A/N: For those who may be wondering, Umbrae-pronounced OOM-BRY-is Latin for "shadow." A perfect fit for this very nasty, extremely dangerous and nuttier than a roomful of fruitcakes character!

As promised, Phoenix has been made to pay for Miles' supposed "sins" and has been badly beaten. Now, Miles has to make a choice: do they still try to put their rescue plan into action or should they abandon it, knowing full well that Phoenix's life is on the line?

At long, long last, chapter 6! I do apologize for taking so long to get this chapter out! (Second Revised version.) Quite a pickle they're both in, isn't it? It gives ME chills and I'm the one who's writing the story! Those poor boys... things look really bleak right now. Poor Phoenix and Miles... :( Things will get better eventually, I promise! :)

Thank you to all my readers (and to Stranger-danger for your wonderfully insightful and in-depth commentary! Thank you!) for reading, reviewing, favouriting, story alerting, favourite author/author alerting and commenting! :) I appreciate it very much!

Thank you to my beta, Midnight-hunter, for her comments, insights and critique! You ROCK! :D

A BIG special Thank you goes out to my wonderful husband for helping me resolve some plot points and for his suggestions and critique in the Phoenix scene! MUCH APPRECIATED!!! Love you!

As always, comments and suggestions are welcomed and very much appreciated! I hope you enjoy this long overdue chapter!

Teen, male/male relationships, Suspense/Romance, Phoenix & Edgeworth

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I was sitting at my desk and the others were chattering away when the call came through on my cell phone. I let it ring a few times before I decided to pick up, my brow creased in annoyance.

Who could be calling me on my cell phone? I wondered, looking at the phone with distaste. I was waiting for another phone call from Kaine and didn't want to be interrupted by any other incoming call. As the phone continued to ring, I sighed loudly as it became quite apparent to me that ignoring it wasn't going to work. I suppose I might as well answer it; whoever is calling, it's clear they won't stop until I've picked up. I don't want it ringing all day.

Distracted and with my mind a million miles away, I flipped it open casually, as I'd done a thousand or more times before, never thinking twice about it. This time, however, my eyes widened at the picture I was looking at... and a strangled, horrified moan was torn from my throat as the full horror of what I was seeing on the screen sank in, my shocked eyes confirming it all too clearly.

The cell phone dropped from my nerveless, shaking hands, landing on the top of my desk with a loud clatter and visibly startling Maya, Ema and Gumshoe who were clustered around me. They looked at me inquiringly but their questions seemed to die on their lips after taking one look at my pale face, realizing in an instant that something was terribly wrong.

I could see their eyes flickering over to my cell phone, lying open on top of my desk, seeking to discover what the cause of my distress was. My throat was so tight that I couldn't get any words out and merely pointed, with a trembling finger, to the picture that was on the screen. They leaned forward as one, gasping in horror at what they saw, the color draining from their faces, leaving their skin a sickly, pasty white.

On the screen was a picture of Phoenix, bloodied and battered, lying in a pool of blood that spread out underneath him on the ground. His clothing was torn and in disarray with dark, purplish-yellow bruises on his face and on other parts of his body that weren't covered. He had a particularly nasty gash on his face that appeared to have bled heavily, small beads of dried blood gracing his cheek underneath the ragged, gaping wound, a wide strip of dark crimson going down the side of his face. I tried not to look too closely at it since I was beginning to feel sick. And, underneath, this chilling caption: "You were warned..."

I turned away, unable to bear looking at it any longer, my heart sore and bleeding while the shocked faces of Maya, Ema and Gumshoe were visible in my peripheral vision, a soft, sobbing sound coming from one of the girls although I couldn't see which, the other two trying to comfort her. It was small comfort, though it did give me some, just the same, that they were as upset as I was.

My throat tightened and a low moan was torn from me as Kaine's parting words came back forcefully into my mind: "I would advise you not to contact anyone for help in this game or I promise you Mr. Wright will pay dearly for it." He'd kept his word, as I knew he would. The burning question of the hour was this: How did he find out about our plan?!

Clearly, something had gone drastically wrong and I wasn't sure exactly what or even how it possibly could have. It had only been decided twenty minutes ago and, even if it hadn't been but had been concluded earlier, I still trusted that Gumshoe, Maya and Ema would keep it to themselves so it was obvious that they weren't the source of the leak. Armed with these facts, I wondered how Kaine had managed to get wind of our plans.

