Chapter 1
A bead of nervous sweat trailed down Koenma's brow, the atmosphere in his office stifling and utterly uncomfortable. Standing before him once more, after a brief three years without any… major incidents, were the former members of 'Team Urameshi', and only half of them, Kuwabara and Kurama, looked willing to be present. To their right, Yusuke stood bleary eyed and aggravated, clearly having been woken up and dragged here far too early for his liking. To Yusuke's right was Hiei, who looked ready to kill, flames practically dancing in his eyes and lips menacingly curled back over his canines. A shiver of fear crept up Koenma's spine as he tried to avoid eye contact with the seething fire demon, instead focusing his attention on the others.
Clearing his throat, Koenma straightened in his chair, attempting to appear poised and in command before addressing his audience.
"Firstly, it's a pleasure to see you all again." Koenma began diplomatically, interlacing his fingers and resting his arms atop his desk. "I understand this was very short notice, and I appreciate you all responding to my summons so quickly."
"Yeah, yeah, it's nice to see you too, now get on with it." Yusuke interrupted through a pronounced yawn. "I work nights, you know."
"Yes, I realize I've interrupted your busy schedules but-"
"Hopefully this doesn't take too long," Kuwabara cut in, "I'm taking Yukina to a festival this weekend and I really want her to see the fireworks."
Across the room, Hiei's mood darkened further.
"Ah… Yes, well, given your track record, I'm sure we will resolve this matter swiftly so you can make it to your date." Koenma responded through a forced smile. "Now, as for why I've brought you here-"
"The next time you convince that loud mouthed lush to order me on one of your errands, I will incinerate you." Hiei swore vehemently, dark energy pulsing from his body in hot waves.
Koenma recoiled in his seat, placing as much distance between the two of them as he possibly could, should Hiei actually move to strike.
"He won't, I assure you." Kurama refuted calmly, moving to position himself between Hiei and Koenma. "Now please, explain what it is you need from us Koenma."
"R-right, as I was saying," Koenma continued as he wiped sweat from his brow with the tail of his scarf, "I know this is sudden, but there's an ongoing situation that needs looking into."
Koenma pressed a button on the control panel built into his desk top. From behind the group, a slat in the wall slid open and a hidden monitor extended forward, the screen springing to life with static. A second later, a video feed appeared, showcasing a mountain landscape which housed a small town stretched across its staggered, snowy peaks.
"This is Utashinai, located in the Sorachi prefecture of Hokkaido," Koenma explained, "It's the smallest city located in Japan, with a population of approximately five thousand."
"Well thanks for the geometry lesson," Yusuke quipped, "I never did pay much attention in class."
"...Clearly," Koenma muttered, his expression falling flat.
"Not that you ever went to class Urameshi."
"Hey, I was too busy kicking your ass all over the city to study, remember?"
"Oh yeah!?" Kuwabara barked, rushing into Yusuke's face, "You wanna go right now punk!?"
"This never ends well for you, you know?" Yusuke loudly popped his knuckles and grinned up at Kuwabara cheekily.
"Quiet, the both of you," Kurama ordered sharply, growing irritated with the continued interruptions. Yusuke rolled his eyes petulantly, but otherwise backed down.
"Anyway… Utashinai has a rather small population. Which makes it all the more concerning that a dozen of their teenaged and adult males have disappeared rapidly over the last month."
"Have the local authorities found any leads or discovered any bodies?"
"No, and that's a concerning factor all its own," Koenma answered. "If these men were being killed, we would have been made aware of their deaths by way of their souls wandering the city. We've searched the surrounding areas to no avail however. As it stands now, we believe they've simply been abducted."
"And I'm assuming we're here because you think a demon is behind these man-nappings," Yusuke deduced sarcastically.
"Yes, that's correct."
"What makes you think a demon is behind these disappearances?" Kurama inquired.
"Witness statements from the victims' families," Koenma responded, reaching for a stack of papers on his desk. He shuffled through a few documents before passing them to Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Kurama in turn. "I had Botan scout the area beforehand and ask some questions. From what she gathered, each of the victims began to act erratically before they went missing."
Kurama carefully looked over the report he was handed. In it, written in Botan's neat handwriting, outlined the details about a once studious male in his late teens who had begun to miss both class and work, while developing an unhealthy obsession over a supposed "idol" before his sudden disappearance. Catching glimpses at the documents Kuwabara and Yusuke were holding, the intel recorded a similar sequence of events; males breaking from their typical routines and disappearing after becoming obsessed with various women. Kurama held his chin in thought as he contemplated the evidence.
