Adult-FanFiction.org : YuYu Hakusho

Stepfather
By : Artemick
Category: Yuyu Hakusho > Yaoi - Male/Male
Views: 7324 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I make no money. I own no YYH.
Chapter List
- 12
- 13
- 14
                A soft cloth slid over my face, sopping with hot water. I thought I was drowning, that I'd fallen asleep in the shower. I tried to grab the curtain and touched cloth, jeans, someone's thigh. A hand closed on my wrist and put it firmly on my chest.
                "Calm down."
                I coughed, clearing my throat. I shuddered hard, flashing back to the dirt, the feel of Sensui's knuckle dragged over my skin, passing over the back of my knee.
                "Calm down!"
                I blinked awake, twisting my hand around to grab the one on my wrist. Seaman allowed it, thinking it would soothe me. I planned, in an inspiration that was instinct, to sit up, wrap his arm across his chest and loop my arm around his neck to choke him out, then use him as a shield.
                "There's a gun on you, Kurama," a voice purred.
                The stench of the cave separated quickly in my mind. Gourmet was speaking, but there was another voice underneath, closely tied to the scent of decay. I knew that voice; it was impossible. That ki signature. Familiar evil. That disgusting shifter, Aniki Toguro of the Tournament. I'd expected to see him again, of course, but not here. The thought hadn't crossed my mind.
                I rolled my head in that direction, but I couldn't pick him out. I saw instead a tall boxer build man in a yellow sweatshirt, and beside him, the rapist, Takasune, who had troubled himself enough to get another gun and train it on my skull.
                I didn't understand what was happening. I was on the ground, lying on an unzipped sleeping bag. The shirt was gone; the torn jeans were not. There was a red medical bag near me.
                The wash cloth began to drag over my chest and I grabbed Seaman's hand. "Stop, please."
                "You're really dirty."
                "Yeah he is," Takasune cawed. He had the gun propped on his knee, like it was heavy to hold, like he'd been there for a while.
                I glanced around. Looking up, I stared into the black-oil iris of a tripod mounted camera with a tiny red light burning.
Grunting, I wrenched over and swatted out one of the legs, knocking it to arc onto the rock floor of the cave. As it crashed, Takasune shouted, but it was already broken. He turned and lifted his foot over my ribs. I shot up; I trapped his sneaker under my arm and twisted. He tried to pull and kick, and I used my legs to spin on my back so I could knock his other leg out. As he fell, I locked his neck between my shins and tried to break it.
                The water Seaman had stroked all along my skin restrained me. The stranger with Aniki's energy signature used the Toguro's shifting powers to pull me off, wrapping my limbs with nasty stretches of flesh.
                "No more movies," I snarled.
Takasune stood slowly. I swallowed as I watched him turn, leisurely, and swat the grime of the floor off his jacket. He was free; I was immobile. I could do nothing.
                Takasune came around to stand above my head. He lifted his shoe over my face, blocking out the wire caged light bulb on the ceiling. "I could do this. Crush in your nose. I won't, love. I know you're confused."
                He crouched down. I tried to twist my head to the side; he stunk of arousal. He stroked my temple. I growled, ignoring him to shout at Aniki. "Toguro! Get off me."
                The flesh tightened and I groaned as the stranger spoke, "Not quite Aniki. I devoured him, so I have his power. Call me Gourmet. I am what I eat."
                His fingers retreated until he was a normal looking body again.
                I stared. I couldn't see how devouring that freak would have done anything but spread him like a threading fungus throughout the host's body.
                I inhaled sharply, looking up as Sensui entered and shut the door.
                "What I fail to understand – " Sensui came close, his ki simmering. "Is why you were willing to leave without your teammate. I suppose you don't care about him. Kuwabara was a friend, I thought."
                I twisted my legs in, one bare and one still clothed in the torn jeans hanging off my hips. Slowly, looking at Seaman for permission, I rolled onto my knees and settled back on the balls of my feet, with my fists on my thighs. "Kuwabara's in no danger. You need him like you don't need me. You'll keep him safe. You need a psychic to cut through the net, and he's the only one of these who can. He can't do it if he's harmed."
                Sensui dropped down onto his heels opposite me, with a grin at his teammates.
                I glanced around, taking stock. I could only have been unconscious for a few minutes. I remembered being carried, more dazed than asleep. The room must be nearer the entrance, but sealed off. Now they were able to gather here all at once because Kuwabara was bound up with Itsuki and needed no other guard.
                Further importance: they'd set none on the entrance beside Gamemaster.
