Rishid listened as footsteps were heard going into the room next door. He looked at his siblings worriedly. "Stay close…"

"We will." Marik said, with a shiver. He had his arms crossed over his chest, longing for a shirt.

"Oh! In all the confusion I forgot to give you this." Ishizu handed her younger brother his shirt. She then looked over at Victoria, who was playing with her cat. "Come and stay with us, Little One. We may have to run."

"Istar toos?" The child whispered her hopeful question.

"Yes, of course." Marik replied softly, as he picked her up. "Quiet now…we're going to try and get you out of the house."

Ishizu looked at Rishid, worriedly, and whispered. "Do you think we should risk it?"

"We have no other options. We cannot stay here." Rishid opened the door slowly, and stepped out, surveying the layout. There was a possibility they could get out using the front door, but he wasn't confident enough. He turned and looked at his sister. "I don't think we can."

"Very good, Stranger ."

"Rishid!" Marik held on to Victoria tighter, glaring at her father.

"Who the hell are you people?! How did you get in here?!" The father raged. His glare went from Rishid, to his young daughter. "Did you let them in here?! Answer me,Victoria!"

"The way you treat your child is atrocious!" Rishid declared angrily.

"That's right. We're here to take her away from you, Sir. She's going to go somewhere where she will be loved as she should be." Marik told him.

"You can't do that, you've got no legal rights to her." The man sneered.

"When the authorities hear what you have done, they will be on our side. Children should be protected like precious gems, not locked away." Ishizu spoke up. "I'd advise you to move aside, or you will have more trouble to account for."

"I will not allow you to walk out of here with my daughter!" The man insisted. Now he pulled a knife, and grabbed Rishid tightly. "You will give her to me now, or he gets it."

"Brother!" Ishizu stared in concern.

"I will let you harm neither Rishid, nor Victoria." Marik declared now. He reached in his back pocket, retrieving his Millennium Rod. "I did not want it to come to this, but you have left me no choice." He aimed the Rod at his brother's captor. "Let Rishid go." He commanded, as the Millennium Rod began to glow.

Victoria's eyes lit up, and she grinned. "He bestwoy you nows!" She told her father.

"No, I will not destroy him, Victoria. But I will buy us some time to get you out of his house." Marik corrected the child. He really hated his yami for having corrupted the little girl's mind. He returned his attention to the task at hand.

"Marik, be careful!" Ishizu warned, taking Victoria now so that he could concentrate.

Marik was concentrating all his energy on making the girl's father obey him. "Release him! Now!"

Finally, the father let Rishid go. "T-this is ridiculous! That's just a t-toy!"

"This is not a toy, My Friend. It is very dangerous in the wrong hands." To his sister, Marik added,"Take her out of here. I must hold him long enough to get us all out."

"Be cautious, my brother." Ishizu told him, walking over to Rishid with Victoria in her arms. She held the trembling girl closer to her as they reached her father. "Come, Rishid."

Rishid pushed the man aside, and led his sister and their charge out. "Come on, Marik. We are free."

Marik nodded, and with the rod still held in front of him, he walked towards the door to his siblings. "Do not follow us, or the consequences will be irreversible. " He informed the man, before putting his Rod at his side, to leave.

"You won't get away that easily!"

The Egyptian whirled, gasping, as the now free man shoved a wooden bookshelf his way. He cried out, trying to dodge it, but it landed on him, just the same. "Argh!!!!" He went limp in another moment, the Millennium Rod rolling from his hand.

"MARIK!" Rishid glared at the man, before rushing to help his brother.

"Mawik!" Victoria struggled to go to her friend. When Ishizu finally let her down,Victoria ran for the fallen Millennium Rod. She scooped it up, and aimed it at her father. "You pays!"

"No! Victoria, put that down. That's not what Marik would've wanted!"

"Brat." Her father made a grab for her, but Rishid stopped him with a swift punch that knocked him out.

"Victoria, May I please see the Rod?" Ishizu asked, kneeling to her level. She was deeply concerned about Marik, but she knew her brother wouldn't have wanted this small child,who held so many angry feelings to wield the Rod for destruction.

"Hewes." The small child handed the rod to Ishizu, then ran to the fallen bookshelf. "Maser Mawik!"

Rishid had removed the shelf from Marik's body, and was looking him over. "Dear brother….answer us…."

