it," Koenma started as he folded his arms across his chest. "I don't know the full story, so I suggest that you go to the library and research for more details. It tells of a fallen angel. Her true birth date is unknown but we know that she was born at least over twenty thousand years ago; her legend was apparently written shortly after her death by her own daughter. Her true name is not mentioned, so she's referred to her as Akumei."
"I fail to see any connection between a silly fairytale and a robbery." Hiei interrupted.
"I'm getting to that!" Koenma yelled at the fire demon before he continued, "Anyway, before I was so rudely interrupted... At a very young age, Akumei and her sisters were sold into eternal slavery by their parents. She was used to being treated badly, and she throughout her childhood she suffered through things that are too... too horrifying to even describe, let alone think about.
She dreamed of escaping from her bondage. And one day she finally did. It's surprising that she never gave up hope. And she lived as a free woman, exploring the world and learning all that she could. But no one ever taught her about the fragility of a heart.
She fell in love with a young man that she met, and she was damned ever since. Their relationship was a strained one. He was abusive and cruel, but she held onto him. It's only natural that she did, I suppose. After all, she had never been in love before and he was the only thing she had."
Kurama couldn't help it, but he turned to glance at Mika who was curled up on the couch. Her back faced him and her wild hair obscured her face, and he realized that she must be asleep. He closed his eyes and thought of how much this story reminded him of her.
Koenma continued on, "Akumei was damned ever since she fell in love with that pig of a man. The legend described her as a sacrificing woman who'd anything for the one she loved---even if it meant throwing away her own life to save him. She stepped in the middle of a fight between him and an enemy and was killed in the midst of the brawl.
Her soul went to heaven, and she continued to watch over him. But when he completely disregarded her sacrifice and moved on to another woman---she was furious. Actually, there is no word to describe how angry she was. Her heart turned black with hatred and she plotted to kill him and the woman. Evil is not allowed in Heaven. And the thoughts she had and the plots she conjured up were so wicked and so twisted that even Lucifer himself would be horrified. She was warned several times not to give into the evil in her heart, but when she ignored God's words---she lost her wings. She was cast out of heaven for her sin and was sentenced to remain on Earth for eternity.
She felt so betrayed that she declared war on the heavens and the rest of the worlds. She was a hell of a threat too. She was the most powerful being in all history, and she easily surpassed even the strongest Quest class demons mostly because of the celestial powers that remained with her. Many historians describe her as the embodiment of the blackest evil in its most powerful form. For more than ten thousand years, her reign of terror plagued the worlds. I don't remember much else, but I do know that she had a daughter who she raised and trained. No one knows her name. And fortunately for the world, her daughter was the polar opposite of her mother. She was in fact, the one who stopped Akumei. She fought her own mother and killed her in battle."
"Damn!" Yusuke yelled. "She killed her mom?"
Koenma nodded, "There's much more detail to the story. But it's been so long since I've read it that I can't remember much more."
"And what was the point of this fable?" Hiei questioned.
"The point, Hiei, is that this fable is not a fable at all." Koenma answered. "We have proof of Akumei's existence. She was the very first person to break into the Spirit World vault. She stole a spell book that contains some of the darkest spells known to man, demon, and celestials alike. After she was killed, all the stolen items were recovered and returned to the vault as well as some of her personal possessions and the book containing the legend. And as technology advanced, we were able to get DNA samples from the items."
"What about the things that were stolen tonight?" Kurama urged.
"All the items that proved that Akumei had ever existed have been stolen, along with the spell book."
"I understand that this is a big deal and all, but why do I get the feeling that this is way worse than it sounds?" Yusuke sighed.
"All records and samples of Akumei's DNA have been stolen as well."
"But don't you all have her stuff backed up in the computer's database?" Kuwabara questioned as he folded his arms across his chest.
Koenma shook his head. "No. We didn't want anyone sticking their noses where they ought not to be. We kept it in a specialized area of the safe. Obviously when the thief couldn't find anything in the infirmary wing or in the computer they decided to try the vault. We have no idea what this thief is planning, but whatever it is, it can't be good."
"Do you know who the thief is?" Kuwabara questioned.
"We have images from the camera, but so far, no. We haven't been able to put a name to the face." Koenma let out a frustrated sigh.
Yusuke let out a whistle as he shook his head. "Well we're in a load of shit aren't we?"
"We are indeed," Kurama sighed as his eyes trailed back to Mika who was sprawled across the couch dozing off. Koenma followed Kurama's gaze and bit his bottom lip in nervousness. The redhead cocked an eyebrow as he recalled how fidgety Koenma seemed to be around her. "That reminds me," he said softly as he stared straight into the prince's eyes, "Koenma, why do I get the feeling that you suspect that Mika is somehow... involved with this? Is there something else you need to tell us about?"
