Author's Note: Fire Emblem Heroes came out in the App Store like 5 days. It's very difficult forcing myself to quit to write. I hope you appreciate my commitment to this fanfiction.
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Bon appetite!
After Bakura got back to the Ishtar apartment, he avoided Ishizu's rather questioning looks and Odion's stern glance and excused himself, not wanting to stay any longer than need be. He spent the following days carefully formulating a plan that would make everyone happy in the end… mostly. Truth was he couldn't do that, but he could keep everyone safe. That was more important that getting everything that everyone wanted. People would just have to deal.
Right now his priorities were to keep Ryou safe, not upset Yami, get Marik help, keep Odion in the dark, and get the reward money. Not necessarily in that order.
Despite the overwhelming number of objectives Bakura had accumulated, he didn't feel entirely hopeless. After brainstorming, Bakura finally concocted a plan that if executed correctly could accomplish all of these goals. It was now a matter of not fucking up. So long as he stuck to this plan and the more random variables didn't ruin things, it should work. However, the preparation for this plan would take the longest amount of time.
That's how Bakura found himself up at 3 am for the fourth night in the row, researching and constructing equipment for their mission. He would have normally given the task to Marik so that he could focus on other elements. However, Marik would never know about this item, even though Marik himself was the inspiration behind this tool. Granted, it was the first time Bakura was using such an element in an extraction and was completely outside of comfort zone, but desperate times called for desperate measures.
He started measuring the volume when he heard a voice from behind. "Kura? Why the hell are you up?" Ryou came stumbling out of his bedroom in a t-shirt and boxers, rubbing his eyes blearily. His normally neat, snowy locks were a tangled mess that would give Bakura's own set of hair a run for its money. Bakura glanced up at his twin, who didn't appear to be fully awake yet. "Just working, Ry. Go back to bed."
Ryou squinted up his eyes, as if thinking. "At 3 am? What on earth are you doing at this hour?" Bakura figured he shouldn't answer, but it was too damn early in the morning to care at the moment. He shrugged as he glanced back down at his notes. "Making bombs." Bakura sorted through his collection of wires, not bothering to wait for Ryou's angry reaction. Several long seconds of silence passed between the two.
"… What?!" The revelation that Ryou's criminal twin brother was building bombs in their living room finally seemed to wake the sleepy young man. Bakura just rolled his eyes. "Did I stutter?" He already knew where Ryou would take this next, waiting to hear him yell about how this was too dangerous and he was going to far. To his surprise, he just heard Ryou sit down on the couch, shaking his head. "… What am I going to do with you? Why do you need bombs?"
Bakura glanced up for a moment. "Do you really want me to answer that?" Ryou seemed to think over the question for a moment before shaking his head. "No, not really. It's better if I didn't know… But bombs, Bakura? Really?" Bakura flipped open a book next to him, one that belonged to his brother. "Like you have any room to judge. Ryou, I'm literally using your books to learn how to build them."
Ryou stuttered for a moment, blushing at that statement. "But.. I… That's different! I was using those for Monster World models! For some real badass final boss battles – not for crime!" Bakura chuckled, shrugging as he returned his attention to his explosive toys. "Yep. I'm just multiplying the recipe a little to cause a little more damage." He heard Ryou sigh loudly, but was thankful when his twin dropped the argument. Bakura had made his point.
Bakura glanced up at his brother, who seemed lost in thought for a moment. "Hey Ryou." His twin turned his eyes to glance at his elder brother. "Yeah?" Bakura put down his tools as he leaned back. "We should do a campaign when this is all over. Get your friend Yuugi over and find some other people to join. It's been awhile since we've played." Ryou just blinked in shock and surprise, gaping at Bakura.
When Ryou still hadn't spoken after awhile, Bakura finally sighed loudly. "Well, what?" Ryou shook his head slightly, catching himself. "Sorry, it's just… I was taken back. We haven't played a campaign since mom and dad died." Bakura blinked, now being his turn to be shocked. Had it really been that long? He hadn't realized it. Bakura didn't say anything but just glanced down, not really sure what to say.
Bakura thought it strange how he typically such statements would be a source of tension and discontent between him and his brother. However, he sensed no malice or anger in the comment, just a sad reflection. Bakura looked up at Ryou, who seemed to also be pondering their situation. So much has happened in so little time. Bakura glanced down at the tools spread around him, an idea clicking in his head. Since Ryou was here, he may as well ask the favor now.
"Hey Ryou, can I ask your help on something?" The soft look on Ryou's face quickly disappeared as his expression hardened. "If you're going to ask for help on building those bombs, forget it. No way I'm going to-" Bakura started laughing, waving his hand to dismiss this idea. "Don't worry. I've already figured these bad boys out. I need your help with something else." Ryou gave a wary look at his twin, as if internally debating to refuse or go along with his twin. Ultimately, his curiosity won out. "Alright. I'll bite. What do you need my help with?" Bakura smiled.
