Summary: Mirah Phoenix, code name Benu, finally meets her match in the criminal-biz after an encounter with the Rare Hunter's infamous leader, known solely as The R.H. However, what starts as a fierce rivalry soon shapes into a whirlwind of emotions and a test of loyalty that neither of them anticipated. Starts prior to Battle City. MarikOC.

Hey everyone! So I've deleted Ashes Of An Emerald Phoenix... Basically, Benu/Mirah as a character has evolved a lot in my head since her inception and I felt that AEP no longer portrayed her the same way that I see her in my head. This fic was born from the ashes...pun intended. A big thanks goes to The Duelist's Heiress for suggesting the idea... a pre-Battle City fic that is basically Marik and Mirah constantly trying to one up each other. Thanks also goes to her for helping with the title, as I wanted it similar to the original story's title but didn't want to use the same title.

Also, can I just point out the irony of re-writing a fic about Ms Mirah Phoenix? The bird itself is re-born from its ashes and I feel like this is kind of what happened to Mirah. A new and (in my opinion) better version of Mirah was born from the ashes of my first try at writing her.

Anyway, I'm rambling... Please enjoy the prologue of An Emerald Phoenix Renewed.

PROLOGUE

In a maze of dimly-lit stone corridors, a mysterious figure strode with purpose.

Hiding behind a balaclava, the figure revealed no more than three features to anyone in their presence. The first apparent feature was their athletic frame, with curves that revealed their gender without question.

The second feature was her hair; thick, coffee brown strands were drawn back into a ponytail that protruded through a hole she had cut into the scalp of the black balaclava herself.

The third and final discernible feature were her hazel eyes, their true colour—a brilliant shade of emerald green—were concealed behind contacts to further obscure her identity from those who may attempt to harm her; she could certainly think of a few individuals that would make that list. Her eyes were set firmly upon the passageway that snaked out before her, an unyielding confidence gleaming within their depths.

Through her peripheral vision she half-mindedly registered the torches that lined the stone walls, the flame of each torch engrossed in a battle between light and dark. Despite the chosen light source here, the air was cool as it hungrily clung to the black attire that shielded almost every inch of her skin from the cold, from her half-zipped leather jacket to her weightless leather boots. Silence was her only company; she had begun training in stealth and combat at only four years of age, as per her master's demands. Therefore, after fourteen years of practice, her skills in both had been perfected to the point that her footfalls were not even heard upon the hard stone floor beneath her.

A few minutes later, she came to a standstill before a door carved from cherry wood. It looked unlike any door she had passed on her way there, with intricate patterns carved into its polished surface.

A man clad in black attire stood resolutely before the door, his hands threaded together behind his back. He acknowledged her presence with a civil nod as he stepped aside. The woman returned the nod, her fists tightening at her sides as she eyed up the door. With a firm fist, she knocked upon it thrice, allowing the sound to echo throughout the underground section of the building.

"Enter, Benu," came a familiar icy voice that she'd grown all too accustomed to in her eighteen years of existence.

The guard opened the door for her, to which she murmured a "thank you" as she entered the office without hesitation. The door clicked shut behind her a moment later, the guard having closed it to allow Benu and her new company some privacy.

She removed the balaclava in one fluid motion, revealing lightly tanned, olive skin. Her eyes fell upon her company, seated in his office chair behind a large desk constructed from the same wood as the door. His laptop was opened up before him, warding away the shadows from his pale-skinned face. His short dark brown hair was beginning to grey at the roots, and his eyes were the colour of steel and ten times as hard.

"You requested my presence, Sir?" Benu stated firmly.

The man chuckled; it was a dark, chilling chuckle that no longer seemed to faze her. "I have your next mission."

"Brief me."

A smirk presented itself upon his lips. "You recall me mentioning The Rare Hunters on occasion, do you not?"

"Of course, Sir."

"Then let's see how well you've been listening." His eyes narrowed. "What do you know of The Rare Hunters?"

"They are a ruthless underground sect of skilled duellists who gain rare duel monsters cards worldwide by any means necessary. They sell those cards on the black market for enormous profits, but they keep all the strongest cards for themselves in order to further strengthen their decks, allowing them to destroy all opposition." She took in a deep breath.

"Where do they operate from?" he continued, raising an impatient brow.

"No one outside the sect knows the location of their headquarters...if the place exists," she answered. "They operate in the shadows."

"And who is their leader?"

"The R.H.," Benu answered, carefully masking the unease the name triggered. "Little is known about him, other than the fact that he founded The Rare Hunters." She paused then, before adding as an afterthought, "And there is a rumour through the grapevine that he is in possession of a powerful artefact, a golden rod that allows him to read and control the mind of anyone he so chooses." She cocked her head to the left. "You want the rod?"

Her master chuckled softly to himself. "As this will be the first time I have dealt with The Rare Hunters, I won't be greedy." He reclined into his office chair, dropping his head against his shoulders with a sharp sigh. "I want to know what I'm up against before I risk stealing a powerful artefact that may or may not exist."

"Then what is my mission, Sir?"

"I have learned from a reliable source that there is an extremely rare card The R.H. has his sights on, and I know its location. I want you to obtain this card before The R.H. does, and agree on a price for the card and a location at which to trade it with him at a later date."

Benu watched as her master's eyes dropped to his desk. She heard the roll of a drawer sliding open, then shut again with a dull thud. He placed a green folder upon his desk and slid it across the cherry wood surface towards her.

"Everything you need to know is in this folder."

Benu nodded, approaching the desk and scooping up the plastic folder. "I'll learn it word for word, Sir."

His eyes narrowed darkly on her. "I want five million dollars for it, or he can kiss the card goodbye."

"Five mill?" Benu queried, a cunning smirk slowly inching across her lips. "I'll make it ten."

Hope you enjoyed the prologue! Please review and let me know what you thought. :)