Hey all! Sorry I made you wait, but it wasn't as long as last time, right? Anyhow, review replies are at the bottom – enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 12 – Dangers
"Drop him, now." Seto Kaiba's voice rang through the room, icy hard and cold as his eyes.
Malik laughed. "So your baby brother is a demon-child. How cute." He poked at Mokuba with a harsh finger. The child snarled, eeling around and burying his teeth in the offending digit. Malik growled and jerked back, shaking his finger angrily. "I wouldn't push it, child," he snapped, raising Mokuba so he could look him in the eye. "If your brother doesn't cooperate, we'll have to take you with us and feed you to Father's pets." Malik glanced up at the human – and he was a human; his scent told nothing else – to gauge his reaction. Kaiba didn't move, didn't even flinch. There was fear in the back of his eyes, but Malik had to reluctantly admire his courage.
"Mokuba…now."
Flame erupted around the boy – Malik yelped in shock and dropped him. Mokuba rolled to his feet and ran to his brother, wrapping his arms around Kaiba's pants – the cloth began to smoulder, but Kaiba showed no discomfort. He reached into his trench coat and pulled out a handgun, pointing it at Malik. "Lockdown," he snapped, and the computer on his desk flickered, dying instantly.
Marik sneered. "Your weapon won't harm us, human," he hissed, stepping forward. "We only want to know where Yami Mutou is – then we'll leave you alone."
"No." Kaiba shook his head. "I'm no fool; you will hold my brother and I until you have what you want – and you will hand Yami back over to that." He spat in the general direction of Kyoshori. "Not while I have breath." Malik made to move and the weapon swung over to point at him. "And neither of you move – the bullets in this guns will harm a demon." He touched his brother's head – Mokuba's flame had died, leaving him untouched. "Mokuba – let's go."
The Kaiba brothers moved as Mokuba opened a portal, vanishing as it winked closed behind them.
Marik muttered under his breath and Malik growled, moving to where the portal had been. He ran a hand through the space, letting his tracking magicks come to the fore. "It goes to the bottom of the building…we should be able to track them with little problem, brother."
"Don't bother," Kyoshori spoke suddenly. Neither of the twins had noticed that he had moved to Kaiba's cluttered desk and was now shifting through the papers there. "He might have locked me out of the computer system, but he didn't have time to destroy the hard copies – I should be able to find at least some information in here." A certain piece of paper apparently caught his eye; he picked it up and studied it for a long moment before turning to face them.
Kyoshori was far to well disciplined to smile; a businesslike mask had settled over his features. But he couldn't hide the grim satisfaction in his eyes.
"We have them."
The lights and the noise were overwhelming – Yami felt as though his head was spinning, and he hadn't even drunk anything.
Golden Temptations was what Yugi called a 'mixed' bar – any and all sexual preferences were tolerated and encouraged. Golden oriental dragons writhed on the black-painted walls; red and gold lights flashed and swirled, illuminating the black-stained bar with its golden rails and the dance floor, a seething mass of gyrating bodies. Elsewhere, deep corners of impenetrable shadow lurked. Yugi laughed brightly as he towed him to the bar, his metallic golden shirt and shiny black leather pants seeming to draw the light to him. Yami swallowed, caught between pride and desire for his gorgeous mate – and drop-dead embarrassment.
Yugi had insisted on dressing him for the night too. Now instead of jeans he too wore leather pants – they seemed to rub in unusual places, thanks to the skin-tight briefs he wore instead of boxers - and a shirt of flowing crimson silk over a tight black tank. Yugi'd then sat him down and applied makeup to his face. Not much – just a little eye shadow and liner – but still.
If Father saw me now, he'd have a cat.
Not that it mattered anymore. They'd gotten the summons today by courier – in three days they would appear in court, and he would be free. That thought was enough to make him drunker than any alcohol. Free. He laughed a little and Yugi looked back, shared amusement in his eyes.
Couples - male, female, and mixed - watched them cross the club. He could feel covetous eyes on Yugi and his hand tightened on his mate's, a part of his mind growling 'mine'.
