Mi-chan: VERY IMPORTANT NOTE! I went through the story and redid it. :O Humor me and go back to read it! ;) Reading over my redo's I noticed a couple typos and said "aww fuck it." xD I'm not redoing it anymore lol.

Disclaimer: No owning involved. I've just borrowed the characters to fulfill my sick and twisted pleasures.

Warnings: Rape, Torture, Implied Sex, Vulgarity, Violence, Slash, Boys, and pretty much anything else that's negative that you can think of. I stirred it all in one pot and it spit out this story! This is rated M for Mature Audiences only, so if you've got a weak stomach or you're underage (and you tell me that!) then this fic is a no-no for you.

SETTING: It's not so much an AU as it is an Alternate Timeline. The beginning chapters are set approximately after Yusuke wins the championship, but before Sensui. :D And then, the story completely does not compute with any YYH timeline xD Ha.

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Take off the Mask

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Chapter Two: My Own Personal Hell

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"The most important kind of freedom is to be what you really are. You trade in your reality for a role. You trade in your sense for an act. You give up your ability to feel, and in exchange, put on a mask…You can take away a man's political freedom and you won't hurt him- unless you take away his freedom to feel. That can destroy him..."

-Jim Morrison

When Yusuke awoke, the first thing he felt were silky satin sheets caressing his bruised skin. Groaning wearily, the spirit detective licked his cracked lips and tried to will the cottony bitterness from his mouth. His head hurt, he was covered in grime and blood, and his body felt like it weighed a ton. His shoulder stung from where Aoshi had bitten him and –

Shit! Aoshi!

Yusuke's eyes snapped open and he readied himself for a fight. He hissed; his stitches wouldn't allow his swollen hands to curl into fists.

"Everything alright, my Yuu-chan?"

"You!" Yusuke pointed in accusation. He stood up blearily, charging towards the blonde demon. The demon had taken off his dress from the club in favor of adorning a sapphire blue robe. "I'm gonna fucking kill you!"

"Oops, too late," he giggled, snapping his fingers and Yusuke could do nothing but let those damn chains pull him to the wall again. "I was going to clean you up before letting you on my bed, but I was afraid you'd wake up and try something like this in the middle of your bath." He shook his finger disapprovingly. "Naughty, naughty!"

"You're a sick fuck, you know that?" Yusuke spat, no longer having the energy to support himself and just allowing Aoshi's chains to keep him upright. "You get your jollies pickin' on kids?"

"You are far from a child, dear." Aoshi strode up and stroked one finger down his cheek. Yusuke flinched away from it. "Have you never seen a little insignificant ant walking along the path and wanted so terribly to crush it? Just for existing. The ant never did anything to you, of course, but it is an ant, so it could very well devour your house from the inside out before you'd even realized it. You, Yusuke, are my ant, just as every other man Koenma sent after me was. I will enjoy breaking you."

"Oh goody, I'm so excited," Yusuke said with a roll of his eyes.

Aoshi's eyes narrowed and he let out a small hiss. His eyes glinted dangerously. "Ah, but you will grow to like it in time, Yusuke." A cold smirk curved over his soft features. "I will make you beg for it."

With a snap of his fingers, the world opened up beneath him, and Yusuke began to fall.

"Look, if we could all just calm down—" Koenma couldn't seem to get a single sentence in. The trio had returned to Yusuke's apartment with the intent to kill. Koenma, I mean.

"Don't you tell me to calm down, you fucking toddler!" Kuwabara's eyes blazed with an intensity like none other Koenma had ever seen. "You sent us in that bar without telling us what that bastard's capable of. You knew what a sadistic asshole Aoshi was, and you didn't even warn us!"

"Yes, but—"

This time Kurama cut him off, his eyes flashing dangerously. "No buts, Koenma. We are thoroughly disappointed with you. Had you told Kuwabara and Yusuke that Aoshi was that even fractionally as dangerous as he really is, Yusuke would have proceeded with far more caution." His voice practically bit Koenma with all the animosity it held. His shoulders began to tremble and he had to turn away, lest the others see a lone tear slip down his cheek. "This mission was supposed to be information gathering and nothing more, and your inability to warn the humans have turned it into this," the fox hissed, biting down on his lower lip.

