I. meeting of brothers

Shiori had balked at first in disbelief at the thought that this strange silent man called Ran Fujimiya was her son, but after a week she had accepted the fact. Did she have a choice? The papers were perfect. Thought Aya bitterly as he dressed to meet his little brother for the first time, one more step towards recruiting him for WeiB. Funny in other circumstances, he would have been quite content, happy even, to meet his little brother but not now. Not like this.

Frankly, he would not make an effort at all to recruit Shuuichi. He'd be his most intimidating self! That's it, surely such a gentle boy should be frightened by such treatment. He could not believe otherwise. Their intelligence must be in error and those friends of his had protected him in which case he'd be most happy to recruit them for WieB, but surely not him! Otouto, I have failed Aya-chan, I will not fail you. I would protect you from this harsh life; this would not do for one as gentle as you.

Kurama went down the stairs with a feeling of anticipation, his mother had said to expect a special surprise guest this lazy Saturday afternoon. He came to the living room to see a red-haired stranger with his mother. So this was the guest his mother was talking about! Unnoticed for the moment, he studied the man with typical fox-like curiosity. He was wiry, slender and tall with the definite grace of an athlete or a warrior, his eyes held a controlled warmth as they were trained on Kurama's mother. Suddenly the stranger glanced up to meet his gaze and quirked his mouth at him, that in turn made Kurama give the latter a tentative smile. Drawn by the exchange his mother looked up to give him a reassuring smile and a gesture to come closer, which he did.

"Shuu-kun, I'd like to you to meet your oniisan Ran Fujimiya, Ran your younger brother Shuuichi Minamono." Said Shiori with a glint of mischief in her eye. Stunned, Kurama could only listen in amazement as the story was told to him.

Ran watched as incredulity and disbelief chased each other across his newfound brother's face. He didn't blame him--the story seemed to be as unbelievable to him at first and he had dealt with pretty strange things as part of his life as an assassin. He was still getting used to the fact that he still had a mother, let alone a new brother. He could still remember the briefing that turned his life or what there was of it that had some order upside down…

***

Manx was as usual her cryptic self albeit she seemed a bit more cheerful, a bad sign. She popped the video of Persia in with her usual aplomb somewhat more amused than usual, an even worse sign, and the briefing started.

"WeiB your mission is rather unusual this time around. It is not an assassination attempt but a recruiting one. Observe…" The screen blanked to show long red hair, green expressive eyes and fine features. "this is the object of your mission."

"Excuse me but we don't involve women let alone young girls in assassination…"

"Hush." Admonished Manx to Yohji.

"He is Shuuichi Minamono…"Somehow Persia's voice suddenly became less certain at this. "Abyssinian, he is really your younger brother."

"Nani!" Exclaimed Aya startled out of his normal impassivity. That summarized what everyone was feeling at the moment in the room, astonishment were written in everyone's faces except for Manx of course who seemed to be more amused than ever.

"As you might recall Abyssinian, your real mother died pregnant when you were five in a 'car accident' and your father married within a year the woman that you have learned to call your 'kaasan. That car accident was no such thing, it was actually a warning to your father who was even then involved in Takatori's business with the bank. The assassin had been incompetent and had managed to bungle the assassination. Failing to find the body of the woman, he got a replacement from somewhere to put in the wreck. Your mother somehow managed to walk a kilometer or so from the site and was picked up by a Dr. Minamono who took her in. She had amnesia and was mistaken for someone else. The good doctor then later married her when she proved to be pregnant. They raised your little brother Shuuichi as their own, not telling him the truth."

"Now you may wonder why we are suppose to recruit him, here is the reason: About two years ago, the late Takatori found out that your mother had survived and sent some assassins of the same group as he sent before to 'take care' of her. Not one of those assassins was left alive. He sent another batch to dispatch her. It almost went the same way except that one came back with impossible stories, of thorny whips and such. Takatori decided to cut loose that assassin group because of this one incident. Not believing the stories, he thought that the whole group was incompetent and on drugs. Now that report has found its way to Schwartz who has reason to believe such stories may not be fabricated."

