Disclaimer: YuGiOh and its characters do not, never have, and never will belong to me. The only things I own are the setting for this story and the OCs. Which there won't be many of.

Enjoy.

PS. Since this is my first story, it's most likely gonna suck, but I'd still like reviews.

And pairings will eventually include YY, MM, RB, possibly JS. Mebbe more, but none that I can think of right now. In fact, if I don't get enough reviews, I won't even continue this story

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Thank You

Freedom Through Inferno:

Chapter 1: Beginning

"whu? Hello?" Ryou peeked out of his hiding place fearfully. He couldn't see anyone and all the noises had stopped, but even so…

"Anyone?" Gaining courage, the small teenager stepped hesitantly out of the closet and into the hallway. Only a few inches so that he could return quickly.

"Dad?" Now a new fear was approaching. It was dead silent, no breathing, no creaking, nothing. Usually the house, even when empty, seemed to be alive, but now that it seemed the intruders were gone it seemed dead. And he couldn't think of why that might be. Maybe….they were playing a trick on him.

A nervous laugh escaped his throat and, disregarding how dangerous it was, he spoke up. "All right, I get it! Very funny. Dad! You can come out now! Dad! Da- yeek!" Moving forward slightly, Ryou had stumbled over something fairly large and very hard.

"Hm?" In a far corner of his mind, Ryou registered that he hadn't been answered. Normally, such noise would have been met with annoyance or excitement; but his father hadn't answered him and neither had the ones who were after him. Well, them actually. It had sounded like they were after his father.

However, none of that seemed important once he realized what he was holding. His eyes widened in horror and a choked whisper escaped his mouth.

"Oil? But…why? There would be no reason! Unless…" His eyes widened even farther in horror as realization dawned. "Dad!" the sudden panicked cry left his mouth. He suddenly felt like he had to see the man, he had to know if he was okay and what was going on, even if it did compromise his own safety; even if the bad men were still there. Maybe he'd be able to escape, but….

He slammed down the hallway, shoving open the forbidden door at the end…

Flames….

A biting orange inferno lit his horrified eyes as he saw what was happening. Oil cans, like the one he had found, littered the room. The viscous liquid inside was spilled all over the place, fueling flames leaping from a lit cigarette lighter on the floor.

They were burning the house down. In his dazed state of mind, Ryou forgot to even wonder who 'they' were.

That's what all the noises were; his father had been trying to find him and let him out before they had dragged him out of the house. He must have been forgotten by the strangers in the fuss.

A sudden yowl of pain split the crackling air as the fire touched his bare foot.

A silhouetted figure stood outside of a dilapidated house, smashing windows and watching with malicious amusement as black smoke billowed out.

"Hey Bakura! Let's get out of here!" His friend ran up to him, eyes alight with insanity. He was grinning widely as well; in fact, lighting the house on fire had been his idea. Their orders had just been to retrieve the scientist alive.

"What for?" Bakura grinned. "I wanna see it come down."

Marik snickers. "Sounds like fun. That old crock is waking up, but who cares? Maybe it'll do him good to watch his beloved house and lab erupt in flames."

Bakura snickered and nodded. "I wonder if the lab will burn, though?"

Marik turned to him, raining an eyebrow, "Why wouldn't it? Didn't you throw a can in?"

"Yeah, but I think the door might've been fireproof and I think I remember closing it."

"Baka!" Marik slammed him upside the head, causing Bakura to scowl and snap at him irritably. "What! It's not like anything was alive down there. And intel didn't mention anything about specimens or live experiments."

"Hmph" Marik suddenly blanked as though considering "What did it look like? That old coot was trying real hard to go back for something."

Bakura blinked "Yeah…I remember. He was being really stupid. Hell, the only reason we're here is cause our 'mutual employer' said the guy had to be brought in and his tracks covered on the way. This is the easiest way to do it! OH, and the lab didn't look like anything much. Not even any test tubes, just doors and what looked like a frayed piece of rope on the floor that was tied to a ring on the wall.

"Huh. That's weird. Wonder what he was even studying," Marik was being carefully indifferent, Bakura noticed.

"I dunno. Stupid scientists are always so secretive. I think it had something to do with combining genetics and gene manipul-"

A piercing scream split the air, drawing the arsonists' gaze back to the flames.

Ryou ran, terrified, but only got a few yards. The house had never seemed as small to him as it did now. A few doors surrounding a hallway was how he saw his home; it was almost all he had ever known. 'Almost' because he had seen trees from a window once, before his father had come in and found him. He had been punished for that. Now his home had become his prison. There was now way out; it was a laboratory built to keep things in.

