InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Ultimatum ❯ Chapter 22

Ultimatum

Chapter 22

Boxing King

 

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Hiei came to to the biggest headache he'd ever had. His entire head throbbed, and each noise seemed to jar it. Hell, each thought. He was betting light would do the trick, too. He tried to swallow, but found his throat too dry to follow through with the action. To compound his headache, his entire body was sore. He really had no frigging idea why, but damn if it didn't hurt. It would probably be best if he just lay there for a few moments.

 

He could hear vague noise, but nothing that would come through clear, not even mumbling - just muted sound. He couldn't really get his body to work. He couldn't even smell a damn thing. God, don't let him be immobilized on enemy grounds. Or hell, in enemy clutches. It felt like the most he would be able to do is flutter his eyes - not really helpful in any situation. He mentally frowned - flutter? He pushed that thought aside for later.

 

There wasn't a whole hell of a lot he could do here. He could open his eyes, try and gain attention. Or, he could wait it out, see if he could ascertain just what was going on. If he waited, it would be to see if he could regain just a little bit more function back into his body.

 

He didn't really have all that long to deliberate, as his hearing came back.

 

He heard jack shit, just a few little clicks that sounded like they were coming from some machine. He frowned, and found that the muscles in his face were finally cooperating. He snapped his eyes open (no damn fluttering for him!), and tried to quickly scan his surroundings. He blinked once, before realizing that there really were faces surrounding him.

 

His eyes snapped to the face that to him appeared to be the most worried.

 

“Fox, what the fuck is going on?”

 

Kurama gave a shaky laugh. “It's good to see you again, Hiei.”

 

Hiei tried to get an explanation out of the demon by glaring. It didn't seem to work too well as all he did was shake his head and grin even more stupidly.

 

“Fox, explain dammit.” God, his voice sounded a little high there at the end. Hiei dismissed it as a dry throat.

 

“Okay, Hiei, okay.” Kurama grinned once more down at his friend. “I'll explain everything. But, you have to promise to listen to the end.”

 

“End? End of what?” He tried to growl his question. God, why the hell was his voice so high?

 

“First, I need to ask you a question. It is vitally important that I do so, and you need to answer without any hesitation. Alright?”

 

Hiei narrowed his eyes. There was trickery afoot, why the hell else would Kurama be asking some stupid question to obviously verify his identity? That or it was one of their code phrases he had come up with and made Kurama memorize once they started working for Koenma; they obviously hadn't been able to talk openly in front of people. “Fine. Ask.”

 

“200 years ago when we were getting drunk that night in the Makai, how many hookers did we go through?”

 

Hiei snorted, “Six, and what kind of lame ass question is that to verify my identity. Christ, we've had more secretive things than that.”

 

“Six, you went through six hookers in one night? Jesus Hiei.” Yusuke was leaning over Hiei eagerly. “Just what did you do with each one?”

 

Kurama shoved Yusuke away. “Yusuke, that's obviously not our top priority.”

 

Kuwabara eyed Hiei critically. “He knew what we were trying to do right away - should we be worried that that's Kagome? That she knew what we were trying to do?”

 

Kurama grinned. “No, Hiei's mind just works that way. He expects to be double-crossed all the time. That's also why I asked that question. If it was Kagome, I think she would have betrayed herself with some sort of a telling action. She probably would have blushed.”

 

“Why the hell would you worry I was Kagome?”

 

Kurama couldn't help but grin a little bit more. “Cause you look like her.”

 

Hiei's eyes widened as he ignored the whack somebody gave Kurama.

 

“That's your explanation,” hissed Koenma. “Explain better!”

 

Hiei could feel his left eye beginning twitch. “And why do I look like her? Did you idiots give me something to make me look like her?”

 

“Nope,” smirked Kurama.

 

“God,” muttered Koenma, “We switched your souls. Your soul is in her body.”

 

Hiei blinked once trying to absorb what Koenma had said. “What?” he ground out.

 

“Here's the thing, Hiei.” For some obscure reason, Kurama was getting a kick out of this. Now that he knew Hiei was okay, the entire situation seemed slightly surreal and laughable. Not to mention he got to see his best friend completely flustered. It wasn't often that Hiei was off his game.

