Tenshi no Kokoro

Disclaimer: refer to first chapter

Summary: Chimera has been defeated and the Angel has emerged. But now the Angel seeks only to destroy evil. Seto and Ryuuji, aided by a reborn Marik, must overcome it to find their lover. S/R/R, YY/YB, YM/R

Warnings: I forgot about this . . . deaths and lots of them! Fluff, some swearing (but not much), weirdness of character, OOC and OC's who just appear for a brief period of time before I get rid of them. Anou . . . if there are more, then I'll tell you guys when I get to it, ne?

Responses to Reviews and Author's Notes:

Ril: hehe, my faithful reviewer as always!! Glad you still like this fic!!

iceheart3000: I UPDATED !!! Well, this story is going sloooooooooooow....

lilmatchgirl007: confusing? Tell me which part's confusing and I'll help clear it up a little!!! looks around desperately I knew I should have added more detail!!!!!

Elle-Fate2x1-2: YAY FOR ROMANCE!! Instead of angsty romance, this fic is going into hopeless fluff, like 'A Legacy Unfinished'. I'm choking on the fluff!!!! But if it's SetoRyou, I'm cool with it

andromeda90: OOH OOH OOH!! jumps up and down, waving madly I can't believe you reviewed this fic!!!!! Andromeda-sama!!! I LOVE your fics!!!! They're sooo good!

invisible-eyes: aww, Ryou-torture is what makes this fic sweet, ne? Especially when his knight(s) in shining armour come to the rescue valiantly!! looks at review original? Heh . . . yeah . . . it's as original as I can get it!!

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Chapter Four: Fading and Fighting

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Criminals being transported to jail were still heavily guarded so that they could not escape, nor could other people touch them. This was to prevent them from making any escapes with the help of others, or if others wanted to harm them before they served their sentence.

Anubis hated this rule. His self-policy was that if someone did something wrong, there was no point in protecting them. He believed that, the sooner the criminal was disposed of, the better. Unfortunately, law and society did not support that belief and he reluctantly had to stay quiet.

His job now was to transport a serial murderer into the high security prison halfway across town. He was reluctant to do so, as he was reluctant to do most things that regarded actually 'protecting' criminals. But if he didn't, as Yami reminded him, he would not gain a pardon from the Gods and would be damned back to the lower worlds.

"Come on, you," he snarled at the criminal, grabbing him by the collar and hauling him into the van. "You don't wanna get beaten before you get there."

"Heh, you can't beat me up," the guy said smugly.

"You wanna bet on that?"

Anubis bared his sharp teeth at the guy, hissing. His colleagues concealed grins of amusement at his antics. They were used to him terrorising their charges by now. He complained about treating the criminals as if they were VIP, so they just let him scare them a little on the way to the jail.

The group of TC agents and former Chimera – Ishizu hadn't turned up after all – were still gathered in the lobby. He waved to them, telling Yami that he would be back in at least half an hour, before bodily dragging the guy into the back of the prison vehicle.

"You know, I really hate cops," the guy said casually.

"Oh really?" Anubis leaned back in his seat across from him. "I don't exactly enjoy your company either."

"You guys are really up yourselves."

"I could say the same for you."

There was a banging on the door and Anubis went to open it. Ryuuji stood there, looking up at him with a determined expression.

"I'm coming with you."

"Nani? Otogi, are you insane?"

"Look, Anubis," Ryuuji hissed, bringing the albino's face forward. "I'm coming. We don't know whether the Angel will target you. You don't have your old powers anymore, so you won't be able to protect yourself if he does attack."

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The Angel scowled.

His target was now protected by an Elite Chosen and a rowdy, wild former demon out for blood. He would have to be especially careful in getting around them. Ditching the others was an easy task – he had done so as soon as Anubis and Ryuuji had left the building.

But he couldn't just kill his target inside the vehicle. No, Ryuuji knew he was around and that he was behind the murders, so that would put him at a disadvantage. What could he do . . .?

As he thought about it, he trailed them from his place in the air. He was still invisible to all eyes, which was a good thing. It wouldn't work that he dived inside the vehicle and tried to strangle the guy, because when he was invisible, his body had no solidity.

