Peneia Teke: Hey! Thanks for all the reviews you guys gave me, and to keep my end of the bargain, I'm updating early!

Disclaimer: (sigh) Would you stop rubbing it in already? I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! ok? (sobs hysterically)

Note: I'll be calling Ryou Bakura, Ryou, and Yami Bakura, Bakura.

Chapter Eight

Ryou trudged slowly down the street with his hands shoved deeply in his pant pockets. He stared at the ground, ignoring the rain as it pelted against his clothes and soaked his long white hair. For a moment he stopped and stood in the middle of the road. His lips turned down into a frown and his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He'd found himself outside the Turtle Game Shop with no prior knowledge as to why or how he'd gotten there in the first place, and for some unknown reason his thoughts had been centered around Tea when he'd 'come to'. He had a feeling something was wrong, and he'd only entered the game shop to make sure she was alright. Of course, he'd made up some lame excuse to Yugi, but he didn't think the small tri color haired boy had bought his story. Yugi was too perceptive for that.

He had a feeling his blank out had to do with the spirit of the Millennium Ring, which made him even more concerned. Well, at least he wasn't stained with blood when he came to like he had been after one of the former tomb robber's little midnight excursions two months ago. That had to be a plus, right?

One of the main reasons Ryou distanced himself from his friends was to keep them safe from Bakura. The white haired tomb robber was notorious for his enjoyment in death and torture. Although he depended on Ryou for survival, his apathy toward his 'container's' feelings caused Ryou to experience more than his share of pain, and he knew Bakura would more so kill the other members of the gang than look at them.

Ryou glanced back once more at the game shop before continuing on his way. Unfortunately, he didn't get far before his ring started glowing. Ryou's eyes widened as a bright flash obscured his vision and time seemed to come to a standstill. The evil spirit of the ring had once again taken over.

Bakura grinned wickedly as he continued along the same route Ryou had been taking. The pathetic boy was so easy to overpower it wasn't even fun anymore; not that Bakura didn't like the feeling of complete dominance, but some resistance would at least make it a bit more exciting.

He cast a suspicious glance over his surroundings and turned into an ally that would make for a nice shortcut to his destination. He fiddled with the knife at his side and thought back over the…intriguing conversation he'd had in this very same ally only hours before.

Flashback

"Naïve boy, what brings you to a dangerous place like this?" A cloaked figure greeted as he stepped out of the shadows and blocked Bakura's path. In his hand was a suitcase. Two men in similar cloaks followed obediently behind.

The tomb robber narrowed his eyes to slits. "You're in my way."

"You think it's wise to speak to me like that?" the figure asked with a chuckle. "You are outnumbered."

"Who are you?"

"I can be a loyal friend or a deadly foe depending how you view me."

Bakura snorted. "And I'm supposed to be afraid? Pathetic fool. I suggest you step aside if you don't have a death wish."

The man studied him for a moment. "You have spunk. I like that. Perhaps you can do something for me."

The two other men lunged forward, catching the skilled tomb robber off guard and grabbing his arms. Bakura struggled as the men forced him against a brick wall. "Fools! Take your hands off me, or I'll cut them off," he growled as his knife handle glinted dangerously. They looked hesitantly to their leader, and he nodded slightly, giving them consent to release him. They did so and took a few steps back.

"Now that I have your attention…" the cloaked stranger trailed off. Bakura couldn't see his face, but he was sure the man was smirking. "You see, my boss ordered me to kidnap a kid from the Domino High School this afternoon, but seeing as how I really don't like to get involved in that kind of thing, I was thinking maybe you could do it for me."

He grunted. "And what makes you think I'd do anything to help you?"

The man motioned toward the suitcase. "I'll give you $100,000 if you get the kid and bring him back here, unharmed, by 6:20 this evening. That's more than half of what my boss is payin' me. Sound like a deal?"

A smile tugged lightly at the tomb robber's lips. "You don'trealize who you're dealing with, do you? I have more power than you could ever dream. What makes you think I wouldn't just take the money now, and make the remainder of your existence a living nightmare?"

The man cocked his head and gave Bakura a wry smile. "I just figure people like us should stick together, you know?"

Bakura nodded slowly. I suppose I can play along with this fool for the time being. "Very well. I'll do it."

"Good. I'll be here with the money when you return. You'll get what you deserve after you finish the job."

End Flashback

Bakura grinned sadistically to himself as the left the narrow ally. He hadn't let his pathetic weaker half in on what he was planning. The boy was a lot more agreeable when he was oblivious as to what was going on.

He thought back again to his previous encounter. The cloaked fool shouldn't have trusted him so easily. He was after all, a professional thief and could easily tell when something was… off. He knew for a fact that the man had no intention of paying him once he finished his task. He had a feeling the next few hours were going to be interesting.

When the limo finally pulled up to the mansion Kaiba stepped out and gazed up at the dark, empty windows. It was only ten 'til six, which meant Mokuba wouldn't be home yet to greet him. He sighed and trudged up the front steps. He took out his house key, unlocked the door, and stepped inside; the feeling of being home brightened his mood only slightly. At least he was out of the rain.

