Project Shadow

Pan: Hello! Er...

Especially for "mazaki_is_navel_lint" (nice name by the way) the blades weren't taken from X-Men. The blades were my idea as for how 'Oni-Yami' would defend himself, without the use of guns or other items. It's a bit like the reason why a cat has claws.

For anyone who wants to know, I came up for the idea of a demon Yami while I was drawing fanart. Thinking back to the first series (not aired in America) and the first part of the manga, just after Yuugi solved the Puzzle, Yami was rather evil, so I drew him with demon wings. In this story, I never gave him wings, but exchanged them for tail and blades. ^-^ Yu-Gi-Oh! Is the root of all my madness.

And for anyone who is worried; Yami is NOT going to get together with Anzu, because... because... he's with Yuugi. I'd NEVER break that couple up.

~*~

"This is Ring Agent 01, calling Rod, Tauk, Red-Eyes, or anyone who can respond! Is anyone there?" Bakura said, desperately trying to contact someone. He had been trying for thirty minutes, with no luck.

{{"This... Rod... 02......... all safe... currently... cell... no-one... lab..."}} came the distorted message back.

"Rod 02, Puzzle 01 and 02 are safe, both Rings and Faith! Any ideas?" Bakura said frantically.

{{"Cells... south... Domino... activatin'... tracker... any orders?"}}

A small red blip showed up on a map of Domino City.

"We have your location, Rod 02! Orders: do what you can to disrupt the guards or escape; on no circumstances let ANYONE be taken to the labs! All of the remaining Project Shadow members must have this information. Puzzle and Ring will be coming in!"

{{"Tha'... you, Ring... 1... following.... 'ders... now..."}}

"Ryou! I've got their position!" Bakura yelled. "Excellent!" came the returning shout. "Some of the equipment is still here too; weapons, comm units, you know." Ryou rushed in. "I'll inform Yuugi and Yami; we'll be ready by tonight."

~*~

"Right! Listen up!" Marik called down the row of crowded cells. "Pass this on to those who can't hear me." There were no guards to worry about. Each cell had an electronic forcefield, bars, laser-guarded hallways, among other things. None of them could escape.

"Rod 02 has just managed to receive orders from Ring 01. Both the Ring Agents and the Puzzle Agents are making their best attempts to help us. Until they arrive, we are to make as much trouble as possible! Got it?" Marik announced. There were several stifled laughs, and a man opposite Marik laughed fully, saying; "What are four teenagers going to be able to do?"

Malik narrowed his eyes. "If you weren't aware of it, Ring and Puzzle are the best agents on this force. The 01s have many years of experience, and believe me, they've experienced things this world will never see again! Puzzle 01 has saved the world already. The 02s are the most resourceful, intelligent boys in Domino. If it weren't for them, all of us would have been dead long ago. Don't you ask what four teenagers are going to be able to do!" he said, getting out his Millennium Rod. "If you make one more remark against them, you will be in so much pain, you won't even know what pain is!"

~*~

"Yami, what's wrong now?" Yuugi asked, walking in, and sitting down next to the ex-Pharaoh. "I heard you yelling at Anzu. I heard what she said too. She deserved it, you know that." Yami shook his head. "I'm not sure... I regret doing it. I didn't want to shout at her, or do any of what I did, but I think the Oni made me." he said slowly, and somewhat unsurely.

"What did you do?" Yuugi asked. He had only been listening, not watching. "I can't say it; you'd probably dislike me if I did. My memory is open to you, if you really want to know." Yami said, looking up. Yuugi closed his eyes, and let the Puzzle take him into Yami's mind. He found the memory instantly; Yami was thinking so much about it. He watched it play over in Yami's mind twice, then returned to his own mind, mildly annoyed. He sighed. "She deserved it." he re-stated. "Yeah... I suppose so." Yami smiled. There were a few moments of silence.

"There's nothing more to say." Yuugi smiled.

They heard the front door slam shut.

"Anzu..." Yami said. "No! Forget about her; she deserved it, you know it, it's her own stupid fault!" Yuugi stopped him. "Jealousy?" Yami said, smirking at his aibou's reaction. "Didn't know you were capable of it." Yuugi blushed. "I... er... ano... Yami, stop reading my mind!" he said, jumping onto Yami, who fell over.

'Something's changed within him. I can't pinpoint it; there's just a change.' Yami thought.

"Get the hell up, guys, we've got a location!" Ryou yelled, bursting into the room. Yuugi jumped up immediately. "We could go and find them?" he asked. "We could be ready to try by tonight. However, the problem with that is that none of us can get taken down. Four is only just enough; Bakura's attempting to find some remote agents on the comms."

~*~

"This is Project Shadow headquarters to all remote agents; before you ask, if you're recieving this, you're a remote agent! Responses please?" Bakura waited and listened to static for a few minutes, before repeating the message.

"Project Shadow HQ, you're coming in loud and clear!" came a voice through the radio. "Thank Ra..." muttered Bakura. "This is Ring Agent 01. State your ID." he said. "Dice Agent; Location: Pegasus Island, Weapons work." the voice returned. "Right; listen up, Dice Agent; Virtually all HQ members of Project Shadow have been captured. The two Puzzle Agents, two Ring Agents and Faith Agent remain. We request back-up in a mission to free the other agents" Bakura said. "Meet at the KGS, Domino." "I'll come and bring some back-up. See you later, Ring Agent 01!" Dice Agent's signal disappeared, and Bakura was left to run upstairs and inform the other,

~*~

"WHAT?! Anzu LEFT?!" Ryou exclaimed. "But... but... she could reveal where we are... where you are..." Yami shook his head. "I don't think she would. She's not like Honda." he said. "You're risking a lot here." Ryou said slowly. Yami smiled gently. "It's like risking a duel on the draw of a card. You just have to trust."

"Back-up will be here by tomorrow!" Bakura announced, entering the room. "Then we can rescue the others, and put Kaiba in his place." Yuugi clenched his fists, and closed his eyes. "He'll pay. He'll pay dearly." he said, holding back anger.

'There it is again; that change in mind.' Yami thought. 'What's becoming of my aibou?'