Not one to kill innocent lives in the course of a job, the Angel knew he had to risk something in order to succeed. He had often wondered why he couldn't retain that initial purity this form had produced upon awakening. Then this world would be rid of evil for good. But all forms had a 'use-by date', as he had heard the ever-so-eloquent Jounouchi say when describing the radioactivity of an atom. It was a fact he had had to live with, much as he despised it.

There are no people around, he noted carefully as the vehicle turned onto a highway. This is the perfect time to attack.

He swooped down so that he was flying alongside the police vehicle and watched carefully for where the murderer was sitting. His sight penetrated the steel sides, taking in what was inside.

The murderer was seated directly in his line of vision, in between Anubis and Ryuuji. Two other officers sat across from them, the backs of their heads towards him. This was too easy. He only had to take aim and shoot. The blast would pass through the steel harmlessly, but automatically kill the murderer.

Quick and painless

He aimed carefully, straight at the guy's heart. Just as he was about to shoot, Ryuuji looked up at where he was, as if sensing him. The Angel gritted his teeth. He'd forgotten that this particular Chosen was able to break through barriers set by any supernatural being. He had most likely broken through his invisibility barrier and his spiritual barrier to sense him.

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"Anubis," Ryuuji said quietly. "Outside."

Anubis scowled back at him.

"What can we do?" he hissed.

They sat straighter, on the edge of their seats, ready to protect anyone who would suffer an attack. There was nothing they could do, since they had no one who could conjure up a protective barrier or something that would prevent the Angel from harming anyone. Ryuuji cursed the fact that he had decided to come along without backup – at least Seto, Hiei or Kurama would be able to help.

Nothing happened for a few minutes. The other two cops across from them could not tell that something was wrong and sat back casually, posture slightly slumped as they chatted. Ryuuji could not sense a barrier anymore, which thoroughly confused him. The Angel wouldn't give up that easily.

As if to answer that thought, the murderer made a choking noise from between them and then slumped forward. There was a bloody mess on his chest, from his back, like he had been shot from behind. Ryuuji, Anubis and the two other cops went into an uproar, telling the driver to pull over.

"F–," Anubis swore. "How did that happen?"

"There's no damage to the vehicle at all," one of the cops reported in confusion. "I mean, the guy looks like he was shot, but there's no bullet hole. It'll look really bad to outsiders, like we shot him or something."

"Kore wa . . ." Ryuuji trailed off, staring at the inside wall. "Tenshi . . ."

He scrambled outside of the vehicle and onto the road where they had parked. There was only a bit of bush on the sides of the road and there was no visible sign of damage to any place around them. He ran back to approximately where they had been when the guy went down, which was some several metres back.

"Ryou!" he yelled. "I know you're here Ryou!"

When no answer came, he looked at the side of the road where the Angel had most likely delivered the shot. There was a small tree, surrounded by bush, which had been burnt down in a fire from quite a while ago. He edged towards it carefully; not knowing whether his instincts were correct in thinking that Ryou was behind that very tree.

Am I who you are looking for?

"Omae!"

From behind the tree, the white robes of the Angel fluttered as he stepped out to reveal himself. His aura was shimmering about him in a silvery light. Ryuuji deduced this to be the fact that he had just finished attacking.

"Why did you do it?"

I told you before. It's my purpose.

"What? Killing people?"

He was a murderer and deserved to die.

"You murdered him as well!"

The Angel glared icily at this accusation, sending cold chills down Ryuuji's spine. He knew it was not a good thing to anger him and it was as good a time as any to go back a step. But he stood his ground silently, jade coloured eyes challenging.

I did the world a favour, the Angel said coldly. He did not.

"Murdering a murderer is still murdering," Ryuuji said bluntly. "And if murdering is evil, then, in all essence, are you not evil yourself?"

What took place next did not register properly in Ryuuji's mind. One moment he was standing in front of the Angel, and the next he was where the Angel had been standing, blinking away a bright light from his eyes as he held the crumpled form of a pale schoolboy also known as Ryou in his arms.

You have not won me as yet, Chosen.