Koenma let out a sigh as he glanced at the woman before returning the fox's gaze. "Miss Mika's DNA was stolen as well. All the copies of her DNA sequence that were backed up in the database have disappeared, but it makes no sense why the thief would steal her DNA as well. There's something... off about her."
Kurama's eyebrows collided and his eyes narrowed in a glare at the accusing tone Koenma used. His eyes shot to his best friend. His best friend that he trusted with his life. There was absolutely no way she was involved in any of this!
"If you are suggesting that Mika participated in this robbery then you are sadly mistaken, sir," he said in a poisonous voice.
"Yeah," Yusuke chimed in, "She's been with us 24/7! There's no way that she could have left without us noticing."
"How do you know?" Koenma shot back, "Where was she yesterday morning?"
"Watching us train!" Kuwabara shouted.
"Yesterday evening?"
"She was with me," Hiei hissed.
"Well, where was she tonight while you all were sleeping? She could've easily snuck out of the house to meet up with someone!"
Kurama narrowed his eyes at the prince before he yelled out, "She was with me!"
All sets of eyes turned to the redheaded fox, each wide with shock and mouths open.
"Kurama, you sly dog!" Yusuke's lips stretched into a lecherous grin as he threw a playful punch at his friend. "You couldn't take her on a date before trying to get into her pants?"
"It wasn't like that!" The fox hissed at his friend, his eyes narrowing and his face flushing. "She was upset, and I let her stay with me."
Hiei rolled his eyes before he mumbled something under his breath. Kuwabara was slapping his knee in laughter, and Yusuke was just grinning deviously.
"Yeah, I thought I heard something in the middle of the night. Guess I was right."
"Will you all just shut up?" Koenma yelled, catching the Spirit Detective's attention. "You all can tease Kurama about his sex life later, but right now we have a problem!"
"Mika is innocent, sir." Kurama said simply, "I can assure you."
"We can too," Yusuke said, his raucous laughter finally dying down. "There's just no way. I can't even believe that you'd suspect her."
"What do you all expect me to think? I do not wish to accuse her but I still must consider all possible suspects no matter what! She is connected to this case. There is absolutely no way that this could be a coincidence. After her last checkup, the doctors found something strange in her DNA sequence. It's something that they haven't observed in humans, demons, not even plants or animals. There is something different about that girl and from all the things that have happened plus the things that I've been told about her---she is not human, and she is a prime suspect in this case."
"Not human?" Kuwabara snorted, "You're still asleep Koenma."
"If she weren't human, then we would have been able to sense it," Hiei added.
"Yeah, maybe you should get your equipment checked out," Yusuke rolled his eyes. "Besides, what could you possibly know about her when you've only just met her?"
Koenma turned his eyes to Hiei. "Let's start from the beginning, shall we? Hiei, you weren't able to penetrate Mika's mind and erase her memories when you all first met. Correct?"
Hiei nodded stiffly.
"The same day that we noticed the problems in Mika's DNA, you were possessed Hiei. And then you all felt a presence in your house yesterday and needed wards to keep it away! This is all true isn't it? Now you try and tell me that I don't have a right to my suspicions."
Kuwabara scratched his chin, his lips twisted in a frown. He turned and glanced at Mika. Yusuke shrugged while Hiei and Kurama just glared at Koenma.
"I'm sorry, you guys," Koenma frowned as he let out a huff. He folded his arms across his chest as his eyes trailed towards the young woman, "But I'm going to need you all to bring her in this afternoon for questioning. We'll also need to take some more DNA samples from her as well as perform some tests on her."
"You can't do that!" Kuwabara yelled.
"Yeah, you've got to have a warrant for that! But you don't have anything on her to really link her to the crime!" Yusuke chimed in.
"It seems like you know a lot about how this stuff works, Yusuke." Koenma sneered, "Have you been getting in trouble again? That is how the system works in your world, but here in Spirit World I call the shots. And Mika will come in for questioning and tests."
"We'll bring her," Kurama said, "but you will find that she is completely innocent."
Koenma frowned at his detectives before he dismissed them. He spun on his heel and began to walk down the hall.
"I hope you're right."
~.~.~.~.~
"Please, sit down."
Mika bit down on her bottom lip as she closed the door behind her. An intimidating man sat at a table, his fingers tapping against the marble table in a simple rhythm. His sharp charcoal eyes watched her carefully as she crossed the dim room timidly and took a seat across from him. A black tape recorder sat on the table between them.