I couldn't make head or tail of it; it didn't make any sense. My thoughts tumbled over one another as I sat numbly there at my desk, my hands trembling, my heart sick. Somehow, and I didn't know how, he had found out what we were going to do to rescue Phoenix.

My fingers dug deeply into my hair, grabbing a handful and pulling so hard that tears welled up in my eyes. How?! How the hell did that man find out?! I know he's not omnipotent! I bit my lip as I tried to think of a way that Kaine had discovered the plan that we had formulated.

A few moments more of agonized thinking and it was at that moment that I remembered that curious incident that had happened earlier today when I thought that I had seen a shadow lurking near my office door. I turned it over in my mind, mulling it over for a few moments when, like a bolt from the blue, I had the answer.

He has an accomplice. That... monster... has an accomplice.

My heart stood still. Oh, god... that's it! That's it... it's the only answer there possibly could be and the only answer that makes any sense! He's got someone working with him!

I slowly lifted my head, my eyes wide, my face white as the implication sank in with dreadful certainty. Kaine had to have a cohort, someone who could be where Kaine wanted to be but wasn't at any given moment.

That was how he knew what I was doing: he had someone else watching me! I froze. If he has someone watching me, then... that means... An agonized groan was torn from deep within my throat as I realized now that, by my complete underestimation of just how deviously clever my foe was.

I had, in essence, unwittingly served up Phoenix to Kaine on a silver platter... which was exactly what he wanted. I could only watch and wait, hoping that they wouldn't kill him although, as the picture on the cell phone so chillingly proved, even this seemed too much to hope for.

All I could do was wait.

And hope.

XXXXXXXXXXX

I screamed in agony as I was unceremoniously dropped to the ground, curling up into a ball when I felt a sharp kick to my side, my brain exploding with excruciating pain. I pressed my trembling fingers against my face as I tried to make myself as small as I possibly could, preoccupied with protecting my head from the blows and kicks that rained down upon me from all sides.

Loud, evil laughter rang out all around me as the two shapes kicked and hit me; I spat blood out of my mouth after a particularly nasty punch split the right-hand corner of my mouth and grunted in pain when a booted foot connected with my solar plexus, momentarily knocking the wind out of me. As I writhed on the ground, desperately trying to breathe, I had no way to shield myself from the repeated kicks and blows that were now increasing in number and violence. I could hear snatches of hissed, venomous words spat out at me as the blows pummeled my body and I wondered what I had done to earn such hatred from two people I didn't even know.

That they hated me was very clear; the reason why was not.

I really didn't have much time to think or even to formulate some kind of hypothesis because I was having a very difficult time trying to stay conscious as the two men seemed to have gone into a blind rage, kicking me and cursing me at the same time.

I caught snippets of words in between the blows: "This is payback for all those years of pain that Miles Edgeworth put me through... and for my brother..." "You deserve everything you're getting, Mr. Wright; you are the payment for the crimes of Mr. Edgeworth..." "I'd much rather have Mr. Edgeworth himself here but you'll do for the present..." "My knife... my beautiful, beautiful knife was so sharp and it cut you so wonderfully... it's such a sweet, sweet feeling..." "Umbrae... Mmmmm... Ahhh, yes...that's it, my precious little shadow... " "Kaine, the blood... it's ...so... beautiful... so wonderfully rose red... I must... I... must..."

I wondered once again exactly what it was that I had done to these people that made them want to hurt me in order to get back at someone called "Mr. Edgeworth." It didn't make any sense: who was this Mr. Edgeworth and how was I connected to him? The large man had been saying this from the moment I was imprisoned here and I was no closer to an answer now than I was when this all began. I hated it when I didn't have an answer to this particular question and I hated shadowy loose ends in particular.

Another particularly nasty kick to my solar plexus made me gasp, curling up into a fetal position, my pain-racked body contorting on the ground, desperately trying to breathe while trying to avoid the next blow but I couldn't move quickly enough or in time to avoid it and it landed with terrific force on some other part of my body. I groaned in pain as one of my captors scored a nasty blow on my kidneys and, as I twitched and twisted, another blow sent a burst of pain through my head, snapping my head back violently to the left, splitting my lip.