"I'd look forward to our next encounter more if you didn't take Ryou's body for your own use," he returned dryly.

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Needless to say, when they went back to school the next day – Malik with his finished assignment – they narrowly avoided getting chewed out by the school guidance counsellor. If it hadn't been for Seto, who proved to be brilliant at lying with a straight face, the six of them would have been given at least a month's worth of detentions.

"Where'd you learn to lie like that?" Yugi asked, astounded.

"Lying isn't at all hard," Ryuuji said pleasantly as they strolled back towards their classroom. "You just need a straight, honest expression, a plausible tale and the ability to change tacts in a flash."

"Or, in our case, someone who has a powerful reputation," Kurama added.

They all grinned at Seto, who wore a small, smug expression. Oh he could lie with the smoothest tongue any of them had seen and he could get away with it. He had spent most of his early life with his stepfather lying with every breath he took. It wasn't hard, once he had gotten used to it, and now lying came easily.

"I couldn't lie like that," Yugi said ruefully. Kurama patted him comfortingly.

"Daijoubu, Yugi," he said lightly. "You'll learn."

"Or we'll just cover for ya," Jounouchi said cheerfully. "You'll just sit back and agree with whatever we have to say. Simple as that."

"But don't always rely on this one," Hiei grunted, jerking his head in the blonde's direction. "He's got the brains of a jellyfish and the sense of a brick."

They all laughed except for Jounouchi, whose face was burning with anger or humiliation, no one knew. Yugi smiled hesitantly, unsure of how he would get along with all these people who lied on a day to day basis. He felt insecure about lying, as he had been taught to tell the truth by his ever-so-reliable jiichan.

"You won't go to Hell for it," Marik piped up. "Believe me, I've been there. Lying is common, but it's not why those scums get sent there for."

"Says the 'scum' who is sent back here for probation," Jounouchi muttered.

"I heard that, aho."

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Ryuuji had Ryou taken back to the Kaiba Mansion before he woke up. After that, he was put inside a chamber between Ryuuji and Seto's sealed with their best barriers. It prevented him from using any means to get out, supernatural or no. His Angel counterpart, though powerful, could not possibly stand against the combined powers of four extremely strong and credited Chosen and two exceptional – however inexperienced – apprentices.

"Can I see him, niisama?" Mokuba queried.

"Iie, Mokuba," Seto replied with a sigh, stepping inside the room. "It may be dangerous as yet. Perhaps later."

Of course, the black-haired boy was rather reluctant to leave it at that, but a look from his older brother told him to be silent. He was attached to Ryou, who acted as his close friend and carer in Seto's absence and Mokuba much preferred the quiet and sweet albino to any of the overly pompous servants and maids.

"Kurama-san . . ." he said, turning to the redhead as he approached the door. "Why do you all get to go in and I don't?"

"In time you'll understand the need, Mokuba-kun." Kurama patted him on the shoulder. "But now is not the time for questions. Perhaps later."

"Why is the answer always 'perhaps later'?" he asked mournfully.

Kurama chuckled and bent down to his level, looking amused.

"You're young yet, Mokuba-kun," he said evenly, "and growing up very fast. But still young. You're powers haven't shown through, so we all must take precautions to protect you from harm until they do. Until then, Mokuba-kun, you must be patient and know that we will tell you everything we know when the right time comes. All right?"

"Hai, Kurama-san!" Mokuba chirped, feeling a little happier.

Kurama smiled, patted his shoulder again and walked into the room. Hiei followed wordlessly, though his eyes met Mokuba's with slight amusement. Frankly, Mokuba didn't find anything remotely funny. He frowned in confusion at Hiei's behaviour as the door closed behind him and then left it to the fact that Hiei was always strange, before shrugging and going back to his room.

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"You sounded really wise back there, Kurama."

The redhead smiled faintly at his teacher, standing at the foot of the bed.

"I've always been rather precocious," he said modestly.

Ryou returned the smile, sitting up in bed with Seto at one side and Ryuuji on the other. He felt drained the explanation being that he had just started to use supernatural attacks in the killings the Angel partook in. Usually he didn't have to resort to them and especially that one attack before, the one which passed through steel and metals harmlessly to hit the target, was consuming. The Angel would remain quiet for a short time yet.