"I must tell you that this conversation will be recorded as well as filmed by the cameras set up in this room. You are innocent until proven guilty but anything you say here can and may be used against you. Understood?" When she nodded, he smiled and continued, "Now, do you know why you are here, Miss Mika?" the man questioned as he reached for a manila folder and a notepad that was sitting at the edge of the table.
"Yes," she responded in a small voice. "B-But I don't understand why I'm a suspect."
The man's lips twisted as his eyes scanned her face. He reached into his coat pocket and withdrew a pen. He began to scribble something down.
"As you know, early this morning there was a break-in into the Spirit World's vault. Some things stolen were a spell book and several samples of DNA, one of which included your own."
"My DNA was stolen?
"Yes, and this is why you are linked to this case."
"B-But this can't be right," she felt her heart pounding in her chest wildly as she realized that it would take a lot to prove her innocence, "Why would someone steal my DNA?"
"Perhaps so that we'd have nothing to compare it to," the investigator said as he stared at her. His eyes were cold and cruel as if he were looking at scum. "Where were you doing all day yesterday, Mika? I want a complete alibi for every hour of that entire day."
Mika felt her bottom lip quiver as she opened her mouth to give him a run-down of all she did that day. She watched as his hand moved across the paper as he wrote down everything she said. He glanced up at her a few times, his eyes alight with curiosity.
"What a day," he said in a sarcastic voice as he scanned his list when she finished speaking. She nodded weakly, her heart fluttering when he tapped his pen against the table loudly. "We'll check it against all these other people, and we'll see just how true this---"
Mika nearly leap out of her seat when the door to the interrogation room was thrown open so suddenly and carelessly that it slammed against the wall. Yusuke bustled into the room with Kuwabara trailing behind him.
"Do you mind?" the man yelled as he glared at the two teenagers. "I am in the middle of an---"
"C'mon, Mika," Kuwabara said as he gently grabbed her arm to help her up from her seat.
"B-But---?"
"What do you think you are doing?" the man yelled again as he watched in anger as Kuwabara escorted the woman out of the room.
"They found some more evidence at the scene," Yusuke said as he waved a plastic bag in front of the man. "Koenma wants a sample of Mika's DNA and fingerprints right now so they can run a comparative against it."
The man stared at the plastic bags contents with a bitter frown. There were three vials: in the first was a single strand of black hair; in the second, a tiny square of pale carpeting that had a small splatter of blood on it; in the third, an empty syringe.
"But I'm not done with my interrogation!" the man called out as Yusuke turned around to follow his friends out the door.
"Too bad. Go bitch about it to Koenma."
~.~.~.~.~
"Are you alright?"
Mika looked up when she heard the door creak open noisily. She forced a small smile when her favorite redhead came through the door. He took a seat next to her, and began to rub her arm.
"Of course," she responded, "I'm just really tired."
Before Yusuke and Kuwabara had rescued her from the interrogation, she had spent two grueling hours taking several different tests---most of them were physical. Now she was about to get a DNA test by cheek swabbing.
Kurama nodded as he leaned back in his seat, allowing his head to rest against the wall behind him. He closed his bright eyes and let out a small yawn.
"Same here," he said before he turned to look at her. "The doctor should be here soon and then we can go home."
"Thank goodness," she let out a sigh of relief.
Kurama nodded in agreement before they fell into silence. Mika leaned her head against his shoulder which caused him to smile and ruffle her hair. She leaned into his hand, and her mind began to go over the days events.
None of this makes any sense, she thought in frustration. Why would someone want to steal my DNA?
She thought about the voice that haunts her in her sleep and frowned. And then she thought of Hiei being possessed and the spirit in her room the other day. All of this was connected somehow--- she knew it. But some important pieces were missing. Why is she being haunted? Why was her DNA stolen?
Maybe I should tell Kurama about the voice in my dreams, she thought as she shifted so she could stare at his face. His eyes were closed, and his breath was deep and even.
"Kurama?"
"Mmm?"
"I don't know if it's important, but I think that you should know---"
She was interrupted by the door being pushed open, and a shrill voice greeting them. Kurama's eyes snapped open and he sat up straight. Mika let out a huff at the interruption, and she watched as a nurse bustled into the room.
"Hellooo!" she sang as she set her tray down on the counter.
"Hello," Kurama answered back in a calm voice.
"You must be Kurama, right?" the nurse chirped in delight as she smoothed her hand over her brown bun to make sure every hair was in its proper place, "And you must be Miss Mika. Lovely couple, I must say!"
"We're not a couple," the friends said in unison.
"Really?" the woman made a face, "Ooops! I'm sorry."
"It's fine," Mika replied, her voice had a slight hint of irritation. This woman was much too cheery and her voice was so loud.
