Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait... I had an insane week. Doesn't it suck
that authors are human? Seriously, being a robot like Bakura and Yami
sounds really good right now. @.@ (I've barely had any sleep...) Too many
exams + assignments.
(sigh) Yeah... well, next week is the beginning of exams, so it'll be hell. But keep those reviews coming! They really cheer me up when I wonder if I'll ever be able to finish this story! ^.^;
Argh... I was so sad this week! I managed to talk to my Heero-guy, but it was so awkward...
My Macroeconomics teacher is so funny! He's the nicest guy, and he's always eating a fruit and drinking a diet coke when he's teaching us. But what really gets to me is that he invited my whole class for an end of school supper! How nice is that? At his house! His real address! How many teachers would trust their students enough to give them their address, much less invite them over for some tea or something! *.*
Hehehe... I got 100% for computers! Yay! And I passed Calculus with a 68%. Pretty decent for a procrastinator if you ask me. But I still have the final exam to worry about... I didn't do so well in French either. I swear, I don't think that teacher liked me... or maybe its because my last name is French and he was insulted that someone who was French couldn't do better. I don't know! My writing sucks! I can only speak that damned language! (Bat hits her head against the wall in frustration.)
All right. I've been searching for weeks for a fic that I love, BUT I CANT FIND IT!!! ;_____; I know its petty to use my author status to find a story, but hey, I'm desperate. ^.^; The story is about Yugi and Yami, and I think there's about 2 chapters... In the second chapter, Yugi convinces him to try and use the magic of the puzzle to become solid (he was just a spirit before.) He does, and it's happening while he's leaning on the couch. Ring any bells? I'd be eternally grateful to anyone who can help me!
BTW, for all you Sum 41 fans, you're the coolest! I love you guys! Those reviews made my day!
Are there any Jimmy Eat World fans reading too?
Bat: I should really do a disclaimer, shouldn't I? I don't see the point though; cause everyone who's reading this knows that I'm not making any cash off of it! Otherwise the writers of fanfiction.net would be rich and would all retire to their own private island... with a bunch of imported Japanese hotties... and elves! And hobits, and rangers too... and there would be wizards flying around on broomsticks playing quidditch----
Heero: Ok, that's enough. (points a gun to her head.) Get on with the story.
Bat: ... yes sir. ^.^;
Chapter 6 - Veritas
The tomb raider's eyes snapped open and Ryou stepped away, afraid that the unhuman boy might lash out at him in his confusion.
"Where am I?" the cyborg groaned, shifting to a sitting position.
Ryou was about to answer when tears began to fall down the once cold and frightening face. There was no sound, as if the cyborg didn't realise he was crying. "The tomb... I remember..."
"Remember what?" Ryou asked timidly.
The silver haired cyborg turned his head to look at him and let out a guttal growl.
"You!" The tomb raider got up and walked over to him threateningly. He whipped the tears away in a swift movement and was once again the boy that had so frightened Ryou.
"How dare you!"
A bewildered Ryou could only step backwards again. "What?"
"How dare you take on my image!" The tomb raider cried out and grabbed Ryou's hair, pulling him closer to examine him.
"I'm sorry!" Ryou cried out as the cyborg tightened his grip on his hair. "It's not my fault!"
The tomb raider laughed sardonically and brought Ryou's face closer to his, his eyes softening. Ryou relaxed slightly.
"No... Of course not. The gods have a twisted sense of humour... to let this weak soul inhabit my eternal body. Disgusting!" The tomb raider snarled and forcefully brought Ryou's face up to meet his eyes.
"Such a weak pampered boy... like one of noble blood. How dare they give me all the pain and you all the happiness!"
Ryou tried desperately to check his tears. He tried to shake his head, tried to say 'No, you're wrong. You don't understand', but he couldn't. His body wouldn't respond, it was frozen by a nameless fear.
The tomb raider ran his hand along Ryou's cheek, revelling in its softness.
"Such a weak, weak soul that inherited my Ba... and me? They wouldn't let me sleep. Where is the death that I so longed for before?" He pushed Ryou away and slumped to the ground, trembling in fury.
"Damn the gods! Damn them for this joke! How dare they bring my soul back from whatever hell it was in and inhabit this poor excuse for a body... a body of flesh and wires."
Ryou drew out some courage and sat down next to the cyborg on the carpet. The cyborg glared at him with a fierce scowl but didn't seem as if he would be violent. Ryou took some courage from that. If the cyborg was going to kill him, he could have done it earlier.
"Please... could you tell me what is going on?" Ryou murmured quietly.
The tomb raider stared at him with a dumbfounded expression for a moment then laughed.
"So, the little doll would like to know what nightmare he has stepped into does he?" The tomb raider laughed and graded the ring that had fallen to the floor, and then thrust it into Ryou's face. Ryou clenched his mouth shut and wasn't going to say that it was the cyborg that looks like a doll.
"Well little doll, your nightmare, as well as mine, is because of this!"