                I had to keep them here as long as possible. It would give Yuusuke's team a chance to get down into the cavern where they could take advantage of movement and numbers. Genkai and Kaito could deal with it.
                "You're right," Gourmet said. "They're in the tunnels already. The fox marked the path you took back, Sensui - that might explain how they got down so quickly – "
                Sensui cut him off with a gesture.
I grinned. They were in the tunnels.
                "Don't think you'll live to see them." Sensui turned. "Gourmet. Go to the main cavern with Seaman. Catch them at the bottleneck. Eat anything that gets through the water. Send Sniper outside. Takasune and I are going to hobble his pet."
                The room emptied.
                Sensui's image flickered, and then he was beside me. "Lay down."
                I did not. He knocked me back onto the sleeping bag spread over the ground.
                My heart began to race. I tried to breath slow. I told myself it would be unpleasant, horrid, and over soon enough. They were only human. There were only two. They could only hurt me so bad.
                Sensui lifted my bare leg over his knee. He smoothed his hand over my shin. "You look tired."
                I said nothing.
                Sensui's polished head bent. "You are very old, aren't you. Yoko, the Silver Fox. Itsuki told me all kinds of tales about you."
                I put a hand on my broken arm. It was swollen and hideous at the elbow. My fingers hovered over where it felt most tender. I squeezed my shoulder, trying to block the throbbing. "He can't know much that's true. He's so young."
                Sensui stroked my inner thighs with his fingers. My muscles twitched, my hips shifted. I bit my lip, embarrassed.
                "You traveled many places for Inari. Even deep into China. Did you like what you saw there?"
                His thumb dug into the sole of my foot. It felt incongruously good. My lashes shut. I tried to pull away, but he held my ankle.
                "Sometimes," I answered, as he waited. "There is great beauty and horror in any race."
                "Kurama."
                "I need water, please."
                "Kurama. What did you see there?"
                I looked at him, then at his hand. I let my thoughts go to old China, the hard farms and floods, the jade dragons and mighty merchants' hotels. "I saw many things – "
He gripped my toes and my thoughts connected, falling into line – the women, their bound feet.
                Sensui crushed my toes in as I thrashed, screaming, "No !" I kicked and sat up, yanking my leg back. But he kept his balance and his grip, bending my toes under my foot. The middle ones snapped, one and then the other, then the third. Pain shot up my leg, through my guts.
Sensui was smiling, placid.
                "We'll make you beautiful, Kurama."
He shifted his hand to crush my smallest toe.
                "Stop! Stop it!" I shrieked. Doubling up, I clawed for his eyes with my good hand. He let go and punched. The blow caught across my left eye and nose. I fell, dazed.
                "…enough. You're too old. We'll have to improvise," I heard him say.
                I twisted, as he grabbed my foot, his thumb under the arch. He pulled up.
                Every long bone in the center snapped.
                My breath was coming in spasms.
"No, stop. Stop!"
                "Shh. Nightmare." Sensui twisted the breaks upward – the sharp bones cut into the flesh around them. I screamed, trying to beat him off, push him away. It was useless. "Nightmare! Get the bandages."
                "Don't," I cried out. "Let go, let go!"
                Sensui bent my foot tight, grinning at me, grinning.
                "No please, please," I begged, looking directly into his face. "I won't run. I won't run."
                "That's true. You won't. Ever again. Nightmare!"
                "Sensui…" Takasune's lower lip trembled.
                "Nightmare. Bring the bandages here. You want to learn to keep him in his place? I'm showing you how."
                Takasune came near, holding rolls of gauze.
                "Th-that won't work," I howled at him. Sensui pinned the end of a roll down with his finger. He wound the broken toes in. I screamed and beat at him – he struck me back. He broke the big toe with a crack and tied it back separately. He bound the pushed-up break to my ankle, and tied my toes to that.
I sobbed, horrified at the shape. My foot. My foot was gone. There was just this thing under the bandages, this bizarre club of shattered flesh, knit with bones – my poor foot, the nerves were mad with confusion at the pain, pouring it up at me for help.
                "If the bone gets into my blood, I could die." I panted. My throat and my own ears hurt from screaming. I had hardly any voice.
                "Cute, eh?" Sensui showed the mutilated bandaged foot to Takasune. "It's a great cultural tradition. Erotic beauty. Now for the other."
                "NO – " I thrashed, kicking. Sensui grabbed my other ankle and held it down.
                Takasune came forward, putting his hands on Sensui's shoulder. "I like his feet."
                "Not like this? He can't run from you this way. Isn't that what every one wants? A gorgeous lover where and when you need? Loyal. In place."
                I stared at Takasune. His face was bloodless.
