Captured!

Scene 15 ****************************************** Later That Day

* When Hiei coughs as he starts to wake up Yusuke hurries to the front of his cell.
Kurama soon joins him in the corner of his cell. They watch their friend sit up with
his back to them.

Yusuke- (Quietly) Hiei,...

* Hiei keeps his back to them as he raises a hand to wipe at his mouth.

Hiei- D---...
Yusuke- Are you okay?

* Hiei slowly moves the hand down to touch the collar.

Hiei- S---...

* The next sound they hear is a groan from Kuwabara's cell. Kurama moves some to look
across at him.

Kurama- Kuwabara?

* Kuwabara rolls and falls off of the table. He moans painfully.

Kuwabara- Ohhh... owww...
Yusuke- Take it slow, buddy.

* Sabaktu lifts his head from his knees to just observe the other occupants. Kuwabara
raises his head to look toward Yusuke, squinting his eyes to get a clear image of the
voice.

Kurama- Yes, try to remain calm, Kazuma.
Yusuke- There's some food for you there... You gotta eat...

* Kuwabara swallows then raises up onto his hands and knees. He shakes his head.

Kuwabara- No... It's not... them... They'd never get... caught like I did... Uhhh... my
head...
Yusuke- Well, it is us, you jerk!

* When Kuwabara sobs and rolls to lay on his back Kurama looks at Yusuke.

Kurama- (Quietly) Don't press him. His mental state is already shaky at best, Yusuke.

* With a new yell of anger the human struggles to his feet and tries to call up his
Spirit Sword.

Kuwabara- Spirit...!
Kurama- No, Kuwabara...!
Kuwabara- Sword!!

* Kurama relaxes, though, when nothing happens. Sabaktu just lifts an eyebrow but
continues to watch. Kurama looks at Yusuke.

Kurama- He's wearing a collar, too, Yusuke.
Kuwabara- Spirit Sword!!
Yusuke- Yeah. The collar you're wearing is sealing your powers, Kuwa!
Kuwabara- Stop talking to me, you ...you Urameshi imitator... guy!

* Both the half demons sigh and watch the burly redhead try for several more minutes
to call up his energy weapon.

Yusuke- (Mumbled) Well, this is mildly entertaining.
Hiei- Still an idiot...

* Yusuke and Kurama glance toward Hiei when he coughs again. Kuwabara finally collapses
to his hands and knees. He sobs then begins to pound the floor in a mindless rage.
Kurama looks sadly at Yusuke.

Kurama- I don't want to see how he'd react if he would remember everything.
Yusuke- Well, don't give him any clues, Red.

* They hear a crash across the aisle and look up to see that Hiei has thrown his tray
full of cold food at the bars to the front of his cell. It doesn't seem to register to
the infuriated koorime that nothing happens to the tray when it contacts the
deactivated bars. Sabaktu scoots a little further away from the middle of the wall,
though. Yusuke moves to look in at his short friend.

Yusuke- Easy, Hiei...

* Hiei looks around then moves to the far side of his cell which is another wall to lean
heaving angrily.

Yusuke- We'll get out of this, somehow...
Hiei- Leave me alone!

* Sabaktu now stands and moves cautiously closer. Hiei spins to glare toward the
camera wall.

Hiei- I won't do this again! Do you hear me, you son of a b----!!? Just come and kill
me!

* Sabaktu glances nervously toward the camera, too.

Sabaktu- Father, please don't...

* Hiei roars again making Sabaktu step back. Hiei then spins and charges around his
cell until he slams himself into his back wall. After heaving there a moment he
turns to look toward the front bars.

Kurama- Hiei, no!

* Hiei manages to take a few purposeful strides toward the bars until suddenly his
body jolts to a halt.

Hiei- No!! Release me!!

* The outer door clangs open and Satjiyu storms in. Yusuke glares at the tiger.

Yusuke- I will murder you for this.
Satjiyu- Yusuke's collar, silence your d--- host.

* Yusuke feels the spikes clamp around his voicebox but still curls his lips in a silent
snarl. When Satjiyu looks next at Kurama the kitsune takes a couple steps back.
Satjiyu nods and moves into Hiei's cell to loom over the paralyzed koorime. Hiei
hisses until Satjiyu just quietly takes out another vial. Hiei closes his eyes.

Hiei- No...
Satjiyu- I thought you were smarter than this, mutt... Uwakionna Hiei, drink this.

* As much as Hiei struggles internally once more, his hand raises to take the tube of
putrid green liquid. Satjiyu chuckles when Hiei gulps down the contents.

Satjiyu- Now you'll be a good little b---- and soon you'll have a better reason to stop
fighting me.

* Hiei swallows when his stomach churns.

Satjiyu- Twenty-four hours, Shiyounin. If you relax and stay calm I'll put you back
in with your Toushin... But if you try something stupid like that again...