"And you will not blame us for not telling him. That task was up to you," Hiei growled, his ruby eyes narrowed in disgust. The fire demon had taken out his sword and had been sharpening it for the past hour, daring anyone to challenge him. Anger seemed to ooze from every pore.

"…Puu…"

All eyes traveled to the bed, where Yusuke's discarded sweatshirt lay. An exhausted Puu fluttered out, his deep brown eyes flickering with sadness. He could sense the detective's pain.

"Puu!" Kuwabara was instantly beside the little spirit form of Yusuke. "You know where Urameshi is, ne?" Puu nodded softly, another 'Puu' escaping his beak. "Then you can take us to him!"

"It's not that easy, moron," Hiei cut in rather harshly.

Kuwabara glared at him. "You can go off and fuck your boyfriend for all I care, shrimp!" he shouted and turned back to the little blue monster. "But this little guy will help us find Urameshi."

"And if you all die during the rescue mission?"

Kuwabara narrowed his eyes at the teenage Koenma standing there. "Then it will still be your fault," he whispered.

Yusuke hissed against the biting shackles that held his wrists and ankles to the wall. He growled when he heard another snapping sound echo through the dungeon. Another tendril of manacles wrapped themselves around Yusuke's neck, forcing him to stand upright. Yusuke struggled further, ignoring the pressure it exerted on his windpipe. The boy fought with all his might, gagging as Aoshi tightened his bonds.

"Go ahead and try, Yuu-chan." Yusuke hated his voice. It was sickening. "You will stay bound until I say otherwise."

"Really now?" A pale blue glow lit up his right hand and he ignored the pain it caused. "I could blast out of here in a second—"

"Not likely." Aoshi snapped his fingers. The chains around his right wrist tightened. Yusuke's eyes widened as they continued to constrict. Suddenly Yusuke found himself screaming, the spirit energy retreating back inside his body.

"Bastard," he rasped when Aoshi let the chains had loosened slightly. He could feel Aoshi smirk in the darkness that surrounded him.

"I told you, Yuu-chan." His tone was mocking. Suddenly he stepped closer, and Yusuke could see him clear as day. It was as if his body emitted some horrible, ghostly aura. "From now on, I own you. You won't piss unless I say so, speak unless I command you to, breathe unless I tell you." Aoshi chuckled darkly. "I'm going to break you, Urameshi Yusuke. And I'm going to laugh the entire time."

Yusuke watched in horror as Aoshi's claws extended and sharpened. Bringing the needle-like appendages to his cheek, Aoshi grinned in sick satisfaction as the mere touch of his claws pricked his skin. His eyes were alight with an insatiable hunger as he dug them into his cheek, causing another scream to erupt from his prey's throat. "Fuck!"

"Kiss me, Yuu-chan." It was definitely not a request.

With all the fury he could manage, Yusuke spat in his face. "Go to hell."

To his utter confusion, Aoshi smiled. "You are in hell," he whispered, suddenly smirking. His claws launched forward, piercing the flesh of his chest and ripping apart what was left of his fishnet shirt. He dragged them down, doodling little designs of poisonous venom in his chest. "Your own personal hell."

Aoshi was suddenly pressed up against him, his violet-blue eyes tinged with a hint of lust. Grabbing the back of his head, he stuck his claws into the half-healed wound, shoving Yusuke's mouth onto his own. He could feel and hear Yusuke's scream as he deepened the kiss, before he moved down to nip at his still bloody, raw throat. He set his claws against the freshly bleeding wound against his neck, injecting more of his poison into the detective's delicious bloodstream.

"Have you had enough yet?" Aoshi asked. Yusuke glared ever defiantly into Aoshi's eyes. He gave a mock sigh, forcefully grabbing his chin. "Those eyes that have so much life…" he whispered wistfully. Claws dug into his chin and his voice hardened. "I will make them die."