:Don't worry love.: Yugi murmured through their link. :They won't have me, and they can't have you.: Yami gasped at the surge of desire and possessiveness that washed through him as they reached the bar. Yugi snagged them two seats, pulling the stools close together so that he and Yami practically sat in each other's laps.
:What do you want: Yugi asked. One advantage of mind-speaking – they could speak to each other without shouting despite the mind-numbing din.
:I've never had alcohol before.: Yami admitted. :What do you think:
:I think that you should learn to live a little.: Yugi laughed. "Two Singapore Slings!" he hollered to the bartender. Moments later two tall slender glasses filled with yellow, orange and red layers of liquid arrived, a maraschino cherry and orange slice impaled on a cocktail sword for garnish. He watched Yugi take the fruits and dip them in the alcohol before eating them and did the same, savouring the tingling sweetness.
:Stir it before you drink it.: Yugi sent. :Otherwise, it tastes kind of funny.:
Yami nodded, stirring the drink with his straw until the colours blended and taking a cautious sip, surprised with how good it tasted – like spicy tropical juice. It tasted even better when a moment later Yugi pulled him into a deep French kiss that left him dazzled. He grinned like an idiot as they finished their drinks between kisses.
:Come on.: Yami could almost feel his mate's restlessness as the music called to him, and nodded. Yugi gave him that glorious smile and pulled him off the stool, heading for the dance floor.
Yami remembered the first time they had danced – on the night they had met. Had it truly been less than two weeks ago? That night had become one of his most treasured memories.
It was nothing compared to this.
Yugi wrapped his arms around his waist from behind, and snuggled tight, hot and wonderful against his back. Yami rested his head on Yugi's shoulder as they began to move to the beat, the rhythm of the music flowing through them. Yami closed his eyes to the lights as he felt Yugi's hands roaming over his body; thought, will and inhibition vanished as he lost himself to the music and the lights and the movement and Yugi. His mate's joy flowed through him like thick mead, intoxicating him. Wild euphoria filled him and he laughed aloud, past and future forgotten.
There was only the music. Only the dance. And Yugi. Always, always Yugi.
Somehow they ended up face to face; the music slowed to a soft melody that hummed through them. Sweat beaded on Yugi's face, dripping down his body with the exertion; his amethyst eyes glowed with passion and excitement. :You're so beautiful, my tenshi.:
:And you are breathtaking, my beloved darkness.: Yugi's mind voice was bright with love and joy, breathless with delight. :I love you.:
:I love you too.:
Seto and Mokuba finally stopped running at one of Seto's labs, using his access key to get them inside with no one the wiser. According to the records, this particular lab had been abandoned for years – but the records lied.
This was the place where Seto had met his little brother, and the place they came to when they needed to be undisturbed.
Mokuba ran inside and sprawled on the bed, all six limbs spread wide. "What did they want, niisama?" he asked, storm-grey eyes serious.
"Remember when I told you about Yami Mutou?" he asked, sitting on the edge of the bed. Mokuba nodded, crawling into Seto's lap and cuddling there. "Well, that was Yami's father – and it looks like he has a couple of demon thugs. That surprises me – what didn't was the fact that they acted like they were in charge. I would like more information, but I can't be sure that the creatures will give up coming after you and me."
"It's okay, niisama." Mokuba grinned up at him, holding out his right pinkie finger – on which a tiny scar could be seen. Seto held out his own right pinkie and they held them together, the scars matching – remnant of the blood-brotherhood they had sworn in this very room four years before. Seto sighed and hugged Mokuba tightly.
"We should warn Yami and Yugi that Mutou will know where they are." The older of the pair sighed. "That way they can make a run for it."
Mokuba looked confused. "But you locked out the system, niisama. The only way to unlock it is with your DNA, right?"
"Yes – but the information Mutou wants is in hardcopy on my desk." Seto shook his head. "If Kyoshori is smart, he'll stay in that office and pretend to have my blessing to run the place until he can figure out a way around the lockout, then use Kaiba Corp's resources to get back his son."
