A TRAIN OF THOUGHTS
Elenion:I don't own anything that has to do with Yu-Gi-Oh. Once again, "Review Response Time":
AnimeFreakos- Thanks, that's a really great compliment. I'm running behind right now, but I'll be sure to read your stuff. Oh, and I agree with you- Bakura will win his fight...
CrimsonEyedAngel99- This was the first Ryou/Serenity fic you've read? Well, I'm glad that you read this then. I know that the couple isn't done very often...
Ryou-Lover-2- Sweet, yes, that's probably a nifty word to describe this fic. It's how I think that Serenity and Ryou work best together...
Thyrin- "All good", really? Wow. Thanks, that's a great compliment. I just love Ryou- he's such a cool character! I'm sorry to say that I'm not a big yaoi fan, though... It has to be done really well for me to like it, so it's just not really my thing, I guess...
Crickett- Thanks a million. It's always wonderful to hear that people like my writing. And, yes, Ryou/Serenity is hard to find... Almost impossible actually...
SilentAngel014- Thank you sooooo much for reviewing again!! I love it when people keep tabs on my writing.
Elenion: I love all of you guys who reviewed! You really inspire me to write more!! Even when my computer keeps deleting my stuff... grumble, grumble...
Here goes the third chapter... and can anyone tell me how I can get italics to work?
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CHAPTER 3: Struggles By Firelight
Joey looked up at the storm clouds above him as he sat on the train station bench next to Mai. He was feeling helpless and lost as he looked into the menacing black thunderheads as rain beat down upon the train station's roof. 'So dis is what my lil sis faced on dat train...'
The tall blonde teen glanced over at Mai. She had fallen asleep, and Joey couldn't blame her. They had been waiting for Serenity's train for six hours now with still no information as to whether the train was on its way or not.
Bored and worried, Joey gazed at Mai. 'She looks so pretty...' Joey shook his head. He couldn't let the blonde beauty distract him from his little sister. Serenity needed him.
A voice suddenly came cracking through the loudspeaker, causing the sleeping Mai to wake up with a start:
"Attention all patrons, the train station will close in 10 minutes. All those awaiting the arrival of 2:50 train, please leave your name, phone number, and the name of the passengers you are awaiting with the information booth. You will be contacted when the estimated arrival of the train is known. We apologize for these unforeseen delays. Thank you."
Mai rubbed her eyes and yawned. She glanced at her watch. "It's 8:50 already?"
"Yeah..." Joey's temper was boiling over again, "And dis stupid train station must close at 9:00." He banged his fist against the back of the bench causing Mai's eyes to widen.
"Joey, you really need to stop working yourself into a knot." Soothingly, she patted his arm.
The teen took a deep breath. "You're right, Mai, I gotta keep my cool." He ran his hand through his shaggy blonde hair absently.
"Joey, come on. We've got to give them your name."
Joey just sat looking at the train tracks. "My lil sis is out dere, somewheres..."
Internally, Mai felt sorry for the poor guy, but she wasn't about to show it. Instead of being understanding and tender, Mai grabbed Joey by the shoulders and shook him roughly. "Joey! Get on your feet this instant!"
The poor boy just looked at her as if he didn't really see her. "What if somethin' happened ta her and I wasn't dere?"
Gritting her teeth, Mai slapped some sense into him- literally. "JOSEPH WHEELER!!! Stop feeling sorry for yourself, and GET UP! You most certainly are NOT helping your sister by sitting here staring at the train tracks!!!!"
Joey touched his face where it was beginning to turn red. Mai felt a pang of guilt- afterall, he had good reason to be worried. But when Joey looked up, the fire was back in his eyes. "Okay den, Mai. Let's make ourselves useful."
At that moment, a voice came over the intercom again:
"The train station will close in 5 minutes. Please give your name and contact information to the information desk on your way out."
Now with renewed hope and self-esteem, Joey and Mai waited in line to give their names. There was a different teller than there had been previously. It was a woman this time of about 60. Her dusty gray hair was pulled back into a painfully tight looking bun. Her lips were permanently pursed as if she had eaten lemons every day of her life.
"Name please?" she asked in a tight voice as she peered at the two teens through her half-moon glasses.
"Joey Wheeler."
The lady looked at the girl next to him. "And you?"
