Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Forever Fornever Tantei ❯ Of Dreams ( Chapter 6 )

Author's Note: This is the sequel to Between Death and Reality. While it isn't required that you read that first, some things referenced here may not make a whole lot of sense.

 

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho. I am not making any money from writing this. I do, however, own my plotline.

 

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

 

Chapter 6

 

Of Dreams

 

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

 

“There's no way at all that we can return?” Shishi asked incredulously. Hiei shook his head.

 

“No. Kurama checked out the other portals and they were blocked as well. And according to the ferry girl, all of Demon World is blocked off from either of the two worlds. We're stuck,” Hiei related to the group at the temple. He had spoken with Kurama long into the previous night about the situation and they both had concluded they were stuck in Human World for now.

 

“So we're just going to hide up here?” Rinku demanded.

 

“And what would you propose to do otherwise?” Genkai demanded irritably. Rinku blinked before continuing his tirade.

 

“Find out who's behind this!” he said.

 

“And how do you plan to do that?” Touya asked. “In case you forgot, Genkai is the only human among us. Demons are wanted here.”

 

“Besides,” Genkai added, “we have no way of finding out where or who they are. Spirit World cannot track them.”

 

“So why don't we?” Rinku asked stubbornly.

 

“Don't you think they'd be expecting that?” Hiei growled. He had had this conversation with Kurama already, though it had been much more intellectually stimulating with the fox.

 

“Oh,” Rinku said, slightly downcast. Hiei rolled his eyes.

 

“Kurama and I went over all this last night,” he said irritably.

 

“And? What did you come up with?” Suzuka asked.

 

“Nothing,” Hiei growled. “We decided there is nothing we can do at this point,” he told the taken aback group. “As much as we hate it, they have to make the move before we can do anything about it.”

 

“So our only plan is nothing?” Shishi demanded. “That doesn't seem prudent.”

 

“Neither does gettin' ourselves caught by the bastards running this,” Chuu countered. “I agree with Hiei and Kurama. We should wait.”

 

“Until they start targeting humans as well as demons, everyone should be safe here,” Genkai said.

 

“You think they'll target humans as well?” Yukina asked worriedly. Genkai nodded.

 

“Demons won't be their only target. What about humans like Kuwabara? He fought alongside demons. Or Keiko? She loves one. Or Shizuru? She's been along with demons for most of this, and her brother is Kuwabara. Or me, for training them.”

 

“But…”

 

“But nothing. Humans get defensive when it comes to new and strange things to them. If they see demons as a danger, which they do, anything affiliated with them will pay the price,” Genkai replied gravely.

 

“They boys…?” Yukina asked nervously.

 

“Right now the only targets seem to be the demons that really stick out. Kurama and Yusuke both have most human forms,” Genkai answered easily. “If they are targeted, it won't be for awhile.”

 

“This really makes me nervous,” the koorime said, hugging her arms around herself.

 

“Me too,” Genkai said.

 

Me too, Hiei thought solemnly.

 

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

 

Botan tossed fitfully in her sleep. She had gone to bed after speaking with Kurama, but her sleep had been less than restful.

 

Flying her oar through the dark streets of Tokyo, Botan shuddered at how cold it seemed, especially since it was supposed to be early summer. The sun was setting and mothers were hurriedly calling in their children from play. The deity frowned as she watched the children approach their respective homes without protest.

 

What is going on? she thought confusedly. This isn't normal child behavior.

 

The sun continued to drop below the horizon and the more she flew the fewer people she saw on the streets. Those she did see seemed to be rushing home. Botan frowned as shop keepers turned off their lights and closed their stores.

 

Why would stores be closing at nightfall? And why are people hurrying home like this? Nighttime is usually a very busy time.

 

As the last rays of sun faded into nothing and the first stars began to appear in the sky, Botan saw what looked like squad cars pulling onto the streets. Men in uniforms spread out on the street as if they were hunting something. Swooping lower, she watched as a man hung a flyer on a bare pole. She drifted over to read it and nearly fell from her oar.