"Well, I'm Akiko. The doctor is very busy in the lab right now, so I will be performing the DNA sampling today," her eyes shot to the door then to Kurama before she flashing him a smile. "I'm guessing that you're planning on staying?"
Mika tilted her head in confusion, and she watched as her friend's eye narrowed. Akiko just continued to smile at him; her odd black eyes were wide with innocence and something else that sent shivers down Mika's spine.
"Would you like me to leave?" he questioned.
She just laughed loudly before she turned her back on him. "You don't have to, of course. But, it would make things a tad easier if you did. But it's no problem... No problem at all."
The two best friends looked at one another, their faces both suspicious yet slightly amused.
"Crazy bitch," Mika mouthed silently to Kurama causing him to smirk and nod in agreement.
"Alrighty then!" Akiko sung as she turned around. In one shaking hand, she held a syringe. "Mika, could you please come over here?"
"B-But I-I---"
"Awww," Akiko cooed before she laughed, "You're so cute. Afraid of an itty bitty needle? There's much scarier things in life..."
"But they said they'd only do a swab sample of my cheek!"
"That's true," Kurama agreed.
"But this is much easier, don't you think?" Akiko pressed on, her voice getting higher and higher with anxiousness. "Just come over here so we can get it over with!"
Kurama stood up from his seat, quickly intervening, "Miss Akiko, would you please bring in the doctor? I think she'd feel more comfortable with a familiar face."
Akiko forced a strained smile as one eye began to twitch slightly. "I can't do that, sir. He's busy in the lab."
"Well, perhaps you could---" Kurama began when the door creaked open.
"Yo, Kurama!" Yusuke said as he poked his head in through the door. "We've got a breakthrough in the case. Koenma needs us all in the lab. We've got ourselves some new suspects."
"I'll be there right away," Kurama said as he watched his friend vanish down the hall. He turned to look at Akiko once more, before his eyes cut to Mika's. "Will you be okay here?"
Mika sneaked a peek at the nurse who flashed a frightening smile at her. She felt her breath catch in the back of her throat before she nodded her head frantically. So what if the lady was a little crazy? What could happen?
"I'll be fine," she said.
Kurama frowned but nodded. "I'll be back soon," he said before he gave Akiko one long stare.
The woman just giggled like an idiot and fluttered her fingers at him in a goodbye wave. "Ta-tah! Oh, and here's another supply of her prescription! It should last her the rest of the year if you follow the instructions." she sang as she tossed the large bottle of pills at him. Kurama caught it, and without a second look, shoved them into his coat pocket. Akiko hurriedly escorted him to the door, and when he had turned down the hall, she closed it behind him. Mika watched in curiosity as the woman peeked through the blinds, and then knelt down to listened for a few moments to make sure that he had left.
"My job just got a whole lot easier," she let out a sigh when she turned away from the door. Her dark bird-like eyes watched the silver haired woman carefully.
"I'm sorry?" Mika forced a smile.
"Oh!" the woman just grinned, "It's nothing at all! Come now, let's get this over with!"
Mika nodded but shrank away from the woman when she tossed the empty needle she had across the room so that it landed in the trash can. She stuck her hand into her pocket and withdrew another syringe from her pocket before she moved closer to her patient. Mika's eyebrows clashed together in confusion as she noticed that this needle was filled with a strange slightly cream-colored liquid.
"B-But I thought that---"
"No, no, no, no~!" Akiko sing-songed as she twitched. She roughly grabbed onto the woman's slender arm after she took a seat next to her. "Don't worry, dear. It will only hurt for a moment."
"But you're only supposed to take a swab sample!" Mika said quickly, "Not give me an injection!"
"I'm a certified nurse, Miss Mika, and I have trained for thirteen long, long years," Akiko answered in an impatient tone that seems to shudder with both anger and bitterness. "Are you trying to tell me that I don't know how to do my job?"
"No, but---"
"Then, sit there, close your mouth, and let me do what I need to do!" the woman hissed in a cold voice, before her lips twisted into a grimace. "Please?"
Psycho bitch, Mika thought as her lips curled into a frustrated frown. She took deep breaths in an attempt to slow her racing heart as Akiko ran her cold fingers from the top of her shoulder, down the length of her arm, and rested her fingers on the delicate skin where her forearm and upper arm met. She could feel the hairs on the back of her neck beginning to stand on end as Akiko turned her birdlike eyes to her and began to stare at her long and hard.
"You're so lucky," she whispered beneath her breath, "Akumei's chosen heir..."
"What?"
Akiko seemed to be lost in her own world and didn't answer. She picked up the needle and positioned it over Mika's skin. "You're the perfect match," the woman murmured to herself. "Mika... do you hear that? She's calling you."