"One is enough."
"Then you watch him. If he gets away again, I will kill you both for the sake of this mission. I'll have to." Sensui stood, leaving me. "Do you understand? You're putting us all at risk. He's not a toy – he's not your toy. He can kill you easily."
Takasune nodded. "He already tried. I know."
Sensui stood. "Roll onto your stomach, Minamino."
I was not capable of listening. I had my knee to my chest and I was trying with my one good hand to pluck loose the metal clips he'd tied the gauze with, whispering prayers.
Sensui knelt and wrapped his hand careful around the throbbing mess, putting slight pressure on the bandages. I whimpered and gasped, gripping his wrist. It did nothing. He was like stone.
"Minamino. I asked you to roll onto your stomach, okay?"
I opened my hands slowly. Nodding, I lay back. He let go and I rolled over, arranging my broken arm.
He picked up something and straddled my back. My eyes twisted in their sockets, trying to see.
"Now. Since that old crest came off so easily…let's see you wash off this one."
Then there was a clang. A pop of a new cap seal breaking. I sniffed. Kerosene, like for a campstove. He drew on my back with something wet.
                Sensui pinned my neck down with his hand. There was a fizz sound. A match. I jerked away, bucking – then without thinking, I pushed up with both arms and the break sent a bolt of pain through my chest. I fell and the flame touched me – and spread, I could feel it.
My back rolled like a snake, trying to get away from the heat, the sigil the pain carved into my skin.
                Sensui pinned me, letting it burn.
                I gave up and wept, tense.
                Sensui watched it die. He stood and threw the bottle into Takasune's hands. It hit his palms with a thunk.
Genkai held up a hand as the passage opened up to a cavern. Then all stopped. There was a child sulking there in the cavern ahead. A boy with a box of games. He was reading a brightly colored book. It was incongruous to Genkai, who could see the floor was marked everywhere with Kurama's blood and energy signatures from a struggle – several layers of it, distinctly temporal, each fight more desperate.
The boy lifted his face off his hand. "Oh. I'm supposed to play you."
Genkai made a gesture to let the others run ahead.
The little boy stood, dropping his book. "Wait!"
He expanded his territory. They stopped, trapped. Yuusuke cursed, stomping.
The boy looked at box and mess of toys. He picked up a chess board. "This is the only game I've lost at in years. But…I should just read and practice…memorize the openings, you know? I could learn."
The team looked at one another.
The boy held the chess board up. "Forget that stupid Goblin king thing. This is better. I need practice anyway, and…Sensui lied, he said I could do whatever I wanted to. So I will. Who wants to play? I can fit you all in on the other side, but you need a king."
Kaito exchanged a look with Genkai. She waved him forward. He stepped toward the boy, pushing up his glasses. "I love chess. I'm always up for a match."
"I didn't know adults liked games," the boy said.
"Oh, we do. And adults especially like this game," Kaito grinned. "It's a grown up thing to like."
"And kids can be scary good at it," Genkai interjected, as a reminder.
Kaito held out his hand out to the little boy to shake. "I'm Kaito Yuu. It's a pleasure to play with you."
"I'm Amanuma." The kid set down the board, releasing the game into his territory. The room transformed. "I guess you guys are alright."

                The door slammed. I shut my eyes, willing my body to stop producing all the endorphine it was trying to, to dull the pain. I needed that energy to heal. If I could heal on vertex of that sigil, it would be worthless, and I could use plants when I had them.
                Then my foot, I thought. Then escape.
I almost laughed. It would take forever. I was dreaming.
"Here."
I would not open my eyes and waste energy on sight. I heard Takasune sit next to me.
"It's water. Here."
"You're the reason I am in this pain," I croaked.
Takasune threw the water on my face. It felt good. I licked my lips. "Sensui told me that if I wanted to keep you to myself, I should burn your face. Then no one else would want you."
"You wouldn't want me," I scoffed. "Do you know what those women look like? He thinks it's an insult to me, to be hurt like women are hurt, because he would be insulted. I'm not surprised he hates them; he recruited none. And don't let him lie to you. He'd love to see me with my face burned."
"No."
"Because I'd have even less power if I were maimed. It could destroy my sight. When I was blind for minutes in our fight, Sensui was thrilled. He loves the advantage. If I were an invalid he'd never let go of me until he strangled me or I killed myself. He loves pain, he thrives on that control, while you, you just…like me."
"I do," he said. Probably only understanding that piece.
I sighed. "He's not a nice man, your leader."
No answer. I opened one eye a crack. Takasune was sitting with his hand over his mouth, watching the door.