The tomb raider laughed mirthlessly and handed the ring to Ryou. "Keep it. I was a fool for wanting it in the first place. I can't believe that Kaiba had my best interest at heart... that bastard."
Ryou's eyes widened. "Kaiba? But that's the name of my father's employer. My father works for Kaiba corp.!"
The tomb raider clenched his good left hand, his nails biting into his skin painfully. "That bastard pretty much owns the whole city. Thinks he's a damn god!"
Ryou's eyebrows furrowed, hoping that the cyborg wouldn't decide to take his anger out on anything. But the tomb raider's eyes suddenly flashed and his face scrunched up in distaste.
"I just realized... to create me and the pharaoh, he must have taken our corpses from their tomb..." He then laughed. "Here is the great former tomb raider, and he's worrying about desecration!"
Ryou looked at him confusedly. "You were a tomb raider?"
"Yes, but I never moved the bodies from the graves I robbed. Why would anyone want a corpse? But apparently, Kaiba thinks differently from me."
"If you were a tomb raider, how come you were with a pharaoh?" Ryou asked.
The cyborg's eyes lit up, happy that the boy was paying close attention. 'At least he makes up for being weak by not being a fool.'
"I was robbing a pharaoh's tomb when it collapsed. I don't know why, but I'm certain it was intentional... there was no way a building of that structure could have caved in by itself. It's possible that the head priest wanted to erase the pharaoh for all memory, since they were always at each other's throat. It may have even been my partner who wanted a bigger share of the goods." He mused.
He then let out another small ironic laugh, pleased to have such an attentive audience, and to finally have someone to listen to him. He was far from trusting his copy, but he didn't see the point of killing him, or using violence on him. What did he have to gain that way? If anything, by getting the boy to trust him, he could probably use him for his own personal gain more efficiently. The best victim is always a gullible fool, isn't it?
The tomb raider pushed that little part of himself that longed for affection or companionship away. After all, what had that brought him in Egypt? Nothing more than getting betrayed by the only person he trusted, the one who took him away from his poor excuse for a father, and had been his partner in crime. Come to think of it, his partner had looked a lot like...
He pushed that thought away and was this seemed to break a dam of memories, each more horrible then the last... the worst one being his own death. It didn't feel like he had died. It was more like he had fallen asleep for thousands of years.
How he had longed for that eternal sleep when he was trapped in that tomb with a leg crushed by rubble.
He smiled bitterly. "The tomb whose riches would have kept me alive ended up being the cause of my death. Isn't that ironic? There I was, trapped with what I would have used to be able to feed myself, and I starved to death."
Ryou looked at him sympathetically. "And Kaiba used the bodies in that pharaoh's tomb for his experiments?"
The tomb raider flexed his artificial arm. "Yes. And many others, but they didn't survive. Only the pharaoh and I were left in the end, after all those experiments. Most of them disintegrated because the scientists had the wrong DNA code. I was a fluke... they screwed up when creating me and actually succeeded in stabilizing the nuclear DNA. It was months before they were able to reproduce that mistake and create the pharaoh."
The tomb raider then touched his left cheek, where all the machinery was protruding.
"But I wasn't a 'perfect creation'. They messed up my code partially, and so I never got a right arm. But they fixed that. Underneath my skin there's more wiring then in the wall of this whole damn room. Same thing for the pharaoh. That's the catch when you're creating humans. They're never perfect. Malik knows more then me as to why we're pretty much machines. What I gather is that it's impossible to reproduce DNA of people long dead exactly the way it was like when they were alive. However, maybe they are able to do so now. Those damn scientists come up with something new every day to keep their precious job."
"But that doesn't explain the ring." Ryou murmured.
"The items contain memories. I knew that, but I never thought..."
He paused. 'I never thought that they would be so painful,' were the words left unsaid. 'I always thought that this life was my hell, and that the previous one must have been better.'
He snarled and drew more hate to his heart.
"I don't understand any of the scientific crap. All I know is that they were able to transfer my memories to this piece of gold." The tomb raider laughed harshly. "And they had the nerve to use the millennium items from the pharaoh's tomb."
Ryou furrowed his brows. "Millennium items?"
The tomb raider suppressed a groan. "That's enough for today doll. Shut up and go to sleep or something."
Ryou was becoming slightly braver thanks to the cyborg's less aggressive behaviour and decided to try his luck and pray that the tomb raider didn't take offence.
"I'm not a doll. My name is Bakura Ryou, and since this is my house, I think I should have a say in the matter."
The cyborg laughed and replied in a mocking tone, "Well doll, isn't that great. Now, in case you weren't paying attention, I said shut up and leave me alone."
Ryou sighed. It was worth a try. "Could I at least know your name? I don't know what to call you."
The tomb raider's eyes became distant, as if he was shutting down all his emotions. He hesitated slightly before speaking.
"I hated my Egyptian name. It meant 'son of the light', when that was as far from the truth as you could get. It would suit you better. No... I wont be called by that silly name, or by a damn number."
He then smirked. "I suppose that I'll steal your name. 'Bakura' doesn't bother me."