"Wait! No, stop!" Mika's yelled before she let out a piercing scream as Akiko pressed the needle into her arm. She tried to pull away from the nurse who held her still in an iron grip.
Mika let out another scream before she smacked the woman with her free hand. She could now feel the drugs trickling through her bloodstream, and it felt like a blazing fire was surging up her arm, moving quickly from the injection site down to the tips of her fingers and up her biceps. Akiko flinched when Mika went for another attack, this time poking the woman in the eye.
Akiko let out a birdlike screech as she instinctually covered her eye with both hands. Mika ripped the syringe out of her arm and tossed it across the room. She jumped up and rushed for the door.
"No!" Akiko screeched as she jumped out of her chair and dove to the floor. She grabbed Mika's ankles, tripping the silverette and sending her crashing to the floor.
"ALERT! CODE RED! CODE RED! CODE RED!"
The sounds of the struggle should have attracted some attention, but the sound was drowned out by the sirens that were now blaring overhead. The lights were now blinking red, sending a sinister shadow across the nurse's face as she grabbed onto Mika's ankles and, using a strength that could only be superhuman, dragged her back to her. Mika screamed as Akiko straddled her hips before she dug her talons into her arm and twisted it around. In her other hand was the needle and with a birdlike precision, pressed it into the same exact spot.
"I'm not done with you yet!" Akiko yelled as she pressed more of the drug into Mika's arm. The nurse then yanked it out and took hold of the woman's other arm. She pressed it in once more causing the woman beneath her to scream in pain. "I've gained so much--- I will not let you ruin it!"
"Stop it!" Mika screeched out as she tried to squirm. The burning sensation had no spread through her body and was now working its way through her chest. Each breath she took sent a searing pain down her spine, and her heart felt like it was being clutched and pierced by a burning hand.
"Stop right there!"
Her vision was getting blurrier by the second. Her head was spinning wildly out of control, and she felt like she was about to vomit. She heard a flurry of action around her, and she felt the nurse being pulled off of her.
"YOU'RE UNDER ARREST, BITCH, FOR TREASON!" Yusuke's voice boomed over the sounds of the struggle.
"NO!" Akiko squawked shrilly, "I'M NOT DONE WITH HER!"
"Mika, are you alright?" Kurama's voice whispered to her.
She couldn't move, it hurt too much. She tried to open her mouth so she could tell him what was wrong, but the flame moving up her throat made it hard to even breathe. He reached out and grabbed her arms, and he pulled her onto his lap. She screamed when he touched her, her eyes shooting open in pain.
"What?" Kurama yelled, "What's wrong?"
She wrapped her hand around the injection site, but let out another yelp. Kurama pried her fingers from her arm, and he glanced at it.
"Hiei, get that needle from her!" he yelled before as he jumped up and began to search for something in the cabinets behind him. He withdrew a roll of cloth, and he hurriedly wrapped it tightly around both her arms in an obvious effort to slow whatever drug was moving through her system.
"NO!" Akiko screeched as she was being forced to the ground. Her bared her teeth like a rabid animal and shoved Kuwabara away with such force that he flew into one of the medical machines. Kurama jumped up to join the struggle after Yusuke was sent flying next.
Mika let out a groan and pressed her hand against her chest as if she were trying to stick it into her body to extinguish the flames. Beats of sweat trickled down her forehead, and she panted like a dog out in the sun. She felt disorientated as images flashed through her mind so quickly that it felt like her head was about to explode. She closed her eyes as she lingered at the edges of consciousness.
Akiko's eyes scanned the floor desperately, and everyone spotted the needle lying next to the wall a few feet away. Her eyes widened when she realized that the Detectives were going straight for it, and her eyes turned an eerie white as she let out a shrill screech.
A ripping wind bellowed through the room, sending everyone flying back. She jumped up on her feet, a pair of scrawny bird wings protruding from her back. Her hair had broken loose from its tidy bun and was now pointing in every direction. She let out a yelp of triumph as she ran past the Detectives who were struggling to get to their feet and snatched up her prize. She turned her eyes to the woman who was lying nearly unconscious on the floor.
"What did you do to her?" Kurama yelled; his bright green eyes darkened with anger.
"She won't die," the woman snorted, "It's only a side effect of the drug."
"What drug? Tell us!" Hiei ordered.
Akiko just grinned as she backed up slowly.
"Stay where you are! Don't move!"
Akiko just let out a shrill laugh before she flapped her wings sending another gust of wind forward. This time everyone was prepared, and they just slid back a few feet. While they were distracted, she slammed her fist against the wall behind her.
"Can't you hear her?" Akiko questioned, as the wall collapsed behind her. She jumped out the hole in the wall, and she hovered outside the room. "We've won this battle."