Malik and Marik watched Yami and Yugi exit the bar hand-in-hand, their gazes predatory. Now that they knew where the pair were hiding, it was child's play to set up an ambush. They'd hired some human gang to help corner the pair – cannon fodder in case Yugi decided to attack. Their plan lay in grabbing Yami to use against Yugi – the fact that they were still together suggested that Yugi had found a favourite, and would co-operate once they had the boy. Malik would have liked to blood-bound him, but Marik knew that Azmodeous probably wouldn't be happy with that, so they decided instead to use the Rod's powers on him.
The twins separated; Malik took up a station just inside of the alley they planned to use – Marik would be at the other end to make sure their quarry didn't escape. Overhanging balconies and fire escapes, ensuring that Yugi couldn't fly for safety covered the alley.
When Yami and Yugi reached the mouth of the alley, the human gang accosted them, pulling them into the smelly darkness. Yami got slammed up against a Dumpster roughly – Malik smiled as he crept closer, shielded by his own magic. Yami cried out as his head and shoulders bounced against the thin steel. Yugi cried out – Malik glanced up to see the incubus in Marik's grasp, struggling futilely.
He grabbed the mortal's arm – Yami spun to stare at him in shock, his eyes crimson-red in the dim light. Malik held up the Rod, willing it to take over the boy's mind. Suddenly the amulet around the boy's neck began to glow and his eyes when dim and glassy. A third eye of black light flared to life on his forehead; Malik felt the power of the Rod suddenly dissipate to nothing. He stepped back in shock and heard screams behind him. Turning, he saw the shadows moving like living things, attacking the gang members. His brother screamed and he saw Yugi - glowing now with the same rainbow light as Yami's amulet - had broken free and attacked Marik viciously.
Malik left the mortals and ran to Marik's side, pulling Yugi off. The hunter demon gasped as Yugi's teeth buried themselves in the flesh of his shoulder; every nerve ending came alive, triply sensitized. He raked his claws across Yugi's arm; the incubus shrugged off a blow that should have paralyzed him nearly instantly. Yugi's claws dug into his side - he winced as agony seared through his entire body. He struck back, throwing Yugi off him.
Yugi rolled to his feet, wings half-spread for balance, teeth bared, and eyes glowing with rage. A third eye identical to Yami's, only of white light, blazed on his forehead. Dark demon blood dripped from his claws. The light around him grew brighter; his body tensed as though to attack. Malik rolled as Yugi sprang, grabbing his twin and opening a portal to escape.
A mind-roiling moment later they landed in their quarters in Hell. The hunter-demon looked around out of habit, assessing their Spartan, brown-painted living room for anomalies – it wouldn't be the first time that they had been attacked in their own home.
Seeing that everything was as it should be, Malik collapsed to his knees, dragging Marik closer. His twin looked like he had been through a war; at least a dozen bites decorated his shoulders and arms through his shredded shirt, and claw marks bled freely over his chest, arms and back. His stomach looked as though the skin had been flayed down to the muscle. His lavender eyes were wide and unseeing, dilated with shock and pain. He shivered and suddenly went into convulsions, screaming.
"Easy, brother." Malik soothed, running his fingers through Marik's hair until the fit passed. Then he stumbled to his feet and walked over to a cabinet where they kept antidotes to every known demon's venom. They had actually joked when they added the incubus anti-venom, but in truth it was nasty stuff in large doses. It could send the body into spasms as the nerves fired wild messages to the brain, and every touch and motion on the skin would be agony – cuts could send the victim into shock as his body released pain-numbing endorphins and other chemicals.
He took a swig himself before returning to Marik's side, forcing open his jaw and pouring some of the bitter liquid down his throat. Yugi's venom probably wouldn't kill them – but then he would have sworn that no incubus could stand up against one hunter-demon, never mind two, and he refused to lose his twin through carelessness.
He grabbed the healing kit from its place in the cabinet. He wedged a smooth piece of wood into Marik's mouth to keep him from biting off his own tongue from the pain, and started cleaning out Marik's wounds, watching them heal to thin white scars. The bites scabbed over but didn't heal properly until he opened them up and dabbed them with anti-venom. The stomach was a mess; Malik laid a cloth over it to keep out infection and wrapped it tightly - it would take an hour for the skin to heal over.