I thought I could hear someone screaming and I wasn't sure who that was since my own mouth was too swollen to even open. I was confused; as far as I knew, there wasn't anyone down here except for myself and my two captors.

Who could that be? I wondered, blood dribbling from the left corner of my mouth as I tried to take a breath but couldn't seem to get any air into my burning lungs. There isn't anyone... save for the three of us... here... Who could it be that is... screaming down here in the dark...?

I didn't have long to wonder since the bigger shadow gave me a particularly vicious kick to the side of my head that snapped my head violently to the right, stars dancing before my eyes. My head swam, dots and flashes of light dancing before my line of vision, making everything fuzzy and out of focus.

My shaking hands tried to come up to wipe the blood off of my face that was coming from a cut over my left temple but I found I had trouble doing so and even lifting my hand was becoming a problem. My eyes refused to focus and I was having trouble thinking clearly, my body jerking and twitching as if it were a marionette being pulled crazily on its strings by a demented puppet master. I somehow managed to roll over and I began to lift myself up slowly from my prone position until I managed to get up onto my knees when I felt a forceful kick land directly in my ribs. I fell hard face first onto the ground, gasping in excruciating torment as my shaking fingers dug into the hard dirt underneath me, my cheek scraping across the hard packed ground and re-opening old wounds that bled freely, making fresh ones in unmarked skin.

My body contorted violently, pitching one way and then another as I struggled to breathe, my mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water, trying to get some air into my lungs; I ended up coughing and gagging instead, spitting up another mouthful of blood. I could dimly hear my captors giggling and taunting close by, belatedly wondering exactly what it was that they found so amusing.

I tried to drag my tortured body back into the shadow as far as my manacles would allow me but I gasped as I felt steel-like fingers dig into my hair, roughly pulling my head back until I was looking blearily at a handsome, though distorted, face twisted with unholy glee, emerald-green eyes glinting dangerously as he knelt down on one knee, drawing me over backwards until I was staring straight up into those glittering eyes. I could just barely, thanks to the blood that had already dried to a crusty texture on my face and eyes from a deep gash in my forehead earlier, make the outline of a larger man hovering near the edge of my peripheral vision, his face a twisted mask of rage, his large hands twitching. I couldn't help but think of those hands wrapping around my throat.

With a muffled moan of terror torn from me and my eyes rolling, I tried to free myself from his grasp but I couldn't, the man's fingers tightening on my hair, tears of pain welling up in my eyes. He stared down into my face, his nose mere inches away from mine, a savage smile spreading across his face. In the perpetual gloom in my prison, it made him look like a demented clown, his piercing gaze boring right through me.

I could see his lips moving and I was struggling to focus on what he was saying although it was becoming more and more difficult to do so; everything was fuzzy and out of focus.

"Mr. Wright," he said slowly, carefully enunciating his words with venom and menace, "do you understand the reason why you're being held here?" He shook the hand that was holding my hair, sending a fresh wave of pain through me.

I swallowed hard, a moan emerging from my throat, my eyes wild with fear and, though I opened my mouth to answer him, I found that I couldn't speak. All I could do was stare dumbly at him, fear washing over me like a tidal wave, tortured gasps bubbling from my bloody lips. It seemed to amuse him, if the glinting of those bright, piercing eyes were any indication, and then bent his head, leaning down until his lips were an inch away from my ear.

"You're the sacrificial lamb, Mr. Wright..." he said in a soft, giggling voice that sounded like the joy a demented child might feel who had just been given a butcher knife for his twisted amusement. He squeezed his hand hard, giving it a little shake with the twist of his wrist and I bit my lip hard to keep from screaming. "We can't get to Mr. Edgeworth..." He paused, sighing with genuine regret. "...yet, unfortunately. He's too well connected for us to take on openly but you... you are the perfect target, the perfect substitute."

He chortled maniacally, the harsh, barking sound sending chills running down my back while eyes fluttered as I struggled to stay conscious and focus on the conversation. "He'll do anything we want in order to keep you safe; ergo, you're the perfect bargaining chip, the trump card in our deck, if you will."