"No no no nonononono…" Ryou's soft litany ended as he began to whine in terror, backing away from the flames creeping into the room with his ears flattened against the back of his head. Too late, he realized the mistake he had made by pushing open the fire proof door. Come to think of it, why had it been unlocked in the first place? His father had always forbid him from going through and Ryou didn't want to try. Two of his friends, the only other people he had ever known besides his father, had gone through it years ago and never come back.

A sudden crash caught his attention and he jumped back with another shrill yelp as part of the ceiling fell.

"No! Father!" A strangled cry ripped itself from his mouth. He had always depended on his dad for everything, but he was beginning to get a sinking feeling that told him there would be no rescue…

Another crash brought him back to reality and he looked up just in time to jump out of the way of a falling roof beam. He could feel tears of fear leaking down his cheeks. He now only had three feet, a single yard, to cower in between the flames and the wall. He pulled back and squeezed his eyes shut, huddling underneath the leash ring embedded in the wall. He remembered earlier today when his biggest worry had been being tied to it for a while. His Father had managed to catch him in the training room and had attached a rope leash to the ever present collar on his neck. The other end of the leash had been tied to the ring. Ryou had obeyed he command to 'stay' without question (his dad didn't know he could talk) when his father left and he had sat down on the floor patiently to wait for his parent's return. But he hadn't come back. After an hour or two there had been loud noises and strange voices. Ryou had become anxious, then, when his dad started yelling and screaming and someone else had tried to force the main door open, Ryou had bit and clawed his way through the rope and hidden behind the only door that actually led to a closet. He had hidden inside for several minutes until everything became silent. Then he had emerged and gotten himself into this mess! And had risked talking, too!

Suddenly, a phrase from his internal monologue caught Ryou's attention. 'Biting and clawing through…' His whines cut out and his eyes reopened as hope blossomed. He could use his claws to climb out! Just like he had been trained to do! Completely back to himself by now, Ryou stood up in his usual half crouch, casting around far a suitable 'ladder'. IN the process, he realized the fire had crept forward by several more inches and that he was sweating profusely.

Crash

Ryou leapt about two feet in the air with a startled yelp as yet another burning rather fell right in front of him. He backed away, then blinked; it had fallen in such a way that it was sticking out upwards. It would make a perfect ladder! Without a second thought, he leapt onto the makeshift lifeline and began running up towards the night air he had never experienced, his short claws automatically finding purchase in the rough wood. Unfortunately, he forgot the rope still hanging from his neck as the frayed end swung through the flames on the way up…

"What the hell was that!" Bakura, outside, had heard the scream. AN utterance of pure terror but with a youthful note that made it quite obvious the vocalist had been a child.

Marik looked just as confused. "Dunno," he shrugged "Guess the old guy had a brat."

"Oh. Oops." Bakura turned back to the flames indifferently.

"Guess that's what geezer wanted to go back in after. " Marik laughed. "Imagine the look on his face when we tell him his brat was burned to death!"

Bakura chuckled coldly, "I'll bet he'll be more concerned about his research."

Marik snickered, "Yer probably right." With that, they both turned back to watch the flames finish their work.

"And there it goes!" Both of them cheered as the top two stories collapsed. "Let's see," Bakura grinned "once the lab in the basement is done, we can finish up and…are you listening?" Marik was still staring at the flames as though entranced.

"Wha? No."

"Damnit, I was just saying…" he began again, only to be interrupted. "Kura, look!" Marik pointed at something in the flames.

"Damnit Marik! The fire's almost out, knock it…"

"Not the fire! LOOK!"

Bakura shot him an annoyed glare but decided to humor him. Reluctantly, he turned back towards the flames.

"Alright, what?"

"There!"

"Where? It's a fire, there's nothing in it."

"There! On that beam!"

"Marik..." Bakura began, turning angrily…

A shrill scream cut him off. It was the same as before, only considerable closer. His head whipped back around; only to be confronted with the strangest sight he had ever witnesses.

A beam had fallen into the basement but was jutting several feet in the air over the ground. On top of the beam was something that made Bakura's mouth drop in amazement; even though he couldn't see very well through the waves of heat. It looked like a young boy, a fair skinned child with wide eyes and pale hair, was clinging to the top of the beam. He was whimpering and wailing profusely and seemed, somehow, to be stuck. What really mystified Bakura was the fact that the child's natural stance appeared to be on all fours and that he was clinging to the wood with his finger and toe tips, as if he had claws holding him up. Instinctively, Bakura rushed forward with Marik close behind.

Ryou was terrified, even more so then before. Everything had been going okay. He had been climbing up steadily with the beam protecting him from the fire, until he saw the night sky. At that point he had lunged forward happily, thinking only on word: 'Freedom!'. Then it had happened; a choking, searing pain bit into his throat, causing him to scream and lean back into the flames. He was just inches away from leaping off the beams, which was beginning to burn through, when he had become caught. Unable to realize the attention he had captured outside of the fire, he was now clutching his failing lifeline and mewling pitifully. Now that he had realized what was holding him down, there was no hope.