"We believe they may try to recruit Shuuichi Minamono for their own group, your mission WieB is to prevent this and to verify the old report. And, if the report proves to be true, to recruit Shuuichi or whoever it was that protected your mother to WieB. Needless to say Abyssinian that such a recruit or recruits would prove to be a great advantage to you and your war against the Schwartz."

"Here are some details about Shuuichi that you may need to know about…" That was when they got a briefing of his brother's life.

***

They were going to meet Shuuichi's friends later today in the park for a picnic, though they were heading to the park right now as they had for the past couple of Saturdays "getting to know one another". Ran mentally snorted at that thought. He could only give so much about his life before the rest would tumble out on its own. What he gave wasn't much and he knew it made his otouto have doubts about him.

He was certain now that their intelligence was wrong, his brother seems not to be the kind of boy to kill anything much less a human being. He was not only a conscientious student as the report claimed but he was helpful to his mother and stepfather and a good 'niisan to his stepbrother. His family obviously adored him. Who would be able to think such things of someone as good as Shuuichi should have head his head examined like those nutcases in Schwartz. Come to think of it they were going to try to recruit him weren't they…over my dead body.

"So do you enjoy your work in the Koneko no Sumu Ie, 'niisan?"

"Hn." Ran said in sync with the tapping of his "cane". It was purportedly for support of an injured ankle, it contained his katana and he had a lot of practice using it before but it was still somewhat a nuisance.

"So do you have any friends, 'niisan?"

"Three guys who work with me in the shop."

Kurama was beginning to like this taciturn brother of his in spite of his suspicions. At first, he hadn't so sure of how to take to this turn of events and he was suspicious of the way his "oniisan" was behaving or more to the point not behaving. He wasn't exactly the every day sort of person one would meet on the street no matter how he tried to act. There was something about him that spoke of fighting and darker things. And there was an indefinite feeling that all was not as it seemed. Ran-niisan wasn't being very informative either, sort of like Hiei actually. No exactly like Hiei. He thought in amusement tinged with a pang of loss at the last answer. He rather missed his equally taciturn partner ever since the latter went to stay in the Makai to be Mukuro's heir.

They were passing an empty field when a cheerful voice distracted them.

"Ohayo, Ran-kun."

"Ohayo, Ken-kun." Ken Hidaka was hanging around with his set of kids kicking the ball in the lot. Ran performed introductions all around and was surprised to see a glint of recognition in Shuuichi's eyes.

"It is a pleasure Ken Hidaka-san, you were quite a player in the J-league before were you not?"

"Hai." Said surprised Ken, pain flashing for an instant in his eyes. "You like soccer?"

"Hai, I'm in the soccer team at school." Kurama could have kicked himself for that tactless statement. Kurama no baka don't you remember there was a sort of scandal involved that's why he was taken off the team? Too late now. It was just that he was so startled at seeing that his 'niisan was friends with someone as famous as he was. " Can I help you with the children?"

***

"Let's do it again, Ken-san." Said Kurama laughingly as he went on with Ran to meet Yuusuke, Kuwabara, Keiko and Yukina for a picnic lunch under one of the shadier portion of the park.

The morning sped by pleasantly enough with Kurama and Ken playing soccer with the children and Ran sitting underneath the shade of a tree watching them and Ran almost regretted that it had to end. His otouto was in his element playing with Ken and the little children. Carefree and happy, he reminded Ran of Aya-chan in the happier days when they still had their parents. That brought him to boiling rage remembering how that son of a bitch, Reiji Takatori, had wrecked their family for the sake of his callous ambitions. Well Reiji had paid and Schreint will too for kidnapping his sister. It was imperative that he find out amongst Shu-kun's friends was the one who took care of those assassins.

***

Ran was thinking again of Aya-'neesan, Kurama could see that in the way his eyes holding a certain glitter of determination, hurt and sadness. Kurama tried not to mention Aya's name to his 'niisan after the first time he tried to find out about her, 'niisan was extremely upset about her disappearance. Not that he and Shiori wasn't worried about Aya but to them she was just a name and a girl in coma. Someone who wasn't quite so "real" as Ran was, at least not yet. However, he could empathize about what 'niisan felt. It reminded him of the time back when there was only he and 'kaasan, and the cancer took hold of her. He had tried desperately, trying even to beyond what was normally possible, to save his mother from the cancer. The time he had stolen the Mirror of Utter Dark to save her life. Oh, he knew what Ran was feeling and it touched him deeply, he wondered if he could ask Koenma about Aya to see if she could be located.

