Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Demon Dancers and PuppetMasters ❯ Chapter Two ( Chapter 2 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

-Demon Dancers and PuppetMasters- by Nemesis Q. Ravens

Chapter Two

Soon the four arrived at the specified place. They had run nonstop for thirty-seven minutes. As they ran, the buildings changed. Modern clubs and other various businesses became tall, towering apartment complexes and the skyscrapers transformed into condemned warehouses and the like on the outskirts of Tokyo. They looked at the building. It was an old, abandoned hotel. Each of the windows on the two-story building were boarded up and vines crawled up the walls. There was no clear entrance except for the front door that was hung wide open. If it weren't for the light that could be seen inside, the hotel would have been a perfect example of a haunted building.

"Here goes nothing," said Yusuke as he stepped within the abandoned hotel doorway. The other three followed closely behind.

The inside of the hotel was literally covered in two inches of dust. There were random signs of rodents and the like smeared about the floor. Bugs could be seen crawling up the walls. Weeds and grass had forced itself up through the rotting floorboards. Every door was hanging by their rusty hinge and many of the furniture pieces had been dismantled into firewood. Water damage could be seen where the roof had developed a leak or twelve.

Kuwabara looked around the place, a look of pure disgust on his face, and said "Eww..." Yusuke nodded, as did Kurama, but Hiei's expression didn't register any sign of disgust.

"This place is so nasty," said Yusuke as he peeked through an open doorway.

"I agree," said Kurama.

Hiei turned to face the three teammates who were presently discussing the possibility of ghosts occupying the place. He glared at them as he said through clenched teeth, "We're here to save the girls, not to talk about some fucking spooks."

Suddenly, as if in reply to Hiei's words, a muffled scream pierced the heavy, dust and mold-laden air.

Kuwabara jumped up squealing like a frightened piglet and landed in Kurama's arms, sending the lithe figure crashing down beneath the weight of the team's idiot.

Yusuke and Hiei both face-palmed and helped the poor redhead up and ignored Kuwabara's mumbled excuses for starting.

Kurama was the first to speak. "That sounded like Botan screaming."

Quickly gathering their temporarily scattered wits, the team turned to look in the direction the scream had come from; the second floor. Each exchanged glances and nodded.

Charging up the creaky stairs and down the long and barren hallway into the only lit room at the far end of the corridor, the door was flung wide by the Spirit Detectives. They stopped dead in their tracks at the sight that hit their eyes. The only sounds were their collective gasp and the banging of the door on the wall.

Inside, candles of all shapes and sizes were lit and covered every available piece of level space. The flickering flames cast a surreal feeling to the scene before them. In the center of the large room, which was surprisingly well-kept, sat Damien on a plush blue couch with Yukina, Keiko, and Botan gagged and bound at his feet. Each of the girls looked frightened to the core and pleaded to the Uremeshi Team with their tear-filled eyes. Far behind Damien lounged his three cronies. Two of them were the same ones that had given them the slip of paper.

Yusuke, Hiei, Kuwabara, and Kurama all felt anger surging through their veins. The sight of the three trussed girls infuriated them to no end.

Damien smiled at the four. "I see you decided to show. I had begun to wonder if you took my threat seriously, Uremeshi." His smiled widened as Yusuke clenched his fists. "Now, now, let us speak like civilized beings before you or I do something drastic." He gestured something to the shadows behind him. "Please, sit."

Suddenly the three figures emerged from the back and strode forward carrying chairs enough for the Uremeshi team. The seats were placed before the couch that Damien sat relaxed upon. The four warily sat on the chairs.

As they sat tensed on the edges of the seats adorned with royal blue velvet, Team Uremeshi studied the room they were in. With a color scheme of silver and blue, the cavernous room was luxurious. For being within a decrepit hotel, the sight of the rich curtains hanging in front of grand, ballroom windows was a shock. Everything was exquisite and screamed of money, money, money.

Sitting forward and looking straight at Yusuke, Damien grabbed Keiko by the hair and pulled her up onto his lap. As the Spirit Detective began to stand, the Kyrios team leader leisurely wrapped an arm around her waist and his other brought a gleaming knife to rest against Keiko's throat.

"Sit down, Uremeshi," Damien hissed. "Unless you wish her blood to flow freely, that is. We have business to attend to."

"What do you want?" Yusuke demanded sitting back down.

"Simple. Be at the next Dark Tournament."

"Be at the next Dark Tournament?" repeated Yusuke confused.

Damien didn't reply. He let go of Keiko's waist, and with his free hand, began to play with her hair. It was obvious he was just baiting Yusuke, but the detective still fell for it.

"Don't touch her," Yusuke ground out between clenched teeth.

He merely smiled and called, "Nemesis!"

Kurama, seeing as Yusuke was a bit distracted, asked, "Why do you wish us to be at the next Dark Tournament?"

Not looking away from Yusuke, Damien questioned, "You've been told of my team's victory at the last tournament, correct?"

"Yes," Kurama nodded.

"And were you not also told of my challenge?"

"You stated that you were superior to our team."

"Is your team so moronic that you were not aware that that was a challenge?"

As Kuwabara opened his mouth to protest, Hiei cut him off. "We didn't need to answer some damn challenge. It is obvious that we’re the superior ones. We haven't resorted to kidnapping three innocent girls."

"Big words for someone so little," stated Damien coolly as he looked Hiei up and down.

"At least I'm not some fucking addle-minded--" began Hiei angrily, but Kurama cut him off also.

"Hush, Hiei!" Turning to Damien, he said, "I'm assuming that you wish us to fight in the tournament also so that we may battle before a large audience, therefore proving that your team is better than ours to witnesses."

Nodding, Damien restarted his staring contest with Yusuke. "Yes. A fair fight, if you will."

Yusuke snorted. "Fair fight, my ass. You've kidnapped three girls to just get us there."

"Only to ensure that you appear at the Dark Tournament and see the challenge through."

"What are the battle terms?" inquired Kurama.

Damien glanced at him and said, "None except those given before the fight. However, if and when you arrive at the tournament, I will release one of these beauties. Then, if you reach the semi-finals, another will be released. And..." he paused to stare at each Uremeshi Team member straight in the eye. "The last one's fate depends on if you can beat my team."

"But why wait for the Dark Tournament?" asked Hiei suspiciously. "We can fight right here. You aren't afraid are you?"

Damien scowled. "For being the wielder of the Jagan, tiny man, you're not very bright are you?"

Hiei was about to pounce on him with katana drawn, but a smooth voice came from the door.

"You called?"

The Uremeshi team all turned at the voice. There in the doorway, stood a scantily clad woman. Tan skin gleamed in the candlelight and seemed to be bronze against the deep red of the cloth she wore. However, the most striking feature was the hidden face. None could see anything within the depths of her hood.

Nemesis sauntered to Damien with a gentle swaying of her hips. The four detectives watched as she walked behind Damien's chair to stop beside one of the lackeys hanging in the back. Whispering something to him, he ran off to do her bidding.

Damien's eyes never left Yusuke, not even when Nemesis came to stand at his left. The red flecks of his brown eyes appeared to snap like sparks as his fury grew.

"Damien." Nemesis' voice snapped him out of his red fog. "What do you wish of me?"

A devious gleam appeared in his eyes as he turned to gaze at her. "My love, summon PuppetMaster."

Nemesis' voice conveyed honest surprise. "What? PuppetMaster? Are you sure?"

Looking at Yusuke, he smirked. "Yes." Breaking his gaze with Uremeshi, Damien glanced back at her. "Do it. Now."

She bowed her head in submission. "Very well."