"Ee, you have been," Ryou agreed. "Precocious indeed, Kurama. You delve into philosophy too often and forget reality. I've been trying to break that habit of yours for a while, ne?"

"Hai, Ryou-sama."

"And I see the reasoning behind keeping me here – but all day long?" Ryou sighed. "It gets a bit tedious, Seto, really. The least you could have done was put me back in my room."

"You sound a thousand years old," Ryuuji joked.

"And I feel it," Ryou replied with a roll of his eyes.

"And we brought your homework."

"Wonderful," the albino said dryly. "Everything is perfectly all right now."

They went on to discuss more important issues, like the Angel. Ryou admitted that he had control of his own body more often than not, but it was the times in between that really bothered him. Every once in a while, the Angel would take over without warning, but always in an isolated place. Then the Angel, using his body, would set about killing the next target.

"I have no control," he said quietly. "When I wake up, I'm at home and I can recall everything that happened. It's terrifying, in a way, knowing that it is essentially me who commits these acts, however reluctant I am."

"The purity of the Angel . . ." Hiei muttered. "Have you noticed anything about it, Bakura? Has it changed at all during this time?"

Ryou gripped Seto's hand tightly as his form shook. Seto embraced him tightly, while Ryuuji ran warm fingers through his mane. These acts comforted him somewhat and he tried to recall what he knew.

"Every time he takes over . . . the pain grows," he whispered. "The first time . . . I felt warm and safe, almost . . . but now it hurts more . . . and there's this dark feeling at the back of my mind."

"Then the purity is depleting," Seto said firmly. "Each time a murder is committed, the purity fades a little more. The dark feeling . . . perhaps it signifies a sort of tainting."

"And after all the purity has faded . . ." Ryuuji trailed off. He didn't dare continue, looking down at Ryou worriedly.

They all knew what would happen once a pure being lost all its purity. It was similar to damnation, only much slower and more painful. The darkness ate away at your soul, leaving and sparing nothing, until you became an empty shell of darkness. Feeling nothing, the body then ceases to function and the life force would drain away until there was only the dead body.

Ryou bit his lip and looked down at his lap, eyes burning.

"We should leave," Kurama said gently, pulling Hiei away with him. "The three of you may need some time alone."

And they went outside. As soon as the door closed, the tears cascaded. Ryou wrenched away from Seto and Ryuuji's arms, curling himself up, arms practically forcing his head into his knees. He sobbed and cried hoarsely and it was all the other two could do not to feel the same pain. Any pain they felt, he would feel too and that would not bode well.

Outside, the weather changed dramatically. It had been a clear day and now the sky was overrun by storm clouds. Rain pelted down in massive sheets, soaking everything in a matter of seconds. The roads were seen to flood and the winds picked up, the temperature rising so that the humidity was near unbearable. It was suddenly stifling in the room.

"Ryou, koi . . ."

"Leave me alone!" Ryou screamed. "I'm going to die anyway! There's no point in calling a person 'love' if they're going to die!"

"DAMARE!" Seto roared over the cries and the storm outside. Ryou looked up at him in surprise, ceasing to cry. The CEO dropped to his knees beside the bed, looking lost. "Don't . . . don't say there's no point to what we're saying . . . that's what I thought when – when my birth father laying dying in hospital after the car crash . . . I . . . I still regret it now."

"Seto, I – "

"He's right, koi," Ryuuji said softly and firmly. "We can't abandon you when you need us most. You've always been the one to keep us together. We can't let you go just like that, not without a fight."

Ryou hiccupped and then blushed, which caused the other two to smirk. He swatted them over the head for doing so and the three of them started laughing. They would fight, instead of accepting his death, and for that he was grateful.

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End Chapter Four

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Author's Notes:

Things went quick in this chapter, I don't know why. But the rest of the story would basically be about how they help Ryou fight this 'fading' thing. Marik/Ryou hasn't shown yet (GOMEN!) but I think there will be some sort of twisted version of this pairing later on. TWISTED I TELL YOU!

Um . . . yeah . . . review?

Relinquished