"I need your help on the Millennial case."
"And to your left you will see a model of the guillotine, which was used in the executions in nobles, former politicians, and enemies of the new government. Over 15,000 people were died under the guillotine during the Reign of Terror, where over 4000 of these individuals were executed without trial. Those who were beheaded under the guillotine include none other than Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI. Fun fact – the guillotine was used for executions in France all the way until 1981, where the last person put to death by the instrument was in 1977."
Bakura raised an eyebrow at his overly cheerful tour guide, whose bright smile seemed to spit in the face of such morbid and dark history. I suppose it's in the job description. He stood with a group of approximately fifteen other tourists, letting himself be herded by their chipper guide who took them to the next exhibit on the French Revolutionary Wars. Bakura didn't have a particular interest in the subject, but instead looked around the interior of the Tokyo Museum of History.
A few days after asking for Ryou's help, Bakura spoke to the Ishtar brothers to let them know that he was going to go to the History Museum. Odion and Marik protested saying it would be too risky to show his face there so close to an extraction. Bakura was able to persuade them as his plan for the extraction would mean he would work behind the scenes and allow Marik and Odion to enter without obstruction. He convinced them that it would be best if he could scope out the museum and its surroundings so that nothing screwed up their mission. It would be pointless to get this far and fail after all of their hard work.
Bakura hadn't intended to get involved with a tour group, but found it was easier to move around and take pictures and linger when it was part of a group. Hell, maybe his tour guide would even drop some "fun facts" about the building structure of the museum and potential points of entry for thieves. That certainly would brighten Bakura's day. After meandering through European history and Native American cultures, Bakura perked up as he saw the group was now moving towards Middle Eastern history.
Bakura had tuned out the perky guide as she rambled on about something related to Mesopotamia as he spotted the Ancient Egypt exhibit. The group could not walk fast enough for Bakura's liking, but after several impatient minutes, he finally arrived. It would be another few weeks before the Millennium Puzzle would be put on exhibit, but Bakura already saw where the ancient Egyptian artifact would reside.
"If you guys come back in 10 days, we will be opening up our new exhibit! Historians and archaeologists have recently discovered the Millennium Puzzle, a cursed artifact that was thought to have been lost to the sands of time. Our experts were able to put together the Puzzle after years of researching and will soon be displayed here in our museum. The Puzzle is the only relic of a collection known as the Sennen Items to have been found. The location of the other six Items in this collection is still unknown."
Bakura almost laughed out loud at that explanation. Historians and archaeologists discovered and solved the puzzle? More like a gaming nerd with far too much free time. Bakura was amused by how little the world seemed to know or want to know of the world in the shadows, the criminal life. Would the museum curators scorn such illegal activities if they knew that one person had already collected six of the seven Millennium Items? Tis a shame that most of the world will not know of my success.
Bakura looked around in the room, quickly spotting the cameras. Mentally taking note, he glanced up at the ceiling, a large opening that went up at least to a third level. An exquisite glass ceiling was intercut with metal beams that created abstract shadows and lighting throughout the floor. Bakura suspected this room was meant for a more modern history topic, but given the significance of the Puzzle, they rearranged the location of the exhibit to make use of the beautiful space.
Bakura paced a bit more, trying to find the blind spots of the camera. There was the issue with the security at this location. They were so worried of someone causing havoc from inside the museum, from one of the guests, that they didn't consider someone using the glass ceiling as an entrance. Granted, they weren't expecting people to enter through a glass ceiling, but Bakura was no ordinary guest. He glanced down at his watch, noting that it was 2:43 pm. The group would move on soon.
Bakura looked around, knowing that the camera location and the entrance were perfect – now he needed a power source. He squinted up against the light, damning the daylight for both helping and hindering his goal. "Enjoying the scenery?" Bakura nearly jumped at the voice before realizing it was the tour guide. Bakura almost told the young lady to piss off when a voice in his head told him to make use of this opportunity. "Yeah, it's my first time here. I know I should be looking at the exhibit, but the ceiling's pretty damn cool."
She giggled as she tilted her head back to stare at the ceiling. "Yeah, it's pretty neat. It's perfect for a daytime exhibit because it lets in lots of natural light but filters it with the beams, creating a nice atmosphere." Bakura nodded, glancing over at the young girl. She had dark brown hair that fell down her back, that goddamn perky smile glued to her face. "I imagine it would be a pain in the evening hours though. It would get pretty dark in here."