"Mai Valentine... but you should really deal with Joey, not me."
The woman ignored Mai's last comment and, instead, typed those names into her computer database. "Mr. Wheeler, your phone number is...?"
"877-435-9056."
"Mm-hm." Her fingers flew across the keyboard as she kept asking questions and he gave answers. "And who are you waiting for?"
"Serenity Wheeler," he stated then thought of something, "and Ryou Bakura." He didn't really know if Bakura was on the same train as Serenity. They were coming back the same day- and neither had shown up, so it was safe to assume that they were in fact on the same train.
The woman nodded and pursed her lips even more. "Thank you, sir. We will contact you when we have more information." Geez, she sounded like a tape recording... "Have a nice day. NEXT!"
Joey shoved his hands in his pockets as both he and Mai walked to her snazzy little convertible. He sighed loudly thanking the covered walkway for breaking the wet onslaught.
Mai, who was rummaging through her purse for her keys, glanced at the good-looking guy. This wasn't the bull-headed Joey Wheeler she knew. It was almost as if she was looking at someone completely different, and- although she hated to admit it- it broke her heart to see him like this. Mentally, she slapped herself for caring so much. Since when had she thought so much about Joey Wheeler?
"I hope dey call soon..." Joey muttered, looking at his shoes as he walked.
"It's really not worth all this worry."
Joey paused, and looked back at the station, where the lights were going out one by one. "I guess so... but I just can't help thinkin' dat somewheres out dere my baby sista's in trouble."
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Bakura held Serenity closer as the foul murderer advanced upon him. Refusing to back up, the white-haired teen glared with a dangerous fire burning in his usually soft brown eyes. Now, the boy who had never intentionally hurt anyone in his life was inexplicably preparing himself to tare this raider to pieces.
A dragon-like fury was rushing through his veins as he watched the icy man approach. Bakura gritted his teeth as the man whistled lowly, waking up his companions.
The wiry black-haired man glared right back at Bakura expecting to see fear. He was greatly disappointed. Despite being outnumbered and unarmed, this boy stood clutching the ravishing girl with no trace of fear in his features. He switched his gaze to the small girl whose arms were clasped about the boy's neck. She really was a pretty thing...
Bakura felt his rage boil as the horrid man before him gazed at Serenity evilly. Those icy green eyes were watching her every move, making Bakura loath those eyes with an unrivaled passion.
The three other men assembled themselves behind their wiry leader. One looked like a troll, another like a weasel, and the third was stooped and crooked looking. The leader felt reassured in their numbers.
"Come on, boy. I don't have time for you. Just give up."
Bakura glared right into those icy green eyes without flinching. "You must feel awfully empowered when you have three other men to back you up, you coward."
The troll-like one growled deeply but remained silent.
The leader gritted his teeth. If there was one thing he hated, it was being called a coward. He decided not to answer the insolent British boy. "You can't win... but if you keep talking back to me like that, you're really gonna get it."
"Am I?" Bakura was positively burning.
Once more, the leader advanced upon his prey. His eyes flickered over the cinnamon-haired girl causing Bakura's eyes to narrow. "I'll make a deal with you, kid," the man crossed his arms across his chest arrogantly, "You give the girl to me, and you're free to go."
"NEVER!" Bakura practically spat.
This caught the man off guard a bit. He had expected this boy to want to be free... Who wouldn't? Quickly, he recovered his composure and looked into the boy's eyes again thinking that this mere teenager might be more difficult to deal with than he'd anticipated.
Bakura glared at the man, holding Serenity like a long-lost treasure.
The man observed his opponent silently, trying to understand the boy's motives. Why was he defending this girl? How was this one girl worth more to this boy than his own safety?
Smirking evilly, he walked to within an arm's length of the two teens. He could still win this staring contest. Without warning, the man's hand shot in an attempt to wrench Serenity from Bakura's grasp- but Bakura was braced for that. He jerked back and to the side, easily evading the man. Serenity gasped slightly, but she said nothing.
The green-eyed leader threw back his head and laughed insanely. This boy was feeding his fury with his emotions. To the cold-hearted leader, emotions were a deadly weakness. They did nothing but drag you down. He would like nothing more than to make this boy realize his grave mistake.
But the one thing that the leader didn't understand was that emotions were only a weakness to those who didn't understand them. What he saw as a weakness was in fact one of the most powerful inspirations imaginable.
