Chapter Two: A Spy in the Urameshi Camp
This time when Team Urameshi entered the glamorously renovated hotel, they weren't greeted by the human thugs and high rollers of their last Dark Tournament. Nope, the welcoming committee that greeted them for this tournament was a massive hub of professionally dressed human and youkai reporters.
"Team Urameshi!" The odd looking mass of pointed ears and tails mixed in with camera holding humans swarmed around them like bees to honey. "Could you provide us with a few comments?"
"How confident are you about winning this year's tournament?" one human reporter asked.
"Who have you picked to replace Genkai?" Another chimed in before the air was filled with a buzz of indiscernible questions.
"What the hell-?" Yusuke was stunned.
Some brains in the tournament committee (probably Araku) realized the commercial potential and decided to turn Team Urameshi into this tournament's idols. Highlights from the original Dark Tournament were playing on giant screens all throughout the hotel lobby. The various gift shops were even selling figurines of Jin, Chu, and the other famous fighters.
"Urameshi! Is it true that this is the last tournament you all will be fighting in together?"
"What will your team do about retirement?" One lady reporter asked.
There were other similar rumors circulating around too. Finally Yusuke raised his hand for silence.
"Those are all excellent questions." Yusuke said in an authoritative manner and all eyes turned to him. "But I think it's best we leave all that to our number one spokesperson." He pushed Kuwabara forward.
"M-me? Well I-" Kuwabara stammered a little as the limelight now shined on him. He picked up a microphone from one of the reporters and then looking directly into the cameras he stated boldly. "It doesn't matter who you are. If you stand in our way, Team Urameshi is gonna knock you down splat. Cuz' I'm Kazuma Kuwabara and I'm the back bone of this team!" And as a finish he gave a cheezy "victory sign" with big o'l smile.
The reporters stood in silence for a split second unable to think of a response to this silly spectacle and Team Urameshi quickly made their escape.
"So he's actually good for something" Hiei commented as they fled.
"Shut it, shorty." Kuwabara snapped. "You're just jealous that your puny speeches aren't as good as mine"
"Will you two ever grow up?" Yusuke asked impatiently. "Save it for the S.O.B. who made us into a tourist attraction."
"Team Urameshi" A formal and pleasantly musical voice called them to halt as a young youkai bellhop bowed to them in greeting. "I'm here to show you to your room. This way please."
"Wow, nice to see this place was rebuilt classy." Kuwabara muttered as he noted the female bellhop's lace trimmed uniform. Next to him the masked fighter nodded in agreement making Kuwabara do a double take. "Where did you pop up from?"
"It seems our team is back together." Kurama chuckled. Apparently none of them had detected their missing comrade's entrance. Not even ghosts could be that stealthy, thus proving that despite appearances their fifth man did indeed have talent.
"This way please." The bellhop insisted again and the team followed her onward.
The bellhop brought team Urameshi to a pair of the finest guest suites the hotel had to offer. As Kurama had predicted, it seemed the officials were pulling out all the stops for the returning champions. Each of the rooms had two beds and all the necessities they would require (yes, all of them) during their stay at no cost to themselves. It was Kuwabara who then noticed something odd.
"Hey, wait a minute." He said looking around. "There's only four beds, but we have five people. I'm not gonna be the one to share, just so you know."
All eyes turned to the masked fighter who glanced around the room out of only a mild curiosity. Their cloth inclined companion then turned around and walked out the door in a manner that clearly stated, I have my own arrangements, thank you.
"Solves that problem." Hiei said. "He's more aloof than I am."
"Meaning he can't be trusted completely either." Kurama agreed cheerfully and Hiei glared at him. "But as the only non-returning team member," Kurama said stiffly as he scooted away from Hiei's evil gaze. "I guess it's expected lesser quarters would be arranged." The others shrugged in reply.
Yusuke sat down on a couch and motioned to his fellow team members, "We'll worry about that little guy later," He said. "Kurama, what do you know about who our main competition is?" The others took a seat around their leader and the planning process began. This time they wanted victory to be assured.
The masked fighter eased along the hotel hallways unnoticed by guest and staff alike. Taking in all the details the fighter noting the hotel exits, staff shortcuts, and everything else that could be formulated into a possible escape plan later. Even the specks of dirt housekeeping had missed on the maroon walls and noted the exact shade of the gold trim was taken into account.
The mental observations continued until at long last, the masked fighter came to a narrow hallway that led right to the VIP section. Clearly stated in every way possible was the subtle message of, 'officials only'. The mask fighter ignored all the warnings and quietly entering the hall, but the fighter only made it a short ways down the corridor before being surrounded by a pack of boar-youkai guards.