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"So how are we supposed to get to Demon World?" Kuwabara asked, shifting his backpack further onto his shoulder. "If the baby's not letting us in, I mean."

Puu sat perched upon Hiei's shoulder, though not as comfortably as he had with Yusuke. Puu's eyes were dulled over, his breathing shallow and erratic. Hiei uncharacteristically reached up to gently pet the poor thing.

"Koenma," Kurama shot the teenage form of Koenma a dark look. "…will take us to Spirit World and open a portal for us, regardless of his feelings on the matter."

"And then Puu will lead us to the Detective," Hiei finished, lightly scratching Puu's ear. Puu turned his deep caramel eyes to Hiei, bleating softly. Hiei's eyes flickered softly, but before anyone could detect the emotion, it disappeared.

"So, that's it?" Kuwabara asked. "We just go get Urameshi?"

"Of course it's not going to be that easy," Kurama reprimanded himself as much as Kuwabara. "If Aoshi was smart enough to get Yusuke in the first place, he's not just going to leave him unguarded!" Sighing in frustration, he gave up on folding everything neatly and just began tossing items unceremoniously into his backpack. "I don't give a shit about any of this stuff!" The vulgar word left Kurama's mouth in surprise.

"Don't worry yourself human," Hiei spat, obviously still peeved from Kuwabara's previous 'boyfriend' comment. "The Detective will be back with us shortly."

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"So what's my name?" Aoshi asked pleasantly. His robes were gone now; the demon wore tight black pants and a simple white tunic. ("I love watching the spatter of blood against the stark of a white top," Aoshi had squealed.) "Come now, darling, it's not that hard of a question." Yusuke turned his head forcefully to the side, ignoring the grating chains against his throat. Aoshi's eyes hardened slightly as he repeated the question with a little more force. "What is my name?" Aoshi growled.

Yusuke snorted, a self-satisfied smirk appearing on his face. "Piss. Off," Yusuke ground out, cracking a sickened grin and cocking his head to the side as if to mock him.

Aoshi grasped his head sternly and cracked it against the stone cell wall. "What is my name?" he yelled. He tightened his grip on Yusuke's hair and slammed his skull against the wall over and over until stars swam through Yusuke's vision. A stream of crimson gathered on the cement dungeon wall behind him, trickling slowly down the stone. "Tell me my name, goddamn you!"

"A-Aoshi…" he gasped out, feeling what felt like a river of blood stream down his head.

Aoshi smirked. "Closer…" he chuckled, urging the boy on. "It's Aoshi -sama."

"Aoshi-baka."

Aoshi's eyes darkened once more. With newfound rage he snapped his fingers, causing Yusuke to plummet to the cold stone floor. Stepping behind the immobile form of the detective, he yanked Yusuke up by his hair. Pressing his lips to the back of his head, he flicked his tongue at the wound, smirking at the tremor that passed through Yusuke. Mist swirled about Aoshi's free hand and a bat with jagged, rusty nails hammered roughly in here and there materialized. Yusuke fell unceremoniously to the floor and the human immediately began to stumble up and around to face the crazed demon.

"You are so dumb," Yusuke taunted. "Who lets go of their prisoner…?" The black haired boy trailed off, noticing that Aoshi's manacles had slunk out of the floor to chain his feet in place. He began to struggle and more spit forth from the ceiling, grabbing hold of his arms and holding him straight as a board. "Fuck!"

"It would seem that you are the dumb one," Aoshi whispered threateningly, holding the bat in front of him in such a stance as a baseball player. "Here you are at my mercy, again." He smirked. "You have a choice, my darling," he sang, swinging the nail bat into Yusuke's ribcage. "I know you seem to find the thought of us having sex revolting, so you can either have me inside of you, or," he licked one of the bloody nails, relishing in Yusuke's yells, "or this bat."

"Ha…ha…ha…" he continued to gasp, squeezing his eyes tight against the pain.