"Breaking your spirit will be fun, boy..."
Bakura didn't grace that comment with an answer. Instead, still watching the icy-eyed leader, he lowered his mouth next to Serenity's ear and whispered, "Stay behind me, and the first chance you get- run."
Slightly startled, Serenity raised her head to look at him. About to protest, she shook her head, but she was interrupted before she could speak.
"Well, kid, what's this stalling for? If it's a fight you want, then let's fight."
Hearing the whip-like voice, Serenity tensed and pulled herself closer to Bakura's chest. She'd seen what gangs could do to people... Involuntarily, the petite girl shivered.
Bakura whispered to her again: "Please, Serenity... Run when you have the chance." He waited for a reluctant nod from the girl clutching his neck, before glaring at the raider with all his might. Everything seemed to happen in the space of a second:
As the leader lunged at the British teen, Bakura swiftly spun Serenity around so that she was safely behind him. The agile Bakura easily evaded the attack while making sure
Serenity was out of the way.
Surprised, the green-eyed leader hissed and rounded on Bakura again. This kid was fast- he had to remember that... The foul man grinned and ran his hand through his greasy black hair. The boy was trying to protect the girl at the same time, which was an impossible thing to do in an uneven fight.
Bakura waited, watching the man like a hawk. He saw the muscles tense... and, sure enough, the leader lunged once more. Nimbly, Bakura sidestepped. However, the raider continued his lunge past the white-haired teen, going for the girl this time. It was a cheap move, but since when had he fought fairly?
What the raider hadn't been anticipating was the strength of the teenage boy. Not only did the boy have more muscle than he thought, this kid was fast and his mind worked quicker than a mousetrap. Bakura had seen the intentions of the murderer immediately. Grabbing the back of the raider's jacket, Bakura yanked the man back. The leader yelled as he lost balance, and the so-far underestimated teen threw the stumbling leader into his three cronies.
Serenity stood with a look of horror on her face. This fight had really begun... She couldn't let Bakura be hurt... especially not for her sake... But what could she do?
Seeming to read her thoughts, Bakura turned to her and mouthed, "Go... now!"
The girl stared into the boy's flaming chocolate eyes feeling mesmerized and dumbfounded. Those eyes bottomless depths of pure beautiful brown, and Serenity felt as if she could swim in them forever and never feel unhappy. Little did she know how he was thinking the same of hers.
Why was he doing this? Gentle, sincere Ryou Bakura was defending her with his life. But then, she thought, I would defend any of my friends with my life...
No... she couldn't let him do this. "I can't!" she mouthed back. "What about you?"
Bakura was slightly stunned. Why did he deserve such concern from her? He wasn't worth it... "Please, love. Go!" Bakura glanced over his shoulder at the leader and his three companions, all of whom began to advance on him with sadistic grins casting evil shadows on their sharp features.
Tears were welling in Serenity's sparkling eyes. He would get hurt, and it would be all her fault... But a thought ran through her mind: 'I'm just making it worse by staying here. He can't concentrate on the men with me distracting him.'
Serenity breathed deeply, telling herself not to cry. What should she do? If she left, she would be deserting him, but if she stayed, she'd be hindering him. There were four men and only one Bakura...
Out of the blue, a noble thought ran into her mind: 'Maybe I can draw at least one of those men after me...'
Her eyes hardening with a resolve, she gazed at Bakura who turned back once more to look at the beautiful girl. No matter how unwillingly, she was moving towards the tunnel to the outside. Relief washed over the boy.
Their eyes met. Bakura spoke softly but Serenity heard, "I will find you, love."
Serenity's lip trembled slightly as the white-haired boy turned away to face the four attackers alone. It was an awe-inspiring picture: One pale-skinned, white-haired hero was facing four towering black demons. Due to the strange cavern lighting, it appeared as if a silvery aura was surrounding Bakura, making Serenity's heart flutter slightly.
Millions of awful "what if" questions were flying past her mind so fast that she was becoming dizzy.
Worriedly, Serenity moved towards the door, scared that none of the men would follow her out. She had to help Bakura, and this was the only way that she could think to do that at the moment. Breathing rapidly, Serenity made her gestures larger, miserably hoping that they'd notice. And- there!