Ryou smiled, his face slightly flushed. "Alright then Bakura. I'll go to sleep as you ordered. My room is upstairs if you need me."
Bakura snorted and stood up, folding his arms across his chest. "At least you're learning, you damned doll. Next time you ask me so many questions, I'll make sure you die a slow and painful death."
Ryou shuddered, hoping that was a joke as he made his way up the stairs.
Bakura watched the boy disappear and suppressed a sigh. So this was the afterlife? It definitely wasn't what he had thought it would be.
'However', he mused darkly, 'I CAN say I've been to H.E.L.L. and back.'
The mere thought of that place shook him to the core. He had hated it. To them, he was nothing more then a machine, a tool to be used to create the Lacuna Project that Kaiba was working so hard on. While the Pharaoh was allowed freedom, Bakura had none.
People sometimes forgot that the Pharaoh was a machine, but as for Bakura, because of his face and arm, that never happened. He was never human in their eyes. He had never been looked on as human... even in his previous life as a tomb raider.
But Ryou...
Was this fate's way of making amends? By giving the next soul to inhabit his body an easy life?
Or was this fate's way of making it up to him by giving a companion with a kind soul?
He pushed that thought away. Ryou could never be his. Not as a friend, not as anything more. The kind boy would never want a heartless machine as a friend... a machine that could never love again. Not anymore... not with these painful memories.
He threw himself onto the couch and thought back to his partner. He didn't want to admit it, but that SOB looked almost exactly like Malik.
"And the pharaoh... that boy I had caught... they looked exactly alike!"
The revelation stunned him, and he was surprised that he had even thought of it. "And Ryou looks like me. They must be our reincarnated Ba. There's no other explanation. That means..."
Malik must be his partner's reincarnation.
'But... my partner is dead, right? Three thousand years... he must be dead.'
"But the pharaoh found his double, and I found mine. It's as if the fates we pulling us together... as if it was destiny that we met. That means..."
The corpse that Malik had wanted... the head that he had named Ishtar... was that--?
"Shit!" Bakura cried out, standing up, "Malik is bringing that bastard back to life, and I helped him!!"
He paced around the room. He had no way of knowing how advanced Malik was in creating Ishtar. Bakura estimated that it had taken about 3 months to complete the pharaoh, but the technology had to be better by now... for all he knew, Ishtar could be completed.
"I hope that idiot Malik erased Ishtar's memories, because if Malik is dead..."
If Malik were dead, he would lose his only chance for survival. Malik was the only one who would fix him if anything broke.
Bakura shuddered. For the first time he had to admit that he was worried.
But he wouldn't admit that he was somewhat attached to the blond scientist. Malik had been the first to show him some kindness, and to listen to his ideas, even if it was strictly on a business level.
He cast his gaze to the stairway and the darkness that held Ryou's room.
Reluctantly, but driven by some strength that wasn't his own, he made his way up the stairs, and opened the door to Ryou's room.
His eyes softened as he watched the silver-haired boy sleep peacefully for a moment... then he shook him awake rather roughly.
"Wake up boy, I need you to find an address for me."
* * *
Yami sighed for the tenth time that hour. Was this torture EVER going to end?
"Don't be like that Yami, I'm almost done getting all the food we need. Then we can go home."
It wasn't that they were at a grocery store. No, that didn't bother him. It was that Anzu had insisted on coming to help them and wouldn't stop talking to him.
Anzu came back from an aisle, holding a few packs of ramen. (A.N. For those who don't know what ramen is, shame on you. ^.^)
"Will this be enough Yugi?" she asked and the small boy smiled brightly, glad to be with his two favourite people.
"Yes, I think so. Just don't get too many of the Korean kind, Yami can't eat it, its too spicy for him."
Anzu laughed with Yugi, and Yami frowned. Were they making fun of him?
"It's ok Yami, we all have our different tastes." Yugi assured him. Yami gave a small smile to reassure Yugi that he took no offence.
Anzu smiled at Yugi and Yami's interaction. They complemented each other perfectly, like two halves of the same puzzle.
Yugi was so much more light-hearted when Yami was around...and Yami only smiled for Yugi.
'If only I could have that kind of a relationship with someone. A deep bond like that is hard to find.'
"Anzu? Were done now. Yami's getting the rice, and we can go home." Yugi called out.
Anzu snapped out of her dazed and followed after Yugi, thinking of Yami, and if she could ever imagine to be as close to him as Yugi.
Yami walked swiftly, ventilating some of his annoyance with rough movements. All he wanted was a day alone with his hikari, was that too much to ask?
Here they were in a food store, and there were so many people that it was suffocating Yami. It was as if everyone was there, right then at that hour. Even Jounouchi was there.
'Wait a minute.'
Yami took a step back, wondering if his vision was failing. But no, there the tall boy was, in the aisle where Yugi had found boxes of 'pocky'.
He was about to say hello to him, as the rules of politeness dictated, but stopped.
Jounouchi was in a heated argument with someone, in the middle of a food store.