"If you don't answer soon, I'll take your silence as you choosing the bat."

"Gods…" Tears bloomed in his eyes. "You…" he whispered.

"What was that, dear?" Aoshi swung the bat into his other side. Yusuke's cries echoed off the stone walls. "I didn't quite catch that."

"You…you!" he insisted louder, his voice cracking. "I choose you." Yusuke let his head hang low in shame, for choosing that monster over anything.

"Yuu-chan, I'm touched," Aoshi cooed, dropping his weapon with a sickening thud and skipping over to him. The demon pressed his body flush against Yusuke's back and gave him a loving hug. Nuzzling against the detective's cheek, Aoshi whispered huskily, "I told you that you'd beg me for it." He chuckled, reaching around to undo the fly of his pants. "Relax, my darling. I'll make you feel things you've never felt before." Aoshi elicited a groan from the boy with his touches. "See? Just accept it. I will take care of you, Yusuke. You won't need to worry about anything else but me." Gingerly, the blonde finished removing the human's pants and his own, letting the cool dungeon air grace their warm bodies. With one soft finger, Aoshi prodded at the boy's entrance and Yusuke twitched, but nothing more. A satisfied grin bloomed on his face and Aoshi began to explore, drawing out a gasp of pleasure.

When Aoshi went to move something bigger in there, Yusuke couldn't stop the, "No, don't!" from escaping his lips. Widening eyes turned to try and look at Aoshi, but he was already gone. Yusuke's eyes watered as Aoshi reappeared to slap the shit out of him. "I'm sorry," Yusuke wheezed, blood dripping from his swollen lip. "I'm sorry—"

"You worthless, pathetic human, I ought to fuck you with a goddamn razor blade—"

"—I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry—"

"Lord Aoshi-sama?"

"What is it, Kokoro? I'm a little busy at the moment," Aoshi grumbled, looking at the still blubbering Yusuke. He kicked him, shouting, "Shut up!" Yusuke let out one more whimper, then quieted. Passing out, Aoshi assumed.

The docile demon bowed forward once more, her fiery red tresses falling to cover her face. "Two demons and a human are in the marketplace asking questions about you, sir," she said meekly. "I thought it best I let you know right away."

"Ah, of course, of course." Aoshi grinned, eyeing her. "You should wear that maid's uniform more often. It's quite fetching."

"Lord Aoshi-sama!" A blush lit up her face. "Thank you! I am not worthy to hear such praise fall from your lips!"

"Think nothing of it." He turned to the shivering human. "Clean him up for me and then move him to my quarters. If he tries to escape, then break his feet. Once you are through, meet me in the surveillance room." He snickered. "I wish to watch this pathetic attempt of a rescue mission."

"Yes, Lord Aoshi-sama."

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"Can you believe it?" one demon whispered.

"I know," another gasped. "Kurama and the Forbidden Child – together. Who would have thought?"

"Who is that with them? A new slave?"

"I've never known either one to take a human slave before…"

"Maybe he is a prostitute?"

"He better be a mighty fine prostitute. Otherwise, why would they pick such an ugly one?"

With one sharp glance from Kurama, the gossipers scattered.

"This is starting to piss me off," Kuwabara hissed angrily to the two demons before him. "Can I take off this fucking collar yet?"

"No," Hiei ordered, not bothering to look back at him.

Kurama was more polite. He turned back to Kuwabara, explaining, "Humans aren't the norm here in the Makai. Would you rather be their food or our pet?"

"Point taken," the orange-haired teen sourly complained, crossing his arms and looking at the dirt once more. With a smirk, Hiei tugged on his leash and caused Kuwabara to stumble. "You fucking shrimp, I will kill you once this is over."

"I'd have you disemboweled before you could throw your first punch."

"Hush you two," Kurama seethed.

"That human body of Kurama's is quite lovely," one demon wistfully sighed.

"It's no comparison to the Youko, though," another one argued.