Weasel-face was glaring at her. He was standing apart from the other three men, and he was watching her every move. Smirking, he ran a hand through his mussed up dirty blonde hair.
'Please, follow me... Please get away from Bakura...' Serenity thought desperately.
Then, he took a step towards her. And another. And another.
Not wanting to lose him, Serenity slowly backed up through the tunnel entrance. Every second seemed a millennium. Finally, the walls of the tunnel appeared around her... With the weasly man still advancing on the seemingly helpless girl, Serenity turned and fled through the tunnel.
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Embarrassed from being thrown around by a mere teenager, the leader drew a switchblade and glared at the boy menacingly. This didn't faze Bakura one bit. These demons were trying to hurt his angel... Nothing would stand in the way of his fury.
"Feeling protective, are we?" the leader smiled, allowing the grim blade to shine in the flickering firelight.
Bakura's insides seethed.
"You should realize, boy, that nothing- and I mean nothing- ever gets in my way." The leader took a step forward, which his companions repeated. He was being cocky now, feeling as though he would wear the snowy-haired boy down soon. So the girl had gotten away- she wouldn't be that difficult to track down.
Silently, the leader made a gesture to his comrades.
Bakura almost laughed. He wasn't stupid... The gesture was so blatantly obvious in its meaning that a complete moron could probably have guessed it- Circle him.
Well, he'd let them carry out their plan. No matter what it required from him, he wouldn't let them even think about going after Serenity.
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Serenity's breath was coming fast now. As quickly as she could, she was scampering through the tunnel.
The footsteps of the weasly man were easily heard echoing not all that far behind her. There was very little time to think, let alone get her bearings. No matter how she looked at it, she had overlooked where she would run to exactly... but now, her only concern was getting the man as far away from Bakura as she could.
Turning a corner, Serenity saw the steady sheet of water, which signaled the waterfall at the end of the tunnel. There was no daylight visible outside, signaling that the two of them had spent a good slice of the afternoon in the cave. And the rain was still pouring...
She was small and agile, but Serenity knew she couldn't keep going like this... especially after the special circumstances of the past two days. Her muscles were aching and protested the long strides she took toward the fresh air. No, she'd have to face the man somehow...
Choking back a miserable sob, Serenity skidded to an abrupt halt and whirled to face her oncoming attacker.
The weasel-faced man's eyes widened in slight shock, and he attempted to stop... but he was too bulky and uncoordinated. With one slight push from the doll-like girl, he was sent flying. His dark eyes widened even more as he saw the ground rise to meet his face...
Serenity looked with slight horror at the man lying on the rock surface. Weasel-face groaned and his hands clutched either side of his head. Lifting his evil head, the dark eyes glared at the small girl. There was tangy taste in his mouth... He spit a bit of blood out before hissing, "You'll pay dearly for that insult, little girl."
A pang of guilt ran through Serenity's mind. She had hurt him- made him bleed even, but she adamantly reminded herself that she was defending herself and helping Bakura from this horrible murderer. The man had deserved what he got.
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Bakura's attackers had surrounded him in a triangle formation. The switchblade was still gleaming an evil shade of red in the flickering firelight.
The tension hanging upon the silent air was so thick that it seemed as if it could be sliced with a knife. To the man, it was a silent surrender by Bakura, but to Bakura- it was the calm before the storm.
"Have you given up, yet?" The troll-like man sneered in his deep voice. However, he couldn't keep a slight tremor out of his voice. Afterall, this boy had managed to throw their leader halfway across the cavern. The kid wasn't the bulkiest one they'd ever come across, but he had muscle nonetheless.
Bakura wasn't interested in taunts. That had never been part of his style. Instead, he waited for something to happen... The tension was making the crooked man sweat.
It snapped.
The green-eyed leader leapt at Bakura, raising his blade to strike. His two cronies leapt at the teen as well with their fists at the ready. But Bakura was prepared... The troll and crooked man were coming from behind him.
Bakura threw himself on the floor, grunting slightly as the troll clumsily tripped over him. The leader tried to stop... but he was too late, and the blade slashed the troll-like raider across the face from ear to ear. There was a telltale yell from the troll, who reacted as he always had- he socked the icy leader right in the left eye.
On the rock floor, Bakura seized the legs of the crooked man- sending him toppling into the black-haired leader. They both fell to the floor with a loud thud.