He slunk over to the aisle next to Jou's and strained to listen to what was being said through the shelves.
"Listen Kaiba, this is ridiculous, Yugi has nothing to do with H.E.L.L., and you know it."
'Kaiba!' Yami's mind raced. 'He's the one Jounouchi is arguing with?'
"Listen puppy, if you still want your sister to get her eye problem fixed, you will do as I tell you." It was definitely Kaiba.
"You've been saying that for the past 5 months! Kaiba, I don't mind doing your dirty work, but one day you'll have to pay up." Jou shot back.
"Then why don't you accept the damn money, dog! I'm offering you a decent pay!"
"So I can be your permanent lackey? Yeah right! I wont do anything else until you set the date for my sister's operation. Don't bullshit me Kaiba, I know you have the resources, you're just wasting time!"
Kaiba was silent for a moment, and Yami strained to hear his next words.
"Once your sister has had her operation, what will you do?" Kaiba asked softly. Where was the proud and determined Kaiba that Yami had known?
"Then I'll take up some clean job and gain some money so that I can support her." Jou said, and Yami was moved by the emotion there. Jou must really adore his sister to go as far as being at Kaiba's mercy.
"Then I'll schedule the appointment and get the best of my scientists to perform the operation." Kaiba said, some of his determination returning.
Yami couldn't see well, but he could see Jou frown. "-But? What's the catch Kaiba? There's got to be. I know you well enough to know that you wouldn't just let me walk off."
Yami turned his face to look at Kaiba. The proud man that had overseen his creation was strikingly different. He looked tired and worn out, and Yami could see that there was a great amount of pain that Kaiba concealed.
Yami didn't understand though. Kaiba had never had any qualms about disposing of spies and henchmen before. Why was Jounouchi's case so different? Kaiba looked so desperate, as if he was trying to hold on to something precious that was being taken away from him.
"Your sister will get that operation as long as afterwards you work for Kaiba corp. I'll give you a clean job with good pay, and you wont hear about H.E.L.L. ever again."
"There's another 'but' coming, right?" Jounouchi muttered.
"You have to bring-" Kaiba's voice was cut off by Anzu calling out his name.
"Yami! Yugi is ready to go now!"
Yami cursed profusely as Kaiba and Jounouchi turned their attention towards Anzu's voice. He ran towards her and dragged her off.
"Alright, were leaving, just quiet down!" Yami hissed at her.
Anzu raised an eyebrow. "Alright, but Yami, where is the rice?"
"..."
Kaiba turned back to face Jou and smiled. So the pharaoh was here with Yugi? It was perfect.
"The pharaoh must have heard most of our conversation."
Jou frowned and crossed his arms. "Alright, that's great. Really. I'm thrilled that Yami thinks I'm the bad guy. Now can we get back to what we were discussing earlier?"
Kaiba nodded curtly, but the smile didn't leave his lips. He was planning something.
"I told you that I wasn't going to let you involve Yugi in this. I don't care if some of your cameras saw him with the 'tomb raider', or that the 'pharaoh' is living with him. He probably doesn't know anything about the Lacuna project, and wont tell the authorities."
"What makes you so sure of that?" Kaiba asked snidely, the facade was back up. Kaiba was no longer a man who was trying to delay the inevitable. He knew exactly what he would do. But he needed Yami to do it. "Yugi really cares about Yami, and if he told anyone about H.E.L.L., he might lose him. Yugi wouldn't betray someone he cares about." Jounouchi murmured.
"Maybe so, but I cant allow him to simply keep my perfect creation." Kaiba said.
"Why not? You've got all your scientist out there with a death warrant for him, he can't be all that important to you." Jou returned.
"That's true. But I've changed my mind. I have an important task that needs to be done, but since you refuse to kill anyone, I have no one to do it."
Jou's eyes widened in horror. "You've got to be kidding Kaiba!"
"No dog, I'm dead serious. Your last job will be a critical one, and if you refuse it, your sister will not get her eye operation." There was a glint of triumph in Kaiba's eyes. He knew that Jou wouldn't refuse. There was too much on the line for him.
Jou looked away, defeated. He had no choice.
"What do you want me to do?"
* * *
Hey guys, sorry again for the delay. I made sure to make the chapter longer to make up for it. I'll be writing another chapter shortly. I just wish I wasn't so bad at typing... (sigh) Sorry for the long rant too, I just needed to get some of that stuff off my chest.
Ok, yeah. This was pretty funny to write. I mean, do you think Seto has ever set food in a supermarket, or much less even set up a secret meeting there? Whatever. Let's just say he was being creative that day. I mean, who would have thought to look in a grocery store for him? See, no one would ever think to look there! Secret meeting is secret. ^.^;
Just so that you guys know, I don't mind Anzu, and I don't agree with portraying her as a bitch. I mean, personally, if I ever met a guy like Yami, I'd have a crush on him too. And those 'friendship' speeches? Well, Yami gives those annoying 'heart of the cards' speeches, and we can forgive him for that, right? So don't go too rough on her. I just can't bring myself to pair her up with anyone though... so Anzu haters rejoice! I'm not that nice. ^.^;
REVIEW!!!!!!!