"What the hell are you talking about you crazy bitch?!?" Yusuke yelled in irritation as he ground his teeth together, "Get back here! SPIRIT GUN!"
The large ball of energy flew straight towards the woman. She darted out of the way, and began to squawk with laughter. She fluttered her fingers at them before she began to speed away from the castle. "Tah-tah!"
Hiei ran towards the cavity in the wall and jumped out to follow the bird woman with Yusuke hot on their trail.
"I'll go let Koenma know what's going on," Kurama said as he pressed his hand to Mika's forehead. "Will you take her home?"
"No, I got it," Kuwabara said as he headed towards the door. "You know how to take care of people. I honestly wouldn't know what to do if she had a reaction to the drug."
Kurama nodded and watched his friend leave. He turned his attention back to the woman lying motionless in his lap.
~.~.~.~.~
"I am very disappointed in you, Akiko. I give you one simple task, and you can't even complete the job!"
Akiko knelt on the ground, her eyes turned downwards as she glared at the floor. She ground her teeth in anger and clenched her fist. A figure wearing a long black cloak hovered above her; the hood was pulled up to cover his face.
Your mission was to give a full dose of the drug to the girl. You only gave her half!" he spat, his voice dripping with disgust.
Akiko's head snapped up and she glared at her superior. "It's not my fault! The Spirit Detectives burst in and interrupted me!"
"I don't care what happened, Akiko. Do you realize how much effort this will take to fix your mistake? It'll be hell trying to get to that girl again! Those Detectives will be watching her 24/7!"
"I gave them the pills!" Akiko argued, "They're spiked, right? So it'll be fine!"
"Akiko! Those pills are tiny doses only to continue the process. It's not enough to be effective."
"Then, I'll go back and find her! I'll give her the rest!"
The man standing in front of her was about to respond, when another voice---this one much softer and obviously feminine--- cut through the argument.
"Hah, don't bother! If you couldn't complete your mission---then you should've come back at all," the woman giggled as she strolled into the dark room. She stood beside the man and she placed one hand on her hip, in an arrogant pose. "Why don't we just toss her sorry ass out? She's not deserving of any of the profit---more for us."
"Shut up, you bitch!" Akiko jumped to her feet enraged.
The cloaked woman let out a cruel laugh as she slapped the bird woman with so much force that it sent her flying to the floor. The room was silent except for the clicking of her boots on the marble floor as she approached Akiko who was pulling herself up from the ground.
"How dare you!" Akiko squawked. "Whatever happened to treating your elders with respect?"
The woman just laughed and nudged the woman with her boot roughly as she bent down so she could whisper to her. A curtain of pink hair spilled from beneath her hood and swayed as the woman inched closer so that she could whisper to her comrade.
"Actually, how dare you speak to me that way? I am your superior! You've only just joined us; I've been here longer than you. And, honey? Superiority always trumps seniority in this club."
The bird woman stared up at the woman above her, her eyes burning with a deep hatred.
"You don't deserve any of the power you've been given. You're nothing but a disgrace. Get out of my sight."
Akiko slowly rose to her feet, never breaking eye contact with the woman before her. She clenched her fist so tightly that her talons pierced her palms. She flapped her wings angrily, sending a harsh wind tearing through the room. The woman's hood flew back, and her mane of shiny pink locks billowed all around her face from the wind.
"You bitch!" the pink haired woman yelled; her sparkling pink eyes widening in horror as her hands flew up to smooth back her hair. "You messed up my hair! Do you know how long it took to style it this morning?"
"It suits you." Akiko smirked in triumph before she brushed past her towards the door. "An ugly exterior to match the ugliness inside."
"What did you say to me you bitch? Come back here you bitch and I sure as hell will show you what ugly is!"
"Calm down," the hood man behind her sighed. He turned and collapsed in a plush black leather chair.
"Calm down?" the pink-haired woman hissed, "You're honestly telling me to calm down? I can't stand her! Why is she even here? She's not worth my time!"
"It's not our decision to make. She was chosen to serve alongside us, and she will continue to do so. Why don't you just sit down with me, and relax?" he questioned as he patted the chair next to him.
The woman stormed over and flopped---rather gracefully--- into the chair. She scrunched up her sharp nose at her cloak as she shifted around to get comfortable.
"That's another thing that pisses me off!" she added, "Why the hell do we have to wear these things? It's not like we're out in public!"
The man let out a sigh as he pulled his hood off. He ran his hands through his spiky dirty blonde hair as he narrowed a pair of chocolate brown eyes at his comrade. "You have a problem with the uniform now?"
"Ummm... hello?" she hissed as she pointed to herself. "Glamorous! This outfit? Ummm, so not!"
"Well, this isn't exactly a glamorous job."