 

Wanted:

The Reikai Tantei

Ruthless fighters and leaders of the resistance

Order must be preserved!

 

Pictures of the four boys were under this with captions:

 

Kazuma Kuwabara: Demon Sympathizer

Warnings: Energy sword and brute strength

 

Hiei Jaganshi: Fire demon

Warnings: Third eye with telepathic abilities;

expert swordsman; dark power

 

Youko Kurama, alias Suuichi Minamino, Fox demon

Warnings: Plant mastery; keen intelligence;

legendary bandit of the Demon World

 

Yusuke Urameshi, Toushin; leader of the Tantei

Warnings: Energy gun; brute strength; able to mix

demonic with human power

 

Reward upon information

 

Harboring these fighters will result in capture

 

Botan blinked at this, then realized the flyers seemed to be up on every pole. But they knew about the boys… How could this be possible?

 

Deciding she needed to see more, Botan followed a van that had just pulled onto the street. It drove down the empty streets, shining its searchlight, as if looking foe any sign of life. Botan had to jerk her oar to a halt when she realized the can had come to a stop. She floated above the scene as she watched it play out.

 

Seven men filed out of the truck, each armed with some kind of weapon. In the dim light from the street lights, if looked like some kind of gun, but the ferry girl couldn't tell for sure. The men silently filed into an alley in patterns reminiscent of military. They surrounded a short flight of stairs that led to a hidden door and silently made their way down the steps. Botan followed slowly.

 

The armed men surrounded the door before they loudly crashed it down - seemingly with ease despite the fact it looked to be made of some kind of hard metal. They raised their weapons and charged in. A loud commotion broke out inside, the familiar sounds of battle echoing in the underground entrance. Botan winced at the sounds of traded punches and energy blasts. Yells of pain and anger were heard before a chorus of some kind of shot being fired and thuds as bodied hit the ground.

 

A few moments passed before anyone came out of the hidden room. One man appeared coming out of the doorway backwards, as if carrying something. Another man appeared coming out as well, this one facing forward as if carrying the other end of a heavy load. Botan inched in closer to make out the load and her eyes widened and her jaw dropped in shock. The two men were supporting an unconscious Jin between the two of them. His arms and legs were bound tightly and he had a silver collar around his neck. His face showed some signs of bruising and his clothes were slightly torn, obviously from the fight he had just been in.

 

Looking back to the entrance, another pair of men supporting a load came through. Between them they supported a bound and unconscious Touya. Bumps and bruises were beginning to rise on the ice master's face to match several scratches on his arms. He was also collared. A terrible feeling was beginning to rise in the deity's stomach. She could barely bring herself to look as a third pair of men came through the door.

 

“Kurama!” she exclaimed in mingled shock and fear for her lover. The red-head was also unconscious, bound, and collared, though his bonds seemed to be more numerous and he had bands on his wrists to match the collar on his neck. A trickle of blood ran from the red-head's temple and the red of his hair seemed a little too red… It seemed the three demons had put up a good fight for being taken by surprise.

 

The men hauling the demons looked up at her outburst and she gasped when she realized they could suddenly see her.

 

“It's one of them Spirit World people,” one of the men carrying Touya growled.

 

“It's the ferry girl that worked with the demons,” one of the men carrying Kurama added in a hiss. “They say she and the fox are in love!” Botan gasped.

 

How could they know? How can they see me, for that matter?

 

“The boss wants her too,” the seventh man said as he emerged from the demon's former hideout. Botan barely had time to look over at him aiming his gun at her before he pulled the trigger and her world erupted in pain and dizziness before dark descended as she fell from her oar…

 

Botan jerked awake, tangled in her sheets. Her heart was racing and her entire body seemed to be coated in sweat. Her breathing was quick as she felt tears falling down her cheeks. She wiped her face to realize she had been crying. She pushed her hair from her face as her breathing and heart rate began to slow once more. Blinking a few times, she reached for her communication mirror on her bedside. Kurama's experience with dreams two years prior had taught them all to take more stock in their dreams.