 

“We had cause to doubt the safety of the separation of Kagome's soul and body. It occurred to us, rather late in the game as it were, that Naraku probably had access to someone that could put Kagome's soul back. We weren't sure whether distance matter for the connection to occur, so we either had to put her soul back and give her, mind whole and functioning, to Naraku, or… we could put you in her place and get an insider on Naraku.”

 

Hiei stared at Kurama. He couldn't have heard right. His hearing was out of whack, he had already ascertained that. “Please tell me you're joking,” he kind of gasped out. God, he was feeling faint. He was hyperventilating, he couldn't get enough air.

 

He was shoved back onto the gurney, and four concerned faces were suddenly leaning over him. “Take it easy, Hiei. It's not permanent.” Kurama's voice was rather faint.

 

“Permanent? Permanent!” Hiei leapt off the gurney snarling, breathing suddenly not an issue. “Put me back in my own fucking body this instant! How the hell do you know whether it's permanent or not? We have a fucking mind to mind connection, and you want to put me in his hold? How the hell do you know that's not what he was hoping for? For that matter, what happens when he removes my soul and keeps it? What the fuck then, you jackasses?” Hiei was steadily advancing on Kurama. “And you have no idea how our minds are going to react to that damn connection. For all you know, we could be stuck this way.” He slammed Kurama against the wall, hand around his neck, eyes in slits. “Put. Me. Back.”

 

Kurama glared back down at his friend, the humor gone. His icy voice rang out as strong as it could considering the vice around his neck. “I advise you to let me go, Hiei. You won't like the results if you don't.”

 

“And it's not your body to mess with,” Yusuke forcefully said. “Try not to abuse her body. Unlike you, she won't heal as nicely.”

 

“Maybe, Yusuke, you should have thought of that before you all went through with this idiotic plan. Once again, you've screwed up.”

 

“Us? Us, Hiei? You've been along for this ride the entire time. Hell, you were completely for it when it wasn't your mind. Don't both trying to go holier than thou on us just because you have a current crush.” Kurama sneered down at his friend.

 

Hiei clenched his fingers tighter around Kurama's neck. “You didn't give a damn about Yusuke's cousin until it was your mind at risk. You're looking out for number one, just like you always have.”

 

Hiei released his fingers - Kagome's fingers, and let Kurama drop.

 

“The only reason you care about her mind is because of that damn connection. You've never gone for a woman this much before. Or this stupidly. You're not that dumb, Hiei.”

 

Hiei backed up, clenching his fists repeatedly.

“So what, so what if I am looking out for me? That's the philosophy that has gripped us for centuries. It wasn't until you went into that weak human body that things began to change. I don't want to be stuck in this body. Neither would you, Fox. My senses are almost completely gone. I couldn't even choke you enough to stop conversation. What makes you think that I'll survive in this body over there? You got weaker, what makes you think that I won't?”

 

“We didn't really have another choice, Hiei. And as far as I can tell, you were `weakening' before you went into that body.” Kurama brushed himself off, straightening his collar. “Maybe, if we had given Kagome's shell to Naraku, he could have used the connection to suck out your mind and have access to your soul anyways. You weren't safe with the current plan. We needed to do something else anyways, and this was all we could come up with. We have a deadline, and it's shrinking as we speak. Decide now whether you want to stay in that body or whether you want to risk giving Naraku Kagome.” His lips twisted violently. “All in the name of number one, of course.”

 

Hiei glared at Kurama, before giving equal treatment to each team member. Yusuke wouldn't look him in the eye.

 

“How do you know this isn't his plan?” he finally quietly said.

 

“We don't. And normally that wouldn't bother you.”

 

“Yeah, well, I'm in a human body. Unlike you, I haven't had twenty or so years to adjust.”

 

“You worried about how she'll react about you using her body?”

 

“No,” he snarled tightly. “I'm not. Her opinion in this doesn't matter. She has no opinion as a prisoner.”

 

“Good. I'm glad you finally are looking at this with a clear eye, uninhibited by false emotions.” Hiei couldn't completely hide his flinch at false.

 

“Fine, I'll do it.” Kurama smiled slightly, his eyes staying cold.

 

“Now there's the Hiei I know and respect.”

 

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Hiei sat brooding in a chair, counting down the minutes until he was to be traded for Keiko. They hadn't had any further contact with Naraku, at least since he'd been awake. He counted that a blessing. Facing Naraku in such a weak body was not high on his priority.

 

They had put a block around his mind, hopefully masking his presence. With luck, Naraku wouldn't notice it, or if he did he'd ignore thinking it was all Kagome.

