I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, or any other show, brand name, song, or anything else in that nature (if used). I do, however, own all OCs. Constructive criticism is accepted and very much appreciated! This is not recommended for children under the age of 13. People of the internet, you have been warned. Enjoy!

Chapter 4: The Mastermind Behind It All

Ryo woke up in his bed, but he could hardly even move. The pale hikari was up all night with Chihiro trying to hunt down the lead vampire. He had to be somewhere in or close to the city, and even with his Werewolf partner, there were many false-leads and wrong ways. Ryo sighed with relief that it was Saturday, so he didn't have to worry about his classes.

"Then again," he mumbled, "I do have that story for Language Arts I still need to finish… but it's not due 'til next Friday…" he sighed. The pale teen just couldn't decide what to do at that moment. As he was falling back asleep, his doorbell rang. He groaned with annoyance as he got out of bed and searched for a top to go with his gray sweatpants.

He was slipping a white t-shirt as he walked over to his front door. He turned its medal knob, and when the wooden board was removed, he saw a girl with ratted black hair and bags under her blue eyes.

"Chihiro," Ryo mumbled, "You look terrible." The female hikari slanted her eyes.

"Well you're not the picture of beauty either," she snapped back. Ryo couldn't help but smile. Starting an argument with Chihiro is like poking a wolverine with a fork; no matter who starts it, the beast will always win.

"So what are you doing here at 7 in the morning on the weekend?" he asked. He didn't want to beat around the bush anymore. Chihiro looked away, obviously trying to think of how to answer.

"Y-you know what," she mumbled, "never mind. Forgive me for bothering you." Feeling guilty, Ryo grabbed her wrist before she could walk away. Did he make her feel uncomfortable because of his words? He gently pulled her close enough to quietly talk in her ear.

"Chihiro," he whispered, "if you have a problem, I promise that I'll do whatever it takes to make you happy." Ryo let her go as she bit her lip. A tear began rolling down her pale face as she turned to face him again. He rubbed the salty drop away from her cheek with his pale thumb. Ryo smiled when Chihiro looked up, but she failed to return it. He took a closer look at her physical condition.

"Chihiro," he ordered, "lift up your shirt." Chihiro's expression quickly turned from helpless and scared to anger and rage.

"No," she snapped, "I love you, but I'm not some slut who'll just throw off her top whenever someone tells her to!" Ryo rubbed the back of his neck, his face red with embarrassment.

"Sorry," he mumbled, "could you tighten up your shirt?" Chihiro snorted, but she pulled her shirt back so it looked like she had a bobbed tail. Her ribs were somewhat visible, and now that he looked deeper into the female hikari's eyes, their normally bright pools of blue were dull like worn ink and paint on a portrait.

"Chihiro," he asked with astonishment, "have you been eating right? You look thin." She let go of her shirt, looking at the velvet carpet at her feet.

"Money's been tight," she mumbled, "my job at the shelter isn't enough to pay for rent and food, not to mention that I have Pikako and the stray dog Yugi brought in last night." A pang of pity stabbed Ryo's heart. Auntie had abandoned her shortly after they graduated from high school, claiming that she no longer needed her. Neither Ryo nor Chihiro have heard from her for a while.

"I need the money," Chihiro went on, "the success of our mission may decide the fate of my life, Ryo. If we fail, I might have to leave Domino, or worse." The female werewolf placed her hand over her mouth in a failed attempt to keep herself from crying.

"Chihiro," Ryo mentioned, "couldn't you just, well, you know…" his voice trailed away as Chihiro shook her head.

"I know what I am capable of doing to others for my own benefit," she replied, "but the thought of doing it sickens me. You of all the people I've met should know this feeling." Ryo slowly nodded as he looked down the opposite side of the hallway. Bringing pain to others just to satisfy his uncontrollable cravings was just wrong… right? She couldn't stay in a hospital either. It would make it difficult to complete their mission, not to mention that she probably couldn't even afford it. And there's the possibility that could become exposed… He heard the elevator ding to announce that someone was coming, and when the doors opened, Yugi ran out the moving box and made a bee-line to Ryo and Chihiro. When he came up to them, he looked as if he had the perfect amount of sleep. Ryo could hear Chihiro curse under her breath, and the pale hikari couldn't blame her. He wished that he had gotten that much sleep, too.

"You guys won't believe what I found," he yelled with excitement, "I found…" Ryo smacked his hand over the spiky-haired hikari's mouth and shushed him.

"What happened to keeping our work a secret?" he hissed. He pulled Yugi into his apartment with Chihiro right behind them.

After Ryo shut the door, Yugi smacked his hand off his face.

"The hell," he growled, "was that really necessary?" Ryo chuckled. He has no idea what we're up against.

"Well," Chihiro urged, "Yugi, tell us what you found. Will it help with our investigation?" Yugi nodded and pulled out a DVD.