"Hey, I thought Spirit World agreed to not interfere with demons living in the human world anymore?" Yusuke questioned suddenly. "Why are you investigating this anyway?"
"We have, and I intend to keep our word," Koenma reinforced earnestly. "But as you may recall, when Enki first took command of Demon World, he decreed for demonkind to leave humanity in peace. Thankfully Kokou has followed suit with her reign; so should the ones responsible for these disappearances be demons, they would be in direct violation of current Demon World law. I'd rather our newfound relationships not be strained so quickly with a scandal like this."
Crossing his arms over his chest, Yusuke began to tap his foot impatiently. "Then why are we here?"
"Because I'd like to personally hire all of you, off the record, to look into this matter for me."
"Wait…you want to hire us?" Kuwabara asked incredulously. "Like, we'd be paid for doing a job for you?"
"That is generally what being hired entails Kuwabara," Koenma replied matter of factly..
"So what, you're not just gonna bring us here and force us to do some menial task, free of charge?" Yusuke questioned suspiciously, eyes narrowed.
"Speak for yourself Detective," Hiei spat venomously. Unlike the others, Hiei had been ordered by Kokou to complete a task for his former Spirit World captor.
Koenma sighed wearily, dragging his palm down his face.
"No Yusuke. You know Spirit World can't get heavily involved in these matters without raising suspicion because of my father's crimes," Koenma answered. "And last I checked, you've been doing spirit detective work on the side when you're not running your shop anyway."
"Uhh… actually, most of that is just getting hot demon women's' autographs for some shy old dudes," Yusuke revealed sheepishly, rubbing at the back of his head.
"O-oh, well, the offer still stands? I'll pay your dues or grant you what you'd like, within reason."
"Yeah, now we're talking!" Yusuke cheered, rubbing his hands together menacingly. "Shoulda been doing this from the start! I'll take-
"We accept," Kurama interrupted, raising his hand to cut off Yusuke's presumed greedy intentions. "More importantly, there are lives at stake, so it would be best for us to start investigating immediately."
Yusuke glared at Kurama out of the corner of his eye and muttered various curses under his breath about the goody-two-shoes fox. With a huff, Yusuke threw up his hands in resignation, "Fine, let's get going then."
"Wait, before you go," Koenma halted the group before leaving. "I know I said Spirit World wouldn't get involved any further than this, but I'd like you to bring Botan along. She's been-"
"No."
The room fell silent and all eyes turned to Hiei with varying degrees of confusion plastered across their faces. Even Kurama raised a quizzical brow at Hiei's sudden and most unexpected refusal.
"Your insistence on sending her- tsk, sending non-combatants into dangerous territory is a foolish decision. You will leave this to us."
Koenma paused briefly, observing Hiei before responding. If anything, Hiei looked even more angry than he previously had so Koenma thought it wise to choose his next words carefully. "I… appreciate your concern for Botan's safety Hiei, I truly do, but she is quite capable of handling herself. Besides, her role would be more that of an informant and guide. Should any danger arise, she'll retreat as needed."
"Any involvement is a risk," Hiei disputed through clenched teeth, fists balling at his sides. "Especially when you don't even know the cause of the disappearances."
"Such is our line of work."
"Ours. Not hers."
A tense silence enveloped the office as Koenma and Hiei glared back at one another. From the outskirts, Kurama studied the fire demon's near unrecognizable attitude with potent interest, while Kuwabara stood dumbfounded at the idea of Hiei caring about anyone's safety, let alone Botan's. It was only when Yusuke moved forward to sling his arm around Hiei's shoulders, did the stifling silence finally break.
"Hey hey, don't sweat it Hiei," Yusuke reassured, shaking Hiei playfully rough. "Botan's saved my ass plenty in the past. Even you complimented her skills once upon a time, remember? Plus, we'll be there to keep your wittle cwush safe and sound, so relax a bit!"
Hiei bristled and shoved a now cackling Yusuke away in disgust. "Enough of your nonsensical perversions you damn fool, this is a serious matter."
~Achoo!
Everyone turned toward the office door at the sound of the new arrival's sneeze. Gentle tapping followed suit and a muffled voice called out from the other side. "Koenma Sir, it's Botan! May I enter?"
"Well well, speak of the devil," Yusuke snickered, attempting to jab Hiei in the ribs with his elbow. Hiei promptly side stepped the attempt, and snarled back at him.
"Yes, come in!" Koenma hollered out before Hiei could oppose him any further.
