-You guys are the best, you hear me? The BEST! Thank you!
-AN: Please note, there is no yaoi in this fic, okay? Only…um…something similar to that of brotherly love.
I DO NOT OWN YGO!
Chapter Four: Missing
Ryou sat patiently on the bed with his back towards Bakura.
"Does it hurt?" he heard Bakura ask softly. There was a hint of a smile on Ryou's face as he faintly shook his head. Bakura continued his task of attending the child's wounds with care, using a salve, until he finished. He then grabbed Ryou's shirt and helped the boy into it.
"We missed dinner, and I'm guessing you're hungry." A stomach rumbled. Bakura laughed, picking up the child and carrying him out of the threshold. "Let's go out and eat. I know this really good place."
"Otay," Ryou said, nodding his head enthusiastically.
Bakura nearly skipped down the stairs (though he would never admit it) and called Marik's name. "We're going out to eat!"
"I'm coming!" a voice yelled back. "Meet me at the car."
"Will do." Bakura put Ryou down, grabbed coats, and they both proceeded towards the garage, hand-in-hand.
-In the car, on the way to…uh…some type of Italian Restaurant-
Wind rushed past him, making his ears ring. Ryou giggled as he looked out at the world around him from the sunroof. Bakura was pointing things out, explaining their uses.
"That's the statue of Sir Henry the Umpteenth or something like that…it might be Herman…I can't remember, who cares? Anyways, I think he died from…emotions…he rejected by this one girl he liked. Oh, and that's-"
Marik's grin went from ear to ear. He had never seen Bakura this excited in a long time, or this talkative. That kid, Ryou, was pretty cool himself. The tanned driver reluctantly told the two that they were almost near their destination.
Soon after the window was closed, Marik pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant. "We have arrived!"
Bakura stepped out of the car with Ryou, and started towards the door. Marik shook his head, looking at the difference of height between the two. "Have fun!" he called heartily as he clambered back into the limo.
"What, aren't you coming?" Bakura put bluntly while he raised an eyebrow.
Ryou's eyes danced with glee. "Yeah, come on Mawik!"
Marik stared dumbfounded at them, causing the two whiteheads to snicker.
"That expression suits you! It matches your IQ!" Bakura told him between laughs.
Marik's eyes narrowed as he sauntered up to Bakura, trying to look irritated. "Say that again, and I'll drive away so that you'll have to walk home!" Bakura stuck out his tongue, only to quickly duck Marik's fist soon after.
The three strolled up to the main entrance, where they were halted.
"I'm sorry sir, but reservations must be made," said the doorman with a bored expression. "Turn around and leave the premises, please. Young children are not allowed unsupervised into the bistro." Ryou looked crestfallen, but Bakura just glared at the man.
"I do have reservations," Bakura said icily. Ryou looked at the teen with curiosity.
"Do you now, boy?" the doorman said, looking the other way at the incoming couple. "And, how old are you? 13? 14?"
"His name," Marik said with an amused smile, "is Teishin."
"Hello mademoiselle and good sir, welcome to the…TEISHIN?" The doorman paled. "I'm s-so sorry s-sir. Please, r-right this w-w-way…" He quickly conducted them into the building, leaving behind a very confused and appalled couple. He handed them off to a female attendant with a whispered note.
"You're so fired," the attendant said. The doorman looked as if he was begging her. "I'm not helping you." She turned around and smiled widely at Bakura, Ryou, and Marik. "Hello, Mr. Teishin! Welcome. Please forgive us for the mistake. He's new, but he won't be working here anymore," she said, pointing to the doorman. "Right this way."
Bakura and Marik, with Ryou in between them, followed the lady towards the back. As they walked past the entrance, Ryou was amazed at the architecture and the amount of people. His astonishment was doubled when they were seated. The room was festooned and bejeweled by countless treasures. Artistic pieces hung on the walls, adding to the colorful and exultant atmosphere.
"Wow…it big…"
Bakura and Marik both chuckled, picking up their menus.
"I think I know what I'm gonna get," Bakura murmured.
"You always get the same thing." Marik studied his own pamphlet before asking, "What are you getting, Ryou?"
Ryou blushed as he stared down at his menu.
"What's wrong?" Marik asked, peering into the boy's troubled face. "…oh…" Bakura watched as Marik gently took the boy's hand and guided towards a letter. Carefully, he explained what it sounded like, and asked Ryou to repeat it.