* Hiei looks back up to watch Satjiyu look briefly toward Kuwabara.

Satjiyu- Clear enough?

* Hiei snarls. Satjiyu chuckles again and leaves the cell, touching the bars as he
passes.

Satjiyu- Bars, activate... Uwakionna Hiei, release.

* The tiger moves to look down at Sabaktu.

Satjiyu- How are you doing, Sabie?

* The aqua-spiked boy bows slightly.

Sabaktu- I am well, Master Satji.

* Satjiyu nods and bends to give the boy a brief, but unresisted kiss. Then the tiger
waves his paw toward Yusuke as he turns.

Satjiyu- Yusuke's collar, return to your normal function.

* Yusuke feels the spikes pull out of his throat and lifts a hand to rub his neck.

Satjiyu- I'll return tomorrow.
Yusuke- So sorry to see you go.
Satjiyu- I'm glad you're starting to warm up to me.
Yusuke- Oh, I'd love to warm your a-- up.
Kurama- Bad choice of words, Yusuke.

* Satjiyu bends slightly to make sure he has Yusuke's full attention.

Satjiyu- Do I need to prove to you how fast I can remove these sluts from you?

* After a moment of tense staring between the two it is Yusuke that finally decides
to relent. He lowers his eyes and looks away.

Yusuke- (Quietly) No.
Satjiyu- No, what?

* Yusuke clamps his mouth shut. Sabaktu steps closer when he feels his master's rage
building again.

Sabaktu- He's a Toushin, Master. He'll just take a little more time.

* Satjiyu looks at the boy, somewhat surprised that he would speak up for Yusuke.

Sabaktu- You remember how long it took you to win Tsugetsu's sire over.

* Satjiyu straightens up, studies Yusuke a moment more, then leaves. Sabaktu turns
his red eyes to look up at Yusuke. When the Toushin doesn't say anything the boy
quietly moves back to his spot against the wall.

Kurama- Sabaktu, is that your name?
Sabaktu- Hn.

* Kurama pauses a couple beats.

Kurama- How long does it take for... your master to get from here back to wherever
that camera is?

* Sabaktu looks toward the exitway as he thinks a moment.

Sabaktu- Two point eight minutes... But that means nothing. The camera records
everything.

* Kurama nods and moves back to his mattress. Yusuke now looks at Sabaktu.

Yusuke- So was your mother a sow, too?

* Hiei casts an ugly glare at the detective, but Sabaktu giggles. The sound reminds
Hiei of someone else and he turns to pace again.

Sabaktu- No, Mazoku... My mother was a b----, though.

* Hiei turns to look at Sabaktu.

Hiei- Boy,...
Sabaktu- Seriously, Father. Don't you remember?

* Hiei looks away in thought a moment.

Hiei- (Quietly) There were... so many...
Sabaktu- Her name was Ashira.

* A couple more moments of silence, then Hiei turns his red eyes back to study the boy.

Hiei- I... knew of one named Ashira... She was a Cheetah Demon.

* Sabaktu nods eagerly, closes his eyes, and changes into his full demon form. The
fact that he can do this amazes all of them. Sabaktu glances around as he lifts his
cat tail up to stroke it.

Sabaktu- My collar's not activated right now... It don't really have to be.

* Sabaktu raises one of his paws to rub at his cat ear as he looks timidly toward the
camera. Being mentally reprimanded by Satjiyu.

Sabaktu- Sorry, Master... I just wanted to... Yes, sir.

* Sabaktu melts back into his normal form. Hiei narrows his eyes at the boy.

Hiei- I was never put to Ashira...

* Sabaktu yawns to relax his jaws then glances back up at Hiei.

Sabaktu- No... Not physically, anyway, Father.

* The room is silent a few moments as Yusuke and Kurama piece together this information.

Yusuke- Well,... eeww.

* Hiei half glances toward Yusuke, then turns and moves back to the thin mattress in
his own cell.

Sabaktu- Ashira was killed by an overexcited customer when I was six seasons old. That's when Master Satji took me to his place and started raising me.
Kurama- You mean.. training you?

* Sabaktu shrugs.

Sabaktu- Eventually...
Yusuke- How come you don't carry the white crest like your handsome Papa?

* Hiei curls his lip at the statement but averts his eyes. He feels his insides
beginning to get warm.

Sabaktu- Uhh, w-well... M-Master Satji... marked me another way...

* When Sabaktu draws his knees up and hides his face on them everyone decides that
they've learned enough for today. Hiei rolls to lay down on his mattress as the
warmth slowly begins to spread throughout his small body. He reaches a hand out to
touch the cool wall he's facing. Soon enough his claws begin to grow and he claws the
wall, doing his best to quell the irritation he begins to feel. With much effort Hiei
finally wills himself to sleep.