"Oi, Kurama." Cheerfully screeched Kuwabara breaking into Shuuichi's preoccupation, backslapping him HARD then stopping short of the rest of his hearty greeting, looking faintly embarrassed as he saw the stranger with his friend.

"Kuwabara-kun." K'so, I forgot about that, must be getting senile in my old age. Kurama greeted Kuwabara then turned Ran who looked confused in his own quiet way. "Kurama is one of the nicknames my friends call me, 'niisan, the other's Fox."

"Who's that with you?" Boomed Kuwabara into Kurama's ear, tactfully as always as they went to the picnic table where Yuusuke and the others waited.

"Didn't Yuusuke tell you? This is Ran Fujimiya my newfound 'niisan." Kurama introduced his brother to his friend. "'Niisan, this is Kuwabara Kazuma, my friend."

"Oi, Kuwabara found Kurama yet?" Said Yuusuke innocently at Kuwabara.

"So you must be Kurama's brother. Ran-san, I am Yuusuke Urameshi, nice to meet you." Said Yuusuke turning to Kurama and Ran to give them a nod, a barely suppressed snicker on his face.

"Now, you asked for it Urameshi!"

"What did I do?" Kuwabara pounced on him before he got a chance to say anything else and they went brawling, kicking up a huge cloud of dust.

"This is Keiko…" Shuuichi introduced a brown-haired girl who was looking over the fight with a disgusted look on her face. "and Yukina." A blue-haired girl this time who smiled shyly at him as she continued to unpack a picnic basket.

With Ran and Kurama to help, the girls were able to set the table properly. The two guys were still brawling when they were approached by Keiko who with the deft application of several punches managed to separate the two of them and got them to tamely sit down to lunch. That one could efficiently run a bar with her skill, Ran suspected. He was learning much about Shuuichi's friends in this one afternoon's conversation than he had in the hours of intense briefing with Persia. They were certainly an interesting group, Ran thought as he listened some more.

"Are you sure that's not the shrimp in disguise, he…" Whatever else Kuwabara was going to stage whisper was cut off by a howl as Keiko and Kurama simultaneously kicked him under the table and stomped solidly on his foot. He probably thought he was whispering but he could be heard all over the general vicinity.

"Oi, what did you mean by that?"

"Don't be so rude!" There went Keiko smacking Kuwabara on the side of the head.

Who was "the shrimp"? Oh, probably another friend of theirs that couldn't come to the picnic, nobody important at the moment. Their antics were really quite amusing and Ran permitted him a small smile and started to relax. He was now re-thinking his stand about the truthfulness of the assassin's report and wondering if the jerk had LIED.

They seem to be a happy brawling, almost delinquent lot, quite at odds, as Persia said, with the wholesome image his brother had but he could not find much to fault them. Sure, the black-haired guy had dropped out of school but he was running a prosperous ramen house and seemed pretty satisfied about it. The red head, Kuwabara, had the feeling of not being bright and much of a brawler but it seemed pretty harmless enough of a habit since he and Yusuke haven't killed one another yet and from what Ran gathered they fought each other constantly. The girls were sweet. Yes, even Keiko who punched the guys into submission was sweet in her own tough inimitable way. These were not killers by habit, he couldn't see them do such things as he had done for the past few years and remain this carefree. Even Ken-Ken showed the strain now and then.

On the other hand, his thoughts wandered as his mood turned darker, this was just the first day he had seen these people after all, he still had some time to observe them, a week to see if this was all a facade. And there was still this mysterious "shrimp". Yes, there was still some possibility.