Kurama noticed a small girl kneeling in the street, playing with the edge of her tattered dress. "Excuse me, miss?" he started, fixing his most charming smile in place. "Miss?" Kurama continued.

She looked up, startled. "Oh – oh please excuse my rudeness, sir!" She stood and bowed before him and Hiei. "What ever can I do for you both?"

"I am Kurama," he introduced, taking the lady's hand and placing a feather light kiss on her knuckles. Her cheeks flushed. "Might I inquire as to what your name is?"

"Naomi!" an angry-looking shopkeeper bellowed, poking his rather large head out of his store, waving a large knife. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing, sir!" she insisted. "This Kurama-san asked me a question and—"

"Youko Kurama?" The color drained from his face. "Naomi, get in here."

"Sir?"

"Now!"

"Aw, no one seems to want to talk to you," an ugly voice laughed. The trio whipped around to see an vile toad demon lounging against a wall. "Lord Aoshi's made it perfectly clear that he'll obliterate anyone who so much as sneezes at you." He sniggered darkly. "But I'd be willing to give you information – for a price, that is."

"Why is it that you do not fear Aoshi," Hiei sneered, "when every other demon is running away with their tails between their legs?"

"I am but a wanderer; I'll be gone before he knows I've spilled the so-called 'beans'. I hear you're looking for a certain detective of Koenma's? Ku, ku, ku, good luck on finding anything more than skin and bones—"

"You shut your vile, blaspheming mouth!" Hiei snarled, his katana at the small demon's throat. "Give me your information or I'll kill you where you stand."

He clutched at his rapidly beating heart. Or, whatever it was toad demons had. "There's no need for violence, now!" he insisted. "I have heard that he lives beyond that forest, but good luck on getting through the wards – they're toxic. That's one of his specialties."

"We will try our chances," Kurama acknowledged. "Your usefulness is through. Hiei, Kuwabara, let's go."

Long after they'd departed, the toad laughed and disappeared in a wisp of smoke. "Oh Kurama, Hiei, you two have indeed grown soft. Everything is falling into place."

"You shouldn't bother fighting," Kokoro scolded softly to Yusuke's unmoving body. Of course Yusuke had tried to run as soon as he had awoken, so she had taken a hammer to his feet like Aoshi had ordered her to. The demon had already reset all the bones, though, so permanent damage would not linger. She had already gone through three washcloths; they were all soaked with blood. He flinched when she brought a cool rag to his forehead. "Everything will make sense in time. He's just training you how to be a good slave."

"I'm not a fucking slave," Yusuke suddenly bit out. "I'm a person."

"It's actually quite similar to how you humans train your horses. You do use the term 'breaking the stallion', do you not?"

"I'm not a goddamn horse."

"Well then, isn't it like your human naturalist Charles Darwin said: 'survival of the fittest'?" she tried again, rubbing some medicinal herbs on his various wounds. "Lord Aoshi-sama is indeed the fittest. He's guaranteeing his survival by overtaking all who would oppose him."

"Why are you defending that monster?"

"He is my master," Kokoro reasoned. "He is my everything. I have never known anything else – why would I want to?"

"My friends will come for me," Yusuke persisted, letting her roll him onto his stomach and begin to work on the wound at the back of his head. Once she was finished with that, she gingerly wrapped clean, sterile bandages around his skull. "They won't leave me here."

"Your friends will die," Kokoro whispered sadly, "if you let them attempt to come rescue you. No one has ever intruded and left this castle alive."

"Listen lady," Yusuke muttered, allowing Kokoro to wrap the rest of him up similar to a mummy. "You may not have faith in anyone, but I believe in my friends. They'll come for me," he repeated, no longer sure who he was saying it for.

Kokoro did not say another word, merely walking over to the other side of the room and yanking on a large blue lever. A hole in the wall opened up and a gurney-like object rolled its way out. Kokoro wheeled it over to where Yusuke lay and pressed a button on a small remote that she had taken from her pocket. Yusuke was lifted up on what he realized must be some sort of platform and grimaced as she gently, but firmly shoved him over onto the gurney.

