Chapter Fifteen

The other half of his soul?

Yami felt a strange pang of longing shoot through him at the thought. He forced it away. He had no time to ponder the words or the feelings they awoke in him. He had to get away -- from these men, and from the shadows.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Tanaka," Yami said, suppressing a shiver.

Tanaka only smiled. "I know you feel it, Kaiba-sama. I can see it in your eyes." He stretched out his empty hand. "Come with me, now. Let me help you reach your full potential."

The man was seriously beginning to give Yami the creeps. Besides, he had enough people in his life trying to map out his future for him. He didn't need to add Tanaka to the list. On the defensive, and angry because of it, he sneered, "You're claiming you can find my soul-mate? What are you, a matchmaker?"

"I am not speaking of something as insipid as mere romance." Tanaka stressed the word with disdain. "It is not your 'soul-mate' you need, but your literal other half, a part of you that was taken away long ago. My employer can help you get it back. And, with it, you can attain your true destiny."

"...Have you considered seeking professional help?"

"Mock me all you like, Kaiba-sama," Tanaka said. "It won't change the truth of what I'm telling you."

Yami was distracted from retorting by the icy caress of the shadows still clinging to his body. He risked a quick glance down. The shadows were coiled about both of his legs. Where they reached his left hip, the shadows had flattened themselves over the injury. He wondered if they were still consuming his blood. They seemed to pulse in time with his heartbeat.

He looked up to find that Tanaka had followed his gaze and was now staring at the tendrils of darkness that clung to him. In an almost reverent voice, Tanaka whispered, "I knew you were the one."

"What...?"

"The others thought that it must be Seto, simply because he is Gozaburo's son. But I knew you were the one. Your affinity for gestalt was proof enough."

"Gestalt? What does that--? What are you talking about?" Yami demanded, though he sounded plaintive to his own ears. His head was spinning. Nothing Tanaka said was making sense. And then it hit him.

Tanaka could see the shadows coiled about Yami. They couldn't be hallucinations. Yami blanched as he realized exactly what that must mean.

The shadows were real.

Distracted as he was by this new revelation, Yami never sensed the person moving up behind him until it was too late. A scuff of shoe sole against concrete was the only warning he received before he was tackled roughly from behind. He went down hard, knees and hands taking most of the impact, agony flaring through his hip at the rough jolt. The gun spun out of his grip and slid several feet across the roof.

Yami cried out as fire blazed across his left hip. He fought the instinctive paralysis the pain brought, and pistoned his elbow into the man behind him. The clutching arms loosened their grip as the man's breath exploded in a furious, pained curse.

Taking advantage of his opponent's momentary distraction, Yami shoved hard with his shoulder, then flung himself forward and away.

He landed on his left side, almost passing out at the white-hot pain that seared across his hip and up his spine. He gasped, but forced himself to keep rolling. On his back on the unforgiving concrete, he sucked air into his lungs and tried desperately to block out the fresh pain.

Moving on sheer determination, Yami curled and rolled to his knees. His breath hissed out from between his clenched teeth as the movement pulled at his hip and sent hot sparks scattering along his nerves. He had to brace himself, one hand on the concrete, and wait for the pain to subside. Cold sweat trickled along his jaw, down the back of his neck, plastered his shirt to his clammy skin. His hip throbbed in time with his racing heartbeat. He did his best to ignore it. He had to concentrate. There would be time for the pain, later.

Twisting, Yami saw that his attacker was doubled-over, clutching at himself. Nearly sobbing as his hands cupped his abused genitals, Howard was spitting out obscenities in a bastard mix of English and Japanese. Apparently, Yami's aim had been lower than he had realized.

Good, Yami thought, with grim satisfaction. Serves the bastard right.

He swept his gaze over the concrete. Despite the clinging shadows, he could just make out the seashell weapon. It lay a few feet away, where Howard had dropped it when Yami elbowed him in the family jewels.

The sound of a fierce scuffle pulled his attention from the still-cursing goon in front of him. Yami risked a quick look behind him and saw that Rafael was in trouble. The lurker had come out into the open, and he was armed. He and Tanaka had Rafael pinned between them, keeping the determined bodyguard from reaching Yami.

Howard's energy weapon was closer than his own Sphinx. Yami snatched up the strange gun, found what looked like the trigger. A choked off cry of pain jerked his head back around. The new goon had tangled with Rafael and gotten in a lucky blow. A nasty-looking bruise was already forming on Rafael's jaw where the goon had pistol-whipped him. The goon was bringing his gun around. This time, Yami was sure he meant to fire.

Reflex kicked in. He brought the weapon up, automatically stilling his breath as he took aim. Fired.

The energy bolt struck the goon mid-chest. It pulsed, a brief flash of acid-green that covered the man's body, then vanished. He collapsed, flopping to the concrete like a suddenly stringless marionette.

Yami had no time to wonder if he had killed the man, as he was again hit from behind. Apparently, Howard had recovered enough to rejoin the fray. He struck at Yami's left kidney with his clenched fist. Yami twisted aside, barely deflecting the blow. Howard had managed to grab onto the hand holding the seashell weapon, and used it to reel him back in. They wrestled for the weapon, Yami clawing with his free hand at Howard's face, Howard cursing and striking at Yami with his fist.

