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.

SO REVIEW! 

Thank You to all of you who reviewed chapter 1! I was surprised to get so many!

Responses are at the bottom.

Also, I'm accepting ideas if anyone's got any. All I have is a rough sketch of the story; I haven't done a detailed outline yet.

Freedom Through Inferno:

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

Chapter 2: Explanations

"That," started the scientist calmly, "is not of your concern."

"Like hell it's not!" Bakura lunged forward, easily lifting the man into the air by his shirt collar. "That little MONSTER looks exactly like me! And that can not be a coincidence."

"It's…classified." choked the captive scientist. Bakura snarled angrily, tightening his hold. "Oh, really?"

Marik was watching the proceedings with detached amusement. So long as Bakura didn't actually kill the man, they wouldn't be punished and that was all he cared about. Well, that and getting paid.

Besides, he thought, the old guy needs a lesson in respect. Not to mention the fire was getting boring, this is far more interesting. A low whimpering moan jerked him out of his reverie. Glancing down, he found the source of the fight writhing on the ground, trying to escape the pain enveloping his body.

"Fascinating." He murmured, reaching out towards the creature. "I wonder if those ears are real? And." At this point, he looked back to the face of the seemingly oblivious youngling (who still had his eyes clenched shut in pain) "I wonder why you can't speak? What are you?"

Ryou was in pain. A LOT of pain. He knew what fire was, he had researched it one night while his father was asleep and had forgotten to lock his cage. All the computer had said was that it was used for many things and it could be very hot. NOTHING had mentioned how painful it was.

At least Father's here. He'll do something…

Unfortunately, Ryou knew, this was very unlikely. His father would wait for the 'natural healing mechanism', as he called it, to kick in. On occasion, he had actually hurt Ryou just to see how his body responded.

But none of that had hurt nearly as bad as this. Burns littered Ryou's entire body; his back, chest, neck, arms, and legs were littered with them and his lower stomach and footpads (the bottom of his feet and hands) felt like not an inch was left unscathed. A strangled moan escaped the mouth of the 'boy' as he writhed, attempting to escape the pain crawling over almost every inch of his exposed flash (and quite a bit of the unexposed as well) So caught up was he, in fact, that he didn't notice the approaching presence until it was much too close for comfort.

When the realization hit him, his eyes shot open wide and he froze in fear. Amethyst eyes met his own green ones from less then a foot away.

Marik froze as the creature's eyes shot open

Green, he distantly registered, the eyes are green.

Hesitantly, and warily considering the claws and teeth, Marik moved forward, still intent on touching the soft-looking cat ears. He didn't even notice that the noises from the fire were dying out and those from the fight had cut completely. Four inches…three inches…2…

"NO! STOP! You must not do that!"

"Huh!" Jerking upward, Marik found himself shoved back. "Hey!"

"Knock it off. We've come to an…agreement, of sorts." Bakura was standing a few feet away, watching Marik with a bored expression on his face.

"Oh, really?" Snapped Marik, still angry from being shoved. "and what would that be?"

"The Doc here is gonna tell us everything about the Thing."

"In return for…?" Nothing comes without a catch, Marik thought, pessimistically.

"In return for us 'forgetting' to mention that he resisted when we get back to HQ."

"Seriously? That's it?" Marik was surprised, information usually cost more.

"Well, let's just say I 'persuaded' him into believing it was the right thing to do." Bakura grinned, sadistic madness practically glowing form his eyes. Marik snickered "Of course." That look would be enough to scare anyone into submission.

"So, Doc." Bakura turned back to the man who was now kneeling over the Thing. "Talk."

The scientist was silent for a long minute before finally clearing his throat and beginning to speak, unaware that there were three pairs of ears listening rather then two.

"It all started about twelve years ago. I joined a company called Kaiba Corp, which specialized in computer programming and engineering. Within the first week, I found out Kaiba Corp was just a front for KC, a government funded program experimenting with genetics, chemicals, and poisons to create the perfect weapon. The effort was mostly geared towards chemicals; enhanced anthrax, mustard gas, cyanide, and others that were able to spread further when airborne and kill faster.