***

Botan was desperately signaling them from the branches of a tree and Kurama almost gave her away by laughing at her. He guessed that she didn't want a stranger to see her approach them and so was trying to be inconspicuous. As inconspicuous as a red flower in a field of white! It was a miracle that his 'niisan hadn't noticed the perky blue-haired goddess of death but then Kurama saw that Ran was again lost in his thoughts. A faint scowl line marred Ran's brow and Kurama knew that he had to be resigned to an elder brother who brooded a lot. Then he grinned, Ran and Hiei would certainly get along fine after the initial sniff and bite stage. With Botan here for another mission, he was sure to see his small partner soon. And with this thought in mind, a much-cheered Kurama went with his big brother. Lately, the latter had insisted on walking Kurama home every time he had some place to go. That is going to be a problem like right now. So trapped, he could only wave a sign to the Team that he'd be over later as his brother's back was turned.

Much later, after Kurama made quite sure that his overly solicitously brother was no longer hanging about. Sometimes, 'niisan could be such a nuisance, he seems to be convinced that his little brother was a sweet delicate angel who needed to be defended from the big bad world. If only he knew, smiled Kurama as he slipped into the Urameshi living room very much late. He was enjoying the care his brother showered on him too much to disillusion the latter about his past and his secret life now as a Reikai Tantei. Hikari would have given him that care, if they hadn't been separated or if Hikari had been old enough to contest the judgement of the clan on a bad luck color kit of a brother… Stop feeling sorry about yourself, Kurama, that's the past and it's over and done with you have a loving mother and a brother who seems bent on protecting you albeit on this late date. So be it, I'll deal with it only when it becomes too troublesome.

Botan gave him a glare, it was obvious that everyone had been waiting for him so that the briefing could begin, Kuwabara was cracking up stupid jokes with Gentai and Shizuru as an unwilling audience. Yusuke gave him a questioning glance as he entered the room. He gave the latter a thumbs-up sign, mouthed "later" and flamboyantly swept into a seat.

"Hn, stupid fox."

"Nice to see you too, Hiei, did you miss me?" teased Kurama. The silent fire demon had lurking about in the shadows, which was why he hadn't seen him immediately when he had come in. Trust the half-koorime to find the only dark corner in the room! Kurama grinned; he was about to say something more when it hit him and he quieted. Genkai AND Shizuru! It must be pretty serious then.

"Now that all of you are gathered here, let us listen to what Koenma-sama has to say…" Botan pushed the Reikai VHS tape into the slot in the parody of Manx.

It was worse than he'd thought. An old demon was trying to break loose from the highest security level of prison and he was doing it so cleverly too. It was a particularly notorious Sei. Semi-reptilian humanoid in form the Sei had the ability to master elemental magic. Bolshai, this particular demon, had somehow mastered all four elements, the only one known to do so, and incorporated them into his attacks. He had been a powerful demon as well as cunning one; it had taken five hundred specially trained Reikai Tantei to subdue him. And this was in the time the Reikai Tantei organization was at its height. He was extremely cruel and…inventive. His crimes were a multitude, some quite gruesome, Kuwabara and Yusuke had to excuse themselves in the middle of the recitation to be quietly sick in the bathroom. Even Hiei looked a little green at some of them. Kurama remained impassive, he had heard of this before. He was an up-and-coming thief when Bolshai's crimes had caught up with him. The trial had made the Makai underground grapevine buzz for days. He privately thought that Bolshai was quite insane in his own way even then.

Bolshai's plan involved using human servants, an old occult organization he had set up when he had been loose in the mortal world and a ceremony to "change" one of his human descendants. Everything had been planned out quite well in fact, the only hitch being it had to be the right descendant to possess. Koenma-sama had the organization spied on through out the centuries and was now seeing it awaken and become active. It seems that they had found a likely candidate for their Master to possess and the person in question was in Japan. That was all Koenma's agents could find out. The only clue they had was that the Estet, the occult organization, had an arm called Schwartz who was responsible for acquiring the said person. Oh and these persons had rei abilities, so Koenma wanted them to spot suspicious Talented individuals and shadow them. Spot them in a city the size of Tokyo, what optimism! But still they had to try, with the current number of Reikai Tantei they certainly couldn't deal with Bolshai if he got loose!

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