 

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

 

Kurama frowned as he closed the communicator. Botan had really seemed shaken by her dream. What struck Kurama, however, was the fact that she was more concerned about his safety than her own. The fox felt a pang of affection for the ferry girl; she was always so concerned about others. But still, he forced himself to focus, the dream had some haunting implications. If this really was a prophetic dream, then whoever was behind all this would gain a lot of power if left unchecked.

 

The only problem was they had no idea where to go from here. Spirit World was unable to track the truck that had captured those demons several days prior. That meant they were shielding themselves. And if they were responsible for the barrier a well, for it seemed too much of a coincidence for them not to be, it seemed they had a lot of resources to exploit.

 

And where did Gouki fit in all this? How could he still have been around? Kurama shook his head. All these dead end thoughts were giving him a headache.

 

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

 

They had all become more conscious of media coverage in the last week, so they were all watching the news when they could. And that night they all came across it at the same time.

 

“Tonight our top story: Demons in our world. Members of the organization in charge of the capture of these creatures speak to us about the true nature of demons and how they are captured. Yoshiro Umaki has the story.”

 

“No more are they thought of as merely a child's story,” a new narrator took over. “The proof has been seen throughout the country; demons are real and pose a real threat to our world. Just a week ago, four demons were captures by the new government organization created exactly for the threat of demons. This organization is so top secret to the point that all we know if they exist to capture demons. Recently, several of the members agreed to an interview to clarify the situation and explain to the public what they need to know.”

 

The screen changed to show four strong-looking men, each wearing identical blue jackets. They sat in a row, the reported obviously on the other side of the camera's view.

 

“Now gentlemen. The first question that begs to be asked is how the government learned of the existence of demons. Before now, they must have been hiding in our world without us knowing,” the reported, Umaki, said.

 

“Indeed,” the first man replied in a gruff voice. “Demons have their own world, but many find ways to escape into our world. They've been doing it for years, living lives of deception.”

 

“There have been select humans who knew of the existence of demons in the Human World,” the second one took up, his voice deep. “It was one of those privileged humans who informed the government of the danger people have been in for so long.”

 

“And who was this person?” Umaki asked.

 

“That we are not allowed to disclose,” the third man said. His voice was smooth, yet ominously dangerous at the same time. The reported merely took this in stride.

 

“Alright then. What type of danger do demons truly pose to humans? If we did not know about their existence before now, they could not be very conspicuous.”

 

“They're more conspicuous than you think,” the fourth man replied. His voice was deep and slightly gruff. “Where do you think the stories they are in came from? Many become involved in thieving or even murder. Often times, murders or crimes that leave the police stumped are committed by demons. There are also many black market trades that center around them. By capturing them, we are able to eliminate much of these crimes.”

 

“What is the typical demon capable of?”

 

“Horrible terrors,” the second replied in his deep voice. “Their strength can easily surpass a human's, if not their intelligence. Think faster, stronger, more agile, and sometimes bugger than humans. They can run further and faster and jump higher. Some can even fly. Just imagine the type of atrocities that creatures of no morals with these powers that could be committed.”

 

“But why haven't we seen more of this if the demons had been among us all this time?” Umaki asked.

 

“Many try to hide to avoid notice by the authorities of the other worlds, but many do commit crimes in this realm,” the fourth replied.

 

“They merely go unsolved or can be pinned to gangs or criminals that are already wanted,” the first added.

 

“And what can we do?” the reported asked.

 

“”Report any suspicious behavior immediately,” the third answered. “There are humans that would harbor demons and their crimes are just as bad.”

 

“Not all demons have horns or different colored skin,” the second continued. “Some appear to be normal humans and can walk by you on the street.”