"You like me how I am," I asked. "My feet?"
Takasune picked up the camera I had smashed on the floor twenty minutes ago. He checked the pieces with his hands, snapping the battery cover back. It beeped. The red light blinked on and he smiled.
I looked into the camera eye.
"Yeah. I like your feet. How they were. Whole."
He stood and moved to down my legs. Holding the camera, he corralled my ankles near one another, taping the image of the mutilated and bound foot beside the good one.
"He's right. You were going to run again. But there were other ways to do this. Like – " he kicked open the medical bag and took out the bandage scissors.
I saw in a moment what he meant to do. To cut up the sole of my other foot. The tendon in my heel.
"Thank you, Taka-kun," I sighed. "You love me."
"Hm?"
"You're cutting that bandage loose, right? He didn't have the right to do that. Not to your doll." I smiled. The black camera eye was on me. His eyes were on the screen.
He looked at the scissors. "Yeah."
This was the power Sensui would like to burn away. My face. Without it, Takasune would have no interest, no grip to sway him.
Takasune cut. The curls of white gauze fell off. Already, the foot was splotched black. "The fuck – what – "
"Bleeding internally. That's all a bruise is. Spilling blood inside a person," I said. I rolled onto my back, crossing my leg over my knee, and I shut my eyes again. "I can fix it when I get to the forest. When you let me, when this is all over. I'll look good as new, afterwards. Healed. Whole."
"Your hair…looks nice wet."
"Thank you, Taka-kun." I suppose it had gotten damp, from his annoyance, Seaman's washing, and my own panicked sweat. "I'm sorry. I want to look nice for you. Not burned, not bruised."
"You look tired."
"I am."
I rested. I heard a click.
He had picked up the gun. I opened my eyes to see him holding it targeted on me, beside the video camera.
Before he could command me, I asked, "May I have ice please?"
"Ice."
"For my foot. My arm."
"Yeah. Oh, yeah…" He went to the door and called out for Itsuki.
Seaman answered instead. "Stop shouting. We're trying to stage an ambush, you can't just yell."
"Where's Itsuki? I need him to do that dimension thing he does to get pizza. I need cold packs from downtown right now."
"He's occupied guarding the psychic. Look, the kitchen has enough ice."
"I need it in a pack – "
"Wrap it is a towel – look. I'll do it. Just – watch him. Don’t tell Sensui."
I kept my eyes shut.
Heaving a breath, Kaito sunk to a knee. He took off his glasses and wiped his face. Genkai whistled as the territory's boundaries evaporated and the chessboard disappeared. The boy lay still, knocked out on the ground.
"That was impressive, nerd," Genkai said.
"I can't believe that kid called this a game for old men." Kaito panted, anxiety flooding him. He began to laugh, wheezing. "I'm about to have a heart attack."
"Can we go?" Hiei intoned, looking up.
Botan stomped up. She'd been thrown pretty hard off the board, but had landed carefully, which the other two psychics had not; they were still out cold. "Why did I have to get captured? What if capturing had meant me getting trampled by a horse?"
"Knight," Kaito corrected.
Genkai waved her off. "Better to sacrifice you than Hiei in that fork. We need the stronger fighters ready for Sensui."
Kaito grunted, "I'm beat. I can stay back with Botan. You go get Minamino like the original plan. If the kid wakes up and tries again, I can handle it. If the world starts ending, we'll get help."
"Deal." Yuusuke gave a thumbs-up, grinning. He plucked at Yana's shirt and they ran off.
"I'm sorry the game took so long," Kaito called after them.
"I'm sorry I didn't get to burn him to death. We're all sorry." Hiei paused to look back the small body. "I could still do it."
Genkai smacked at him and pointed at the cavern exit. "Follow Kurama's blazes. Your allies could be dying."
They ran.
It was another half hour. Genkai constantly ordered them to move more slowly. "Kurama's being kept alive, so our concern is too arrive at full power. Don't exhaust yourselves trying to keep up with Hiei!"
Hiei flashed back, smirking. "The end's ahead. Huge cavern, lake. Kuwabara's held there, fueling the gate. One guard on him and one on the door. Both are weak."
"As long as we're not cocky," Yuusuke quipped, pacing himself.
They hit the end of the tunnel in minutes.
"Stop!" Genkai whispered. "Remember. Guards to the side of the door."
"Right," they heard a voice yell. "We're waiting for you. Missed you."
"Hiei?" Yuusuke invited.
