Disclaimer: Nopety-nope. Still don't own Yu-gi-oh. Believe me, I'll let you know if I ever do.

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A hurried pitter-patter of feet echoed into the night as Ryou raced down the dark alley. A heavier series of footfalls bounced off the walls, deceiving his frantic mind, encouraging it to register more pursuers than reality urged on. He shot an anxious glance over his shoulder. Three shadows sped across the brick walls behind them. They were rapidly gaining ground.

Ryou returned his attention to the road before him, the prospect of capture spurring his tired legs onward with a new rush of adrenaline. Hope sparked in his deep brown eyes. He could see the opening of the long alley just ahead. If he could just-

A sharp pain sliced through his leg, and Ryou cried out, crashing onto the cold ground. He lifted his throbbing head and squinted at a line of crimson flowing from a gash in the calf.

"He's down!"

Ryou's eyes snapped wide, and he leapt to his feet, only to fall again with another yelp of pain. His leg burned in agony as his attempted to strain the torn muscles.

The pursuing footsteps slowed, approaching him now with brimming confidence. A large hand wrapped around his neck and shoved him roughing against the wall. Ryou squirmed, violently clawing at the man's hold on his throat. He paused to gasp when his assaulter lifted him into the air. The hand compressed, crushing his air tubes. Ryou's consequential wheezes earned him several snickers.

"Having problems breathing?" His captor mocked, and his hand tightened.

A second man plucked an object from the ground and waved it in front of Ryou's face. The steel blade glinted in the moonlight.

"My little knife did a pretty good job on your leg, didn't it?"

"Heh, I'm sure this one who earn a pretty penny."

Ryou tried to glare, but the pain coursing up calf knitted his eyebrows in a pathetically wounded expression.

"Yo, Keith, take a look at the whelp."

A third man emerged from the shadows, dark sunglasses, strange accessories for nighttime excursions, successfully hiding the triumph that surely glinted behind them. He smirked and sauntered up to Ryou, dangling hopelessly like a tattered rag doll.

His sneer melted, and the man cursed, spitting on the ground. "He's a freakin' albino, just like that freak of nature, Bakura."

Ryou couldn't make out the first man's response, his powers of comprehension suffocated from lack of oxygen. Bakura…

His captor's hold relaxed as he turned to Keith, and Ryou gulped in the air.

"Is it true, that his eyes are so red because of all the blood he's spilled of anyone who opposes him?"

The second man scowled. "I heard he has supernatural abilities, and that his hair goes wild when he's about to use them."

Keith snorted. "You sound like a pair of superstitious old hags. He's nothing more than a freak of nature that looks like a weak girl and is no more dangerous than one. He probably wears contacts and spends hours on his hair every morning. He'd run from a fight like a cowering puppy with is tail between its legs."

"Why, thank-you. I don't think I've ever been described with such endearing terms."

The three thugs spun toward the new voice. Ryou followed their stares to gaze blearily at a figure framed in the opening of the alley. The full moon illuminated the newcomer's bleached hair, a sharp contrast to his black trench coat, the edges of which seemed to meld with the shadows of the night.

"B-Bakura…!" The man suspending Ryou against the building whispered, taking a tentative step back.

The figure lifted his head, the thin line of a smirk drawing his lips together. Ryou was mesmerized by his glowing red eyes. They truly were crimson.

Keith scoffed, and walked forward haughtily. However, when he spoke, his voice carried tremors of restrained fear. "Bakura. We were just talkin' about ya."

"So I perceived." His smirk dissipated into his pale skin. "Put the kid down and run off like proper dogs."

Keith chuckled. "Really, Bakura, you're not in a position to be giving orders." He gestured to his companions. "It's three against one here, and the odds are not in your favor."

Bakura closed his eyes, shaking his head with a small smirk. "Seems the mutts need to be retrained."

The man holding Ryou whispered, "Maybe we should-"

"Shut up, Ryoku! You're not turning coward because of some girly-boy's threats are you?"

The next moment, the man who had initially attacked Ryou with his knife leapt forward. He swung his fist around, but Bakura ducked easily. The thug gripped his knife and spun back, but Bakura stepped to the side, grabbing his other fist as he passed. He twisted the arm against his attack's back and gripped the other, bending it backwards with an effective snap. The man howled and the knife clattered on the ground.

With a disgusted scoff, Bakura pushed his prey forward, and the man gasped, clutching his wrist protectively. "Just like a dog."

Ryoku shook violently, his eyes enlarged with terror.

"Get a hold of yourself, Ryoku! Yaiba is still fighting." He acknowledged the fallen man staggering to his feet.

Bakura raised an eyebrow. "Need another lesson, do we?"

Ryoku, unable to contain his dread, released Ryou, who crumpled on the ground, and raced away. "I'm getting out of here!"

"Ryoku!"

"The coward is the wisest one of the bunch." Bakura sneered.

Yaiba gritted his teeth and lunged once more at Bakura. Ryou watched through glazed eyes as Yaiba swung his knife furiously, yet Bakura avoided every strike with such gracefulness. They seemed to move to a dance to which only Bakura knew all the steps.

Ryou heard a low growl and looked over to see Keith's hand move slowly to a metal object protruding from his back pocket. His eyes bugged when the thug withdrew a handgun. Both preoccupied in their primitive tussle, neither Bakura nor Yaiba noticed as Keith aimed at the former's head.

Summoning his remained strength, Ryou dove for the man's torso, screaming, "Look out!"

They whipped around just as Ryou collided with Keith, and the man fired. Bakura jumped to the side, avoiding the bullet, which passed by the second thug and through the window of a building. Keith cursed and slapped Ryou away. He crashed onto the pavement, trembling.

Ryou wasn't sure what happened next, pain clouding his senses. A minute later, Keith's weapon fell by his head, and the ground vibrated with retreating footfalls. He turned wearily to see the other two thugs racing away.

Bakura humphed, watching his victims flee down the alley. He turned, but uneven footsteps caught his attention. He looked over his shoulder to see Ryou stumbling towards him, blood still flowing down his leg, and fresh bruises discoloring his neck and cheek. He tripped, almost falling, but caught himself and gazed dazedly up at Bakura. He could not make out his savior's expression.

Suddenly, Ryou's mind was overcome with dizziness, and his legs gave way. His eyelids slid closed, and he fainted away, caught in strong arms just before his mind submitted to darkness.

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Author's Note: Yay! I finally posted this! I'm excited for this AU fic. Neverending thanks to Bakura's Guardian Angel for helping me with the title!

Translator's Note: 'Bakimono' means 'monster'.

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