However, there was also a portion of the lab geared towards living weapons. This was the section I was assigned to. It was my job to find genetic codes that could enhance the abilities of humans and animals, as well as finding the gene that would take away free will so that the creature would be completely loyal to its masters. After two years, me and my colleagues found the coding for what we believed would be the perfect solder, a human combined with a specific predatory animal that would look mostly human but act and think with the instincts of the animal. Unfortunately, right after we submitted our findings, the funding for the company was cut with the end of the Cold War and we were let go. (A/N let go means fired)

None of us could bear to have our research die, so we bought a house out in the country where nobody would bother us and built a lab into the basement. It was a small affair, the house for the three of us and the lab below consisting of a single hallway with eight doors branching off. The first door led to the incubation room where we created and aged our projects. The others led to (2) research, (3) containment, (4) training and exercise, (5) behavioral study, (6) physical study, (7) a closet, and the eight was taken out later so we would have somewhere to tie the specimens while we were preparing for tests. That is where we drove the leash ring into the wall.

About a year after we moved in, we finished preparing the lab and created our first specimens. They were 3 feline hybrids brought to a maturity equaling ten human years seven years ago. To create them, we used the DNA of random humans (it was left over from the samples we were given by KC) as well as that of a snow leopard, a large Egyptian feline (I don't remember the exact breed, only that it was very vicious), and a common American bobcat. They all looked different and surpassed our wildest dreams in all the tests but one; intelligence. Although they appeared mostly human, the most they were able to comprehend were simple commands, like dogs.

Five years ago, my two colleagues left with two of the specimens after we had an argument and I was left to continue the experiment on my own. I have since finished the tests and only do routine experiments and checkups to make sure It ages at the correct rate, approximately the same as that of a human, and that it is continuing to be successful.

I can only guess that my former colleagues came into contact with your employers and they want me for my knowledge. I honestly have no idea why It looks like you, the pale coloring is a result of the snow leopard DNA, not that of the human.

Ryou lay on the ground, eyes shut, as silence fell and the three listeners absorbed the information.

Well, it all certainly makes sense. But I never even knew we were experiments! At least the others are probably okay…

"So, that's it." Bakura stated slowly, still trying to come to terms with the information.

"That's …quite a lot to swallow." Marik was just as stunned. "It's an experiment. A cat with the body of a human and a bio weapon."

"Basically, yes." The scientist looked a bit disgruntled at having his life work reduced to a mere sentence, but wasn't about to correct Marik.

Suddenly, Bakura realized something. Oh shit. If it is too badly burned, it'll die, and considering what he just said, that Thing is what the company wants! Oh hell, it had better not die…

"Is it going to survive?"

The Doctor jerked in surprise "Why wouldn't it?"

"Cuz, "Marik was picking up on Bakura's idea "It looks like It's burned real bad."

"Oh, no. Don't worry about it. We programmed them to heal quickly so that they would be usable again in a short period of time. It should be fully healed in ten minutes and workable now."

Both arsonists turned back towards the creature.

"Bloody hell" Bakura's eyes widened.

"Dear Ra." Marik muttered almost reverently. The wounds were gone, leaving only rapidly disappearing scars on formerly charred skin.

"IS there anything else you conveniently forgot to mention in that speech, Doc?" Bakura growled.

"As a matter of fact," Marik cocked an eye at the suddenly, and suspiciously, happy tone. "He has, as you can see, cat ears, retractable claws, fangs, eyes capable of seeing in the dark, a fairly good sense of smell, is able to move easily on all fours or two legs, although all fours is more natural, has short fur all over his body that matches the skin, and protects."

"Protects?" Marik blinked, obviously that was the point the doctor liked most. "Protects what?"

"Me." Bakura didn't like the smirk spreading over his face. "One word from me and it will kill both of you."

Silence.

A long moment passed before both of them….

Broke down laughing.

"What!" the Doc. was furious "Don't you believe me?"

"hahah! It looks…hah!...more like an injured kitten then…hahahah! Anything else!"

"And what," Marik gasped, trying to compete Bakura's statement, "is a….hahah!...kitten gonna… hah!...do against…heheh…us?"

"Fine then." Snapped the scientist, drawing their attention "I'll prove it. Ryou!"

"Unnnngh…" two pairs of rapidly sobering eyes turned in the direction of the now healed cat-creature.

"Attack."

"Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrnnn…" as per training, Ryou snarled, baring elongated fangs and sharp claws. Pressing himself down to the ground, he crouched and tensed to spring, making himself look and sound as dangerous as he could. Both arsonists backed away, stunned at the transformation as he pounced.