His leash had gotten caught on the wood, holding him back by the neck. What was even worse was that he had no way to pull free, his claws were occupied holding the beam, as the rope leash caught fire. A strangles sob emerged from his throat as he closed his eyes, ready for the fire to reach and consume him.

"Hey kid!"

Huh? Ryou's eyes opened not a split second after he shut them when he heard and unfamiliar voice.

"Hey!"

The voice again. His keen ears pinpointed the location easily, even through the roaring inferno, and he jerked his head around to look, toning down his whimpers in confusion.

His eyes widened at what he saw: …two figures…blackness…spiky hair….red eyes… Then an agonized scream left his mouth as the fire from his leash touched his bare foot.

Marik's eyes were wide in amazement.

"What the Hell!" he turned to Bakura, yelling to be heard over the roaring fire, "I thought you said there wasn't anything alive in there!"

Bakura looked too dumbfounded to answer, he was still taking in the sight of his miniature look alike clinging to a piece of wood and wearing a rope leash that was, as well as being stuck, on fire.

"Bakura!" Marik grimaced in annoyance, and turned back to the kid who was yipping and whimpering in fear. Briefly, Marik wondered if he knew how to speak. "Hey kid!"

For a second, he thought the flames had drowned out his voice. Then he tried again.

"Hey!" This time, the boy's head jerked around and wide, frightened eyes met his own. Oddly enough, this just seemed to confuse the kid more.

"Hey! If you…" Marik heard Bakura start, only to be cut off by a frantic scream of pain. "Damnit! Marik, the fire's hit his foot!"

"I see that!" Abruptly, he calmed down. "Oh well, guess we couldn't save him. Not my fault." And he flippantly turned away.

Bakura turned to glare and tell him off, completely disregarding the youth's screams, when a new voice interrupted him.

"Oh……my…….God…."

"Hey Doc!" Marik turned to the doctor, for all the world sounding like he was greeting an old friend. "We didn't know ya had a brat!"

"Yeah," Bakura shrugged, pretending not to care' looks like he was inside when we fired the house."

By now, the screams had intensified to shrieks, of both fear and pain. However, the rope had burned through and the kid was free. The Doc still just stood in front of the fire, too dazed to move.

"Hey, runt!" Bakura yelled into the flames "Jump! Maybe you'll survive!" The boy just stared at him, uncomprehending.

"You idiot!" Both men turned to stare at the doctor in astonishment "he can't understand you!"

"Well then, please. Enlighten us." Marik bristled sarcastically. Bakura was staring at the doctor oddly. How could he be so calm while his own child was burning to death in front of him?

"Ryou." Both arsonists were again surprise as he kid instantly, in spite of the pain, turned to look. They all saw his eyes widen at the sight of his 'father'. "COME."

Bakura stared (he was finding himself doing that a lot lately). "COME? What is he? A dog?" Marik looked just as skeptical. That is, until a small form launched itself off the rather and easily sailed over 4 yards to land on sold ground.

"What the…" Marik muttered incredulously. Bakura just stood there, too stupefied to say anything, as the little creature landed at the scientist's feet. Then promptly collapsed with a pained yelp.

Both of them gaped in amazement. They had, at first sight, automatically assumed the figure was human; but this was no human.

The little being was obviously young, sixteen at the oldest, and couldn't have stood taller then 5'5 at full height. He had long silvery-white hair, like Bakura, and approximately the same body structure; but for a couple things. Major things. One, he had claws; half inch needle-like cat claws stuck out of the tips of his fingers and toes, retracting and protruding with the boy's (creatures?) spasms of pain. Another major difference was his ears; two pricked cat ears (singed) lay on his head. They were unnoticeable at first sight, considering they were all the way back against his hair and blended in. The less noticeable difference was two short fangs pricking his lower lip, drawing blood where he had bit himself. Also, his body structure was obviously inhuman, he was built to stand on all fours rather then two legs. Other then that, he looked like a smaller, more innocent version of Bakura. All except his eyes, which none of them could see because he had them closed in pain.

What he was wearing was almost as interesting as what he looked like. He had on a simple pair of soft white pants (black and ragged where they had been singed off) and a sleeveless vest of the same material. The most noticeable article of clothing he was wearing was a thick leather collar around his neck. It had what looked like a name plate, a small metal disk (which undoubtedly held a microchip inside) and a loop for a leash on it (the loop was currently occupied by the remnants of the burned rope). Other then that, he was completely bare. No shirt, no shoes, no socks, nothing. His pale, burned skin could be seen clearly through his sparse coverings.

"What the hell is that? And why does it look like me?" Bakura breathed red eyes wide.

TBC.

End Chapter one.

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