(sigh) Yeah... well, next week is the beginning of exams, so it'll be hell. But keep those reviews coming! They really cheer me up when I wonder if I'll ever be able to finish this story! ^.^;
Argh... I was so sad this week! I managed to talk to my Heero-guy, but it was so awkward...
My Macroeconomics teacher is so funny! He's the nicest guy, and he's always eating a fruit and drinking a diet coke when he's teaching us. But what really gets to me is that he invited my whole class for an end of school supper! How nice is that? At his house! His real address! How many teachers would trust their students enough to give them their address, much less invite them over for some tea or something! *.*
Hehehe... I got 100% for computers! Yay! And I passed Calculus with a 68%. Pretty decent for a procrastinator if you ask me. But I still have the final exam to worry about... I didn't do so well in French either. I swear, I don't think that teacher liked me... or maybe its because my last name is French and he was insulted that someone who was French couldn't do better. I don't know! My writing sucks! I can only speak that damned language! (Bat hits her head against the wall in frustration.)
All right. I've been searching for weeks for a fic that I love, BUT I CANT FIND IT!!! ;_____; I know its petty to use my author status to find a story, but hey, I'm desperate. ^.^; The story is about Yugi and Yami, and I think there's about 2 chapters... In the second chapter, Yugi convinces him to try and use the magic of the puzzle to become solid (he was just a spirit before.) He does, and it's happening while he's leaning on the couch. Ring any bells? I'd be eternally grateful to anyone who can help me!
BTW, for all you Sum 41 fans, you're the coolest! I love you guys! Those reviews made my day!
Are there any Jimmy Eat World fans reading too?
Bat: I should really do a disclaimer, shouldn't I? I don't see the point though; cause everyone who's reading this knows that I'm not making any cash off of it! Otherwise the writers of fanfiction.net would be rich and would all retire to their own private island... with a bunch of imported Japanese hotties... and elves! And hobits, and rangers too... and there would be wizards flying around on broomsticks playing quidditch----
Heero: Ok, that's enough. (points a gun to her head.) Get on with the story.
Bat: ... yes sir. ^.^;
Chapter 6 - Veritas
The tomb raider's eyes snapped open and Ryou stepped away, afraid that the unhuman boy might lash out at him in his confusion.
"Where am I?" the cyborg groaned, shifting to a sitting position.
Ryou was about to answer when tears began to fall down the once cold and frightening face. There was no sound, as if the cyborg didn't realise he was crying. "The tomb... I remember..."
"Remember what?" Ryou asked timidly.
The silver haired cyborg turned his head to look at him and let out a guttal growl.
"You!" The tomb raider got up and walked over to him threateningly. He whipped the tears away in a swift movement and was once again the boy that had so frightened Ryou.
"How dare you!"
A bewildered Ryou could only step backwards again. "What?"
"How dare you take on my image!" The tomb raider cried out and grabbed Ryou's hair, pulling him closer to examine him.
"I'm sorry!" Ryou cried out as the cyborg tightened his grip on his hair. "It's not my fault!"
The tomb raider laughed sardonically and brought Ryou's face closer to his, his eyes softening. Ryou relaxed slightly.
"No... Of course not. The gods have a twisted sense of humour... to let this weak soul inhabit my eternal body. Disgusting!" The tomb raider snarled and forcefully brought Ryou's face up to meet his eyes.
"Such a weak pampered boy... like one of noble blood. How dare they give me all the pain and you all the happiness!"
Ryou tried desperately to check his tears. He tried to shake his head, tried to say 'No, you're wrong. You don't understand', but he couldn't. His body wouldn't respond, it was frozen by a nameless fear.
The tomb raider ran his hand along Ryou's cheek, revelling in its softness.
"Such a weak, weak soul that inherited my Ba... and me? They wouldn't let me sleep. Where is the death that I so longed for before?" He pushed Ryou away and slumped to the ground, trembling in fury.
"Damn the gods! Damn them for this joke! How dare they bring my soul back from whatever hell it was in and inhabit this poor excuse for a body... a body of flesh and wires."
Ryou drew out some courage and sat down next to the cyborg on the carpet. The cyborg glared at him with a fierce scowl but didn't seem as if he would be violent. Ryou took some courage from that. If the cyborg was going to kill him, he could have done it earlier.
"Please... could you tell me what is going on?" Ryou murmured quietly.
The tomb raider stared at him with a dumbfounded expression for a moment then laughed.
"So, the little doll would like to know what nightmare he has stepped into does he?" The tomb raider laughed and graded the ring that had fallen to the floor, and then thrust it into Ryou's face. Ryou clenched his mouth shut and wasn't going to say that it was the cyborg that looks like a doll.
"Well little doll, your nightmare, as well as mine, is because of this!"
The tomb raider laughed mirthlessly and handed the ring to Ryou. "Keep it. I was a fool for wanting it in the first place. I can't believe that Kaiba had my best interest at heart... that bastard."