"I saw this on television this morning," he explained, "it's the news. You won't believe what had happened last night." He popped the disk into Ryo's DVD player, and they waited for it to load. When the picture of a woman with a microphone came into view, Ryo pressed the 'play' button on his remote they took their seats in the living room.

"It's like something out of a horror film," the woman announced, "five people were brutally murdered in their own homes earlier this morning. Police are not giving out any information about the victims yet, other then the fact that these slaughters are unlike anything in Domino City history." Chihiro was shifting around in her seat on the sofa, her throat beginning to growl. Ryo could also feel his anticipation rising as well.

"The victims were all slashed at the throat or stabbed in the chest," she newswoman went on, "but the most disturbing fact is that all five victims had two identical puncture wounds on they're necks, similar to the vampire legends, only this time, it's for real. Police do not have any suspects yet, and they are currently trying to find some kind of pattern between the victims in an attempt to get some kind of lead." Ryo's skipped a beat. He knew that the police didn't know who did it, but they know what did it, and they might start pointing fingers at the only ones that they are aware of…

"Hey, Ryo," Yugi shook the pale hikari's shoulder, "are you okay? Did you catch what happened in the video?" Ryo blinked, trying to remember where he was again. He looked at Chihiro, who was slanting her eyes at the glowing screen, and then at Yugi, who was looked worried.

"Yeah," Ryo replied, "about the murders, right? Yes, it was defiantly the work of a vampire, or perhaps more then one."

"Not that," Chihiro growled, "it's bloody obvious that those creatures of the night did this! Yugi wasn't talking about that! I'll replay it." She snatched the remote out of Ryo's bewildered hands, pressed the 'rewind' button, and then a certain point, she paused it.

"Look at the top left corner of the screen," she instructed. She began playing again, and Ryo watched the black corner with anticipation. He turned even paler then he usually was, because as the anchorwoman was jabbering on about her report, for less then a second, he saw a shadow even darker then the night sky speed away from the camera, right behind the unsuspecting news lady. Chihiro stopped the video, and pulled it out of the DVD player.

"Where," Ryo asked Yugi, "where was that footage being filmed?" Yugi looked surprised.

"Um," he finally mumbled, "I-I think in a neighborhood… on the edge of town. But I can't be sure, though." Ryo nodded, and then turned to Chihiro.

"Drop all of your plans for today," he ordered her, "I've got to make sure that you'll be well-rested for tonight." She snorted, but agreed to do so.

"Can I please come?" Yugi begged. Ryo shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Yugi," he rejected, "but this isn't going to be like last night. We may find the head vampire, and he's not a pushover like his weak minions."

"But I want to find Yami!" he yelled. Ryo looked into his eyes; they were burning with anger and passion, but Ryo still wouldn't let him go, saying that he doesn't want to find Yami.

"Why," Yugi wailed, "I miss him! I want to see him!"

"No, you don't," Chihiro replied, "You said that he was bitten, right? Then it's too late. Yami's either already become one of them, or he's dead." Yugi began tearing.

"No," he yelled, "you're wrong! You're both wrong! Even if he is a vampire, he'll still remember me! He might even help us!"

"As mush as I wish that was true," Ryo explained, "that's not how it works. Once you become his slave, you no longer have a will, and if you're not a vampire after you're bit, then you're already dead!" Yugi shook his head violently, and ran out of the apartment.

"I hate you!" he roared. Ryo could feel a hint of regret. He looked at Chihiro, but she showed no sign of feelings for poor Yugi.

"Do you think we went a little hard on him?" she asked. Ryo shook his head.

"Not really," he replied, "he needed to know that. Yami's is either dead, or undead."

A pale woman walked through the shadowy halls of her old and broken mansion in the dark forest. She knew the home like the back of her hand, so a candle was unnecessary. She opened door after door, peeking in the black rooms as the rusty bolts creaked with age.

"Damn," she mumbled, "where the hell is he? If he's not careful, then he'll…"

"Or I'll what?" she was interrupted by a shadow shaped like a man. She grinned.

"I think you know what." She snickered. The shadowy figure smiled, revealing unnaturally long fangs. He pulled the woman closer, but she showed no form of protest. He wrapped his arms around her, and licked her near-white neck.

"…Well," he asked, "what's the news?" The woman grinned, showing off her own pair of abnormal canines.

"Talk," he whispered, "…Fukayna."

A/N: Well, here's chapter four. Sorry for neglecting this story, but since ALMOST NO ONE EVER COMMENTS ON IT, I figured that you guys didn't care about it enough for me to go on. Not to mention that life has been knocking on my door for a while now. I don't know if you guys know, but please LEAVE A COMMENT. ANYTHING. JUST LEAVE SOMETHING. You have no idea how not leaving a comment completely massacres the small, helpless sliver of self-esteem I once had.