"Pleasure." Hiei darted through the barrier of water on the end of the tunnel, and made it out to the edge of the lake. He turned and began to draw his sword, then scoffed. He flickered in and out of vision. A man was knocked away into the middle – a huge guy in a yellow sweatshirt. Hiei attacked, but he defended himself, manipulating his fingers into whips.
Hiei's eyes went wide. He drew his sword, slicing at the hydra again and again, to no permanent effect. He backed up, darting all of the cavern, up the walls. The man followed like a massive spider, and they began battling across the ceiling through the stalagtites. Huge hunks of stone rumbled and dropped in their path.
"I hate that bastard." Genkai said as they ran, spreading out through the cavern. They were alone.
"You know him?" Yuusuke asked.
"That's Toguro's brother, you brain-dead snail. Go flank him."
The man in the yellow sweatshirt dropped down to the ground, laughing. His limbs waved like banners in wind. He pointed at them, whacking Hiei into the lake. "I'm surprised, Gen-chan. You always were a stupid slut."
"Aniki. What happened? You got ugly."
"Less waffle shaped," Yuusuke acknowledged.
The man shrunk an arm and smoothed his shirt. "Some idiot psychic ate me. Bad digestion. Like a parasite, really. Now I amalgamate whatever talent I eat – like your telepathic friend. I know. You thought he was safe at the hospital. It really is your fault, Genkai, you whore – "
"Shut up, ya dick," Yuusuke stalked forward. "If you didn't have such a crush on your dead, dead, dead brother, you wouldn't be so pissed that she fucked him."
Voices echoed from the other end of the cavern, where several more tunnels split off.
"Right," Aniki said. "That is him screaming. Sweet little Kurama. Sensui is just so upset with him. Kurama's been causing some tiffs. Such a prude. You'd think someone so blessed would be more generous."
"Blessed?" Yuusuke turned, moving towards the sound.
"Focus. We've only got a few seconds before Sensui realizes we're here," Genkai said. "Where's the other guard?"
"It's hard for Takasune," Aniki cooed. "He's had such a nice time with Kurama, he doesn't want to think about sharing that tight little cunt body with anyone else."
Hiei climbed out of the water, refused to look anyone in the eye. His skin steamed. He looked at Yuusuke, then shut his mouth and kept focus on the hostage. He caught Genkai's eye, ashamed, and motioned at Kuwabara. She nodded.
"Ugh. This is going to be gross," Yana said. He ran at the man, shouting.
"You think I'll let you get close enough to Copy me, psychic?" Aniki shouted. He thrust his hand forward. His fingers came up, spearing through the boy.
"No!" Yuusuke screamed.
Yana grabbed the man's hand. He transformed, becoming a speared manipulator just like Aniki. Yana thrust his own hand forward, stabbing through Aniki's body.
"Uh…yuck." Genkai looked between them.
They began stabbing and crunching one another, twisting and ripping through. Everything Aniki tried, Yana learned and mirrored. They tore into one another, locked.
Yuusuke clicked his tongue. "Well that's disgusting."
Hiei landed back on shore, dropping Kuwabara and a green haired demon with a snapped neck. He sneered at the mess Yana and Aniki were making.
Yuusuke ran over and hugged Kuwabara as he groaned through the gag. Hiei rolled his eyes and cut the ties off Kuwabara's arms.
Kuwabara ripped off the gag himself. He croaked, "Thanks, short stuff."
"Hm?" Hiei said. "For what?"
"You gonna make me say it?"
"I just wanted this demon dead. He's a lot more powerful than any of you noticed." Hiei shrugged. "I needed a place to put the body. The boat was close, but I had to move your carcass, so here you are."
"Ah, shut up. Heh. You looked like road kill sliding down the wall into the lake!" He clapped his hands. "Swatted like a fly."
Hiei was perfectly still, then turned his back. "That was a fluke."
Genkai sighed, looking across the lake. "We're too late, idiots. The passage is open. Just hope the net holds."
I lay still, lowering my heart beat to slow the bleed and reserve energy to heal. The arm was coming along as Seaman returned with a bucket of ice. He knelt and began wrapping it in towels, when Sensui came in. The older man's eyes were red veined, his cheeks soaked with tears. He said, in a small voice, "I loved him."
"Sensui?" Seaman murmured.
"What's up?" Takasune asked, turning the camera on the man.
"I loved him," Sensui said again. "And he died before he saw the world I was making. For him. For us."
"Sir?" Seaman asked, as Takasune burst out, "What?"
I feigned a lapse into unconsciousness, just shutting my eyes. I was already nearly there. I wanted no part in this. Yuusuke's team must have killed Itsuki. Perhaps even in time to close the door. It had triggered a weak personality in Sensui to take over, one of mourning. But it was too late for me. I was too pathetic to take advantage. I could try to emphathize, but it'd only highlight how I'd known Itsuki was a weak spot.
