Tough Boy

I've been in a state of RAAAAEG and stress for a while, and I haven't been able to fix it using my normal methods, so I decided to try and channel it into something productive - aka, writing. More specifically though, blasting the stereotype that's clung stubbornly to Ryou Bakura for years: that he's 'weak', that he's an 'innocent angel', that he must be protected.

In other words, while I love reviews and constructive criticism, telling me that you think Ryou is OOC is a bit pointless (especially if you're working from TAS-Ryou). Of course, if you still really want to, go right ahead ~

Notes: I'll be following the dialogue of the dub anime for part of this. Also, thanks Joker for looking over this!

Warning: VIOLENCE. Please tell me if you think this should have an M rating instead of a T rating.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, or the line from Umineko no naku koro ni that I lovingly ripped off. However, I plan on collecting those cute little YGO figures they're coming out with, and that's a good enough replacement for now!

Lesser People Would Have Starved

He had been expecting them to come, eventually. Sure, it would've been nice to see them when he first woke up in the rubble at the base of Alcatraz, where he had to shake his hair free of dust and spit dirty pebbles out of his mouth.

It would have even been nice to hear them calling his name as they rushed past the room he had holed himself up in, at least alongside of Mai's, if not instead. Not that he would have answered them, as he had dedicated the last hour to figuring out exactly how much he could stuff into his sad, shrunken stomach until it shut down in protest. But he would have appreciated it.

Ryou was glad he didn't expect that much. It made it a lot easier to not feel guilty even a little bit when a hungry-looking Jounouchi opened the door with everyone else in tow.

"Sorry guys, but I'm afraid the doughnuts are gone!" And the cheese. And the crackers. And the meat. And the leftover caviar. And maaaaybe the last bit of white wine.

"Hey, Bakura! You're back!"

No shit, Sherlock. But he felt his heart just a little, because they had still been looking for him, and that was all that mattered -

"But what are you doing in here raiding the refrigerator?"

Oh, that figured. They hadn't been looking for him, but had found him by chance. It was the food they wanted. Well, that was just too bad. He could not remember a time where he had bitten into a banana with so much spite in his life.

... They were waiting for him to answer Jounouchi, weren't they? Well, Ryou supposed they were probably the reason he was back - or at least, the other Yugi was.

"I was gone a long time..."

Ryou stopped for a moment. Because it had been a long time, at least to him. A long time that didn't seem like it was going to end. And had it really ended just over an hour ago? Was that even possible? Could he... still be there, now?

He didn't mean to do it. But for just a moment, his eyes glazed over...

-o-O-o-O-o-

Ryou was glad he had not left his apartment key home this morning - though he certainly wondered whether it would still work when he returned home later.

If he returned home later.

No. When! Ryou thought viciously. He tightened the grip on his key, holding it so it stuck out from the crack between his curled index finger and his thumb, and swung his arm in a large arc, catching the Ryu-Kishin in the neck just before its claws could reach his face. He winced as they cut along his collarbone, taking bits of his favourite shirt dotted with red with it.

Ryou gasped, winded. The stench didn't bother him anymore - it hadn't since the body count had passed a dozen. After getting a nasty gash across his torso, he had learned not to let it bother him.

Did he have time to check if it was dead?

He grabbed it by the neck, ignoring the gushing warmth against his hand - but then lifted it in one quick motion, barely parrying the stab of Doma the Angel of Silence. She sneered but looked frustrated, trying to pull out the spear that had been lodged in the corpse's skull.

Ryou swore. He hoped desperately that when he came back, everything that had gone there with him would magically be restored. And then with his free hand, he snapped off his belt.

There was a high-pitched shriek behind him, startling the monster. She hadn't realized that stronger monsters had already honed in on the human energy Ryou was exuding. Unfortunately for her, Ryou had seen the Curse of Dragon from a distance. He let out a shout and pushed her off-balance, and with a loud snap!, had wrapped the belt around her neck.

He had to do it quickly. He had no other choice. Ryou stared at the she-monster, and the vision changed in front of his eyes. All it took was narrowed eyes and a manic smile. He twisted the belt and pulled as hard as he could until he could feel the break, and Doma went limp.

But even now, he had no rest. He had managed to fight off even the four-star monsters... but now a level 5 monster was coming. And it was moving fast, leaving a trail of hell-fire in its wake.

Ryou wasn't going to die here, though. He tore the shredded shirt off, wincing but ignoring the pieces of skin that hung onto it, and wrapped it around his hand. Then he steadied the demon's corpse with his foot on its neck, used his covered hand to grip the head of the spear, and yanked it out of the skull.

He glanced up quickly. The dragon was only about a 100 feet away. Its red eyes smoldered in the darkness, brighter than the white-hot fire that left its mouth. It shrieked again, almost as if daring him to fight back.

But Ryou would not yield.

"... I am Ryou Bakura," he murmured, throwing away his bloodied shirt and gripping the spear with both hands. "And I am here to push it to the limit."

The dragon was fierce and confident in its power. A single beat of its powerful wings had driven back many of the creatures that were battling to reach this little human, who foolishly believed it had a chance. Was there any question in what this outcome would be?

It dived, letting out a terrifying sound that would have had a normal human cover his ears in terror.

But Ryou was ready. He watched its trajectory for a second, leaped, and roared.

Because he had seen death. Ryou would not let the fear of death rule over him!

"I'll show you how lukewarm the hell you came from is!"

-o-O-o-O-o-

And he was back. Only a heartbeat had passed.

Ryou swallowed the unwelcome taste that had come back to his mouth. Yes, the muscle on the Curse of Dragon was tough, chewy, and frankly, disgusting, but there had been no other options - he had nothing to keep the last bit of its flame burning in time for something bulkier to challenge him. And it had fit wonderfully on Doma's spear...

Should he, maybe... But would they even believe him...?

Ryou turned back to Jounouchi, whose eyebrow had arched slightly at the hesitation, and flashed him an innocent smile.

"- and there's not much to eat in the shadow realm!"

(I forgot what serious assholes Yugi-tachi was to Ryou in the dub! D:)

The full quote, ""Just try laying one finger on Maria in front of me. I'll show you how lukewarm the hell you came from is!" is from Umineko no naku koro ni, spoken by Rosa Ushiromiya. ... I just really wanted to use it at least once. XD

I've been considering making a series of one-shots around the concept 'Tough Boy'. Can I get a 'yay' or 'nay' from reviewers?

(I just realized this is my first published fic (well on this account, anyway) for over a year and a half. Wow. I feel like I should be more shocked about this than I actually am. With great RAAAEG comes great responsibility!)

(Also, advertising - we're accepting sign-up for contestants for the Season 9 of the Yu-Gi-Oh! Fanfiction Contest. PM me for details ~)