 

Hiei snapped his eyes up to watch the scene swiftly unfolding before him. Koenma was trying to seal the Jagan while Kagome was less than conscious. They needed to immobilize any possible power she could access. They also needed to lock his body up. There was absolutely no way in hell he was going to allow her to fuck around with his body, literally or not. For all he knew, she had had penis envy for years and was about to have the time of her life while anyone that could stop her would be busy. The idea was sickening. Christ, she might even be happy at the switch; happy to have a demon's body and no longer have the duty of the Jewel. He knew he would - a better body with more freedom. He was definitely getting the short end of the stick here.

 

He watched Koenma further. The man was struggling putting up the seal. Clearly Koenma had been underestimating the amount of his abilities. On the one hand, he felt good about that - he was more powerful than anyone but Kurama had suspected. On the other hand, damn, now they all knew about it. He grunted, trying to sound just a little bit less female.

 

He clenched his fists, startling himself once more with how small his fingers were, how much less force there was in his grip. Everything he did reminded him that he was not at home, and it was a damn uncomfortable feeling. It would be a very bad thing if he needed anything more than surprise to kill Naraku.

 

Koenma finally cursed and walked away, bringing his hands up to brush away his hair. “Damn Hiei, just how long have you been harvesting power?”

 

Hiei gave him an affronted look. “What a stupid question. I've always been collecting power.”

 

“Of course. What a stupid question,” muttered Koenma, turning away. “I don't know if I can successfully bind this on my own. You've seriously gained some power.”

 

Hiei frowned. Okay, yeah, he had been gaining power, but Koenma wasn't exactly weak himself. “Maybe you need to be binding more than just my body. You probably have to bind Kagome's soul as well. She has power, Koenma. She just doesn't use it well.”

 

Koenma pursed his lips in thought. “I don't know if I can bind her then. I've got more practice binding demons. I don't think I even know of a situation where we've had to bind a miko before.”

 

“We don't have time to work this out, Koenma,” Hiei stated flatly. Kagome's voice had assimilated quite well to his typical tones. It was interesting to catch the looks everyone kept giving him when he forced this body to perform in such an atypical way.

 

“I know,” Koenma practically shouted. “I know.” He turned back to Hiei's body. “I guess I can only keep trying.”

 

Hiei frowned. He wasn't going to be leaving his body here with her in charge and the Jagan wide open. Hell, she would easily be able to figure out how to persuade the ogres to let her out. That was child's play with the Jagan.

 

“Koenma?” he called out. Koenma turned in question. “Let's remove her soul. I don't want her in my body anymore.”

 

“Hiei, we've discussed this in detail. We can't leave either soul unattended. It would give Naraku access to either one.”

 

Hiei smirked. “Then let's not leave her soul stranded.”

 

Koenma cautiously rose from his bent position over Kagome. “I don't think I know what you mean, Hiei.”

 

“I think you do. I can see it in the way you're holding yourself right now. I want you to put her soul back in here with me.”

 

“Two souls in one body?”

 

“Yes. We're connected, that much is obvious. We should be able to do this just fine. We've already been sharing dreams, this is simply an extension.”

 

“You wouldn't be able to maintain control of her body! Her soul naturally goes in the position of power in her own body - it would go in the slot it is specifically engineered for.”

 

“Actually, that's what I'm counting on.”

 

“Ok, you've lost me.”

 

“Do you honestly think that Naraku is going to be mislead by the masking my presence? He's too wily for that. That used to simply be our best bet.”

 

“And now?”

 

“And now, we put Kagome back in here with me. He won't be expecting that. He'll be expecting one of us, either the soul he originally wanted or the one he can use to bargain for Kagome's. We let Kagome take control of the body. She'll be able to convince him that she's the only one here. I sit in the background. He sucks out her soul, probably to do what you wanted to and read it for the location of the Jewel. He'll think he's leaving an empty body, when in reality I'll be there, and I would have the element of surprise.”

 

Koenma studied him for a moment. “It will work, Koenma, it has to.”

 

“How do you know Kagome will go along with it?”

 

“This is her only chance at redemption, and I think at this point she knows it. She's being handed over to her worst enemy. If we can kill him here, the worst will be averted for her. It's a win-win situation for us.”