"He understood me. All of me. But he loved me most…truly loved me. And I, him."
Takasune muttered to Seaman, "The hell's this about?"
"Sir? Are you alright?"
Sensui growled suddenly.
I tried not to wince. I could feel the change in his energy now that I knew what to watch for, and I could hear his breath turn to frenetic pants. He cracked his knuckles like a compulsion.
"Fox. Where is it?" Sensui's voice was low, guttural, an inhumane bass like a combustion engine grinding. He stepped towards me. "You know…and I know…that you had something to do with this."
                Seaman set the wrapped towel on me and stood. I clutched the ice to my broken arm and struggled to sit upright. "What is it, Kazuya, sir?"
                "You know what."
                "I – "
                "He's been here with us," Seaman said. "His foot is broken. He says you did it."
                Sensui chuckled darkly. "I'll do more than that."
                "No you won't! This is ridiculous. We could have just locked him in here. We could have set a guard. He's not doing any harm!" Seaman stood up.
                "Don't accuse him," I said. Kazuya was out. If Seaman was going to be an asset to me, he'd be no good dead after challenging Sensui at his most murderous. "Sensui knows fox demons are difficult to keep caged. He took precaution." I lay back down. "But I don't know what you think I did. I've got nothing left."
                Sensui's shoulders fell suddenly. He left, sobbing. I swallowed.
                Seaman looked at me. "Did you do something?"
                I shook my head. "No. How could I?"
"What happened?"
"Itsuki was killed. The Reiken Tantei are in the cavern."
                Seaman started. "But – Amanuma was going to keep them for hours."
                "Don't worry, none of them would kill a child. They'd have failed that test. Amanuma must have chosen another game." Though it was possible none of them had realized the outcome of the game stuck, and had killed Amanuma in ignorance. But that wasn't worth pointing out.
                Seaman stared at the door. "I have to go."
                "Don't. Sensui's gone…into that mode." I looked down, hissing at Seaman poured more ice around my foot. "You know he's – "
                "Moody, yeah -"
                "Dissociative."
                Seaman stared at me.
                I swallowed. "You should be careful."
                Takasune put down the camera. "Sensui's great. He values art. And knows the horror in this world. If he gets angry, it's for a good reason. And you give him plenty."
                I listened.
                "So. Don't insult him. Shu-tan."
"I understand." After a moment of silence, I murmured to Seaman, "Thank you for the ice. You're…the way you're touching me, it doesn't hurt."
                "Yeah," Seaman said. He was using his power to run the icemelt over my broken foot. His hands moved along like some form of wushu, flowing.
                "I'm so grateful for your kindness," I murmured.
                The door opened again.
                Sensui entered slowly. His hand was smoothing his hair back, perfect as a cobra's hood. He turned. "Both of you. Go."
                Seaman and Takasune hesitated.
                "Seaman. You weren't at your post. And now they are all inside the cavern."
                Seaman swallowed. He stood. "I'm sorry. I was there, but then Nightmare needed supplies. But I swear, he didn't move – "
                "Is this about Itsuki?" Takasune asked.
                "No," Sensui chuckled. He smacked his hands together and clasped them. "Ahh. No, it's not. I'm going to have some special time alone with our friend. We need to talk. About your friends."
                My chest heaved. I planned: during the interrogation, I would just tell him everything – everything that meant nothing. So many lies and useless trivia he couldn't pick the truth clean from them. It might buy time. And then, if I broke, any confession would be hidden in the noise.
                "Come here, Minamino."
                I looked at my foot.
                "Come as slowly as you need."
                Seaman took the icewater off. My skin was immediately scalding.
                I sat up. Tucking my good leg underneath me, I knelt, curled my toes, and stood. My lame leg dragged after. I kind of hopped forward. Seaman offered me his arm and I took it. Leaning on him I came to Sensui.
                Sensui smiled down.
                I looked up. "You and Itsuki…I was never loved like that. It was unique."
                Sensui reached out, stroking the hair off my face. Sensui lifted his arm, curling me to him. He bent and kissed me on the mouth. "I'll miss you. You know what I think would be a beautiful welcome for your friends? Your body, hung by the neck. Blowing in the wind like a pretty leggy prayer flag. Don't know what I'll use to string you up. Maybe these jeans."