The smaller of the two shadows, the one called Umbrae, leaned his face closer to mine, brushing the tip of his nose over the torn and bleeding skin of my face tenderly, his tongue slowly scraping over the freshly bleeding wounds, moaning in pleasure as he tasted my blood. I shuddered in fear and disgust, trying to pull my face away but he held me fast and I was forced to endure his unwanted caresses, my stomach twisting into knots.

"Now, now, my pretty," he crooned softly, the smoothness of his voice holding a steel note of warning, "you've already made us punish you once... You don't want us to punish you again, do you, Mr. Wright?"

I slowly shook my head from side to side, a spasm passing over his face, leaving it hard and implacable as granite. I moaned in terror, realizing just how much trouble I was in and how serious it was. He'd have no hesitation at all about hurting me if it suited his purpose—all I was to him, using his words, was a "trump card" and "bargaining chip" for whatever twisted purposes they had devised.

Umbrae smiled. "That's better." He turned away for a moment and then looked me full in the face, his eyes shining. "I don't have any qualms at all about killing you, Mr. Wright," he continued in a dreamy voice, his eyes glittering dangerously as he confirmed my suspicions, renewing my vain efforts to try and get away from him and having no more success now in my attempts than I had previously. "In fact, if Kaine would have let me, I would have done so already... and I would have enjoyed it immensely." He looked off into the distance for some time, his lips curving into a sweet, cherubic smile, lifting the hand that still held the bloody switchblade and moving it closer to my throat, turning his head to look at me, his glittering eyes watching me closely. "It's been such a long time since I... hunted last, you see, and I am afraid that I'm a little out of... practice."

Kaine...? Let... you? Who... are you?

I was beginning to lose the battle to stay conscious and I struggled harder against the encroaching darkness that was beginning to surround me in a suffocating shroud, questions tumbling through my fevered brain. A loud, raucous laugh burst from somewhere beside me and I moaned again, realizing with mounting horror that my second captor now stood beside the first.

"Umbrae, Umbrae..." he said in a chiding voice, sliding one of his fingers gently along the other man's jaw line, drawing happy purrs from him though he cringed a little at the rebuke. "How many times have I told you not to talk to our... guest?" Kaine leaned over, brushing his lips against the side of his face, his tongue tasting his flesh with great relish, Umbrae moaning as he did so, trembling with unconcealed excitement. "You know we have to keep him as leverage against Mr. Edgeworth and I would rather you not get too... attached, shall we say?" Kaine leaned over until his lips were pressed against Umbrae's ear, his voice a curious mix of firmness and tenderness. "Do you remember what happened the last time you got too... attached?"

I could literally feel the man holding me flinch.

"You're right, Kaine," Umbrae replied, contrition clear in his voice. "I-I... I'm... sorry."

"That's all right, Umbrae," Kaine said soothingly and, having made his point to his cohort, I could feel the larger shadow's-Kaine-lips tenderly kiss the shadow who held me-Umbrae-the soft, smacking sound seeming to echo in the gloomy silence. "Just don't let it happen again..."

Umbrae purred like a cat as Kaine rubbed his cheek against the other man's affectionately. "I... won't... I promise..."

My head swam. Umbrae...? Kaine...?

It was clear that both of these men, Kaine and Umbrae, knew this shadow somebody named "Edgeworth" but I wondered why they kept connecting me to him when I had really no idea exactly who he was at this point.

Those beautiful grey eyes were at the front and center of my mind and I couldn't help but wonder whom they belonged to; it was becoming increasingly clear to me, even in my dizzy and befuddled state, that I knew the person to whom these eyes belonged even if I couldn't remember either the person or his name.

A hard shake and a stab of pain running through my head brought me back to reality as I struggled to get upright from where I had been thrown to the ground again by Umbrae, feeling hard fists hitting my body once more. I struggled to stay conscious but it was a losing battle as I began to succumb to the darkness little by little, curses and blows following me.

The last thing that flashed before me was that beautiful pair of grey eyes and I reached out with my hand toward them to touch them before I fell to the ground, embracing with relief the darkness that reached up and claimed me, my eyes fluttering shut...

XXXXXX

I stood looking out the window of my office late that night, my heart sore. I couldn't believe how stupid I had been to play right into their hands and not even know it until it was too late. My hands grasped the window ledge in front of me until my knuckles turned white and my fingers ached with the pressure I was putting on them.