Wiry as always, the leader pushed the crooked man off him, slashing the man across the chest in the process. He felt no remorse. He cared for his comrades less than he cared for a piece of dirt on his shirtsleeve.
Now enraged, the leader struggled to sit up. He was slightly dazed, his left eye was tearing, but he still clutched the switchblade tightly. His head swung about searching for the boy who had twice thrown him on his back. The leader felt shamed- he had been outwitted by an emotional teen-aged boy. His pride was hurt, and his pride meant more to him than any person in the world...
None of his men remained standing. What an embarrassment.
The leader cursed the moment he'd laid eyes on that boy... What would make that insolent boy hurt more than anything? ... The girl! His eyes swept over the tunnel entrance... Yes, he'd find her, and he'd make that emotional boy pay dearly...
With a triumphant cry, the leader sprung to his feet towards the tunnel entrance. He didn't see the flaming-eyed white-haired boy behind him- or at least, not until the boy had grabbed the man by the shoulders and thrown him against the rocky wall.
Faces inches apart, the two struggled- the leader still plastered against the wall by a teen-aged boy who was a few inches shorter than he. Their eyes locked, and for the first time, the leader felt a chilly true fear tickling his spine. He fought like a cornered rat now, trying desperately to bring his blade close to Bakura's face.
It was a predictable move, and Bakura was prepared. With a swift motion, he grasped the wiry man's wrist and smashed it against the wall. He repeated the same motion twice before the switchblade was sent skittering over the cavern floor.
All the blood drained out of the man's face. Now that his unfair advantage was gone, the coward in the man came out of hiding.
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Serenity watched the weasly man warily as he rose to his feet, picking something off the ground as he did so. He might be clumsy, but he was still a cold-hearted killer.
The two stood and stared at each other without making a move. It seemed weasel-face was sizing her up... and judging by the smirk on his face, he thought she'd be a pushover.
With a cry, the weasel leapt at her. Serenity dodged and circled back around, but something hard hit her in the stomach and she dropped to her knees trying to regain her breath. Little white dots were dancing before her eyes.
The weasly man's eyes shown evilly. Yes, it had been a cheap shot... He'd hit her with a lead pipe he'd found when she'd knocked him over. She was helpless now... There'd be no brownie points for good looks either.
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With all the strength he could muster, the wiry black-haired man pushed against the teen pinning him to the wall. In a shower of small stones, the two were sent rolling across the room.
The leader looked around desperately... His switchblade, where was it?
"Are you looking for this?"
The leader froze and turned his head slightly to see the white-haired boy back on his feet and already holding the blade. Swallowing, the green-eyed man gave no answer. His face spoke louder than any words. His mind wasn't working right... There was no way this mere boy could have beaten all four of them without getting even shaken up. What was fueling this kid? He should have been weak, afterall; he let his heart rule him...
Suddenly, the wicked mind of the raider remembered his last resort. Shielding his actions from the boy's gaze, his hands went straight for his leather boot, and from it, he drew a fair-sized knife. Silently, he weighed the weapon in his hands. He'd never actually needed to use it before now.
Once again, he surveyed the damage the boy had done... There was the crooked man, lying on his back- probably unconscious- with blood flowing from the switchblade's piercing slice across his chest. Not far from him was the troll-like man, cradling his bloody face as he moaned bitterly.
It then hit the green-eyed criminal... The wounds of his companions had been inflicted by him and not by the boy. He was amazed, but he felt no feeling. He could always find better men...
But Yai was missing... Where was that weasely man?
Bakura watched a grin appear on the face of the foul man. It could be some type of bluff... but Bakura didn't care. That man could not- and would not- get through the tunnel entrance.
It was at that moment that the man leapt at Bakura again, the secret knife blade flashing in the firelight. Seeing the unexpected metal glint, the teen swerved to the right, but he wasn't that lucky. A hiss escaped his lips as the blade sliced through his plaid jacket and over his biceps. There was already a crimson stain appearing around the tare in his jacket.
The blade swung around again, but this time there was no element of surprise. Bakura parried with the switchblade. The two were caught now in another staring contest, as their blades were locked before them.