                If Itsuki was dead, they'd reached Kuwabara and closed the gate. There was no need for Sensui to keep Takasune to be happy and no need for any of us to live, hostage or soldier. Every reason to kill me in retaliation for Itsuki. That's alright.     I'd been a decent child for my family. I'd been a decent fighter for my conscience, friends, and world. I learned things. I let the team know where we were and guided them in quickly. They'd have to do the rest, and they would.
                I didn't have anything left. The sigil he'd burned into me rubbed painfully against his arm.
                Sensui leaned down and bit the skin of my thoat, sucking. He moaned. "I'm going to miss you."
                I took two short breaths. Focusing my eyes, as he straightened, I scratched for his – I slashed out at those black pupils, dead shark eyes under his lashes. All I had left.
                He laughed – I was slow, even for a human, slow. I didn't even nick his face before he grabbed my wrist. His forearm caught under my chin and he drew me back, choking me. His other hand flattened, pushing hard over my bare stomach. I inhaled, pulling away. His fingers circled. He tapped his fingers on my hip and shoved his hand into the crotch of the torn jeans.
                He held me, grinding, groping.
                "Come on, boys. We're going to go pay a visit to little detective. I need cover."
                Seaman inhaled and nodded. He moved forward. "I'll take the lake."
                "Thank you. Cover just long enough for me to get to the tunnel. I'll find a demon on the other side who can cut the net."
                So they had finished the tunnel, but not the net.
                "What Sensui means is he needs chum in the water," I grunted. "The only way to convince the demons to trap themselves in a tunnel with SDF at the other end would be for Sensui to take you to the other side and let the demons see how weak you are as they tear you apart. Then they'll pour through."
                Sensui fit his hand over my groin, stroking down. "Not them. You. You smell just like a human now. You're too weak to be anything else."
                Takasune lowered his camera. "But – "
                "We've lost, Nightmare!" Sensui barked. "Our only hope to finish this with some honor, to maybe achieve a new world, and certainly to get away with our lives, is to cross through! Now!"
                "Itsuki will still be dead," I said.
                There was a long silence. He was still as stone. Then he kissed my head. "Quiet, chum."
                Takasune picked up his gun and nodded. "I'm ready. I'll take the shore."
                The huge cavern echoed with fighting. Aniki was there, howling, tearing apart – Yana, I supposed. I was pleased he'd been so clever. The only thing that could survive Aniki's body would be Aniki's body.
                Yuusuke was there, the closest. Genkai and Kuwabara backed him. Hiei stood to the side, blocking the way to the dimensional breach, looking like a cat out from a bath. Behind his feet was the canoe. It smelled awful - Itsuki's body.
                Sensui's arm twisted, becoming a gun. He shook me, chuckling, and dragged me out into the cavern.
                Yuusuke waved to me, grinning.
                It was surreal. I screamed, "Run!"
                Bullets sprayed the cavern, the shots leaving me deaf. Behind the flashes, I saw Hiei vanish; bullets sprayed Aniki and Yana to no effect, besides their yelps; the boys hit the ground like it was a drive-by; and Genkai rolled and shot back.
                She'd given the technique to Yuusuke but her basic shot was enough to shatter Sensui's formation. Sensui leapt ahead while Seaman raced for the lake and threw the water up in a shield.
                Only Hiei was behind it. I shouted, "The boy!" wanting him to take out the shield and let the team through, but he drew his sword and went for Sensui and I. Hiei's body scraped mine as the man batted him aside, throwing him into Takasune's expanded territory.
Inside it, whatever nightmare struck Hiei, he couldn't move, couldn't see.
                Takasune shot at him, but Hiei was not so petrified that the breeze of a bullet didn't send him dodging.
                "Go," Seaman said, making a bridge to the rift with the lake water. Takasune and Sensui ran across, dragging me.
As my toes slid through the water, I let the algae in it bloom, wrapping their feet – but it only made them stumble. Sensui pushed against my throat.
                Genkai's heart broke to see Kurama vanish into the carved tunnel. She pulled Kuwabara up by the elbow.
Yuusuke stomped as the water user sealed the rift, capping it with the lake. "No! Fuck!"
                Hiei brushed himself off, disturbed from the hallucinations. "He is still alive. I can't use the dragon while they have a hostage."
While Aniki and Yana raged, locked tight, the four eyed the water.
                "We wait." Genkai said. "The water psychic will tire and then we can go after Kurama. We'll fix the rift later. The damage is done."
                "Or they'll find a demon on the other side to cut the net," Hiei pointed out.
                "Nah. They need a psychic," Kuwabara said. "They told me."
                "Why would you think there aren't psychic demons?" Hiei said. "There's less. They're uncooperative and hard to find, generally. But there will be at least one in the crowd that's gathering, no doubt, on the Makai end. All he has to do is ask. Trade them Kurama as a snack."