It's all my fault! I should have expected this! For God's sake, I know Kaine and what he's capable of! How could I have been so stupid?! I pressed my forehead against the chilly window glass, my hands splayed out on the glass beside it. And I played right into his hands like a fool.

I closed my eyes, gritting my teeth. I should have expected that he would have an accomplice; how else could he know what I was doing otherwise?! I should have expected that he would react as he did; he's insane and I shouldn't have forgotten that the insane play by their own rules!

I looked up, tears welling up in my eyes, a strangled sob emerging from my tightly pressed lips, the lump in my throat so large it was difficult to swallow. I was a bloody arrogant and deluded fool; I thought that I could outsmart him, that I could out play him and stay one step ahead of him. I should have expected a thousand other things but I didn't and now it's too late.

The cell phone lay forgotten on the top of my desk, that shocking picture of what they had done to him still on the screen and that caption underneath "You were warned..." burning itself into my mind's eye. I couldn't bear to look at it.

The others had left some time ago, each expressing their heartfelt sympathy but I barely acknowledged them, each one being a knife that pierced my heart and waved them away impatiently. I should have seen it coming but I didn't or, perhaps it would be more accurate to say, that I didn't want to face up to the possibility that Kaine could out think me and stay one step ahead.

A storm had broken out but I barely noticed it as I steeped myself in a vast ocean of recrimination and blame, my hands clenching the window ledge even more tightly than I had before. I was surprised that I didn't break it or that it didn't splinter from the pressure my shaking fingers were putting on it but that really didn't mean all that much to me right now and the furthest thing from my mind.

Wood could be replaced but people could not and I now had to face the fact that Phoenix might very well be dead and I, and I alone, had to live with the knowledge that I had unwittingly signed his death warrant.

Just another death to add to those already on my conscience...

I was so immersed in my misery that I didn't hear Ms. Fey re-enter the room and I jumped a foot when I heard her cough politely behind me, letting go of the ledge and whirling around to face her, my pale skin flushing a brick red.

"You ever heard of knocking first, Ms. Fey, before you barge into my office?!" I snapped, waiting for my racing heart to resume its normal beating, my hand clutching my chest, giving her an icy glare.

She blushed.

"I'm... sorry, Mr. Edgeworth," she apologized, her hands knotted together in front of her. I noticed that they were shaking even though she was trying very hard not to let it show which did go a long way to soothe the irritation I felt toward her interruption. "I... I was just... in the neighborhood and I... decided to... to drop in..."

It sounded like a paltry excuse to me and this was confirmed when I saw the look on her face: she hadn't been in the area strictly by chance but had come here quite deliberately. I knew she was worried and I couldn't really blame her for I was worried and afraid that Phoenix was now dead because of the mistakes I'd made in underestimating Kaine and how far his vile reach extended. If he had Phoenix, then what was to stop him from getting to Maya, Ema or even Gumshoe? I couldn't even protect my lover; how could I reasonably expect to protect my friends if Kaine chose to make them his next targets?

I couldn't see why he would target Maya, Ema or Gumshoe-after all, it was me he sought to hurt and the surest way to do that was through Phoenix-but I didn't want to take the chance; I'd already underestimated him once and I was determined not to repeat the mistake.

"Mr. Edgeworth?" Maya's worried voice broke into my thoughts, jerking me firmly back to reality. "I'm... worried about Nick but... I'm also worried about you." She walked over to where I was standing, putting her hand lightly on my arm, her face creased with concern. "What happened wasn't your fault, Mr. Edgeworth."

I was stunned.

"Worried... about... me...?" I repeated in disbelief, turning quickly back to face the window so she wouldn't see the tears that threatened to spill down my cheeks, wiping my eyes impatiently. "Why would you be worried about me? You should worry more about Phoenix who, because of my foolish pride and arrogance, may very well be..." My voice caught and I cleared my throat numerous times until I could speak again. "...dead."

Her eyes looked sad but she shook her head firmly, a small smile flickering at the edges of her mouth.

"No, Mr. Edgeworth," she said softly and with deep conviction, "he's not dead. If he were, I'd know."

My eyes narrowed as I turned to face her, skepticism written plainly on my face.

"How?" I asked tersely, folding my arms across my chest. "How would you know if he was dead or not when we don't even know where he's being held and he can't get into contact with us except when Kaine makes his call?"

