A/N: Once again, thank you to everyone who has read this fic. This chapter is short, but dramatic, enjoy and thanks for reading.
Bakura paced around the kitchen, looking over at the clock. He didn't know what to do, if he should go out and find Ryou and Malik, or stay home and see if Ryou would show up. The detective had left shortly after Ryou had taken off, eyeing their apartment building as if wary to leave Bakura up to his old devices.
"This is ridiculous. I am the Thief King, not some sniveling little dog that waits home for his Master. Ryou and I are going to settle this now, like men!"
Bakura muttered to himself, grabbing the keys to Ryou's car and leaving the apartment.
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Malik paced around Yugi's house, not knowing what to do. Every noise was making him jump, and he kept looking around for Bakura to show up looking for him. Yugi and Yami were staying out of his way, neither one wanting to get involved in this fight. During his 254th time around the kitchen, his phone rang, and he picked it up when he saw it was Ryou.
"Are you ok? Did he hurt you?... what detective? Had questions about when? Yeah but we were both…. Did you talk to him? Are you going to?... what do you mean maybe? Ryou!"
The harsh sounds of empty air greeted him, and he looked at his phone in annoyance.
"This is stupid!"
He shouted, almost throwing the phone in anger. Clenching his fists, he breathed in and out quickly, trying to come up with a plan. Knowing that he needed to talk to Ryou and convince him that he shouldn't talk about the things that had happened, he grabbed the keys to his rental car and ran out of the house, calling up to Yugi and Yami that he would be home soon.
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Detective Rowan sat in his car, going over his paperwork one more time. Every clue that he had tracked down, every lead that he had followed, had led to this moment, when he was so close to finally finding out the truth of what happened at Battle City, which had plagued his department for years.
All the calls of people falling unconscious, getting injured playing a simple card game, going crazy for years had torment the police department ever since they had happened. Several officers, including Detective Rowan's first partner, had lost their jobs over the public outcry over all of the problems the tournament had caused, and for years they had followed years to no avail, not able to crack any of the main players to answer questions.
Tonight, though, it had been different. Ryou was about to crack, about to answer his questions but he was afraid. He was connected to the two biggest suspects, and he was fearful that talking would cause their wrath.
"I've got to convince him to do this for me. But how?"
The detective opened his wallet, pulling out a picture of his former partner. Detective Hazue had been a good man, great at what he did. Getting fired had destroyed him, and several months later they had to fish his body out of the river where he had drowned.
"I can't let them get away with this any longer."
Detective Rowan snapped his wallet shut, turned the keys in his engine, and pulled away from the curb. He was determined to find Ryou and this time he wouldn't let him go until he told the detective everything he knew.
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Ryou walked quickly down the street, a bag in his hand. He had ran to the gas station and picked up some milk and a few other things, and was going to attempt again to go home and talk to Bakura. The bag was in case that Detective was waiting outside for him again. The night air was getting cold, and he had stopped to wrap himself up in the red blanket that just hours ago he had been picnicking with Malik on.
"What the hell is wrong with me? Why didn't I just tell Bakura what was going on? What the hell is wrong with me?"
His phone began to ring again, and he ignored it, knowing it was just Malik. The other man was panicking, both over Bakura being angry at him and the fact that the detective was asking questions that could lead to very bad things for all of them.
Turning the last corner before he hit his block, Ryou became aware that someone was pulling over next to him. He glanced over, slowing down when he recognized who it was.
"Hey Ryou, get in let's talk."
Ryou stood glued to his spot for a moment before reluctantly nodded and getting into the car, placing the bag next to his feet and wrapping himself even tighter in the blanket as they pulled away.
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Joey tapped on his phone, hitting Yugi's number to call him. Yugi had called him in a panic over three hours ago, trying to tell him between tears what had happened. After a few minutes Yami had grabbed the phone, telling the blond about his conversation with Bakura and the one they had overheard between Malik and Ryou in their kitchen.
Joey had tried his best to calm down his friends, looking over at Kaiba in a panic once he got off the phone. Kaiba had attempted to track Ryou's phone, only to find it at a local bar. Ryou refused to answer, not picking it up a few times before finally turning it off and letting his calls go straight to voicemail.
Kaiba had then sent out a member of his security team, only to have them come back with Ryou's phone and no Ryou. Joey had wanted to call the police, but Kaiba refused, knowing they wouldn't do anything for someone who had only been missing a few hours. Instead, he sent out another security member to re-question everyone at the bar, and another to watch Ryou's house in case he came back home.
Joey hung up the phone once Yami agreed to call him if Malik and Ryou showed up at his house and frowned at his boyfriend.
"I'm scared Kaiba, what if something happened. All those stories about what Bakura has done to people in his past that have hurt him, and all the things that he did to us… what if he does it again? What if he hurts Ryou and Malik?"
Kaiba didn't know what to say, so he just wrapped his arms around the blond and dragged him down on the couch, attempting to comfort Joey as best as he could as the blond cried himself silently to sleep.
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Early morning in Domino was peaceful, and one of the best times for Richard to take his dog Max out for a walk. The golden retriever loved anything that involved water, and Richard often took him down to walk along the river.
Retirement tended to bore him, and he enjoyed the occasional run ins he had with various people along the water, most waking up as he approached in various stages of undress after partying all night. He enjoyed re-telling the stories to his friends on Friday nights when he took his wife out, and if this trail was any indication, he was going to have another one to tell this week. Several wrappers were on the ground, as well as a broken bag with a half empty carton of milk. Richard looked around, frowning. Max had taken off, obviously not interested in what was lying on the ground in front of them.
"Dang kids."
He muttered, picking up the trash and throwing it into the bag he carried. Off in the distance, Max barked, and Richard shook his head.
"Maybe I'll get a story out of this after all."
He watched as Max bounded towards him, soaking wet.
"I knew I should have kept you on the leash, you'd better hope I have a towel in the car or you'll be walking home."
Richard chided his dog softly, surprised as Max grabbed his shirt with his teeth and began to pull him towards the water.
"All right, all right, I'm coming! What did you find boy, buried treasure?"
Max ran ahead, plowing back into the water before going under. Richard watched, fascinated as Max began to pull up a red blanket.
"Well, thanks Max, but I don't think a wet blanket is going to help dry you off. Now get out of there before you get sick-"
Richard stopped talking, backing up a few steps before falling over in horror. Max's pulling had unwrapped the blanket's secret, a young man with snow white hair who had been wrapped up in. Richard closed his eyes and screamed like he had never done before, turning and running out of the woods with his dog Max close on his heels.
A/N Yes I named the guy and his dog after Richard Marx, I just changed the name to Max because I though Marx was a little much for a dog's name…. anyway, time for the big mystery- whodunit?