The cut on Bakura's forehead from the train wreck had reopened, and red was trickling down his face and into his eye. A few locks of his snowy hair were tinted crimson. Everything seemed to throb, but the fire inside him made him keep going... It was the starry depths of Serenity's eyes that he saw so clearly in his mind that fueled the white-haired teen.
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Yai advanced on the gasping girl kneeling on the cold tunnel floor clutching her aching stomach. He shifted his grip on the heavy lead pipe, and smirked horribly. This game of cat and mouse was sending a thrill through him. With his free hand, he brushed his shaggy dirty blonde hair out of his eyes. There was still blood in his mouth from his fall, but he no longer cared.
Even gasping for air, she still looked like an angel...
Serenity tried to inhale, but such a simple function seemed impossible at the moment- not to mention her abdomen was sending piercing shockwaves through her body. Everything was whirling. Her brown eyes swam in and out of focus as she attempted to look at the weasely man who had attacked her. He was stepping towards her now, and she suddenly felt frightened.
Now he was only two feet from her.
Air was starting to flow through her mind again. Her vision was clearing... Without a thought, Serenity leapt to her feet with a catlike motion. Silently, the auburn-haired girl retreated back a few paces, breathing deeply.
Yai laughed at her graceful movements. "It's just you and me, isn't it?" He hefted the lead pipe menacingly, not showing the surprise that she'd managed to recover so rapidly from a blow like that. She might be an angel, but she sure was a feisty one...
He advanced on her again, trying to get her against a wall. A dark chuckle came up from his throat. "Where did you learn to be so much like a cat?"
Something clicked in Serenity's mind. That name he had just used was so like the one her father had given her. Kitten. Suddenly, to Serenity, it wasn't the raider Yai towering before her... but a man from her memory- her father.
Her eyes filled with rage. "I told you to never come back."
Confused, the weasely man's eyes widened significantly. What did she mean?
"You don't scare me anymore... All you ever told me was lies. People do care about me, and they do fight for what they believe in. Bakura showed me what I needed most in my life."
He looked over his shoulder hastily to see if she was addressing someone behind him. There was no one there.
Seemingly out of nowhere, her right hand scratched the weasley man across the face, causing him to yell and step back. Yai was so startled by the girl that he stood dumbfounded before her as she went on.
"And now I will take a chance, because I learned that it's the soul that's afraid of dying that never really lives."
In her mind, Serenity's father faltered his advance and clutched his face where she had scratched him. The image vanished as a voice that was not her father's answered her:
"I don't know what you're talking about, little girl, but you'll really pay for that cat-scratch."
Serenity gasped as she saw her father's face morph into that of the weasely man. Tears sprung to her eyes as she fought down the panic and fury inside. She made a brave face as the evil man sprung at her- lead pipe in hand.
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There didn't seem to be an escape from the lock of their blades. Bakura hissed as his tensed muscles made blood stream from his slashed arm.
Neither would break.
The British teen would have liked nothing more than to wipe the foul grin off the icy man's face.
Seeming to read his mind, the green-eyed man laughed and growled, "I bet you want to know what I have to smile about..." He paused, but Bakura merely gritted his teeth. The raider continued, "I know your weakness, kid. That girl..."
Bakura's eyes flared once more at the mention of the Serenity by such a demonic murderer, but he said nothing.
"Yes, you know... the young beauty." The leader paused here to smile, "Your heart will be your downfall, boy. With people like you, it always is..."
"Keep to the point." Bakura snapped, hating this man even more for the taunting.
The icy man ignored him, and he gave Bakura a look of mock sorrow. "Pity, really. You tried ever so hard to save her, and now all that was such a waste."
Bakura had never felt like this in his life. He was enraged to the point of positively exploding. He had no idea what this liar was talking about.
Throwing back his greasy head and laughing, the green-eyed leader kept taunting the boy. "Even though I wasn't the one to find her, rest assured it will be me that makes her suffer... right before I slit your throat."
Bakura's hand tightened on the switchblade. It wasn't concern for himself, as one might think. In fact, the teen had stopped listening to the man's voice after he had mentioned Serenity and suffering in the same sentence. He thought: 'That will never happen...'
The sadistic man chuckled again. "You see, boy, there were four of us in this cavern when you first came in..." His voice became hushed, "And there are only three of us left."
