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Didn't you notice?
Chapter 3
Didn't you notice?
Chapter 3
Somewhere, something was beeping. A consistent, annoying beeping. As hard as he tried he could not drown out the sound. It was becoming louder by the second, each beep reaching a higher pitch. Finally he was forced to open his eyes. Emerald orbs glared angrily at the source of the offending sound; an alarm clock. Kurama unwillingly sat himself up and turned it off. He didn't have it by choice, it had been a present from his mother. If it hadn't it would probably now be lying in a million pieces all scattered around his floor. Alas, it was. He settled for knocking it off of the table it stood on. Kurama yawned and stretched his arms, his mind still foggy from sleep. He fell back onto his bed, his right arm knocking against his bedpost. With a startled yelp he sat up again. Incomplete memories ran through his mind. He had gone out for a walk. There was a rosebush. Yusuke was there. And there was pain...a knock on the door disrupted his thoughts.
"Shuichi? Are you up yet dear?"
"Yes Kaasan, I'm up." Kurama replied tiredly.
His mother opened the door and walked in. "Good morning Shuichi. Are you feeling alright? When I came home yesterday you were sound asleep."
He had slept for that long? That at least explained why his alarm clock had gone off.
"Yes Kaasan, I'm fine. I was just tired yesterday. I'm sorry if I worried you."
"No, it's alright. I'm making breakfast, would you like something to eat?"
He suddenly realized that not only had he not had anything for lunch the previous day, he had skipped dinner as well.
"Yes, I would like that very much."
"Okay then, it'll be ready in a few minutes."
"Thank you Kaasan."
Returning to his previous thoughts Kurama remembered that he had decided to go and see Genkai. He would have to go sometime after breakfast. Yawning again he stood up and moved to his closet to find a new outfit, he was still in his clothes from yesterday. He picked out a dark blue button-up shirt and a random pair of jeans. After taking off his shirt he unraveled the gauze around his arm to examine the cuts. He quirked an eyebrow. The cuts were in an unusually straight line. They seemed to be healing well, though, the herbs he had applied were doing their job. Retrieving a new roll of gauze he rewrapped his arm and finished dressing.
Downstairs his mother had finished cooking and was setting the food on the table. They ate together, exchanging few words. When he had finished and cleaned off his plate Kurama turned to his mother.
"Kaasan, would you mind if I went out for a while?"
"If you would like. Have you finished all of your homework?"
"Yes Kaasan."
"Where are you going to so early?"
"I called Yusuke back yesterday, after I got home. He wanted me to come over to show me a new game he acquired."
"Of course. Have fun Shuichi."
"Thank you."
Sometimes he surprised himself at how quickly he could mold a situation to his advantage. Yusuke had indeed gotten a new game, and would most likely play along. He had suggested Kurama go and see Genkai in the first place after all.
The morning air was cool and crisp. He had just shut the door when it reopened and his mother stood with the phone in her hand.
"Shuichi, Yusuke is on the phone."
With a look of both surprise and aggravation Kurama accepted the call. He and his Mother returned to the house, his mother now cleaning the dishes.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Kurama, its Yusuke."
"Yes, hello Yusuke."
"I really hate to tell you this but Koenma wants us to do another mission for him. I swear he plans these things out for us."
Knowing that to avoid the mission would raise unwanted questions he accepted.
"Right. Where are we supposed to meet?"
"Botan's going to meet me over at my house with the details. So I guess that means we're meeting here."
"Alright. I'll be over in a few minutes."
"Right. Hey, Kurama, how're you feeling?"
That question was really starting to get old.
"I'm fine Yusuke. I'll see you in a few minutes."
"Yeah, see ya. Oh, by the way, could you find Hiei? I don't know where he disappears to when we're not on missions."
"Yes, I'll look for him."
"Great, bye."
Once again Kurama stepped out into the crisp morning air. He was pretty sure Hiei would be somewhere in the park. He was about to start walking when a voice startled him.
"Your awareness is so low I could have killed you a hundred times over by now."
Kurama turned to see Hiei jumping out of the tree in his yard. He was annoyed. Not so much because Hiei had startled him, though he hated to admit that to himself, but because he guessed that Hiei had not just arrived.
"So I assume you heard?"
It was a question with no real point. If Hiei had been outside his house, he knew about the mission. Without waiting for any kind of response Kurama started walking towards Yusuke's house. Hiei fell in stride. They walked in silence, mostly because Kurama didn't feel like talking. Hiei had been right, he hadn't been paying attention. He hadn't even sensed Hiei's energy; something that had never happened before. Kurama suddenly stopped midstride when he noticed Hiei looking at him out of the corner of his eye.
"Yes?"
Hiei said nothing, not even changing his expression. After a minute of this Kurama continued walking. They arrived at Yusuke's a few minutes later. Kurama knocked, and was about to try again when Yusuke opened the door. He held one hand to the back of his head as if he had been injured.