With his confirmation, the door swung open and Botan shuffled through, carrying a hefty stack of documents in her arms. As she entered, Botan's eyes lit up seeing that Koenma's office was full of her old comrades, several of which she had not seen for quite some time. Scurrying over to Koenma's desk, Botan dropped off the new batch of paperwork with a heavy thud and Koenma sagged at the additional offending pile.
"Hey Botan!" Kuwabara greeted boisterously.
"Well if it isn't my favorite boys!" Botan cheered, racing first over to Kuwabara and throwing her arms around him in a big hug to which he graciously accepted. Stepping back, Botan looked Kuwabara up and down, giving him a little wolf whistle. "My, don't you look just dapper Kuwabara! Trying to look extra handsome for Yukina I bet."
Kuwabara bashfully rubbed at the back of his head and chuckled. "Aww thanks Botan! Sis helped me pick out some nice clothes and styled my hair! Yukina and I are going on a date this weekend, so I wanted to try out a new look."
"Well it's working! Yukina will love it!" Patting Kuwabara on the arm, Botan then turned her attention to Kurama, reaching out and pulling him into a brief hug.
"And you Mister! I haven't seen you in nearly a year now! You're looking as handsome as ever."
"It's nice to see you again, Botan," Kurama replied pleasantly. "I'm afraid that touring the Americas has left little time for socializing."
"I'll say! Well now that you're back, we'll need to throw a little get together with the old gang to celebrate!"
"I would like that." Kurama agreed and Botan next slid over to Yusuke's side.
"Hey B, it's been a little while," He greeted, extending his arms for his own hug. To his surprise however, Botan ducked out of his reach, instead planting one hand on her hip and pointing an accusatory finger in his face.
"I spoke with Keiko last month." Botan declared as a teasing grin stretching over her lips. "She told me what you said about you-know-who and that dream you had with the three of us, you dirty little birdie."
Yusuke froze, his face morphing into a look of shock and embarrassment. A pink hue crept over his cheeks, and Yusuke desperately avoided his comrade's chiding looks, all of whom were assuredly thinking the same unkind things. At his stunned reaction, Botan broke out into a fit of giggles and launched herself into Yusuke's still outstretched arms, squeezing him as hard as she could. "You never change do you?"
Breaking his stupor with a violent shake of his head, Yusuke chuckled awkwardly and returned Botan's embrace with a much more gentle squeeze. "I wouldn't be me if I did. And don't think I won't get you back for this nosy girl."
"Bring it on!" Botan challenged with a fanged grin. She then leaned into his ear, shielding her mouth with one hand so the others wouldn't hear, whispering, "And don't worry Yusuke, I think she's super hot too."
Yusuke choked on his spit as Botan stepped away and directed her attention finally to Hiei. Instead of the exuberance she had shown to the others, Botan approached Hiei in a calm, almost demure manner, chin tucked and hands folded at her chest. As she drew close, Hiei turned fully toward her, letting the tension in his features fade and his arms fell to his sides in a more casual stance.
"Hiei," Botan began warmly, reaching up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear, "It's wonderful to see you again."
Hiei met her soft gaze and nodded in acknowledgement, "Botan."
She had to bite her lip to keep her smile from growing too wide at the sound of her own name leaving his lips. It still surprised her to hear him say it every time, and she was sure he knew so. Swallowing down the giddiness bubbling up from within, Botan leaned in and looked Hiei over closely.
"I hope Mukuro hasn't been running you too ragged out there." He had a few nicks on his cheeks and neck, nothing serious and surely from his training, but otherwise looked in fine health.
"The Border Patrol is a menial task," Hiei scoffed, the corners of his lips curling confidently. "Hardly worth the effort."
"We appreciate your help in saving those humans' lives all the same Hiei," Botan replied sweetly as she reached out to pat him on the shoulder. Her touch lingered for a moment longer than necessary, her fingertips smoothing over the thick black material of Hiei's cloak, and over the swell of his shoulder before reluctantly pulling away. Hiei glanced at her point of contact swiftly before tilting his head away from her and shoved his hands into his pockets.
"It was nothing."
Botan beamed, her warmth rivaling even that of the Sun. She'd learned that coming from Hiei, this was as much of a "thank you" as anyone could hope for, but still, it made her far happier than she could have ever hoped.
"Alright, just what the hell is going on here!?"
Botan turned back to Yusuke, pulling her best kitty cat expression and pawing adorably at the air. "Why, whatever do you mean Yusuke?" she questioned, tilting her head to one side innocently.
Yusuke waved his hands in the space around her dramatically, causing Botan to recoil back from him. "This!"