He pulled off his trench coat and hung it on the coat hanger to the left of the door. Then he wiped his shoes off on the rug and walked down the main hallway toward the kitchen to fix himself something to eat. He still had loads of work to finish tonight but he figured that could wait until later. He was in no mood for paperwork at the moment.

"Kaiba! Kaiba help! They're going to-"

He froze and strained his ears intently, quite sure he'd heard someone call out to him, though it had been somewhat muffled and distant. Every hair on his neck stood up on end. Something was wrong.

"PLEASE HELP, KAIBA! THEY'RE GOING TO HURT ME! THEY'LL KILL MO-"

Kaiba's head whipped around as he pinpointed the cry that was obviously female and sounded alarmingly familiar. He dropped his briefcase and dashed down the hall that branched out to his left. Another turn and he skidded to a halt. He wasn't sure where to go from there, and his eyes darted back and forth in search of anything out of the ordinary. He picked up scuff marks on the floor and his eyes traveled down the length of the hallway to a slightly open door at the end-his office.

The silhouettes of two bodies moving against the light pouring out in a thin stream were enough to set Kaiba off. He growled softly in his throat. Nobody, nobody broke into his home without suffering sever consequences.

He barged into the room, startling its two male inhabitants. "What's going on in here!" he demanded furiously. Kazuma stared up at him with an unreadable expression while Yuko gave him a sly smile. Both men stayed silent. "You better provide me with a satisfactory answer before I really lose my patience," Kaiba growled. "Who are you and what the hell are you doing in my house?"

"Kaiba, don't tell me you've forgotten me?" Yuko asked aghast. "I thought I left more of an impression than that."

Kaiba glared down at him. "Wait I do remember you. You're Rakion Yuko."

Yuko smiled. "Excellent. I was starting to worry."

Kaiba glowered. "If you're here to bother me about merging companies again, you're wasting your time, Yuko. I've done research on your kind of business, and I still stand by what I said before. Your company's a worthless piece of trash that would only pull me down. Sorry, but I don't do business with pathetic wannabes like you. Now, get out before I throw you out."

Yuko tsked. "Wrong answer, Kaiba. I gave you a chance to come to, but since you're so deadbeat on refusing my offers I guess I have no other choice. I can't have you getting in my way, so I'm going to dismantle Kaiba Corporation by its main source. You."

Kaiba raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about, Yuko?" Yuko smiled and moved aside, allowing Kaiba to see the figure lying on the ground behind him. Kaiba's eyes widened. "Tea!" He came to her side and kneeled down next to her. She didn't stir when he gently prodded her shoulder. He glared back up at Yuko. "What did you do to her, you snake?"

"Like I said," Yuko replied as he drew a gun from inside his coat. "The only way to get rid of your company is to get rid of you, or at least the source that drives you on. Your inspiration, if you will."

"You bastard," Kaiba growled as he moved closer to Tea. "If you hurt her, I swear I'll spend the rest of my life making yours a living hell!"

Yuko laughed out loud. "You're too easy, Kaiba! You think her's is the only life I could get to you by? What about your little brother?"

Kaiba stiffened. "Don't you dare drag my Mokuba into this! This is between us. He's done nothing to you!"

"Neither has she," Yuko replied, pointing his gun at Tea for emphasis. "You think I really care?"

"You're sick, Yuko. You're a sick, desperate fool, and you need help."

"No, actually it has nothing to do with sickness, Kaiba. I'll do whatever it takes bring my business to the top, and you're the only thing standing in my way."

"You'd go through with this even if it meant hurting innocent people?"

"You're one to talk, Kaiba. Look at all the people you've hurt on your way to the top."

Kaiba grit his teeth in anger. "Never like you're about to."

Yuko laughed. "It seems I've hit a soft spot of yours, Kaiba. I wouldn't have expected that."

"That's enough! You're trying to blame me for what you're doing. Well, it's not going to work."

Yuko sighed in exasperation. "Think whatever you want, Kaiba." He turned his gaze to Tea's unconscious form and then back to Kaiba with an evil grin on his lips. "Kazuma," he said without taking his eyes of Kaiba, "call the police station and inform them that there's a body of a dead girl in the road outside the Kaiba mansion. I'm sure they'll be very interested to hear about it."

Kazuma glanced hesitantly over at Tea and nodded his head. "Yes, sir," he replied. He reached into his pocket for his cell phone and strode for the door.

Before he could take more than four steps however, Kaiba had sprung onto his back with an amazing amount of agility and had an arm wrapped around his neck. Kazuma's head jerked back in shock, and he was forced down to the floor. "Your life's in my hands, now," Kaiba hissed in his ear. "I suggest you put down your phone and disregard the order that sleaze ball gave you."

