IV. brothers and sisters

The morning meeting had come off as planned though without Kurama who couldn't cut classes with Omi on his tail. Yuusuke and Kuwabara were both for an out assault at the suburban apartment, for which his sister, Shizuru, smacked Kuwa-kun. Genkai had counseled patience, they after all didn't know if these were the only forces Estet had to throw at them and instructed Hiei to try at least to locate the chosen one. After all, their mission was to keep Bolshai in prison and out of mischief not to kill as many Schwartz personnel as possible. Besides how would they be able to trace the mysterious Estet whose security seems to be better than even a ningen government's. They were going to meet everyday now.

Then Botan came in with the latest report from Koenma's agents. They had not found anything else about them in the interval of time save that they were two old gentlemen and an old lady leading the Estet. The Estet was dangerous—now Koenma tells them—in a mundane way as well since they had guns and a small private army as well as powers. Honestly! Can't Koenma say everything at once! This had Yuusuke and Kuwabara in uproar and the meeting ended on a cautionary note by Genkai. While Yuusuke and Kuwabara was still pestering Botan for not telling them before, Hiei had sped away.

Hn stupid ningen, as if it could change anything. Hiei went out to watch house again but was disappointed to see that both cars were out. He had spent enough time in the Ningenkai to know what that meant. No one was home most likely. Then he remembered something. K'so Kurama doesn't have soccer practice today. I have got to warn him. Hiei flickered like an after image and was gone. He never trusted Ran and wasn't about to trust him now that there was more reason not to.

Unknown to him a pair of glimmering yellow eyes stared from the foliage watching him go.

***

Kurama got out of class irritated. He didn't know what had happened to the team and he'd been feeling rather guilty, when he had time to really think about it, about Nagi and how he had given that secret so freely. But it was only to Hiei… besides it was for the greater good and it turned out to be the right thing to do. Still it felt too much like betrayal, to make him comfortable. Besides he wasn't in the mood to fill the uneasy silence between Ran and Hiei and that was what he had to do if wanted some decent conversation with Hiei without bloodshed.

Waiting outside for him, glaring at each other was Ran and Hiei, it was evident that both didn't like each other too much and each was suspicious of the other. Kurama understood somewhat Hiei's suspicions, Ran coming into his life just as the Bolshai situation was coming to head was worthy of misgiving but Ran's? Maybe it was time he delved a little more about his 'niisan's past.

"Ran, Hiei, have you been waiting long?" Said Kurama, masterfully managing a smile.

The usual quota of hn's greeted him but in his mind…

:Kurama, Koenma said these people are dangerous in the ningen way. They have guns and lots of ningen to throw around.:

:So, what happened at the meeting?: Exasperation at not being there was evident in Kurama's mental voice.

Kurama continued to chatter with his oniisan and Hiei while they talked in their minds.

:Botan came with some new information, little enough as it is to be had. We're also going to meet everyday until we catch these ningen.:

Hiei continued to narrate what had transpired in the meeting through image and mind words while Kurama tried as hard as he could to listen and talk at the same time. Thus he missed most of what Ran had said. Hiei mostly used to this conversation caught it as it was asked. It was an innocent question for a protective brother but with other implications coming from someone like Ran.

"Is anything wrong? Is someone bothering you at school?" Asked Ran in a voice that said mostly that if there was there would be hell to pay. He had obviously noted that the Fox was a little off today.

"None 'niichan." Said Kurama, thinking partly about poor Omi. And the conversation had turned to inane matters. But Hiei had caught a small significant penetrating glance thrown in Kurama's direction.

Somehow he knows, thought Hiei. In that moment, Hiei had become sure that Ran had known about Nagi. How much else does he know? I think it's time for a confrontation between you and me ningen though I doubt now that you would wish Kurama harm. The concern was there in the glance but was that regard tinged with irritation for an underling who may have tried to bully the boss' brother or that at an enemy trying to hit on a rival's brother he couldn't tell. There was enough concern radiating from him to be readable without probing into his mind.

:Could you please check on Ran-niichan as well: Neutrality was in the mental voice but Hiei knew how hard it was for the Fox to even ask such a thing. Ah at last, the Fox' suspicions were surfacing.

:I'm going to do that Fox.: No use telling the Fox anything and getting his hopes up.

:Thank you, Hiei.:
 
 

***

Ran was going home from his otouto's house when he felt a light tap on his arm. It was the small strange man that had accompanied him and his brother to the latter's house.

"We need to talk." Was all that he said.

"Hn." He responded, not knowing what to say as he was pulled into the privacy of an empty alley. It may seem likely that Hiei was the one he was suppose to recruit for Weiß but he felt rather out of sorts with the latter for being too deeply involved with Shuuichi-kun.