The sudden wave of fury that surged through Bakura could have moved mountains and crushed them to shapes the size of butterflies. His arms surged forward, sending the leader toppling to the floor only inches from the crackling fire. With a pained cry, his knife flew from his hands.
Bakura had never really hurt anyone before, but now was different.
As the leader made a wild grab for his knife, Bakura kicked the flames. Sparks flew into the evil yellowish green eyes. Now blinded, the man was afraid for his life. This boy was unbeatable... He seemed to possess a godlike power that could extinguish his life in the blink of an eye.
The greasy raider whimpered as he was picked up by the collar of his jacket. It hurt to open his eyes, but he could dimly see the pale face, snowy hair, and brown eyes.
Bakura glared into the dazed green eyes. "I will not kill you, but you will have to live with the knowledge that you have been beaten at your own game." He let the man flop onto the rocky floor, and he tossed the switchblade into the flames, cursing the man who had invented them. "And if you ever threaten my light in the dark again..." He let the words trail off as there was no need to finish.
A new burst of adrenaline came to Bakura as he thought once more of the reason he was fighting... Serenity needed him. He was sprinting through the tunnel as fast as he could, but he couldn't stop his heart from pounding as he heard a cold laugh from farther down the tunnel.
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Serenity leapt out of the way once more, but her stomach still ached. Letting out a cry, she held back her tears and tried to scamper to the other side of the tunnel. The lead pipe connected with the side of her head, sending the petite girl sprawling like a rag doll.
Roughly, she was picked up by the back of her blue jacket. She was now looking into the weasley face that threatened to kill her. He was speaking, although her head was reeling from the force of the weapon on her head.
"So, little girl, you thought there was hope for you and albino boy to escape? Well, the boss'll tare him to pieces... and you..."
'No! Not Bakura!' Serenity's mind shrieked.
The man ran his slimy fingers through her long auburn hair, but he was stopped when Serenity slammed the heel of her foot into his shin. He cried and let her drop to the floor.
Without even thinking, she kicked the lead pipe out of his hand and down the tunnel. He wouldn't get another cheap shot like those if she could help it. She'd learned a few things living with a father like the one that she'd had.
In the midst of attempting to rise to her feet, Serenity was grabbed cruelly by her hair and thrown against the tunnel wall. Her hands were both pinned by his, and she was forced to stare at his weasel-like face. She struggled, and tried to kick him... but he was too close. His breath was hot on her face, and she spit right at his eyes.
The evil man through back his head and laughed coldly. "Who do you think would possibly help you now? It would have to be a miracle or a god..."
There was a sharp whistle.
Yai's head swiveled to look- right in time to see a lead pipe coming straight for his head. It made contact, and he slumped onto the ground.
"BAKURA!" Serenity gracefully leapt over the unconscious body and into open arms. She was engulfed with the boy's sweet scent, and she curled her arms about his neck.
"Serenity..." Bakura cooed her name softly, his fury leaving him swiftly and being replaced by a beautiful relief. "I told you I'd find you." He buried his face in her cinnamon hair. The ache seemed to leave his body, and the world stood still as his strong arms encircled the small girl. He had her back- that was all that mattered- and he forgot everything around them.
Their hearts were both pounding. Serenity looked deep into Bakura's eyes as if she was searching his very soul. "Did I ever tell you that you're my hero, Bakura?" She smiled, and waves of happiness exploded in her starry eyes.
Bakura smiled back, but his head snapped up as the moment was broken when the man at their feet groaned loudly. "We have to leave."
He grabbed Serenity's hand and the two of them practically flew out of the tunnel to face the rain.
The ground was slippery and their vision was limited, but the red smears were being washed out of Bakura's hair and off his face- for that he was thankful. The couple sprinted through the valley, wary of every movement of the shadows. They were both soaked in no time, but neither seemed to notice. Something that had left them had returned in full measure now that they were together again.
Serenity bit her tongue to keep herself from crying out at the pain in her abdomen. She refused to make Bakura stop and worry more about her. She stumbled, and she gasped as she nearly fell on her face. But the impact never came.
Just in time, Bakura swept the petite girl into his arms easily and continued running. They were now not only racing the weather- they were running for their lives.
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Elenion: Ahem. Well, I'd really really really appreciate comments and criticism and all that jazz. I'd like to know how it's progressing. I'm already part-way done with Chapter 4, so expect it up soon! Ciao!