Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ The Suffering of Friendship ❯ Where is Hiei? ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimer: Don't own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of its characters, but I really wish I owned Hiei. Oh, well. I can dream, can't I?

Thanks to KitsuneLover for the review! I'm glad you like it so far! Actually if you'd like to read more of this I have it on fanfiction dot net. My pen name there is Wolf of the Frozen Flame. (My account here was deleted.) Actually on FF I have this story and its two sequels if you're interested. Thanks again!

(Note: This story, as well as ALL my work, is strictly non-yaoi. I don't like it, so I don't write it. Thank you.)

Anyway, here's the next chapter. Enjoy and please review!!

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Hiei opened his eyes drowsily, then closed them again. Where am I? What happened?

Suddenly everything came back to him. His eyes snapped open. He tried to sit up, but an intense pain filled his head and stomach. "Arrrgghhh!" he groaned, and laid back down. The pain slowly left his stomach, but the headache was enormous.

I should have known better, he thought, annoyed with himself. He closed his eyes for a few minutes, willing the pain to go away, and finally intense receded to dull.

Hiei thankfully opened his eyes and looked around. He was in some sort of prison, with stone walls and a solid metal door. On one wall were rows of sharp metal spikes. On another were all kinds of weapons: axes, whips, swords, knives, etc. In the corner, he spotted his katana. Maybe I could...

He slowly lifted his head, and the ache did not return. So far, so good.

He rolled over, first onto his side, then to his stomach. He felt a dull pain from his wound, but it wasn't enough to stop him. He extended his arms in front of him and tried to pull his body forward. He didn't move an inch.

So, he tried again, pulling harder this time, but he went nowhere. This time, though, he felt a tug on his ankles.

He strained to turn his head, and saw that his legs were chained to the ground. Oh, this is perfect. Just perfect.

Kuwabara met up with Yusuke in the hallway leading to the fighting ring. "Hey, have you seen Hiei?" asked Yusuke.

"I went up to his room to set up a TV so he could watch Kurama's fight, but he wasn't there. I thought maybe he was with you."

"I haven't seen him," admitted Kuwabara. "I went up to his room, too, but he wasn't there. I thought he was with you." 

They looked at each other, each studying the other's face to see if he was joking. Then, after determining it was not a prank, they said at the same time, "I bet he's with Kurama." 

That very moment, the fox demon joined them. "Hello, Yusuke. Kuwabara," Kurama said in that sweet, polite voice of his.

"Hey, Kurama, we were just talking about you," replied Yusuke in a not-so-pleasant tone. Then, he noticed that the fire demon was not with the kitsune. "Where's Hiei?" he asked worriedly. 

"Yeah, where's Shorty?" added Kuwabara, not nearly as worried as Yusuke, but worried enough to ask.

"Isn't he in his hotel room?" Kurama replied with surprise.

Yusuke and Kuwabara looked at each other. "Let's go!"

They ran off, leaving poor, confused, concerned Kurama behind. "Wait! What has happened?!?" he called after them. They just kept running.

What am I doing here? Who captured me? Why? Questions swirled around in Hiei's head. He was so confused.

I have to escape. But how?

He had tried to break the chains on his ankles with his Spirit Energy, but it was gone. He remembered the cold metal band clasping itself around his wrist, tightening, draining all the energy that was just beginning to come back to him, making him weaker and weaker...

Hiei winced. He had never felt so helpless, so unable to control his own fate. All he could do was lay there and wait for some answers.

Yusuke and Kuwabara reached Hiei's door in a matter of minutes, both panting. Kuwabara stopped to catch his breath, but Yusuke bashed through the door and into the room.

"HIEI!!!" he yelled as he ran through Hiei's quarters. "IF THIS IS SOME PRANK YOU'RE PLAYING I'M GONNA KILL YOU!!!!!!!!!!"

He looked everywhere, in the closet, in the bed, under the chair, even in the drawers of the dresser. Hiei was nowhere to be found.

"Hey, Urameshi. The announcer lady just ordered all fighters to report to the ring," Kuwabara told Yusuke in a "Do it or else" tone. Bad move.

"KUWABARA YOU DOPE DO YOU THINK I'M GONNA LET SOME VOICE ON THE INTERCOM TELL ME WHAT TO DO  ONE OF MY TEAMMATES AND BEST FRIENDS IS MISSING AND I WON'T STOP LOOKING FOR HIM UNTIL I FIND HIM  HE'S YOUR TEAMMATE TOO AND LIKE IT OR NOT HE'S YOUR FRIEND SO START ACTING CONCERNED ABOUT HIM OR YOU'RE GONNA GET MY FIST IN YOUR FACE!!!!!!!!!" the Spirit Detective screamed as he backed Kuwabara into a corner.

"Okay, pal, I hear ya, no need to get all upset, I was just sayin' what I heard! And I really am worried about the little shrimp, uhhhh, I mean my best friend Hiei, I really am, honest! I'm just not that good at showin' it is all. And that "little shrimp" thing was a mistake, really!" Kuwabara whimpered, a petrified look on his face. "Heh heh, funny thing, how your tongue can slip on you like that, heh heh. Please don't hurt me!"

Yusuke caught his breath, looked at Kuwabara's pitiful expression, and actually felt sorry for him.

"It's okay, buddy. Sorry I yelled at you like that, but I'm just a little upset right now and I was caught up in the moment. It felt good to get all that off my chest, but I really should have saved all that anger for my fight instead of dumping it on you. So, wadda you say we get down to that ring, huh?"

With that, he practically skipped out of the room, leaving a confused and still very frightened Kuwabara, with his mouth hanging wide open, behind.

 Kurama was so confused. Where were Yusuke and Kuwabara? His teammates had five minutes to get there, or else their team would be forced to forfeit. Two of those five were already gone. Another question boiled in the back of his mind: What was happening with Hiei?

Hiei heard the metal door squeal open. Finally, I get some answers.

"Ten, nine, eight..."

The cat demon announcer was counting down the seconds remaining for both of Kurama's teammates to get themselves to the ring.

"Where are they?" the anxious fox muttered to himself.

"...seven, six, five..." 

Come on Yusuke.

"...four, three, two, and..."

"HEY, CAT LADY! OVER HERE!"

Kurama knew that obnoxious voice anywhere.

Yusuke came running through the tunnel with Kuwabara close behind. Boos echoed through the stadium at their arrival.

"I knew you'd make it," said Kurama. "Where have you two been?"

"No time to explain. Just get this over with so I can tell you."

"Okay, people, now that all fighters have entered the arena the next battle can begin! Fighting for Team Urameshi is Kurama! And fighting for Team Maraoki is Ryton!" Koto announced.

Kurama jumped lightly into the ring. "Be careful out there, buddy, we don't need another cripple on our hands," Yusuke told him.

Kurama smiled. Yusuke never had been good at offering encouragement.

Hiei felt his back slam into the stone wall. He felt the pain from the wound pulsing through his body. He collapsed, just to be pulled up and used again as a punching bag. But he still didn't know why.