He then motioned toward Hiei just as enthusiastically who ignored his waving extremities entirely and stared at Yusuke stone faced. "And that! I was kidding earlier, but when did the two of you become such best buddies?"
"Earlier? I have no otherworldly idea of what you're talking about Yusuke," Botan said dismissively with a wave of her hand. "Hiei and I have always been friendly."
Hiei's brows furrowed, his steely features turning dangerous behind Botan's back.
"Buuuuuullshit! I can count on one hand how many times I've even seen you two even look at each other," Yusuke countered, narrowing his eyes at the pair suspiciously. "Something fishy is going on here."
"People can interact with one another without you around, Yusuke." Botan refuted hotly, poking her finger into Yusuke's chest. "And nothing untoward is going on in the slightest. It's not nice to pry into other people's personal affairs, you know."
Around the office, each of the men's faces fell equally flat as the same thought crossed their minds instantaneously;That Botan was the last person who should be saying such things. Even Kurama could not refute that Botan had a penchant for prying where she ought not to. So before she and Yusuke could begin bickering any further, Kurama stepped forward, clapping his hands to gain everyone's attention.
"I'm afraid we'll have to put this little reunion of ours on hold for the time being," Kurama announced dutifully. "We're needed in Utashinai right away."
Koenma stood from behind his desk, nodding his thanks to Kurama before speaking. "That's correct, we must hurry. Kuwabara, are you still able to create long distance openings using your Dimension sword?
"Yeah, that's no problem," Kuwabara replied, grinning proudly. "Now that I'm not fighting evil as often, I use it to help Sis and my beloved Yukina get around the country free of charge!"
"Huh, that's a great idea coming from someone like you Kuwabara," Yusuke complimented. "Hook Keiko and me up for a Hawaii trip some time!"
"For Keiko, sure, but you gotta buy your own ticket for insulting me, Urameshi!"
"Tsk, stingy bastard."
"Kuwabara, that's a highly inappropriate use of your abilities," Botan chided motherly.
"Says the lady who can fly around on a broom," Kuwabara grumbled under his breath.
"It's an oar Kuwabara, and it's a necessity for my duties," Botan countered, having still heard him anyway.
"Proper usage of our abilities aside," Koenma continued impatiently, "Please cut a rift to Utashinai on the double. Botan, although some have voiced their concerns, I'd like for you to join with and guide the team to the locations of the disappearances." Koenma's eyes flicked over to Hiei, whose jaw was set tight and shoulders squared once more, clearly agitated. "As we still don't know what we're dealing with, stick close to the guys and be ready to flee if need be."
Botan snapped to attention, playfully saluted at Koenma. "Aye aye, Sir" She gleefully agreed, then shuffled back to stand closer to Hiei.
"Kuwabara, if you'd please."
"You got it," Kuwabara announced proudly, "Time to show off my amazing powers!"
Stepping away from the others, Kuwabara held one hand out in front of him and with practiced ease, a crackling of yellows-orange colored energy burst forth above palm. Snatching the energy in hand, it promptly shaped itself into a long sharpened blade, much more refined than his typical Spirit Sword's jagged form. Taking the weapon in both hands, Kuwabara raised it high above his head and swung its blade down into and through the adjacent wall of Koenma's office. A glowing line of energy trailed behind the slash before widening into an entryway of deep purple and black pulsating energy.
"Alright, this will take us where we need to," Kuwabara proclaimed. "Just hop in and we'll be there in a jif'!"
Hiei promptly stomped forward. "Let's get this over with already," He growled, launching himself into the rift without a second's waste, disappearing from the office entirely.
Botan giggled after him, skipping over to the gateway next. "He's such a grumpy gus in the mornings," she said with a fond smile. "See you boys on the other side!" Throwing a little wave, Botan then summoned her oar in her outstretched hand, swinging it under herself as she hopped up and onto its handle before she too disappeared into the void.
Yusuke approached the rift next, pausing just before the entrance. He swiftly turned back to the others, adopting an exaggerated feminine pose of sticking out his rear and holding his cheeks in both hands.
"He's so grumpy in the mornings, teehee!" Yusuke crudely imitated Botan, intentionally making his voice posh and nasally. "Those two are fucking."
Koenma sputtered and began choking on his spit, his pacifier slipping from between his teeth and falling to the floor. Kuwabara cringed, looking as though he may retch at the mere thought. Kurama sighed heavily, dragging his palm down the length of his face at Yusuke's lack of inner voice and tact.
"Ewww Urameshi, gross! Don't put the image of Shorty doing that to Botan in my head!"
"Oh come on, you saw how they were acting! Hiei's totally hitting it!"