He can protect Shuuichi-kun but he also brings danger to him by association…

"What do you know about Nagi Naoe?" Asked Hiei in his bass rumble surprising Ran with the question.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He must be Schwartz, and toying with me, thought Ran frantically about to draw his sword from the cane.

"Don't play that game. Is he Schwartz and are you a member of that team?" His cane was knocked from his hand with almost inhuman speed. Surprised by the words and by Hiei's actions, it took him time to reply.

"Nani!" He finally choked out. He was contemplating trying to attack and escape.

"Don't you try it." Said Hiei implacably as if he read Ran's mind. " You've been spotted near them…with a katana and several others."

Ran didn't reply this time, trying to figure out what Hiei was about. Was it blackmail? Was he trying to ask for something in return for his silence?

"They're involve in dark things, not rightful for ningen to be involved in."

Silence.

"Look I know that you don't trust me and I don't trust you but don't we have Kurama in common at least?" Hiei yanked at the ningen's collar fast tiring of these word games, Ran winced at his strength as he was brought down to Hiei's eye level but didn't flinch.

"And who are you to my otouto?" Indignation marked Ran's voice that this…this cold-blooded killer would invoke his innocent little brother's name.

"He's a friend. And you need not worry that I will tell him about you and your work. I haven't at all though I could have and would if you won't tell me what I want to know." Implied threat there and then Ran was released.

"Anou…don't. I will tell you what I know of the Schwartz." Said Ran glaring at the runt but caving in to his demand. The latter had handily found Ran's weakness. He didn't want to be found out by his otouto, his brother would probably be disgusted with him and he didn't want that. To loose the only bright sparkle he had in his life. So he told him, everything they knew about the Schwartz, about their abilities, their fighting skills and their clashes with his unnamed group. He didn't volunteer more than necessary nor did he tell Hiei about Weiß or his sister. He had asked about Schwartz after all, not Weiß nor his family nor Schreint. He ran out of things to say quite fast, since there wasn't much he had known about the Schwartz. When he was done his death glare hid his anxiety that it would be enough.

"Arigato. Don't worry about Kurama finding it out from me."

"Why?"

Hiei hesitated for an instant before he flickered out of the alley. Ran thought he wasn't going to answer the question when a soft murmur on the wind in his wake said in his bass.

"I have a sister."

Ran shook his head, picked up his disguised sword and went home to the Koneko, wondering if he did the right thing.

***

Hiei ran as fast as he could to his observation post by the Schwartz base. As the scenery blur by, he mulled about what he heard and what he did. He can't understand why he had said what he did at the end of the conversation. He was usually very protective of Yukina that he couldn't bear to even mention his relationship with her in the company of anyone who wasn't a proven friend three times over. Why did he do that? When he thought about it, it must have been that Ran had that same frightened lost look on his face that Kurama often displayed at the thought that his dear mother or now his oniisan would find out who he really was. Besides it might hurt the Fox to find it and by the same token, he didn't mention Kurama's real identity either to Ran. It was also giving his best friend the same understanding he had been given with Yukina was concerned. Kurama might tease him about telling his sister in private but would never do such a thing for the latter understood. Though he knew that this secret was bound to come out as their paths were bound to cross on a mission. Hiei wasn't dense, he had heard the hatred in Ran's voice when he spoke of the Schwartz and found the answer to his question. The two groups were sworn enemies from the way Ran would tell it.

As he settled down he saw the one called Nagi go out into the night on an errand of his own in a car. His curiosity piqued since this was the first time he'd seen Nagi go out at night. He followed the latter to a mansion at the edge of the glade of trees where he saw the young man with a young blue-haired girl. He observed for a while then decided it must be one of those ningen mating rituals and decided to leave them alone but he saw that there was another observer from the shadows. The glint of spectacles proclaimed the man to be Crawford the leader of the Schwartz, which he had heard from Ran, this made him settle back into the shadows. Interesting…

A call from the mansion had the girl had running back in, leaving Nagi alone. Crawford barred the boy from going to the mansion.

"You shouldn't consort with the enemy, Nagi-kun. Face it she is Schrient and you are Schwartz." Said the man in a mild-but-commanding tone that hinted of a threat.

"I remember."

"You better, we will have to contend with them in taking the Chosen One you know as we will contend with Weiß." And with that both the man and the boy went back to their base.

All around that had been an interesting conversation. Hiei decided to inspect the mansion and found that they hadn't even had the basic defenses. The Schrient women though seemingly practiced with their weapons had no powers and had no troops of ningen whatever. If they had the Chosen One then it would be best to snatch him or her away from them before the Schwartz got him in their dirty ningen paws. He decided to bring the team tomorrow night and help him search the premises they really can't afford to miss this opportunity.

Review This Fic...