Nothing new, don't own Yu Gi Oh, but Malachi is all mine…

                                                  ~ The Strange Woman ~

     The sun was setting and Bakura's patients was growing thin. So much in fact, that Jou decided it best to stay out of the tomb robber's way, before he too ended up like Malik's solider. The feeling in that small house was one which both wished could be avoided. Bakura didn't regret killing the man; he never regretted any of his actions. He was just worried that he acted too harshly, and if word got out that he had killed one of Malik's guards, someone would surely find him, and then he would never be able to rescue Ryou.

   "Someone's coming." Jounouchi spoke up suddenly from where he was sitting. Bakura jumped up and walked over to the window. Finally, Malachi had arrived.

   Malachi was a burly man, toughened up from the harsh life of a tomb robber. He took shit from no one, and pretty much anyone whom he came in contact with felt his demanding presence. That made them fear him enough to stay out of his way, everyone except for Bakura that is.

   Bakura had already felt like he had wasted an entire day waiting for this guy, and he was quite pissed off. As soon as Malachi stepped through the doorway, Bakura was right in front of him.

   "Where the hell have you been?" He snapped aggressively, moving closer to him.

   Malachi seemed unaffected by the harsh tones of Bakura's voice, because he continued to walk right past him and take a seat at the table.

   "I had something to take care of if you must know, and now that I'm home, I'm wondering what the hell you're doing here, and why that bloody body is on my floor." He spoke indifferently as he propped his feet up on the table, and pointed to the corpse.

   Bakura walked over to him and slammed his fists down on the table, glaring at Malachi as if he could kill him.

   "Look ass hole, I don't know who died and made you Pharaoh, but I'm tired of your shit. Maybe everyone else is scared of you, but I'm not. Get that straight." He growled.

   Malachi looked at him, widening his eyes slightly at Bakura's sudden outburst. No one had ever spoken to him like that before.

   "You didn't answer me Bakura. What are you doing here?" He asked, as if he had completely ignored all that Bakura had said.

   Jounouchi looked nervously from Bakura to Malachi, not really sure that he was in a good predicament right at that moment.

   "What am I doing here? It's that ass Malik…. He's got Ryou." Bakura noticed that his voice faltered a little when he spoke Ryou's name, and he prayed that Malachi didn't here it.

   "And? What's that got to do with me?" He spoke with a hint of amusement in his voice.

   Bakura's eyes widened as he took a step back. "Your brother, how could you have forgotten that Malik killed your brother?" At those words, Malachi put his feet back on the floor and walked up to Bakura.

   "Don't talk about that!" He yelled.

   "Why, is it too painful?" Bakura asked harshly as he crossed his arms.

   "Are you mocking me?" Malachi asked venomously.

   "No. I'm just not letting Malik get away with another murder." Bakura stated.

   "Don't even try to pull that one Bakura. You could care less if Malik slaughtered everyone in Egypt as long as he didn't hurt Ryou. I know you better then you think."

   Bakura gritted his teeth. He needed Malachi, or he would never be able to succeed. But he wasn't about to get down on his knees and beg.

   "Malachi, look-" Bakura started, but there was another knock on the door that made Jounouchi jump slightly.

   "Well, answer it." Malachi snapped to Jou.

   Jounouchi did as he was told and opened the door, praying to every god in existence that it wasn't another one of Malik's guards. And to his great relief, it wasn't a guard, but a woman. She was wearing tan robes, with a head covering and a veil over her face so that only her eyes were showing. She looked like an upper-class citizen because of all the gold she was wearing.

   "May I come in?" She asked with a calm voice. As soon as Jounouchi realized how hard he was staring at her, he quickly jumped aside and allowed her to enter.

   Both Bakura and Malachi looked over at her with blank expressions on their faces.

   "Who the hell are you?" Malachi asked crudely.

   The woman bowed her head, and when she raised it back up, she stared right into Malachi's eyes. "I am one who wishes to aid you on your quest to free Egypt from the oppressing Pharaoh. I will tell you what you need to know." She said smoothly.

   Bakura gave her a wary look. How did she know that that's why they were here?

   "Who are you?" Bakura asked urgently.

   "I have already introduced myself."

   "What is your name?"

   "That information is of no importance to you."

   Bakura, becoming frustrated with her, grabbed her wrists and jerked her forward. "Answer me woman." He hissed threateningly, "Or I'll have no choice but to give you the same fate that I gave to that guy."

   She looked over in the corner and saw the soldier's body lying on the floor, but it didn't seem to phase her.

   "You wouldn't." She said, still showing no sign of fear.

   At that Bakura smirked, tightening his hold on her wrists, until he heard her moan a little.

   "Believe me woman, I've killed far more, for far less. And I don't like your cocky tones."

   "You wouldn't Bakura, because then you'd have no way of rescuing Ryou." She stated calmly.

   Instantly Bakura released her and backed away, his eyes wide as he stared at her in disbelief.

   "H-how'd you…" He started.

   "You needn't worry about how I know these things. Perhaps you should concentrate on more important issues." She told him. The woman walked past Bakura and went right up to Malachi. "Why are you denying to help them? Wouldn't you love to seek revenge on the man that killed your brother?"

   Malachi hesitated before he spoke, how did she know these things? "That was a long time ago, I've learned to accept it." He said quietly.

   She lifted up her hand and softly placed it under his chin, pulling his face in close to hers. She stared him down, making him feel unusually uncomfortable.

   "No you haven't." She whispered so that only he could hear.

   Malachi took in a deep breath; he couldn't get involved. When he realized that he was breathing heavy, Malachi quickly pulled himself away from her and stared blankly out the window. What the hell was he getting himself into?

   "Fine, Bakura, you win." He said, finally admitting defeat. After all, it would be nice to put a sword through that bastard's heart like Malik did to his brother. "On one condition…I get to kill him."

   After he spoke those words, he saw the woman's eyes widen a little.

   "What's wrong with you?" He asked her.

   "Nothing." She said quickly. 

   "You better not be leading us on, or I'll kill you." Bakura said, causing her to turn around and face him. "I don't trust you, why don't you show your face?" He reached over and attempted to pull off her veil, but she backed away quickly.

   "No! What I look like is of no importance to why I am here." She said nervously. "I suggest you take my advice."

   "And if we don't?" Bakura sneered.

   "Then you'll never see Ryou again."

   "Well, it looks as if I don't have a choice then, does it?" Bakura retorted.

   The woman merely nodded her head and turned away, looking out the window. From the house, she could see the lights of Malik's palace.

   "There is a way that you can get in without being seen."

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Ok, how was it? I really know where I wanna go with this story, but I keep on getting new ideas, like, this "strange woman thing" just came into my head and wadda ya know? I got a whole chapter out of it! Am I to long and winded? Cuz I know I have a tendency to draw things out. (Me and my damn insecurities) If it's getting boring, lemme know (pretty plzz) so I can make it short and sweet. I dunno tho…I kinda like the slow character development…but then again, I'm not writing this for me! Arigato! Oh and, Kiki san, if you are still going to draw that picture, I'd love to see it!

    Ja Ne!