 

“For cases like that, any seemingly inhuman ability, speed or strength or intelligence, for example, should also be reported,” the first put in.

 

“So anything out of the ordinary should be reported?” Umaki asked.

 

“Yes,” was the consensus.

 

“And how are they captured?”

 

“Our organization keeps tabs on all who are reported and once we have reasonable cause to believe we have a demon, we send our men in, who are specially armed for a demon. Most are belligerent and will fight back. A normal human could not defeat a demon in battle, but we try to avoid that,” the third explained.

 

“But members are expected to be able to handle themselves in a fight,” the first chuckled. “One inexperienced in a fight could not be taken for the job.”

 

“But we do try to avoid fighting,” the fourth interjected. “Demons have powers that they can use on top of their strength and ability. So we are armed.”

 

“With what?”

 

“Tranquilizers, for example,” the second supplied, “to take them down before they can take us down. Clothing that can serve as a shield from their attacks and things like that as well. We are prepared.”

 

“And what happens when they are captured?”

 

“They are collared with devices that restrain their power and are taken to our holding cells. The building has cells specially designed to hold creatures with abnormal strength,” the first replied. “There they are held where they cannot harm anyone.”

 

“Like a prison?” Umaki questioned.

 

“Basically,” the third replied.

 

“But capture can only occur if we humans pay close attention to our surroundings and report anything unusual. You could be saving your life so the life of someone you know,” the second said.

 

“Don't hesitate to call the hotline,” the fourth plugged. “We must keep our world safe. We will do our part as long as you do yours.”

 

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

 

“Three more demons were captured last night,” Kurama told Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Hiei grimly. They were sitting in his apartment, for it seemed the safest and most convenient place to meet. “Though none were humanoid.”

 

“I have a hard time believing some humans can take on even low-level demons like they're capturing,” Yusuke said with a frown.

 

“They must be trained,” Kurama said. “And if that is the case, then this plan must have been in the works for years.”

 

“But what human who knows about demons would want them captured?” Hiei asked. “Most are members of some sort of black market ring and profit from them.”

 

“What about people like Keiko or Shizuru?” Kuwabara asked. “Innocents who can't defend themselves, but know.”

 

“Any actual innocents would not be in the position to tell the government and give them proof of the existence of apparitions,” Kurama replied with a frown. “Besides, all of this seems way too well planned out for that.”

 

“And the fact that humans are eating it up doesn't help,” Hiei grumbled. Kurama felt a wave of empathy for his friend; Hiei wanted to return to Demon World… to Mukuro, and all of this was keeping him from doing so. And he, Kurama, wanted to see Botan, but all of this was keeping the two of them apart as well.

 

“So what's all this about a prison?” Yusuke said after a silent moment. “Where they `keep' the demons they catch.”

 

“It would have to be a tangible building,” Kurama mused. “And a tangible building can be found…”

 

“But trucks are tangible as well,” Hiei pointed out. “And they can't be found.” Kurama sighed.

 

“Whoever is behind this knows what they're doing.”

 

“Hn.”

 

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

 

“Sir,” a man in a blue jacket said to the man sitting in the chair behind the desk, facing away from him. “Four more specimens have been brought in by group C this afternoon.”

 

“Good,” the man in the chair said. “Make sure they are filed.”

 

“Yessir.”

 

“Power levels?”

 

“High D- and low C-class.” The man in the chair snorted.

 

“Still no good. We need true power to realize our goals.”

 

“True power, Sir?”

 

“The power of the Reikai Tantei.”

 

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

 

Author's Note: Dun dun dun, the villain makes his first appearance. Who is this mystery man that knows about our boys? You'll have to keep reading to find out. Haha, that was a little obnoxious, I realize, but oh well. Anyway, hope you enjoyed. Leave me a review and let me know. Cookies to everyone who reviews! Tell me you love it, tell me you hated it, tell me I need more fluff, but tell me something!