Blood Brothers RPG 1

Yusuke glanced at Hiei again. "So, how did you get this comfortable around Shiori? Last time I checked, you couldn't stand the woman."

Hiei smiled humorlessly. "It's been longer than you think, Detective. Shiori noticed that I rarely leave Kurama's company, and she invited me to stay permanently. Kurama explained that I went to a different school, so at least I don't have to put up with that."

There was a pause. "That is a weird mental image. You in school."

"There would be death."

"There would be a lot of death."

Yusuke grinned. "That's it, I'm going to the demon realm and telling everyone that you're mellowing."

"You do that, Detective, and I'll kill you. Slowly."

Shiori looked over. "Hiei, be nice."

"I was."

"One of these days, I'm going to make you understand that death threats are not playing nice." Shiori smiled at Hiei and Yusuke before taking the empty bowls from them and putting them in the sink. "After that, I'm going to teach you how to do dishes."

"If you do that, Mother, you'll be a miracle worker." Kurama said dryly.

"Oh, look - Kuwabara's outside." Yusuke grinned. "Guess he does know where you live."

"We'll take it up to my room, then." Kurama said. "If you need me, just yell, Mother."

Kuwabara wandered into the kitchen and looked around. He offered Shiori a smile. "Hi, Mrs. Shiori."

"Hello, Kuwabara." Shiori said with a small smile. "You four get upstairs. I'll send something to drink later."

Hiei hopped back off the counter and followed Kurama upstairs, Yusuke and Kuwabara behind them. The minute the door shut,
Hiei made himself comfortable on the windowsill.

Kuwabara snorted. "Somethings never change."

"Did you expect them to?"

"No. Just saying."

"So why are we here and not at Urameshi's house?" Kuwabara asked.

Yusuke shrugged. "This is where Koenma wanted to meet us. You'd have to ask him."

"Hopefully Koenma has the sense to know that Mother knows nothing of this." Kurama said, eyes narrowing.

That earned him a dismissive wave. "The toddler's not gonna spill the beans. It'll be fine."

Hiei scoffed and resumed staring out the window. "I thought that you, Kurama and I made it clear we didn't want to work any more cases."

"Hey, what about me?" Kuwabara demanded.

Yusuke shrugged. "You know as well as I do that if Koenma doesn't want to hear it, he won't. Selective hearing and all that."

"Hn."

"Unfortunately, you don't have a choice this time."

Kuwabara almost screamed as Koenma appeared behind him. "Don't do that!"

Hiei snickered. "Oh look. He's outgrown his diaper. Again." Kurama didn't even bother to hide his laughter this time.

Koenma glared at them. "Sure, make fun of the ruler of your afterlives."

"Only if you can catch us." Kurama replied gamely.

Hiei turned his attention to Koenma. "Can you just tell us what the mission is so we can get it over with and move on with our lives?"

Koenma gave Hiei a dirty look. "I will if you let me talk. I actually need Hiei and Kurama to come with me as opposed to going with you and Kuwabara."

Kurama gave Koenma a sharp look, one that was mirrored by Hiei. "What is it you need us for?"

"I need you two as bodyguards. I've been recieving death threats, and I want the best to look out for me. That is you two. Yusuke and Kuwabara are going to be looking for the one threatening me and my father."

Hiei scoffed. "Don't you have lackeys to do that for you?"

"Yes, and they've tried and failed."

Kurama blinked. He glanced at Hiei. /What can threaten the prince of the Underworld?/

/Beats the hell out of me./

Yusuke grimaced. "Why do you insist on making me do missions without my two best fighters?"

"Hey!" Kuwabara protested. "What am I? Chopped liver?"

"Not as good as us." Hiei taunted.

"Shut up, runt."

Hiei studied Koenma. "I assume that a few assassins have already made it past your security?"

Koenma blinked. "How?"

Hiei shrugged. "You're favoring your left leg, and I can smell the blood coming from the bandage around your waist. If I can smell it, I'm positive Kurama can. His nose is more sensitive than mine."

Kurama nodded. "You're hurt. Perhaps badly - it's hard to tell."

Yusuke blinked. "Koenma?"

Hiei glanced at Kurama. /I don't think the Detective realized his boss is just as vulnerable as he is./

/It's not something you actively think about./

Hiei shrugged again. /It's difficult to think that the prince of the underworld can get hurt at all. No one likes to think along those lines./

/That's true. I wonder who has the power to do that?/

/That's what we need to find out. Because if they can take down Koenma and Yama, who knows who they'll target next./

/No one I want to think about./ Kurama murmured.