Ishizu knelt now, to examine him, setting the Rod close, so that Victoria wouldn't be tempted to take it again. "Marik…..?" She felt tears forming in her eyes. She was certain he wasn't going to make it this time. The shelf had fallen right on his accident injuries. She looked up at Rishid, telling him with her eyes silently what she was thinking.

"He must make it." Rishid said firmly, holding Marik's limp hand in his. "Come back to us, Brother..please…"

"Istar!" Victoria's shriek of anguish brought both of the Ishtars to look at her. "My tat's dead…." She was crying hysterically, holding the limp animal in her lap.

"Maybe he's just taking a deep nap…." Rishid suggested. He worried that Victoria would blame them for her feline's death, if it was truly dead. The eldest Ishtar moved to see to the animal. "Let me see him."

When Rishid took the cat gently into his arms, it let out a pitiful meow. "You see, he is not dead, but badly hurt." Rishid consoled Victoria. "I don't understand how he came to be this way though."

"He must've been trying to protect Marik…." Ishizu said in awe. "It is possible that he knew how important Marik was to his mistress."

Victoria petted Ishtar gently, crying softly. "You 'tupid tat! You could've gotted dead."

"Merow.." Ishtar pawed at Victoria lightly, trying to let her know that he was okay.

Rishid put the kitty back in Victoria's lap, and returned to his brother's side. "Any change in him at all?"

"Not much…he's breathing though, which is a good sign." Ishizu gave Rishid a hopeful smile.

The eldest Ishtar nodded. "That is a good change."

Little Victoria was really upset by these events. She couldn't understand why Master Marik wouldn't get up. He never stayed down on Yu gi oh. Not even against Yami. She walked over to Marik's motionless body, and shook him. "Wake!"

"Oh no,Victoria! Don't do that, Sweetie." Ishizu pulled her away gently. "Marik's just sleeping."

Marik started to stir with a moan. "Ooh…What happened to me?"

"Brother!" Rishid took his hand joyously. "Victoria's father threw a bookshelf on you."

"Oh….that's what that pain is." He looked up at his brother and sister. "Where is Victoria?"

"She……" Rishid trailed off, realizing he didn't see the small girl. "Victoria?!"

Ishizu turned around. "We have more trouble…." Victoria's father was gone. "Her father must have her…" The Egyptian woman looked back at her brother's worriedly.

"Then we must get her back!" Marik forced himself to stand up, wincing in pain as he did so.

"Yes, we must, but where did he take her?" Rishid wondered aloud. His question was answered immediately, when the cries of Victoria were heard upstairs. "Upstairs, come on!"

Marik, even though he was badly injured, tried to rush ahead of his siblings. "Victoria!"

"Marik! You're still badly hurt, Brother." Ishizu ran to help him. They went up the stairs.

*******************************************************************************************

"Calling for help, were you?! Well, you're going to be needing more than that!" Victoria shrieked, as that dreaded leather belt connected with her bottom again.

"Maser Mawik!!" Victoria tried to recoil from her father's violent attack, but she was too weak.

"Call him all you want, Child. He won't come." The man sneered.

"Yes, I will." Marik had gotten to the door and, was glaring dangerously at the man, his Millennium Rod raised. "You were warmed before to leave the girl alone. Now you will wish you had heeded my warning." The Millennium Rod began to glow. As the man was forced back against the wall, Marik gestured for Rishid to get Victoria. "Take her out of here. For good."

Rishid nodded, and scooped the terribly beaten child up. "Come, Little One. You've no more to fear." He turned, and carried her out of the room, and downstairs.

When Rishid was gone with Victoria, Marik turned back to her father. "If you ever come near her again you will sorely regret it." He limped out of the room, locking the door behind him. "Come, Sister. We leave now. "

Ishizu nodded, and helped him back down the stairs. "We must go. There is no telling how long he will be confined."

"My tat…." Victoria cried out. "I wants Istar…." She buried her face in Rishid's shoulder in tears.

Marik frowned. He knew they wouldn't get the child out of the house without the feline. He glanced around for the guardian cat. "Where is he?"

Ishizu felt a gentle nudge against her ankle, and she looked down. "Ah. There you are. Your little mistress was worried. " She picked him up gently. "Ishtar has been recovered." She announced, heading towards her brothers.

"Are you ready now, Victoria?" Rishid asked quietly.

"Uh huh." She wanted to be with Marik though, so Victoria climbed down, and put her hand in his.

Marik smiled down at her, and held her hand as they walked out of the house into the night air.