Ryou's eyes widened. "Kaiba? But that's the name of my father's employer. My father works for Kaiba corp.!"
The tomb raider clenched his good left hand, his nails biting into his skin painfully. "That bastard pretty much owns the whole city. Thinks he's a damn god!"
Ryou's eyebrows furrowed, hoping that the cyborg wouldn't decide to take his anger out on anything. But the tomb raider's eyes suddenly flashed and his face scrunched up in distaste.
"I just realized... to create me and the pharaoh, he must have taken our corpses from their tomb..." He then laughed. "Here is the great former tomb raider, and he's worrying about desecration!"
Ryou looked at him confusedly. "You were a tomb raider?"
"Yes, but I never moved the bodies from the graves I robbed. Why would anyone want a corpse? But apparently, Kaiba thinks differently from me."
"If you were a tomb raider, how come you were with a pharaoh?" Ryou asked.
The cyborg's eyes lit up, happy that the boy was paying close attention. 'At least he makes up for being weak by not being a fool.'
"I was robbing a pharaoh's tomb when it collapsed. I don't know why, but I'm certain it was intentional... there was no way a building of that structure could have caved in by itself. It's possible that the head priest wanted to erase the pharaoh for all memory, since they were always at each other's throat. It may have even been my partner who wanted a bigger share of the goods." He mused.
He then let out another small ironic laugh, pleased to have such an attentive audience, and to finally have someone to listen to him. He was far from trusting his copy, but he didn't see the point of killing him, or using violence on him. What did he have to gain that way? If anything, by getting the boy to trust him, he could probably use him for his own personal gain more efficiently. The best victim is always a gullible fool, isn't it?
The tomb raider pushed that little part of himself that longed for affection or companionship away. After all, what had that brought him in Egypt? Nothing more than getting betrayed by the only person he trusted, the one who took him away from his poor excuse for a father, and had been his partner in crime. Come to think of it, his partner had looked a lot like...
He pushed that thought away and was this seemed to break a dam of memories, each more horrible then the last... the worst one being his own death. It didn't feel like he had died. It was more like he had fallen asleep for thousands of years.
How he had longed for that eternal sleep when he was trapped in that tomb with a leg crushed by rubble.
He smiled bitterly. "The tomb whose riches would have kept me alive ended up being the cause of my death. Isn't that ironic? There I was, trapped with what I would have used to be able to feed myself, and I starved to death."
Ryou looked at him sympathetically. "And Kaiba used the bodies in that pharaoh's tomb for his experiments?"
The tomb raider flexed his artificial arm. "Yes. And many others, but they didn't survive. Only the pharaoh and I were left in the end, after all those experiments. Most of them disintegrated because the scientists had the wrong DNA code. I was a fluke... they screwed up when creating me and actually succeeded in stabilizing the nuclear DNA. It was months before they were able to reproduce that mistake and create the pharaoh."
The tomb raider then touched his left cheek, where all the machinery was protruding.
"But I wasn't a 'perfect creation'. They messed up my code partially, and so I never got a right arm. But they fixed that. Underneath my skin there's more wiring then in the wall of this whole damn room. Same thing for the pharaoh. That's the catch when you're creating humans. They're never perfect. Malik knows more then me as to why we're pretty much machines. What I gather is that it's impossible to reproduce DNA of people long dead exactly the way it was like when they were alive. However, maybe they are able to do so now. Those damn scientists come up with something new every day to keep their precious job."
"But that doesn't explain the ring." Ryou murmured.
"The items contain memories. I knew that, but I never thought..."
He paused. 'I never thought that they would be so painful,' were the words left unsaid. 'I always thought that this life was my hell, and that the previous one must have been better.'
He snarled and drew more hate to his heart.
"I don't understand any of the scientific crap. All I know is that they were able to transfer my memories to this piece of gold." The tomb raider laughed harshly. "And they had the nerve to use the millennium items from the pharaoh's tomb."
Ryou furrowed his brows. "Millennium items?"
The tomb raider suppressed a groan. "That's enough for today doll. Shut up and go to sleep or something."
Ryou was becoming slightly braver thanks to the cyborg's less aggressive behaviour and decided to try his luck and pray that the tomb raider didn't take offence.
"I'm not a doll. My name is Bakura Ryou, and since this is my house, I think I should have a say in the matter."
The cyborg laughed and replied in a mocking tone, "Well doll, isn't that great. Now, in case you weren't paying attention, I said shut up and leave me alone."
Ryou sighed. It was worth a try. "Could I at least know your name? I don't know what to call you."
The tomb raider's eyes became distant, as if he was shutting down all his emotions. He hesitated slightly before speaking.
"I hated my Egyptian name. It meant 'son of the light', when that was as far from the truth as you could get. It would suit you better. No... I wont be called by that silly name, or by a damn number."
He then smirked. "I suppose that I'll steal your name. 'Bakura' doesn't bother me."
Ryou smiled, his face slightly flushed. "Alright then Bakura. I'll go to sleep as you ordered. My room is upstairs if you need me."
