[The Kurama with Hiei’s sword sticking out of him enters the room with the Cloaked Master. Two Kuramas follow, dragging an unconscious Hiei between them. They stop in front of the Cloaked Master. The Cloaked Master turns to them.]
Cloaked Master: Honestly M4, that is so distasteful.
[The Cloaked Master reaches for the hilt and pulls it out of M4. She tosses it to the side. M4 covers up his now open wound with his arms.]
M4: [slight groan] We at least got the last one. He resisted, but we made sure he had enough energy left.
[The Cloaked Master waves M4 to step aside, her ring glowing. She steps towards Hiei and delicately lifts his head up. He gives a soft groan.]
Cloaked Master: [pleasantly] Hook him up quickly.
[The two Kuramas holding Hiei drag him to an empty Energy Extractor on the other side of Yusuke. M4 spares a hand from his wound to lower the sleeping plants in front of Yusuke and Kuwabara. Hiei stirs as the clamps around his wrists and ankles are secured. Another Kurama enters the room, carrying Ryone sleeping in its seahorse form.]
Cloaked Master: [facing the newcomer] Well done, M9. We’ll add this creature to our collection in the corner.
[M9 carries Ryone to the corner where Kaisei and Fubuki were enclosed. Hiei sees his dragon and starts struggling as M9 places Ryone up to the block of plants. The plants wrap around Ryone and pull him in.]
Hiei: [demanding] Ryone was practically invincible! How could you know how to stop him?
[Kuwabara and Yusuke open their eyes. The four present Kuramas line up in front of the Cloaked Master. The Cloaked Master waves them out with her ring pulsing.]
Cloaked Master: Excellent work! Now go help power the orb for the Death Beam.
Kuramas: Yes, master.
[The Kuramas turn and exit the room. The Cloaked Master turns to Hiei and the awakened Yusuke and Kuwabara.]
Cloaked Master: [laughs] Now I have you all! Indeed, if there is any life left in you after this, you will all make excellent research subjects!
Yusuke: Sorry, I was never big in biology, but that doesn’t sound too fun.
Cloaked Master: Trust me. It will be loads of fun. It is a shame we lack the time now, otherwise you would be more useful towards our last obstacle.
Yusuke: Which would be?
[The Cloaked Master gives a sinister laugh.]
Kuwabara: [growls, then shouts] It doesn’t matter what it is! There is nothing you can do to us to make us help you!
Cloaked Master: Oh, I’m sorry you feel that way; because even now I am using you to help me. Indeed if it were not for this last…problem…we wouldn’t have spared your lives for this long.
Hiei: So we serve as hostages for your little scheme.
Cloaked Master: If you wish to view it that way.
Yusuke: [struggling] Why you—
Cloaked Master: [smirk] He fast approaches.
Yusuke: Who?
Cloaked Master: You shall soon see for yourselves.
[The Cloaked Master raises her arm. The lights dim in room. A window appears behind the Cloaked Master. It reveals another room.]
Cloaked Master: Behind me is a one-way window where you can witness just how useful you are when I no longer can buy time. [turns to leave] Oh, and feel free to squirm and make all the noise you want…this window is very much sound proof as it is energy proof. Tata.
[The Cloaked Master exits into darkness.]
* * *
[Kurama walks down a dimly lit, plant-filled hallway.]
Kurama Voiceover: The events do not bode well. I must be near, however. I can sense something powerful ahead.
[He comes to a big room and stops after proceeding about a third of the way in.]
Kurama: We both know of the other’s presence; there is no sense in either of us hiding now. Come out!
* * *
[In the room where Kuwabara, Yusuke, and Hiei are hanging, the three onlookers see Kurama in the room beyond the window.]
Kuwabara: There’s the dirty traitor now. Man I still can’t believe he turned on us like that. And Midori too. That whole bullet wound thing before was probably just a trick.
Yusuke: I don’t know, when he got me I thought I had him down and out, but then he came back completely healed.
Hiei: And I doubt he could have split into three equivalent fighters when he ambushed me. One thing is certain; he appears to be the “obstacle.”
[Out the window, the Cloaked Master is seen entering the room and gradually confronts Kurama.]
Yusuke: Yep, there’s the head honcho. Perhaps now we’ll know what’s going on here.
* * *
[In the spacious room, Kurama and the Cloaked Master face each other in silence. Finally, Kurama sidesteps. The Cloaked Master lifts an arm to the side. A wall of plants shoots out with snarling mouths woven in to block off the two doorways.]
Kurama: Are you the one behind all this?
Cloaked Master: [slowly] I am the one in charge, if that is what you mean.
Kurama: Very well. I warn you: let me pass or I shall leave you begging for mercy.
Cloaked Master: Such tough talk for knowing so little about your opponent. I’m disappointed in you [slight pause] Kurama.
Kurama: Then why don’t you reveal yourself instead of hiding under a sheet.
Cloaked Master: Ooh, Rude and witty, I wonder where you could have picked that up from?
* * *
[Yusuke sneezes.]
Kuwabara: Bless you.
* * *
[There is a moment of silence between Kurama and the Cloaked Master.]
Kurama: Well?
Cloaked Master: Perhaps I do not feel like it.
Kurama: If you continue this adamant behavior, then I shall carry on.
[Kurama starts to walk around the Cloaked Master, holding a hand up to part the bushes. The Cloaked Master holds up her hand, closing the bushes back up.]
Cloaked Master: Wait! Straight is not the way you seek. Besides…you are curious, aren’t you? Of what is under this little bed sheet?
Kurama: The way you say it, I could pass.
Cloaked Master: Tut tut. You haven’t wondered? About why we wanted you dead first?
Kurama: That holds little mystery, but if you are willing to reveal yourself, be quick; my patience wears thin.
[The Cloaked Master pulls off the cloak. We see the cloak flutter in the air then the back of long red hair, delicate hands, and finally pant bottoms, a bare ankle, and a white slender shoe.]
* * *
Kuwabara: HOLY COW!
Yusuke: IT’S ANOTHER KURAMA!
Kuwabara: But I could have sworn there was a girl under there.
Yusuke: It’s a FEMALE Kurama! [pauses] Hey, she’s not too bad looking is she?
Hiei: [sweatdrop] Morons.
* * *
[Camera circles around the Cloaked Master.]
Cloaked Master: You may call me Rose!
[Rose poses as the camera stops circling.]
Rose: Do you like it? I am the new and improved version of you!
[Freeze frame.]
Narrator: Kurama is faced with a female form of himself. With her claims of superiority, can he still manage to out-fox his opposite?