"Kaiba, release my employee at once, or I'll blow a hole through this girl's head," Yuko said quietly. Kaiba could tell he was deadly serious. He dropped Kazuma in disgust and turned on Yuko instead. In one smooth movement he'd knocked the gun out of Yuko's hand.

He punched him in the face and sent him reeling backward. Then he kicked the gun away before Yuko could get his hands on it and had him up off the ground by the collar of his coat. "I'm warning you, Yuko," he growled. His breath was coming up short from the effort it took to keep his temper in check. "This isn't a game anymore. Leave Tea and my brother out of this or I swear I'll-----Oafff!"

He felt the solid impact of the butt of the gun against his head and fell forward. His eyes closed as he slumped to the ground. "Are you ok, sir?" Kazuma asked, standing over Kaiba with Yuko's gun in his hand.

Yuko coughed once and nodded. "Ah, yes. I'm fine now thanks to you."

Kazuma nodded and picked up his cell phone. "We're not really going to kill the girl, are we, boss?"

"No, that was just to get a rise out of Kaiba." He glanced over at Tea curiously. "Though…. we can still use her even though she wasn't initially part of the plan. Come. Kaiba will be awake in a few hours, and I still have some business to take care of."

Kazuma raised an eyebrow. "Business, sir?"

"Never mind, Kazuma." Yuko hoisted Tea over his shoulder and signaled the other man to follow him.

"Are you sure you want to do this, boss? Once we start we won't be able to go back."

"We've already started," Yuko replied. "Let's go, Kazuma."

"Pass the ball to Patrick, Ren, he's wide open. Good, stay with your man, Mokuba, he's getting ahead of you! That's better. Come on Joe, you don't need so many fancy moves; just shoot the ball!" The Domino Intermediate School Boy's Soccer Team was having an early practice at Domino High before its big game on Saturday. Unfortunately, they were forced to have the practice inside because of the storm, but that didn't stop their enjoyment. Mokuba Kaiba as well as every other boy on the team was running around having the time of his life. They were in it just to have fun, after all. Winning was second on their list of priorities. "Ok team, that about wraps it up. I want you take two cool down laps around the gym and then you can quite. Good practice today."

There was a chorus of groans at having to run, but that didn't dampen the mood much. They all spread out and began running.

By the time Mokuba was finished most of the other boys had already gone to the locker room. It wasn't that he was any slower than the rest of them, but he took his time running. He wasn't in much of a hurry to get back to the dreary old mansion where he'd be alone for awhile until Seto came home.

Mokuba grabbed his water bottle and took a long drink before wiping his face with a towel and starting off toward the boys' locker room.

He quickly changed into his regular clothes, deciding he'd rather shower when he got home. He slung his bag over his shoulder and left the school.

As he stood on the curb in the rain waiting for Roland to pick him up he heard a voice call out happily, "Hello, Mokuba!"

Mokuba looked up to notice a white haired boy heading his way. "Oh, hey. You're Yugi's friend, Bakura, right?"

The white haired boy chuckled softly. "Why, yes, I am. I didn't think you'd recognize me."

Mokuba smiled. "You were one of the finalists in the Battle City Tournament."

Ryou nodded then frowned in concern. "What are you doing out here in the rain, anyway?"

It was Mokuba's turn to frown. "I'm waiting for my driver to pick me up, but he's late." He cocked his head up at Ryou. "What are you doing here?"

"I was passing by on my way home, and I noticed you sitting here all by yourself. Say, I know a place not too far from here where we could get out of the rain, at least until your driver comes. Come on, I'll show you."

Mokuba shrugged. "I guess it'd be better than staying here and getting drenched." He got up and began following Ryou through the school parking lot. The white haired boy led him to the sidewalk across the street and through a clump of trees. "Eh, Bakura?" he asked, "I can't really see the school from here…"

To his surprise Ryou began to chuckle very un-Ryou like. "That was the point." He whipped around and grabbed Mokuba's wrist in a vice grip.

"Bakura, stop! You're hurting me! Let go!" Mokuba begged, struggling to pull out of the white haired boy's iron grip.

"You trust too easily, foolish boy. It made my job far too simple."

Mokuba's eyes widened fearfully. "What are you doing? Help! Someone please help me!"

"Quiet!" The boy Mokuba had thought was Ryou Bakura reached into his pocket and pulled out a chloroform filled cloth. He pushed it against Mokuba's mouth and nose before the young boy could pull away. Mokuba shrieked in fear, but the sound was muted and he choked instead for breath. He gradually stopped resisting and slumped limply into the white haired boy's arms. Bakura eased him onto his back with a smirk. It was time to collect his collateral.

Peneia Teke: Well there ya have it!

Is it just me, or do some of the lines Bakura says sound suspiciously like what Hiei from YuYu Hakusho would say? Hmm…….. Yeah, I got YuYu Hakusho: The Dark Tournament Saga for Christmas, and I've been watching it non stop lately. I think it's starting to affect my writing, lol.

Anyway, I kinda like the deal we had last time, so let's do it again! The more reviews I get, the faster I'll udpate!