Bakura snorted and stood up, folding his arms across his chest. "At least you're learning, you damned doll. Next time you ask me so many questions, I'll make sure you die a slow and painful death."
Ryou shuddered, hoping that was a joke as he made his way up the stairs.
Bakura watched the boy disappear and suppressed a sigh. So this was the afterlife? It definitely wasn't what he had thought it would be.
'However', he mused darkly, 'I CAN say I've been to H.E.L.L. and back.'
The mere thought of that place shook him to the core. He had hated it. To them, he was nothing more then a machine, a tool to be used to create the Lacuna Project that Kaiba was working so hard on. While the Pharaoh was allowed freedom, Bakura had none.
People sometimes forgot that the Pharaoh was a machine, but as for Bakura, because of his face and arm, that never happened. He was never human in their eyes. He had never been looked on as human... even in his previous life as a tomb raider.
But Ryou...
Was this fate's way of making amends? By giving the next soul to inhabit his body an easy life?
Or was this fate's way of making it up to him by giving a companion with a kind soul?
He pushed that thought away. Ryou could never be his. Not as a friend, not as anything more. The kind boy would never want a heartless machine as a friend... a machine that could never love again. Not anymore... not with these painful memories.
He threw himself onto the couch and thought back to his partner. He didn't want to admit it, but that SOB looked almost exactly like Malik.
"And the pharaoh... that boy I had caught... they looked exactly alike!"
The revelation stunned him, and he was surprised that he had even thought of it. "And Ryou looks like me. They must be our reincarnated Ba. There's no other explanation. That means..."
Malik must be his partner's reincarnation.
'But... my partner is dead, right? Three thousand years... he must be dead.'
"But the pharaoh found his double, and I found mine. It's as if the fates we pulling us together... as if it was destiny that we met. That means..."
The corpse that Malik had wanted... the head that he had named Ishtar... was that--?
"Shit!" Bakura cried out, standing up, "Malik is bringing that bastard back to life, and I helped him!!"
He paced around the room. He had no way of knowing how advanced Malik was in creating Ishtar. Bakura estimated that it had taken about 3 months to complete the pharaoh, but the technology had to be better by now... for all he knew, Ishtar could be completed.
"I hope that idiot Malik erased Ishtar's memories, because if Malik is dead..."
If Malik were dead, he would lose his only chance for survival. Malik was the only one who would fix him if anything broke.
Bakura shuddered. For the first time he had to admit that he was worried.
But he wouldn't admit that he was somewhat attached to the blond scientist. Malik had been the first to show him some kindness, and to listen to his ideas, even if it was strictly on a business level.
He cast his gaze to the stairway and the darkness that held Ryou's room.
Reluctantly, but driven by some strength that wasn't his own, he made his way up the stairs, and opened the door to Ryou's room.
His eyes softened as he watched the silver-haired boy sleep peacefully for a moment... then he shook him awake rather roughly.
"Wake up boy, I need you to find an address for me."
* * *
Yami sighed for the tenth time that hour. Was this torture EVER going to end?
"Don't be like that Yami, I'm almost done getting all the food we need. Then we can go home."
It wasn't that they were at a grocery store. No, that didn't bother him. It was that Anzu had insisted on coming to help them and wouldn't stop talking to him.
Anzu came back from an aisle, holding a few packs of ramen. (A.N. For those who don't know what ramen is, shame on you. ^.^)
"Will this be enough Yugi?" she asked and the small boy smiled brightly, glad to be with his two favourite people.
"Yes, I think so. Just don't get too many of the Korean kind, Yami can't eat it, its too spicy for him."
Anzu laughed with Yugi, and Yami frowned. Were they making fun of him?
"It's ok Yami, we all have our different tastes." Yugi assured him. Yami gave a small smile to reassure Yugi that he took no offence.
Anzu smiled at Yugi and Yami's interaction. They complemented each other perfectly, like two halves of the same puzzle.
Yugi was so much more light-hearted when Yami was around...and Yami only smiled for Yugi.
'If only I could have that kind of a relationship with someone. A deep bond like that is hard to find.'
"Anzu? Were done now. Yami's getting the rice, and we can go home." Yugi called out.
Anzu snapped out of her dazed and followed after Yugi, thinking of Yami, and if she could ever imagine to be as close to him as Yugi.
Yami walked swiftly, ventilating some of his annoyance with rough movements. All he wanted was a day alone with his hikari, was that too much to ask?
Here they were in a food store, and there were so many people that it was suffocating Yami. It was as if everyone was there, right then at that hour. Even Jounouchi was there.
'Wait a minute.'
Yami took a step back, wondering if his vision was failing. But no, there the tall boy was, in the aisle where Yugi had found boxes of 'pocky'.
He was about to say hello to him, as the rules of politeness dictated, but stopped.
Jounouchi was in a heated argument with someone, in the middle of a food store.
He slunk over to the aisle next to Jou's and strained to listen to what was being said through the shelves.