"Please don't talk about Botan that way in front of me Yusuke," Koenma wheezed, still attempting to catch his breath.
"She's just being her same old weird self Urameshi," Kuwabara denied dismissively with a wave of his hand. "Besides, she could do way better than Shorty."
"Funny, we all say that about Yukina," Yusuke sniped, tossing Kuwabara a mocking smirk.
"Hey! Yukina loves me very much you bastard!"
"Yusuke," Kurama interrupted, stepping in between the pair, his hands raised passively. "Perhaps it would be wise to not poke our noses into Botan and Hiei's relationship, romantic or otherwise."
"Why, what's the big deal? Botan does it to everyone already."
"Such is her inquisitive nature. But Hiei is guarded and slow to open up to anyone. If he sees something special in Botan, and we're only assuming this is the case, then outside interference may result in Hiei distancing himself, and that would not be fair to either he or Botan."
Yusuke frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. "Tsk! Fine, whatever Grandpa. But when those two pop out some kids, I'm screaming 'I told you so' in your faces."
"I'll be sure to remove my hearing aids before you do so, Yusuke," Kurama calmly responded with a knowing smile. "Now come, we mustn't make Hiei, Botan, or those missing wait any longer."
"Alright, let's go. But she better not be sucking him off when we get there," Yusuke finally acquiesced. Spinning on his heels, Yusuke folded his arms behind his head and sauntered into the swirling mass and disappeared.
Kurama sighed heavily, following Yusuke's lead. "Must he always be so crude?" He asked in open exasperation, more to himself than to any one in particular. Shaking his head in mild disbelief, Kurama followed Yusuke through the exit.
"I'll await the good news Kuwabara." Koenma sighed, utterly exhausted.
"Don't you worry, we'll find 'em! Later Koenma!"
Hurrying to the entrance himself, Kuwabara threw a wave to Koenma before hopping through. As the last of his body disappeared from view, the portal's edges began to shrink in size until disappearing completely leaving Koenma's office wall as spotless as it had previously been.
The Prince flopped down into his chair wearily, dragging both palms down his face in his exasperation. Already, thoughts of bringing the old team back together being a mistake crossed his mind. He was sure that they'd effectively complete his commission, but he'd almost forgotten how annoying they could be when all together… Still, he had more pressing concerns at the moment. Yusuke may have been crude, crass, and entirely immature about the topic, but Koenma could not deny his own suspicions that there may be something more going on between Botan and Hiei.
Reaching over to the pile of paperwork Botan had deposited onto his desk earlier, Koenma snatched a file from the top, grabbed his stamp and absentmindedly began his work.
Koenma knew that Hiei had been ordered to work for the Border Patrol in Demon World. Psychic powers were not incredibly rare in Demon World, but few held precise enough control of their abilities to be able to erase others' memories utilizing them. That's why Hiei was perfect for the role; it was his primary duty to make sure that the humans who had accidentally wandered haphazardly into Demon World, couldn't remember doing so. But that's where things got a little muddied.
It was decided that simply erasing the humans' memories and dumping them off into their world was still too dangerous. Demon World's atmosphere was toxic to those from the Human world who did not possess enough spiritual energy to dilute its poisonous effects. Enki and Koenma himself had come to an agreement that after the Border Patrol delivered the humans back to safety, healers from Spirit World would give the victims a check up before returning them to civilization.
Enter Botan…
Koenma had thought nothing of it at first. Hiei and Botan had worked together in the past, albeit largely in passing. Their relationship was cordial at best from what Koenma had seen, though nothing he would label as being close or friendly. Hiei was a man of few words, and Botan often too many, and they had little in common outside of sharing the same comrades. Assigning Botan to be the lead in the rotation of healers was an obvious choice; she was Koenma's most trusted and valuable asset inside of Spirit World for years. He trusted that she would be able to handle dealing with Hiei and the Border Patrol. However, he could have never imagined that the two would apparently bond and grow so closely during their time cooperating together.
Koenma continued at his work, the most recent pile of documents growing smaller, and smaller as he began to stamp his seal more urgently.
When? How? Why? These were questions Koenma couldn't even begin to fathom how to answer. And knowing what a tight lid both Botan and Hiei kept on their personal lives, he was sure to never learn the truth unless they directly spilled the beans themselves. Furthermore, he wasn't sure he even wanted to find out how a relationship between the two came about, especially if it was as physical as Yusuke theorized…
But that was something he'd have to concern himself with at another point in time. More importantly, he hoped his band of idiots and Kurama would be able to solve their much more pressing matters before anyone got hurt!