"Not a glamorous job? Then why do I look so chic, and we live in this huge-ass mansion? I think we can afford nicer outfits."
The man just sighed as he slapped his hand against his face.
~.~.~.~.~
"Is she alright?"
All four boys were gathered around the bed, staring anxiously at their friend who was now lying in her bed. A bag of ice wrapped in a wet towel was placed over her forehead, and Kurama was patting her face with a moist towel.
"Her fever just broke a few minutes ago," Kurama sighed as he glanced over at the clock on her nightstand. "She should be fine, but I still need to make sure that her temperature doesn't shoot back up like it did thirty minutes ago."
"Have there been any other reactions to the drug other than the fever?" Hiei questioned.
"Not that I know of. Did you all manage to catch Akiko?"
"No luck. We lost her once she disappeared through a portal," Yusuke growled. "But none of this makes any sense!"
"Yeah! Why would someone want to drug Mika?" Kuwabara questioned.
"Well we know one thing for sure. Commander Diapers was right," Yusuke added, "This isn't mere coincidence. Mika is definitely connected to this case."
"The only question is: how?" the fox shook his head.
"Maybe we should look more into that story?" Kuwabara shrugged. "It might give us an idea of where to start."
"The idiot's right."
"What'd you say, Shrimp?"
"Take it as a compliment. It's the only one you'll ever get from me."
"Why I oughta---"
Mika let out a loud groan in her sleep, causing everyone to immediately quiet down and turn their attention to her. She murmured something unintelligible in her sleep.
"Let's go downstairs," Kurama suggested, "We shouldn't wake her up."
Everyone nodded in agreement and one after the other they began to trudge downstairs. Kurama cast one more concerned glance in his best friend's direction before he flicked the light off and shut the door behind him.
~.~.~.~.~
Heat.
Searing heat.
I'm on fire.
I'm burning!
I'm burning up in the fire!
What's happening to me?
Something is changing inside of me...
I can feel it!
~.~.~.~.~
Mika's eyes snapped open as pain shot through her body. Searing heat was running through her veins again, and she wanted so badly to scream if it weren't for the pain that rendered her powerless. Her vision was fading in and out, and she whipped her head from side to side. The heat was too much---she desperately needed relief from the agony that was being inflicted upon her.
The shower! She thought, and she was barely able force herself to climb out of her bed. She hobbled blindly across the room, her arms shooting out to grab onto something---anything--- that would support her. Her knees shook as she made her way slowly and painstakingly towards the bathroom.
She let out a cry of relief as her hand brushed against the cool doorknob, and she flung the door open carelessly. She hurried into the bathroom and nearly collapsed at the outer wall of the tub. She bit her lip and hissed in pain as she clutched the glass knob that controlled the tap. When cold water began to run over her hand in a constant stream, she let out a relieved sigh and closed her eyes. The coolness was so refreshing and so inviting, and best of all it dulled the pain. She forced herself to her feet and climbed into the tub before she flipped on the shower. She could almost scream in joyful delight as the showerhead began to blast her overheated body with a freezing jet of water.
The day's events had really begun to take a toll on her, and the fatigue was finally beginning to sink in. She leaned back against the tiled walls, and she threw her head back as the relaxing coolness seeped through her wet clothes. Her legs gave way beneath her and she began to slide down the tub in exhaustion.
A loud knock on the door made her open her bleary eyes and she gazed at the door, slight disorientated.
"Mika? Are you alright in there?"
She wanted to open her mouth to answer, but she could barely even think. It seemed as if time was moving in slow motion, and it felt like her body was shutting down. When Kurama got no response he pushed the door open and stepped inside. He had one hand covering his eyes.
"I-I'm sorry for just barging in," he said, "B-But you didn't answer, and well I---"
"'M not naked," she forced out in a barely audible voice.
"W-What?"
"I'm not naked. Look."
Kurama's face was as red as his face, and he slowly lowered his hand. His eyes widened in alarm and he rushed to the tub and shut off the water. "Mika! No, you can't do that!"
"No! Turn it back on, Kurama!" she said as she felt the heat beginning to rise again.
"Look at you! You're trembling! Mika, your body will go into shock! When you have a fever you can't bath in cold water!" [1]
"Kurama, I'm burning up! Please turn the water back on!"
Kurama climbed into the tub, and grabbed her by her arms. He pulled her up so that she was standing. The woman wobbled unsteadily in front of him before her legs buckled underneath her. She fell into his chest and she wrapped her arms around him tightly to keep herself upright.
"We've got to get you warmed up."
"But I'm so hot, Kurama..." she groaned as she clutched his shirt tightly.
"We need to get you out of these clothes," he said, and his hands quickly went to work. "I'm sorry, but you're so wet."