His guide shook her head 'no' before pointing up at two lights near the top that he hadn't noticed before. "Not really. Around dusk, those two lights at either side of the glass ceiling will turn on so that it doesn't get dark. We also have lights built into the flooring here. I actually love coming here at night to check out the exhibits. I mean… we're not supposed to, but Mahado – he's my supervisor – he lets me in. He let's me get away with everything and nothing."
Bakura rolled his eyes, tuning out the young guide as he focused on the two light structures that the young lady – who according to her nametag was called Mana – had pointed out. He narrowed his eyes as he focused on them. It wasn't ideal, but he could make it work. All he needed to do was get in and get them set up for the real extraction in a couple of weeks. This could work.. It was going to be tricky, but Bakura would be able to manage. With Ryou's help, things were going smoothly.
All he needed to do was set up the bombs tonight and then he could be home in Domino by tomorrow.
It was already past 10 pm when Bakura found himself sitting in his living room. He glared at a sheet paper he had drafted himself as he studied his notes. They were one week away from extraction, from completing this goddamn mission, and Bakura felt anxious. It wasn't easy coming up with a plan to accomplish all of his goals. He had carefully studied his options and found his currently arrangement was the best he could do. But did he cover every ground possible? What was he forgetting?
"Bakura." A voice broke his thoughts as Bakura jerked his head to stare at his twin. Ryou was glaring at Bakura. "What did I do now?" Bakura grumbled with returned his attention almost anxiously to his paper. Ryou snatched the paper away from his twin, Bakura staring in shock as he jolted up. "Hey! Give that back!" Ryou shook his head as he crumpled up the paper. "No. You've been sitting there for an hour looking like you're waiting for your eggs to hatch. Staring at this piece of paper isn't going to fix anything. So calm down."
Bakura growled as he reached again for his crumpled agenda. "I didn't ask for your help, Ry. Now hand it over." Ryou just rolled his eyes as he walked to the bathroom. "No. You need to take a break. Go take a walk or go see Marik. Unless you're avoiding him that is." Bakura paused in his steps for a moment before following Ryou. "That's… not it. I just want to make sure everything goes alright." Bakura entered the bathroom to see Ryou toss the paper into the toilet before turning his attention to brushing his teeth.
"You asshole." Bakura hissed, leaning against the doorframe. Ryou just shrugged, pulling out some floss. "You're a terrible liar, Kura. Marik has no idea about your plan, right?" Bakura didn't say anything but stared angrily at the ground. A few moments passed as he heard Ryou start brushing his teeth and then spit. "I figured as much when you asked me to help out on your mission. Well regardless of why you're doing this, it's clear this is bugging you and eating you up. So you need to take a break and get some fresh air. Go see Marik. Now."
Bakura gave a loud annoyed sigh, not wanting to stay with his twin any longer than he needed to. Ryou was really getting on his nerves tonight. "Fine. I'm going for a walk. But I'm not going to go see Marik. Got it?" Ryou didn't say anything but gave him a thumbs up to indicate that he heard him, more focused on flossing than anything else. Bakura rolled his eyes as he grabbed his coat and scarf, wandering out of the apartment and aimlessly into the night. He wasn't sure where he was heading, but he knew sitting at home wouldn't solve any problems.
Bakura stared numbly into the dark, the streetlights making his path as he wandered. Typically he never felt anxious before a mission. It had been years since he felt nervous and worried over a job. It didn't serve a purpose to get overly worried and mess himself up. And yet, his mind was plagued with doubts and concerns over their final mission. Essentially two different missions would be occurring – Marik's mission and Bakura's mission.
Marik and Odion were told the plan for next Thursday's extraction. Bakura would hack into the computer system and control the security cameras. He would guide Odion and Marik through the museum to the location of the Puzzle. From there, it would be up to the brothers to get the Puzzle and get out. Simple on paper, the mission itself would be more difficult and complex in reality, hence the amount of time spent planning and prepping.
However, this was not the true plan Bakura had concocted. His plan involved failure on their part. Or at least, the appearance of failure. Bakura realized ultimately, Marik's goal to meet Yami would ruin any chance Bakura had of achieving his goals. So Marik could not meet Yami. Bakura couldn't just tell Marik he wouldn't be allowed. He wouldn't accept that. He would demand to find a way and be recognized for his work on the case. That's why Bakura came up with a plan for them to fail.
Much like how Marik interrupted Bakura on his mission to get the Millennium Rod, Bakura will interrupt their mission. The bombs served no other purpose than to frighten the thieves into retreating. When Marik stole the Rod, his bombastic approach forced Bakura to stay back and lose the ancient artifact. He would compel Odion and Marik to do the same, claiming that the bombs meant they were not alone and they were in danger. They would flee the scene of the crime while Bakura would get the Puzzle for himself. All that would remain would be getting the two Items – the Eye and the Rod – from Marik.