"Oh, hey, come on in."
"Are you alright Yusuke?"
"Huh?" He removed his hand. "Yeah, I guess. It's just that I have a crazy blue-haired lady claiming to be death swinging an oar at me." He glared over at Botan who was sitting on a couch.
"Well it served you right! I can't believe you would watch those kind of shows when you have Kayko!"
Yusuke groaned and rubbed his head again. "I already told you, I was just flipping through the channels! Nobody ever believes me!"
Kuwabara was sitting on the floor laughing. Yusuke had only been flipping through the channels, but he was enjoying watching him get beat up so much that he failed to mention it.
Kurama didn't feel like playing around. "Botan? What is the new mission?"
"Well at least someone tries to stick to business. It's really just an investigation. We've detected a large amount of demon energy coming from an abandoned part of the city. We don't know of any demons that have gotten into the Ningenkai, but its possible that something slipped through. Koenma wants you to check it out."
"And if there is some crazy demon hiding there?" Yusuke asked.
"He wants you to bring it to Spirit world for questioning."
"Right, typical catch-the-bad-guy-thing, eh?"
"If that's what you want to call it. Anyway, you should head out immidiately. Good luck!" Botan left through the window, astride her oar.
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The abandoned part of the city Botan had told them about turned out to be an abandoned factory complex. It looked as though it had been uninhabited for years. The forest that surrounded the factory and had once supplied it with fuel had overtaken every building that still stood. Vines wrapped in and around the crumbling walls. One of the larger buildings had a tree growing out through the roof.
"Geez, I guess if you had to pick an abandoned place of some kind this would work pretty well." Yusuke muttered, in awe at the sight of it.
Kurama stifled a yawn, but not well.
"Hey Kurama, you okay?" Kuwabara asked.
"Yes, I'm fine, why?"
"You just look tired, that's all."
"I didn't sleep very well last night."
Hiei scoffed. This just increased Kurama's suspicion. Hiei had obviously been keeping an eye on him.
"Oh, okay." Kuwabara let the subject drop. He did not know of the incident at the park.
A figure suddenly appeared, crouching calmly atop what was left of the roof of a building. It was a demon. Tall with dark tan, almost copper skin. He had a tail about four and a half feet long, and was showing off his power as he slowly swung it back and forth. Due to his unique coloration he was almost completely camoflauged, he was even wearing a loose green fighting gi. What made him stand out was his icy blue hair. It fell to just above his shoulders, each strand glittering as it caught bits of sunlight.
Yusuke noticed him first. He whipped around and fell into a fighting position. Kuwabara and Kurama tensed, not wanting to reveal their weapons until it was necessary. Hiei clipped his sword just an inch out of its sheath. He could tell that this demon was powerful, even though his aura appeared weak at the moment. A staredown followed.
The demon made no attempt to move. He just watched them with intense violet eyes, his tail still whipping back and forth slowly. One pointed ear twitched the slightest bit when Yusuke shuffled his feet.
Yusuke relaxed a bit after the demon hadn't decided to make the first move. "So, you're the one who has been giving off the powerful aura are you?"
He cocked an eyebow. "And if I am?" His voice was deep, almost seductive, and he had a hint of superiority in his tone.
Yusuke tried to look authorative. "You need to come with us."
Hiei caught the slightest smirk on the demons face. "I have business to attend to. I do not wish to waste time."
"Yeah, well that's exactly what we want to know. What are you doing here?"
"You wish to know?"
"Uh, yeah."
"I am plotting the deaths of two people, a brother and sister, and four more if I am not left alone to do so."
Hiei's katana slipped a bit more out of its sheath. He gave a sideways glance to Yusuke. Yusuke smiled in return. "Oh, well if that's what you're planning did you really think we could just leave you alone?"
"If you value your lives."
Yusuke shivered as the demon let out his hidden power. A crackling blue aura surrounded him, burning the trees it connected with. "You had the great honor of recieving my warning. Do you wish to deny it?"
Kuwabara gulped. This demon was dangerous. But what he feared was the fact that it was obviously still holding back.
Yusuke posed for his spirit gun. "Yeah, we do. Spirit Gun!"
The blast completely tore off the roof of the building, but it had not connected with anything else. The demon appeared behind Yusuke, standing at its full height, about seven feet. Before Yusuke was able to turn around it sent a blast of its energy so large that the entire group was sent flying. Yusuke crashed roughly into what was left of the building he had fired at. Kuwabara was out of sight. Hiei had managed to catch himself on the branches of a tree. He hadn't even seen him move before they were attacked, his speed was incredible. Kurama's landing had not been so elegant. He was at the base of a tree not far from the one Hiei was in, his clothes torn in several places from the blast, and he was now sporting quite a few new cuts. He was up in an instant, prepared for another assault.
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The demon in this chapter is one of my own personal characters from a story I created. No stealing. Anyone interested in his name, just ask.
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{End Chapter 3}
{End Chapter 3}