She smiled.

"I'm a spirit medium, like all the members of my family," she explained, "and, if Nick were dead, I would know since I would be able to contact him."

I had a very hard time keeping a straight face; I wanted to believe her, I really did and I wanted desperately to allow the hope I could feel slowly welling up inside of me but I couldn't at this point since too much had already gone wrong.

I didn't want to allow myself even the slightest sliver of faith that this would all work out in the end because that didn't look like that would happen. What I was afraid had already happened was that Kaine had killed Phoenix and I would be doomed, once more, to walk through life alone but this time with the added guilt that I had been the cause of his death.

Like my father...

I shook my head violently.

No, not like my father! I didn't kill him: von karma did! This is not the same thing; I wasn't responsible for my father's death but I am responsible for this!

"I wish I could believe that, Ms. Fey, but I don't." I sighed, lowering my head to look at the floor, studying the carpet underneath my feet. "We haven't heard anything since the last... call... and..." I couldn't go on but I knew that she understood.

"We may be down but we're not out yet, Mr. Edgeworth. He's not dead; trust me on this!" She was persistent, I had to give her that. "We need to have faith if we're going to get him back!"

Faith...? In... me? What a joke... Look at what's happened to Phoenix because I underestimated my opponent... and I know him, for God's sake! How could you possibly have any faith in me at all?!

"Faith in... what, exactly?" I asked bitterly, an edge to my voice. "Me? That everything will work out all right in the end and we'll rescue Phoenix?" I laughed, a harsh, barking sound. "Don't be a fool!"

She looked at me and smiled, a curious maternal look on her face. "In ourselves... and, more importantly, in you, Mr. Edgeworth."

I opened my mouth to say something but promptly shut it again. There was no use arguing with her-it wouldn't have done me any good even if I had, knowing Ms. Fey as I did-and, in any event, she seemed to have already made up her mind and nothing was going to change it.

My mind was spinning while my heart ached, alternating between hope and despair, my fingers pressed tightly against my eyes. I wanted so much to believe her but I couldn't allow myself that luxury. Even if what she said was true-that Phoenix wasn't dead-it still didn't solve the problem of how we were to rescue him if both Kaine and his associate were watching our every move. I had already underestimated the depth of my opponent's hatred and Phoenix had been the one to pay the price. I couldn't allow it to happen again.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart and thoughts. I needed to think of a way to rescue Phoenix and I couldn't do that with my emotions screaming skyward so I took deep breaths, murmuring something underneath my breath until I had calmed down. With my emotions now reaching a slightly sedate point, I could now think and I pondered the problem, Ms. Fey standing quietly beside me, her hand still on my arm. Some time later, I had a few ideas of how we could even the score and I pondered each one a little longer, going over the pros and cons in my mind.

I needed to make certain that this time neither Kaine and his associate were sniffing around in the dark somewhere and, as this had so chillingly proved, it was very clear that they could be lurking anywhere. We had to be very careful and move as quietly as we could to avoid detection. If anything, I wanted to surprise them and keep them in the dark about my movements as much as possible; that way, I hoped that I could keep Phoenix safe and marginalize the damage that could be inflicted upon him since he had already been beaten quite savagely and I doubted that he would survive another.

I want to make sure that this doesn't happen again.

The end game was now going to begin. Much like an intricate game of chess, we were now ready to make our move as quickly, and as quietly, as possible. I looked over at my desk and snatched my cell phone, hurriedly pushing the "talk" button, breathing a sigh of relief when the picture vanished from the screen, a sentiment that was echoed by Ms. Fey as well as she removed her hand from my arm.

"I believe in you, Mr. Edgeworth," she said quietly, "and Nick believes in you, too."

I swallowed, nodding once.

"I certainly hope so, Ms. Fey," I replied, turning toward the door and resting my hand on the doorknob, "because the hard part is now beginning." I turned to look at her, my expression serious yet determined. "We can't afford to make any mistakes from here on in or..." I couldn't finish but I didn't need to; we both knew what it was that I couldn't bring myself to say.

On that somewhat somber note, I turned away and opened the door, walking quickly out of my office with Ms. Fey following quietly behind me. I fervently hoped, as I closed and locked the door behind us and started walking down the dark corridor, that this time we would be the victors.

And I'll have you back...