"AAAGHH!" Marik screamed as a sudden weight met his back and something sharp touched his neck. He could feel the fangs digging deeper as claws began to scrape his shoulders painfully. "KURA! HELP!"

"MARIK!" Bakura ran forward, intending to kick the creature off his partner, only to find the fangs that had been in Marik's neck embedded in his shoe. The creature snarled deeply, jerking Bakura closer viciously.

"Alright! Enough! We get it!" he yelled at the smug looking scientist.

"You sure?" Both of them nodded frantically. All of them failed to notice that the young one had stopped pulling when they started talking.

"Fine. RYOU! Enough. Come." Instantly, the 'Thing' dropped his hostages, withdrawing his teeth and claws, and darted eagerly over to the scientist. The doctor sneered at the other two. "I'd suggest you don't make me angry."

Ryou was confused. Very confused. He had finished coming to term with what his 'father' had said when he heard the command. Attack.

Attack? He couldn't comprehend why but had instantly gotten into position. He loved this game! Usually, when his father told him to attack, he would destroy a stuffed dummy and get rewarded. But these people had actually been scared of him! He would never actually hurt them though, he was just playing!

Oh well, at least I'm with Father again. He though, content. But the man's next words chilled him to the bone.

"I'd suggest you don't make me angry."

But I don't want to hurt them! If they make Dad angry, will I have to scare them again? I like playing, but I don't think they do…

He slumped unhappily at his Father's feet as the man reached down and took hold of his collar.

"Fine!" spat Bakura, "Let's just get out of here. The sooner we leave, the sooner we'll be able to ditch our baggage."

The spiteful remark was quite obviously directed at the doctor, who merely brushed it away. The other two glared, but didn't do anything as the doctor slid a new leash into the loop on the creature's collar.

"I'll go start the car." Marik ground out, stomping away. Bakura glowered after him, but turned back to watch their charge. After a minute, he felt his anger diffuse slightly at the sight of the little cat boy sitting on the ground with his ears drooping despondently as he pawed at the leash. Big green eyes seemed to plead from limpid depths for freedom but, as Bakura could see, the Doc had no intention of letting It stray.

It's strange. Bakura frowned; the creature almost looks like it understands what's happen-

"WHERE THE IS THE CAR!" Marik's roar actually made the trees shake as he stomped back towards them.

"What are you talking about?" Bakura stared, somewhat fearfully, at his insane looking partner. He was glaring, feet spread, eyes wide and insane, with a look of such fury on his face that even Bakura wavered in front of him.

"Oh, that." The Doctor looked away.

"Oh that?" Bakura repeated sweetly, "tell me, Doc, when were you going to bring up 'oh, that'?"

"HE DESTROYED MY BABY! IT CAUGHT FIRE FROM THE HOUSE! HE MUST'VE PUSHED IT IN!" Marik collapsed, weeping like a baby.

Seeing as his counterpart was obviously out of commission, Bakura took charge. With shouting.

"YOU LIT the CAR on FIRE? HOW THE HELL ARE WE SUPPOSED TO GET OUT OF HERE NOW!"

"Ummmm…why don't we rest? We're going to need our energy to hike tomorrow."

Bakura actually felt his eyes get redder in anger. He clenched his fists and teeth, attempting to burn holes in the scientist with his eyes. He would've already killed the freak, to hell with orders, if his little pet wasn't guarding him. As it was, he couldn't do anything but reign in his temper and agree.

"Fine."

As the four settled down to sleep, Ryou tied by his father's feet, none of them knew what the journey would bring.

Because it would certainly be one none of them would ever forget.

TBC.

End Chapter two.

What did you think? Sorry about all the swearing, but that's how Bakura and Marik are.

Review!

Responses-

Ilikeyaoi: I'm glad you like it so much! I wasn't trying to be that detailed, but a good thing is a good thing, I guess. Thanx again!

Thunderstorm101: heh. Your review confused me no end at first. I completely forgot I ended the chapter with a question. Hope you got your answer! . I know it wasn't remarkably satisfactory, but we still don't know where the misc. DNA came from…

Sarah the Slayer: heheheh. blushes Thanx a lot. I didn't think it was that good but I'm glad you did. And I was trying to make Ryou sound part neko, I'm not sure if I should make him able to shape shift though, what do you think?

Ayamari: Thanx. Does interesting mean you liked it? Cause I'm getting several people saying 'interesting' and I'm not sure if it's a compliment or an insult. But I'm glad you want me to update.