They were nasty creatures with red eyes, hog-like noses, very sharp looking tusks, and (more importantly) the guards towered over the little fighter like giants. They encircled the intruder and pointed their various sharp weapons at him. The fighter tilted his masked head. The guards didn't look like they were employed by Araku and seemed to be a rather archaic method of dispelling intruders.
"You may hide your essence and erase your smell, but you can't fool the members of the new holy army." The captain warned. "Ours is a mission dictated by the gods."
Unperturbed the masked fighter simply wriggled out of the shiny circle, dodging blade and spear point looking almost like monkey weaving its way through the branches of a tree. Once free of the entanglement of metal, the masked fighter landed gracefully behind the youkai guards. In mockery the masked fighter placed his hands casually inside his robe pockets and walked on merrily ignoring the youkai group completely.
"Bastard!" Before his captain could stop him, one of the guards broke rank and charged at the masked fighter in rage.
Furious the huge youkai slashed down with his long spear aiming directly for the masked fighter's head. In a rush the mask fighter brought out his arms from underneath his robes and blocked the spear with a hand-sized round sliver object. The guard strained against the small silver shield before backing off. It was pointless; the shiny metal was not one from the mortal worlds.
The captain of the guards snorted. "You could have said so from the beginning," he said as the masked fighter flashed a silver badge decorated with a moon and flowers for an insignia.
"Ah, but this way is much more fun, right?" observed the handsome human figure that had entered the hall upon hearing the commotion.
The guards all knelt as one before their leader. The slight trembling of the mask fighter's robes indicated silent laughter. Following his instincts the masked fighter also bowed before human.
"Oh there's no need for that, my friend." The human extended his hand in the greeting of an equal. "I am just grateful you've come to join our cause. I was worried you wouldn't make it."
The masked fighter shrugged in a manner could have meant, 'I was busy.'
The human led the way further down the VIP hall until they came to the very last. The mask fighter put the silver badge in special lock on the wall and stepped back. Once the badge was in place, the door opened to reveal an elevator. The duo took the elevator to the bottom of a hidden second basement which opened up to a huge lavish room fit for a king.
The human was now completely illuminated to show all of his glorious self and a fine being he was, for a human. His dark hair reached just past his shoulders and he wore rich clothing that was naturally better than any businessman. He was, after all, going to be a ruler soon.
Still, given a choice, the masked fighter and the man's other retainers would just as swiftly swear allegiance to another if that other proved to be stronger than this man. Such was the nature of his position, but the human wasn't worried about that happening at all. He was a cocky little cuss for sure.
The human took his place the head of a large conference table and offered the masked fighter the chance to take a seat beside him. The human told those seated around the table, "This is our first meeting, but I feel a close connection already." He asked pleasantly, "Wouldn't you all agree?"
The masked fighter didn't reply and glanced cautiously at the shadows concealing the other people around the table. Like himself, the others chose to keep their identities hidden until the time was right.
"Don't worry," The man assured them. "My plans are flawless," he turned to the masked fighter, "And your aid will grant us the edge we wouldn't have dared to dream of otherwise."
When his companions nodded in agreement the human gave a rather wicked chuckle, "With Reikai no longer using the youkai as disposable pawns, it's weakened to a near unimaginable state." The man struck the table for emphasis. "Now is the time to strike!"
His listeners let out a series of whistles and cheers. Once they quieted down the man continued, "It's a pity that the famous Team Urameshi has to become our sacrificial lambs," The man sighed in false regret. "But once the masses begin cheering and our names are on everyone's lips, then we can become unstoppable. The Pantheon will be born again, this I swear."
The masked fighter stood up and everything got deathly quiet. All eyes turned to the mass of robes and in a hiss-like whisper he said, "And vengeance shall be ours, Itsuki-sama." The masked fighter bowed.
"Yes. Yes it will." Itsuki replied with a dark grin. The air in the room relaxed as the figures in the room accepted the masked fighter as one of their own.
Itsuki stood up and place a hand on the fighter's shoulder. "They've wounded you haven't they?" he asked in quiet sympathy. "Your ancestors were death's closest companions and yet death still betrayed them in the end." He patted the masked fighter on the back. "But now not even Koenma nor can any of the other death gods touch us." Itsuki raised his fist to the heavens. "And by my ancestors I swear we shall bring Reikai down."
Everyone in the room cheered.