                Genkai nodded, crossing her arms. "Yes. And after that, they can promise the SDF aren't there yet."
                Kuwabara hefted himself up and kicked on his spirit sword, bathing them in firelight. "Bullshit. I can deal with that little shrimp myself."
                The rift was cold and smelled like the Makai, like charcoal smoke. It was like nicotine to me, the waters of paradise; the air filled my body. The demonic spirit in every one of my cells resonated.
                I reached out to heal my back and realized I could. Hiei. He had scraped his fingers over me, burning the skin on my back, obliterating the sigil Sensui had carved there in kerosene.
                I inhaled, drawing in the ki of the Makai. Subtly, I fused the breaks in my bones, using no more energy than I had, wrapping them in reconnected capillaries and veins, feeding them slowly.
                But Sensui noticed. It was not only that, my bad arm strong again; my body was shifting entirely, building. Even my hair bleached, growing silver.
                He paused. "Is this an illusion?"
                I tried to throw him over my hip. Sensui pulled back – I put my weight on him and stepped behind, turning – I threw him down, keeping the arm, and pulled, breaking his elbow over my knee.
                Sensui kicked me off. I recovered, falling on to all fours and finding my claws returned, fierce and long. I licked one, standing.
                "Yoko."
                "No. Kurama. Stronger." I smoothed my hand over my abdomen, healing the tearings inside me.
                Sensui turned and ran.
                I darted after him.
                Takasune expanded his territory.
                I fell. At first. At first there was everything – corpses of loved ones, animated dead enemies – but the images shifted like mirages. The screams and pleas came and went. I watched them, wondering if this was what Hiei saw. But in the Makai air, between dimensions, it all seemed so cold.
                I felt his hand on my jaw, my chest. "We're just going to wait here. You and me. Until the end of the world."
                I looked up at him. He set the gun against my head. "That's it. Too scared to move. Do as you're told. That's all there is for it. That's the way things are."
                "There's no justice," I murmured. My tongue was thick.
                "That's right," he mused, frowning at my, his brows raised. "Go on. Get my belt."
                I couldn't help but smile, laughing.
                I broke his wrist and kicked out his leg. Wrenching the gun away as he staggered up, I pointed it at his face. That was what I wanted to destroy, that smug cocky grin.
                "Shu – Shuichi!" Takasune yelled.
                My smile quirked over my lips, holding the gun trained on him. "Not home."
Takasune held up a hand, concentrating, and brought down the strength of his territory and curse. I felt chilled, sick with anxiety. But I felt nothing that I had not felt before. I threw out my arms.
"Sorry, Itou-san… I'm not afraid anymore."
His face fell.
"This is the Makai. There's no fear. There's enemies, threats, - regrets. Many. There are many things I regret happening. Deeds I regret committing. But not fear." I trained the gun back on his eyes. "I can have no nightmares here. Sleep is blessing in the Makai. Awake, you face the monsters. The demons. In sleep, you rest – you know only what is. Unjust and real."
"Whoa. Shu-tan."
"Don't call me that. You brought this here. You held this to my head. For what?"
Takasune's mouth curl up. Fucking smug. "I'd be glad to show you, babe."
"I don't want you on me. I don't want you to touch me ever again! I never wanted to be treated so horrifically by anyone – I never thought it would happen. Not on Earth. I didn't know there was this darkness in you – in your boss. I believed in humanity's goodness. Until I met you." I tightened my grip. My eyes stung.
"Shuichi." Takasune held up a hand, warning me. "Put that down. We're friends."
"We're not friends. We're not even acquaintances. You're a monster and you ruined, ruined something in me, something that mattered – " I shivered, blinking, feeling tear running down. "That's going to take years to heal. But by all that's holy, I will do it, and I will hunt you down."
He put his hands up, listening. "So…so I can – "
"So you live. Now. I'm not a murderer, and you're not a psychopath. You're a stupid, ignorant, entitled child. You live in a society that taught you that using another human being to satisfy your pitiful needs was acceptable. You're an idiot with terrible judgment and no empathy. You're a criminal. You're worthless. But I have a contract and it has certain specifications regarding how I'm allowed to treat mortal life."
There was a flash of light from the Renki Tantei's end of the tunnel.
Before they could step into the territory – in case my reaction was unique, from experience or demonic blood – I whipped the pistol down, cracking it across Takasune's temple.
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Stepfather	By : Artemick Category: Yuyu Hakusho > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 7324 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I make no money. I own no YYH.

Stepfather