 

Koenma stared him the eye, trying to read something Hiei couldn't fathom. “Alright, Hiei, we'll do it. Help me hook her up real quick. We don't have much time left.”

 

Hiei let a victorious grin flicker across his face.

 

Within moments they had her hooked up, or rather his body. Koenma pushed the button without any hesitation, and once more that night the bottle filled. Koenma rolled Hiei's body's gurney away and situated Hiei.

 

“Are you ready, Hiei?” Hiei nodded once. “You'll have to tell her everything. You'll have to control her at first, make sure she'll go along.” Again, Hiei nodded.

 

With a shakey finger Koenma pushed the button.

 

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The last thing Kagome could remember was the gut-wrenching pain as her mind was sucked away, then nothing. Awareness came back to her in trickles. At first, she was simply aware of being there. She was. Then, slowly she began to gain recognition of where she was. This place was intimately familiar to her at this point. She'd been there enough, and it was the last god-damn place she'd seen before supposedly kicking the bucket.

 

She was in a dream. Again.

 

God, it was a never-ending vicious cycle. She might just prefer being dead than the horrors enacted here.

 

She looked around, and with a thought she suddenly had a body with which to maneuver. She plopped herself down on the bed. God, what a nightmare.

 

She heard a snort. “You're telling me.”

 

Kagome glanced up. “Hiei.” She looked away and closed her eyes. “At this point I can't even dredge up any surprise. Or anything with which to care.”

 

“No curiosity?” He sounded genuinely interested. Kagome mentally snorted.

 

“You don't believe my sincerity? I wouldn't either. In fact, I wouldn't have from the beginning. You've always been too trusting, Kagome.”

 

She slanted her eyes up at him. “You sound somewhat civil, there, demon. How is it that we are finally communicating? Actually succeeding at communicating?”

 

“It's a long story.”

 

“I have a feeling that it's a necessary story. Why are you acting so paternal?”

 

He looked a bit disgruntled at that. “I was going for persuasive.”

 

“And you come out as a father? Geez, that says something about your psych.”

 

“I know it does. I'm choosing to ignore it.”

 

“Why are you here, Hiei? Didn't you escape and leave me all alone?”

 

“Yes, I did. But now I'm back.” He tried to look her in the eyes, but she closed firmly, getting more comfortable in the pillows.

 

“Why would you ever want to come back here?”

 

“We're going through with our plan. We're giving your body to Naraku. And, instead of just giving him you and your soul, or even me in your body, we're going with the both of us at once.

 

“Your plan is to surprise him with two souls? Interesting.” Naraku might not even be expecting that one.

 

She let her head roll listlessly in his direction. “That must be how you and I are getting along. You're in my head, therefore you hear what I'm thinking.” He nodded shortly.

 

“Maybe I don't want to do this. Any of this.”

 

“You have no choice.”

 

“I know.” She sighed before standing. The limited options were pretty obvious to her. “I think I liked the old Hiei better. The one that had spark and fire and no paternal instincts whatsoever.”

 

He grunted. “Me, too.” He studied her for a moment. “This place almost has a calm aura. This is your head, your body. Your mind has some control over it, so you're projecting it. How?”

 

“I think at this point I care for nothing, about nothing. It lends a certain apathetic attitude to things. It means I don't care, and you won't either. Without caring, we have no emotion.”

 

He nodded. “Makes sense to me. But you can't stay here.”

 

She glanced over at him. “You want me to resume control of my body? Face him alone?” He nodded once.

 

“Am I going to get anything out this?”

 

“You won't be left to his mercies, Kagome. And when he is gone, who knows? You may be allowed to leave.”

 

“I don't think you mean that.” Hell, she felt that he didn't mean it.

 

Hiei shrugged ambiguously. “It doesn't matter. It's your only real choice.

 

Talk about a rock and hard place. “Fine. Fine, then.” She looked him in the eyes finally. “I'm off to face the dragon alone.” And Hiei felt something, like a small shift, as Kagome disappeared. Subconsciously, he knew she had resumed control of her body.

 

He didn't really care. He didn't really care about anything as he carefully sat on the bed to consider the absolute terror that suddenly saturated Kagome's sanctuary. He carefully situated himself in the center of the bed. He'd dealt with terror before, and he could overcome it mentally with a little bit of work. As he began a slow pace of breathing in and out, he finished that thought: it was just a shock that Kagome could. That she even would, now or the many times before that she'd faced Naraku.

 

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