"Listen Kaiba, this is ridiculous, Yugi has nothing to do with H.E.L.L., and you know it."
'Kaiba!' Yami's mind raced. 'He's the one Jounouchi is arguing with?'
"Listen puppy, if you still want your sister to get her eye problem fixed, you will do as I tell you." It was definitely Kaiba.
"You've been saying that for the past 5 months! Kaiba, I don't mind doing your dirty work, but one day you'll have to pay up." Jou shot back.
"Then why don't you accept the damn money, dog! I'm offering you a decent pay!"
"So I can be your permanent lackey? Yeah right! I wont do anything else until you set the date for my sister's operation. Don't bullshit me Kaiba, I know you have the resources, you're just wasting time!"
Kaiba was silent for a moment, and Yami strained to hear his next words.
"Once your sister has had her operation, what will you do?" Kaiba asked softly. Where was the proud and determined Kaiba that Yami had known?
"Then I'll take up some clean job and gain some money so that I can support her." Jou said, and Yami was moved by the emotion there. Jou must really adore his sister to go as far as being at Kaiba's mercy.
"Then I'll schedule the appointment and get the best of my scientists to perform the operation." Kaiba said, some of his determination returning.
Yami couldn't see well, but he could see Jou frown. "-But? What's the catch Kaiba? There's got to be. I know you well enough to know that you wouldn't just let me walk off."
Yami turned his face to look at Kaiba. The proud man that had overseen his creation was strikingly different. He looked tired and worn out, and Yami could see that there was a great amount of pain that Kaiba concealed.
Yami didn't understand though. Kaiba had never had any qualms about disposing of spies and henchmen before. Why was Jounouchi's case so different? Kaiba looked so desperate, as if he was trying to hold on to something precious that was being taken away from him.
"Your sister will get that operation as long as afterwards you work for Kaiba corp. I'll give you a clean job with good pay, and you wont hear about H.E.L.L. ever again."
"There's another 'but' coming, right?" Jounouchi muttered.
"You have to bring-" Kaiba's voice was cut off by Anzu calling out his name.
"Yami! Yugi is ready to go now!"
Yami cursed profusely as Kaiba and Jounouchi turned their attention towards Anzu's voice. He ran towards her and dragged her off.
"Alright, were leaving, just quiet down!" Yami hissed at her.
Anzu raised an eyebrow. "Alright, but Yami, where is the rice?"
"..."
Kaiba turned back to face Jou and smiled. So the pharaoh was here with Yugi? It was perfect.
"The pharaoh must have heard most of our conversation."
Jou frowned and crossed his arms. "Alright, that's great. Really. I'm thrilled that Yami thinks I'm the bad guy. Now can we get back to what we were discussing earlier?"
Kaiba nodded curtly, but the smile didn't leave his lips. He was planning something.
"I told you that I wasn't going to let you involve Yugi in this. I don't care if some of your cameras saw him with the 'tomb raider', or that the 'pharaoh' is living with him. He probably doesn't know anything about the Lacuna project, and wont tell the authorities."
"What makes you so sure of that?" Kaiba asked snidely, the facade was back up. Kaiba was no longer a man who was trying to delay the inevitable. He knew exactly what he would do. But he needed Yami to do it. "Yugi really cares about Yami, and if he told anyone about H.E.L.L., he might lose him. Yugi wouldn't betray someone he cares about." Jounouchi murmured.
"Maybe so, but I cant allow him to simply keep my perfect creation." Kaiba said.
"Why not? You've got all your scientist out there with a death warrant for him, he can't be all that important to you." Jou returned.
"That's true. But I've changed my mind. I have an important task that needs to be done, but since you refuse to kill anyone, I have no one to do it."
Jou's eyes widened in horror. "You've got to be kidding Kaiba!"
"No dog, I'm dead serious. Your last job will be a critical one, and if you refuse it, your sister will not get her eye operation." There was a glint of triumph in Kaiba's eyes. He knew that Jou wouldn't refuse. There was too much on the line for him.
Jou looked away, defeated. He had no choice.
"What do you want me to do?"
* * *
Hey guys, sorry again for the delay. I made sure to make the chapter longer to make up for it. I'll be writing another chapter shortly. I just wish I wasn't so bad at typing... (sigh) Sorry for the long rant too, I just needed to get some of that stuff off my chest.
Ok, yeah. This was pretty funny to write. I mean, do you think Seto has ever set food in a supermarket, or much less even set up a secret meeting there? Whatever. Let's just say he was being creative that day. I mean, who would have thought to look in a grocery store for him? See, no one would ever think to look there! Secret meeting is secret. ^.^;
Just so that you guys know, I don't mind Anzu, and I don't agree with portraying her as a bitch. I mean, personally, if I ever met a guy like Yami, I'd have a crush on him too. And those 'friendship' speeches? Well, Yami gives those annoying 'heart of the cards' speeches, and we can forgive him for that, right? So don't go too rough on her. I just can't bring myself to pair her up with anyone though... so Anzu haters rejoice! I'm not that nice. ^.^;
REVIEW!!!!!!!