"Don't hurt him, you fool!" Tanaka yelled.

Howard faltered. Yami shoved him hard, managing to twist free with the seashell gun still clutched in one hand. Howard cursed and vented his displeasure at Tanaka.

"Shut up, you asshole!" Howard shook his fist at Tanaka. "I had him, until you distracted me. You want him to get away?"

"We need him alive and in one piece," Tanaka retorted. "If you kill him, all our plans are for nothing!"

"Both of you, shut up!" Yami thundered. He ruthlessly shunted the pain aside and straightened to his full height. With his feet braced apart and his shoulders squared, he presented an imposing enough sight that they obeyed out of sheer surprise. Yami leveled the seashell weapon at Howard, who gaped at him.

"You! Get over there where I can keep an eye on you," Yami commanded, gesturing with the barrel of the gun to herd Howard over beside Tanaka. When he had them both covered, he turned his attention to Tanaka. "Start talking, Tanaka. Just what is this grand scheme of yours, anyway? And if I'm so damned important, why did you try to have me killed?"

"I wasn't aiming to kill, I assure you --"

"Not this!" Yami dismissed the wound on his hip with a grimace. "The flaw in my Dark Magician's armor. You knew about it, I'm sure."

"Ah. Yes, of course." Tanaka managed to look abashed. "That was a risky -- and, as it turned out, highly flawed -- plan." He took a deep breath and met Yami's gaze earnestly. "You were never meant to die at Jupiter Station, Kaiba-sama. The plan was for one of the Orichalcos Soldiers to immobilize your mech so that you could be captured. Alive."

"And my Anchor...?"

Tanaka made a dismissive gesture with his free hand. The other was now aiming his gun at Rafael. "Collateral damage."

Yami saw red.

The shadows responded instantly to his fury. They seemed darker and somehow more solid than before as they lanced away from Yami. One tendril lashed at Tanaka's wrist, snapping the gun from his hand. The sickening, green-stick sound his wrist made said they had snapped the bones, as well.

Other shadows whipped around Tanaka's body, binding his arms to his torso as they constricted. Tanaka screamed.

Shocked, Yami stepped back -- and the shadows retreated. Gasping for breath, Tanaka collapsed to his knees. Yami didn't have to look to know that the stunned expression on Howard's face was surely mirrored on Rafael's.

His own features a frozen, expressionless mask, Yami lowered the seashell weapon to aim squarely at Tanaka's chest. In that moment, Yami truly wanted to kill him. Tanaka had as good as admitted to collaborating with the enemy. He was a traitor to the human race, to every ideal Yami had worked and sacrificed for. That Anzu had died for.

The shadows swirled about him, echoing Yami's agitation. Seeing them, Yami forced his finger to ease up on the trigger. Tanaka would have to stand trial for his crimes. Then the whole world would know what he had done. It was the only way for justice to be served. Anzu deserved nothing less.

"Sir! Look out!"

Rafael's shout came a split-second too late.

Something hit Yami squarely in the back, knocking the air from his lungs and sending him tumbling forward. He tried to catch himself, but his injured leg failed him. He crashed into the concrete and rolled, desperate to get free. But his assailant rolled with him, battling for the upper hand. Each revolution sent fresh waves of agony shooting through Yami's injured hip and leg. He was panting by the time he managed to get his good leg up between them in an attempt to throw off his attacker.

He succeeded in shoving the man off him, but the thug clawed his hands into the straps buckled across Yami's chest and used them to force Yami into another roll. They slammed up against something hard and unforgiving -- he thought it might be one of the floods, or the concrete barrier around the edge of the roof.

In the next instant, he saw that it was the low barrier, barely a foot high and more decorative than anything useful. He jammed his foot up against it and tried to use it as leverage, but the thug was just too big and heavy to budge.

The man rolled them again -- and Yami suddenly found his head and shoulders dangling over a hundred story drop.

In the background, he was dimly aware of the sounds of shouting and struggle, but he was too busy with his own predicament to pay much attention. He still had the gun, but his arms were pinned, and he couldn't get any leverage with his legs. He could feel the shadows crawling over him, but he had no idea how to command their help, even if they were inclined to give it.

Yami squirmed desperately and managed to get one leg free. He kicked wildly, felt his boot connect with something soft and yielding, even as the thug yelped in pain.

And then he was free.

...and falling.

------------------------

Rafael stared in horror as Yami vanished over the side of the building. It was no comfort at all when the thug responsible went with him.

"No!"

The raw shout of denial was as useless a gesture as running to the edge of the roof and peering down, but Rafael did it anyway. He couldn't see anything; it was too dark and the ground was simply too far away. Not that it mattered.

Nothing could survive that fall.

Turning away from the edge, Rafael saw that Tanaka and his goons had vanished. His jaw tightened. Part of him was glad he didn't have to deal with them. Part of him wished he could have shot them.

Limping slightly, he started across the roof toward the racing mech. He paused once, to retrieve his Glock and the pistol Tanaka had left behind. Hauling out his 'sat-phone, Rafael felt his stomach twist at the thought of what he would have to report. He shoved his personal feelings aside and hit the speed-dial for his employer's priority number.

The boss was not going to be pleased.