While he waited, he tended to his own wounds. Yugi's claws had taken a good chunk out of the flesh over his ribs – he growled. Since when could an incubus do that to a hunter-demon? Marik and he should have been able to take Yugi down without a sweat once they laid hands on him.
Maybe – he picked up the Rod, studying it. It had been a gift from their father on their hundredth birthday – he claimed it had been one of seven items of power in Egypt for centuries before some Pharaoh had sealed them away.
Maybe that amulet had been one too…he would have to get Marik to look it up. He didn't have the patience for that kind of research.
A movement at his side caught his attention. "Malik…?" Marik murmured weakly.
"Easy , brother." Malik rubbed his twin's hand. "You got a pretty hefty dose of poison – relax so that the anti-venom can work."
Marik nodded slightly and hissed. "Hellfire…it feels like I've gone through a wind tunnel filled with glass shards."
"I'm not surprised – we didn't expect Yugi to actually attack you."
"Did you get Yami at least?"
Malik shook his head, lifting the edge of the bandage on Marik's stomach to gauge the speed of the healing. "No – and there's something I'm going to have to get you to look up when you're feeling better. He had this amulet – it started to glow when I went to use the Rod on him; those gang-members we hired were destroyed by living shadows. His magic is waking."
Marik nodded, eyes slipping shut as he passed into a more normal sleep. Malik picked him up carefully and carried him to their bedroom, placing him on one of the two twin beds in the room.
Malik snarled and clawed viciously at a stone post kept in a corner of the room for just that purpose. He growled as stone chips flew, bouncing ignored off his face and chest, letting his rage build and build, rising until it boiled over and he fell into the calm on the far side. Marik was still out of commission and there were plans to be made. His clawed hand clenched into fists, cold fire burning in his eyes.
Yugi would pay for this.
Review Replies:
KEWLIO: Thanks!
Pharaoh's Egyptian Arabian: Thanks to you too! I hope this is soon enough.
Ladybard96: I love twists! And honestly, I didn't see that one coming 'til Usagi my plot bunny coughed it up.
Kitz' Melody: Welcome, and thank you for the compliments! (blushes) I really try hard to make the characters 'real' and doing it in atypical roles is a challenge – but lots of fun! And Usagi thanks you for the carrot!
Sansi: Konnichi-wa, tomodachi! Thanks for the review, but Usagi hasn't seen your plot bunny – gomen!
Crimson Anjel: Thanks! I'll keep working on it until the bitter end, promise!
Quill Masters: Hope you got the e-mail I sent you! Don't worry – it make take me a while, but I will finish this.
Aerith Queen of Cetra: I don't think he'll be doing any wall crashing…though if he does, Yugi could kiss it better, ne?
Chelley Angel: Yep – Mokuba's a demon, and Seto's not. Hope that didn't disappoint you!
Crystal56: Welcome! Thank you for the compliments, and I hope you continue to enjoy.
Tyri Dragonite and Alisia D Friesen: Here's the update.
Dark Angel of Fire Ice: Yeah, Mokuba would be a cute demon wouldn't he? Thanks!
Rachel Dragon: He's fitting in – and as you can see in this chapter, Mokuba is a fire demon. Cute, ne?
Kit-kit: Gomen – but Seto's not a demon. Hope that didn't disappoint you…
ladywolfTerri: Thanks! Yeah, Mokie's a demon and the prince is going to be seriously pissed. Kyoshori…you'll just have to see. (wink)
Kiko cat: As you can see, Mokie's fine…Seto would never let anything happen to him. And Yami being beaten…well, only by Yugi! Thanks!
SanurAtheBlooD: Yep, Mokuba has wings! Glad you like the fluff and Bakura!
Silver Thorns: Yep…he knows. I'm even considering writing a side-story showing how they met.
Jaded Katrina: huggles Perhaps…you'll have to read to see!
DracOnyx: huggles back I'm glad you love it! Thanks for the review!
Yamiyugifanadic: Thanks!
S Chensu and Luff: Yep – and I hope some of the confusion is cleared up in this chapter.
Please read, enjoy and review!