That's where Ryou came into play.
Ryou was hesitant to agree, but when Bakura made it clear that the purpose was to throw off any scent that might threaten to harm them, Ryou agreed to help. While the Ishtar brothers and Bakura go to Tokyo for the extraction, Ryou will go steal the two Millennium Items from the Ishtar apartment. He would make it appear as a breaking and entering scenario. This was made easier by the fact that Bakura gave Ryou the key to Marik's apartment. And despite the devastating lost, they wouldn't be able to report the missing Items without risking revealing their involvement in crime.
To sell the deal more, Bakura would also "lose" his Millennium Items. He anticipated that Odion would suspect foul play, so what better way to seal the deal than to appear that they had been robbed of their prize? That the entire plot to steal the Puzzle was nothing more than the plan of another mastermind to separate them from the Items. Bakura had given Ryou a location to place the Items once they had been collected, away from their home. That way, Bakura could play the part of the robbed, horrified to have lost everything he had worked so hard for.
In the end, the plan worked out well for all parties except for Marik. But even then, it would be a minor loss compared to the risk of bringing out Marik's other personality in a vengeful rage. Ultimately, Bakura would get his prize money. Yami would not be endangered and his client would get his Items. Odion would have no reason to suspect sabotage on Bakura's part. Ryou would stay safe. And although Marik wouldn't get his meeting his Yami, Bakura could handle the aftereffects of their mission. From there, he could gradually warm Marik up to the idea of getting help.
Bakura knew this wasn't the best plan out there, but what other choice did he have? If he were smart, he would cut his losses and decide to do what needs to be done for his own gain. But it wasn't that simple. Despite his sharp mind, incredible skill, and ruthless demeanor, Bakura couldn't risk endangering those he cared about. He always knew Ryou was important to him, but he was surprised by the manner in which Marik had wormed his way into his life.
Bakura wandered through the park, noticing how the frost made the grass look white under the glow of the moonlight. It had snowed a few days beforehand, but most of it had already melted, leaving an icy patch of lawn that glistened a silvery hue in the night light. Bakura looked around, almost as if in a daze. A breeze picked up as his own snow white hair shivered a similar silvery glow in the moon. His pale complexion was like alabaster, only to be contrasted by his dark eyes, which were almost black in the shadows.
Bakura prided himself in not caring. He was proud of how he remained distant and aloof from the world around him. However, that illusion of strength seemed to have finally melted away with Marik in his life. Ever since then, his barriers had been broken down as he became more vulnerable than he ever cared to be. If it weren't for his choice in careers, perhaps Bakura wouldn't have cared. But Bakura was a thief, the Thief King – this weakness Marik revealed threatened to destroy everything he held dear. That he loved.
Bakura blinked, a small smile growing on his face before quickly disappearing. I love Marik. The words sounded almost strange in his head. Bakura couldn't even say the words out loud, as if by speaking them he would give meaning to those words. The thought both elated and crushed Bakura in a way he couldn't understand. The thrill and genuine warmth he felt towards Marik filled Bakura with a sense of comfort and joy that he hadn't even known possible. And yet despite this, Bakura felt the most emptying and despairing vein coursing through him.
Because despite all of his hard work, there was a strong chance that Bakura would lose Marik after this mission. There was a possibility that despite all Bakura did, Marik would feel betrayed, feel hurt by Bakura's actions. If he ever found out of Bakura's scheme, Marik would leave him. Months back, Bakura would have celebrated the chance to finally be rid of the Egyptian teen. But now, Bakura felt a crushing pain in his chest, almost as if he couldn't breathe. He hadn't realized how devastating and painful it would be to lose Marik.
Part of Bakura told him to forget his insane plan. Forget about the commission and the prize money. Forget about everyone he ever cared about and leave everything behind. The risk of everything failing and watching everything he had worked for and cared for fall apart was too much bear. It would be better to escape from it all, to shirk his responsibility to those around him, than to disappoint them and to hurt those he cared about. It would be easier to escape and accept defeat than to fight and see it all fall apart. The damage he would feel would be far worse.
In spite of this, Bakura knew he couldn't back down. He knew it was suicide and that his insane plan would likely fail in some aspect. He knew that things wouldn't work out hunky-dory. They never did – something always went off course with this damn mission and something would screw everything up. Bakura's luck would run out and things would fall to shit. Yami might distrust him and put out a hit on him. Even worse, Ryou's life would be put in danger, either from Odion or Yami. Marik might grow to hate him. He may fail everyone.
But Bakura couldn't back down now. The challenge was placed before. He had always been too greedy for his own good. He would see this through to the bitter end, no matter the result.