The white haired teen smiled as Ryou reiterated Marik perfectly. They continued until the waitress came.
"Are you ready to order, good sirs?" she asked.
Bakura nodded casually. "Yes, we would like…"
-An hour later-
"It's 9:00…almost." Marik checked his watch again. "Yeah."
Bakura nodded. "We should go now."
"Well, it was nice of them not to charge us for dinner," Marik said, stretching. He got up and pushed his chair in.
Pouting, Bakura picked up Ryou and complained, "He thought I was 13 or 14! What do I flipping look like?" Marik sniggered. Bakura saw the evil glint in his eye, and quickly added, "don't answer that."
Ryou grinned, wrapping his arms around Bakura's neck. "How old?"
"He says he's 17, but that's a lie. He's really 16," Marik proclaimed. Receiving a glower, he ignored it and continued, "he's embarrassed that he skipped a grade in elementary school-"
Bakura popped him one in the head before leaving the room with a giggling Ryou in his arms.
"Ow! That hurt."
-In the kitchen of the Italian Restaurant-
"Did you hear?"
"About what? Teishin? Yeah…it must of sucked to be Moe! Ha!"
Laughter.
"He got fired."
"Aye, he ought to be. After all, Teishin owns the place."
"The father?"
"No, no. The uncle…or is it the mother? Can't remember."
"It's the mother. Heard she's in a comatose state, though."
-On the Way Home-
"Marik, nature calls. Stop somewhere," Bakura barked.
Marik nodded and pulled over near a gas station. After he parked, he turned around and asked, "Does Ryou need to go?"
"I don't know. He fell asleep. Watch him." With that, Bakura upped and left for the restroom.
The stench of oil hit him full blast as a car nearly ran him over. He cursed loudly at the black truck before proceeding towards little wooden box.
"Oh, hell." He stared at the 'bathroom' with utter disgust written all over his face. "Forget it. I don't need to go anymore." As he turned around, he felt a tug on his shirt. Whirling around, the teen's scowl melted into that of confusion. An unshaven man grabbed his arm and dragged him towards the back of the gas station.
Bakura struggled vainly, cussing the whole time. He elbowed the man in the rib cage when four more arms pulled him back and covered his mouth.
"The ransom's as good as ours, boys," a flamboyant voice said. "Throw him into the truck. Take him you know where."
Bakura tried to yell or shout, but a cloth quickly replaced the hand that covered his mouth. "Mph!" The first unshaven man slapped him, then backhanded him. Bakura tried to reign in his rage. Slowly, he lifted his head up and looked up at the man with contempt. You will pay. Just wait, you bastard.
-In the limo-
Marik sighed as he leaned back in his seat. What the heck was taking Bakura so long? Did he go number two or something?
There was rustling in the back, and Ryou poked his head out from behind. "Where's Kura?" he asked hurriedly.
"He went to the bathroom." The door opened and gravel crunched. Marik watched Ryou run towards the restroom.
He sighed again and resettled himself.
The door opened. "Mawik? Kura's not there." Ryou sounded frightened.
"Of course he is. He went to the bathroom."
"But…he…didn't…"
Marik turned around and stared at the boy. "What?"
Ryou looked flustered. "Go check th' bathroom. He isn't there."
Marik bolted out of the door and ran towards the box. He pounded on the door, yelling Bakura's name. However, after the first few knocks, the door opened slightly, and revealed that the single stall was empty.
"Oh, shit."
Marik stared at the stall. Crap! Who the heck would take him? A tug on his pant leg brought him to his senses. "Ryou?"
The little boy pointed towards the ground. The gravel looked like it split into two columns, trenches, from the bathroom to the back.
"What about them?" Marik asked, rubbing his head, still collecting his thoughts and worries.
"Someone was dwagged…"
"Dragged? Dragged…" Mark blinked. He immediantly looked down at the tracks. They do look like someone was dragged…He followed the course to the back, where he saw a black truck retreat towards the main road. It was Brian! That asshole!
"Ryou, memorize that license plate number!" Marik yelled, picking up Ryou and running towards the limo.
Over the driver's shoulder, Ryou read the six-digit/letter code and repeated it in his head. Kura…please be okay.
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Thank you again for everything! I hope you enjoy. And I promise, it gets better than this…at least, I hope!