When she began wheeling him through the castle, Yusuke said, "Isn't it uncomfortable being in those heels?" She ignored him, twisting and turning and going left then right and over again in some odd pattern that just made Yusuke's head ache. With a start, the detective realized he was in Aoshi's chambers again. She wheeled him over and rolled Yusuke off onto the bed. "You're not gonna leave me here, are ya?"

The sound of her turning a key in the door to lock him in the room was the only sound that answered him.

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"They fell for the toad's trick quite nicely," Aoshi said to Kokoro when she entered. The demon bowed gracefully. "Soon they will fall into my trap again. They will perish for their audacity!"

"Would you like me to ready the guards?" Kokoro questioned, her thumb hovering over another button on her remote.

"No, we won't need them." He flashed a sinister smirk. "They'll die before they reach the gates." He pointed to a cushion on the floor next to the throne he was sitting in. "Sit and enjoy, my dear Koko-chan."

"Of course, my Lord."

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"I have such a bad feeling about this place," Kuwabara warned.

"Welcome to the Demon World," Hiei cut in snidely.

"Hush your bickering," Kurama said, not bothering to take his eyes from the plant resting in the palm of his hand. It sniffed back and forth, searching for even the tiniest hint of poison. "This is most peculiar…"

"What is?" Kuwabara asked.

"My plant can detect even a drop of toxins almost a mile away. Yet it cannot find anything here."

Hiei's eyes narrowed and he drew his sword. "It would appear we've been duped." The fox and human immediately drew in closer to their companion, eyes scanning the trees.

"I don't see anything—" Kuwabara started and then something burst forth from the earth and grabbed hold of his ankle. "Crap! These are the same chains that bastard used to grab Urameshi!"

What seemed to be an army of chains came out of the ground and lunged towards the trio. Hiei and Kurama escaped with ease, but Kuwabara was still stuck in the same spot. He took out his spirit sword and began to hack at the shackles.

"Puu!"

"Puu?" Kurama called, watching in horror as Puu wriggled his way out of the fox's pack to fly in the direction the toad had told them to go. "Puu, come back here!" He tried to grab at the little monster, but was interrupted by another spurt of chains coming after him. He took out his rose whip and began to lash them away. "Puu!" A stray chain wove around Kurama's waist, hurling him down to the ground. Ten long chains erupted from the grass and wrapped themselves tightly around various appendages. "Goddamn it!" The fox began to struggle. He noticed Kuwabara was having the same difficulties. Hiei however was still managing on eluding the bastards. "Hiei, go after Puu!"

"And leave you here?" Hiei demanded, swinging his sword back and forth. "Have you gone mad?"

"We will be fine – just go! Yusuke's survival depends upon him!"

Without another word – but quite an evil look towards Kurama – Hiei sped off after the little fluff ball.

"Are you doing alright, Kuwabara?" Kurama asked, feeling a chain wrap around his windpipe.

"Just peachy," he rasped with a wink and a shaky thumbs up. "That shrimp better hurry, though."

Meanwhile, it had taken the fire demon little over five minutes to catch up to Puu. They had left the forest about five hundred kilometers back. "There you are, you little shit," Hiei growled, yanking the blue monster by the ear. With a shriek, Puu began to struggle, looking desperately around.

"Puu, puu, puu, PUU!"

"What is the matter with you?" he hissed. "Do you sense the detective? Is he near?" Hiei began to scan the meadow. "Puu, there's nothing here!" Puu turned back to squawk in irritation at Hiei. "It's just a fucking field. I don't sense anything!" With a frustrated sigh, he ripped off his bandana, opening his Jagan eye. "I see you, detective, I know that you're alive…" Hiei squished his two eyes shut in concentration. "I just don't know where you are…"

"I'm RIGHT HERE!" Yusuke screamed from the highest tower. Despite his broken feet, he'd managed to crawl across the rough, stone floor to the prison-barred window. "Hiei!" he shouted once more. "I'm up here!" He tried waving his arm at the demon down below. He saw Hiei begin to move forward and seemingly disappear into the one of the walls of the fortress.