His face was bright red as he struggled to pull off her shirt while keeping her upright. Mika reached down and began to unbutton her jeans. She stumbled as she attempted to pull them off, and nearly toppled over.
"Can you help me?"
Kurama blushed as he reached down to help her step out of her pants. It didn't help that she was groaning in pain the entire time and breathing hard. He squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn't imagine an even more embarrassing situation.
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON IN THERE?"
Shit. He thought too soon.
"Kurama!" Mika whined impatiently. "Please..."
Kurama felt himself getting warmer and warmer with embarrassment. Mika was too preoccupied with the heat coursing through her that she didn't seem to notice what was going on.
"YOU TWO ARE SO DIRTY! GETTIN' NASTY AFTER SHE'S BEEN SICK!" Kuwabara added. [2]
"No! It's not what it seems---"
She reached out to twist the knob that controlled the shower, and she struggled with the redhead when he tried to prevent her from turning the water on. The two boys standing outside the room could obviously hear their struggle because they laughed even harder.
"YOU GUYS CAN'T WAIT AT LEAST A DAY? You animals!" Yusuke's raucous laughter sounded throughout the room.
"YEAH, KURAMA! TEACH US SOME OF YOUR TRICKS!"
"You two go away!" Mika screamed out.
"Oooh, I'm scared now!"
"Yeah, y'know what those veterinarians say?" Yusuke yelled loudly.
"What?" Kuwabara grinned.
"Don't disturb two animals while they're busy fu---"
"YUSUKE!"
"---ing, so we should get out of here before they get... aggressive."
"You two are such idiots!" Hiei's voice cut through the teenager's laughter. He brushed past them and into the bathroom. "If you two had a brain you would realize what is really going on."
"Oh snap!"
"Shrimp's trying to get in on the action too!"
Hiei slammed the door in the two boy's faces. He regarded the two teenagers in the shower with an expressionless face.
"Do you think you could warm her up, Hiei?" Kurama questioned. "Her body will go into shock if she doesn't warm quickly enough."
"No!" Mika protested, "I'm already hot!"
"By the way you're shivering, you're obviously not," the fire demon said, and he sent out a wave of heat towards the two.
"Just relax, and we'll have you better in no time."
~.~.~.~.~
"Are you feeling better?"
It was an hour after the shower incident, and she and Kurama had finally managed to get a break from Yusuke and Kuwabara's teasing. She was now lying on her bed, and Kurama sat on the floor reading a book. Her peered over the top of the bed with concerned eyes, and she gave him a small smile.
"I'm fine."
Her fever strangely had broken after Hiei had warmed her up for a while. The excruciating heat that ran through her body shortly died after her fever had gone, but she still felt slightly warmer than usual. But other than that, she was fine. [3]
"That's really good."
"I'm so glad that it's over with," she sighed as she rolled over onto her back so she could stare at the ceiling. "It hurt so badly."
"What did it feel like?" he questioned as he placed his book down. He stood up and flopped onto the bed beside her.
"It's hard to explain," she said. "It felt like... I don't know. Like I was completely on fire on the inside and out. And my chest hurt, almost like I had a bad case of heartburn. And it felt like something inside of me was twisting and turning almost. Like I was... I don't know---changing."
"Changing? What do you mean?"
"I honestly don't know."
"Well..." Kurama said after a short silence, "It doesn't sound like side effects from any type of drug I know, but I'll look into it for you."
"Alright," she smiled halfheartedly. "Maybe it was some type of poison. She was a crazy old bitch anyway. But... it makes me really scared. I don't know what's happening, Kurama."
"Don't be scared," he said as he rolled over on his side so that he was looking directly into her eyes.
"But I can't help it," she sighed. "I feel like... like I have no control over what's going on. And I'm scared that something's going to happen to me."
"Nothing is going to happen to you," he insisted.
"How do you know that, Kurama?"
"Because you've got me," he said as his lips curled up into a smile. "I will never ever let anything happen to you."
"Do you promise?"
He smiled at her before he flicked her nose, and she frowned at him. "I can't believe that you even asked, you silly girl."
She just smiled at him before she rolled over so that she was facing the ceiling. They fell into a comfortable silence before it was broken.
"Sooo... just to clarify things... is that a yes or a no?"
"Yes, Mika. It's a definite yes."
~.~.~.~.~
Author's Notes
[1]- If you ever have a fever, never never never EVER take a shower/bath in cold water! You're body will go into cold shock response.
[2] - Hahahahahaha! Couldn't help it! There needed to be some comic relief.
[3] - Doctors recommend that when you have a fever to take a lukewarm to warm (not hot) bath or warm up. It's weird, but it can help you break your fever.