Koenma sighed. "Fine. It was a close call."

Yusuke and Kuwabara exchanged looks. "Please tell us you at least got an idea of who's after you?" Kuwabara asked finally.

/Looks like we're playing babysitter./ Hiei grumbled.

Kurama allowed a smile to cross his face. /And this time, it's literal. We're babysitting a toddler./

Hiei sighed. /How low we've sunk. We've gone from being the fiercest fighters on the planet to babysitters./

Kurama laughed, drawing everyone else's attention.

Kuwabara rose an eyebrow. "Something funny?"

Kurama grinned. "If you look closely, you can see a pout on Hiei's face."

"I am not pouting."

Yusuke chuckled and turned his attention to Koenma. "So who's the culprit?"

Koenma hesitated. "I think - it might be Sensui."

"Um - Sensui's dead." Yusuke pointed out. "Kinda blew away the sucker myself."

"His soul never passed through my office. Not unlike Kurama's."

Kurama merely smiled at the pointed look Koenma shot his way.

Kuwabara scowled. "So you're saying that Sensui is alive, and trying to kill you?"

"Yes."

Hiei glanced sideways at Koenma. "Have you done anything to piss him off recently?"

"Besides sending you four after him?"

"Obviously."

"No. Not that I can think of off-hand."

"Think harder."

Kurama considered. "That could be all he needed. He's getting rather direct revenge on you, Koenma."

"Perhaps. Or maybe he's just finally snapped."

"I think seven personalities is already 'snapped'." Yusuke commented.

Kuwabara nodded. "I'm with Urameshi. The guy ain't exactly stable. And after the ass-kicking he got from Yusuke, he's bound to be even more pissed off and crazy."

Hiei nodded. "Unfortunately, I agree with the idiot. Being beaten probably didn't help his psyche. So it is entirely likely that he blames you." he looked Koenma up and down. "I know I would."

"Why would he blame me over Yusuke?" Koenma asked.

"Because you sent Yusuke after him." Kurama replied easily. "Do you really think that he would have found Sensui without you pointing him out?"

Koenma considered the point. "He would have eventually."

"Yes, but it would have taken him a lot longer to find him if you hadn't helped." Kurama said. "With your guidance, Yusuke was able to find him and bring him down quicker."

There was silence while Koenma considered this. Hiei rolled his eyes. /I think the toddler needs a wake-up call./ he growled.

/He needs a reality check./ Kurama agreed. /More importantly, though, I think we may find Koenma discovering our secret before too long. Yusuke knows not to say anything, but just spending so much time in Koenma's company is going to make him suspicious./

/It would be even harder to hide if he split us up./ Hiei pointed out.

/True. I am merely pointing out a possibility./

Koenma finally spoke. "I suppose you're right."

Hiei rolledh his eyes again. "You think so, toddler?"

"Now is not the time to get mouthy, Hiei." Koenma said, shooting Hiei a look.

Yusuke scowled at Koenma. "So what you're saying is that I have to take down Sensui again, this time without the two best fighters on my team? Have I mentioned that you suck royally lately?"

Koenma ignored the insult. "I need them with me."

Hiei and Kurama exchanged looks. Kurama cleared his throat. "We'll go with you, but we reserve the right to go to Yusuke if he needs us. If he calls for us, we're gone. You will not, and can not stop us."

Koenma opened his mouth to protest, but shut it rather abruptly. Yusuke and Kuwabara were glaring at him, and Kurama and Hiei didn't seem too happy with the Underworld Prince either. He sighed. "Fine. That works for me."

"How am I supposed to call for you?" Yusuke asked.

Kurama smirked. "I am a fox demon, you know. We tend to have excellent hearing."

"But from Spirit World?" Kuwabara wondered. "That's extreme."

"You leave that to us." Hiei replied.

Yusuke gave them a dry smile. "So what am I supposed to do, just yell your names and you'll hear me? Sounds like a really cheesy movie to me."

Hiei snickered. "For the most part we were kidding. Fox has a cell phone, you know."

"I'm not so sure it will work in the Spirit World." Kurama mused.

Kuwabara shrugged. "One way to find out. And if it doesn't, we'll just yell."

Yuskue grinned. "Really, really loud."

Kurama glanced at Hiei. /I'm having this sudden mental image of those two standing in front of a horde of demons screaming for us like it's going to actually help anything./

This time it was Hiei who randomly burst into fits of sniggers. Koenma shook his head. "No - this time, I don't want to know. Hiei, Kurama - let's go."

((I'm surprised, you only posted on this one?))