"The entire castle is cloaked," Aoshi whispered ominously, suddenly appearing behind him. With one hand, he hefted the kicking detective into his arms and proceeded to dump him back on the bed. "He does not sense any of us. He will merely walk through it, falling to prey to my guards – if I so choose to let them out." Aoshi's narrowed eyes glared down at Yusuke. "I will spare his life if you let them go without any struggle."

"Are you fucking nuts?" Yusuke spat. "They're here; they'll come get me!"

"On the contrary…" He called out, "Kokoro!" Silently she slid out from the shadows, a small laptop-like object in her hands. Aoshi took it from her. "That will be all. Wait for my command." He held the screen out for him to see. Yusuke's face paled at the sight of Kuwabara and Kurama being smothered to death by his chains. "I will kill them right now," he threatened. "I will also set my guards upon your unsuspecting friend, unless you cease all efforts to leave." Aoshi's hand began to curl into a fist and Yusuke watched in horror as the chains on two of his beloved friends began to constrict even further.

"Stop," Yusuke breathed. "Stop, I'll do whatever you say." He held his hands out, as if waiting for Aoshi to slap a pair of handcuffs on him. "Let them go…Please."

With a smirk, Aoshi's curled fingers flew open and back, exposing his open palm. He snapped his fingers and the chains disappeared. He shut the tiny computer and handed it back to Kokoro. "Go tell my guards their thirst for blood will have to be quenched another day," Aoshi ordered. She bowed and slunk out. "My little Yuu-chan," he whispered, falling on the bed and crawling towards Yusuke on hands and knees. "I'm delighted you chose me." The blonde demon reached forward and cupped Yusuke's face tenderly.

"We—welcome," Yusuke murmured in a breathy voice. 'Welcome to hell,' he thought bitterly. The spirit detective, shaking like a leaf, let Aoshi do whatever he wanted. He said not a single word, merely accepting the kisses Aoshi stole. Yusuke allowed the man – if one could call a devil such as this a man – to touch him in places only one other had before. Yusuke silently cried as Aoshi violated his body and mind. He cried for his mother, whom he had not cried for since he was an infant. He cried for his friends, who would not find him. He cried for Keiko, who had cried so many tears for him already. And lastly, Yusuke cried for himself, because something deep inside told him he would never be able to escape.

"You didn't find him did you…?" Kurama sadly stated more than asked when he saw Hiei return to them. Kuwabara had passed out onto Kurama; he could not take the strain. In fact, the fox himself was on the verge of collapsing, but he had stayed awake for Hiei's sake.

"I could not," Hiei admitted, grinding his teeth together. Puu lay cradled in Hiei's arms, eyes blank and barely breathing. "I – am no longer sure if the detective is with us." He gestured to the comatose monster.

Kurama could not say anything, merely shut his eyes tight, wishing so desperately that this was a dream, for a nightmarish reality such as this was simply unacceptable. "You're certain?" he choked out, strangling on his words.

"My Jagan was useless."

The fox demon began to weep. "We should get Kuwabara some medical attention," he sobbed, unable to control his anguish.

Hiei himself felt tears begin to prick at his eyes and wanted to slap himself. "I'll help you." Hiei carefully laid Puu in Kurama's fallen sack and hoisted it over his shoulder. Then he went over to Kuwabara's other side and shouldered the majority of his weight. He turned to look at his still sniveling partner. "We will come back," he promised. "We will find him."

Despite Hiei's adamant words, Kurama couldn't help the despair still filling up within him. "I will get you back, Yusuke," he said firmly to himself. "I will."

Mi-chan: How about a big freaking tada? :D I WROTE SOMETHING! Poor Naomi, the first time I wrote this she had a much bigger part…OH WELL XD. And just in case you guys didn't read my note at the beginning like I wanted, I redid the prologue and chapter one, so go feed my narcissism! READ IT! ;)