A/N: Well, here we are again, eh? I don't have much to say about this one, except that I found it really hard to write little kids. (Sweatdrop) Also, please forgive any errors- I'm having my hair cut in about two minutes and want to get this posted before then, so I haven't proof-read. Again. Still! At least it's an update. ;-) And quite a large one, to, if I do say so myself. And to think- I cut half the material out of this chapter…

Disclaimer: I am not Kazuki Takahasi, Marvel, DC, or anyone else that owns anything well-known that I have inadvertedly mentioned.

Three: A Villain

Penelope swung through the front door, kicking her shoes off as she slammed it shut. It was good to be home, even if it had only been home for a fortnight. She was still having trouble with adjusting to it all. But if it could help, it would all be worth it.

She shoved her shoes into the rack waiting for them, running up the stairs before her mom could come and quiz her about her day. She ran into her room, throwing her bag and her blazer carelessly onto the floor before slamming out again and into the room next door.

"Jason!" She cried, running in and jumping onto the bed. "I'm home. But I don't know how much longer I can do this… Mom doesn't know he's here. But I know it, you see, and when he's there everyday… Of all the schools in Japan, he had to be at this one. He just sits there, like a constant reminder that… that I can't ignore. He doesn't even seem to care! Even in the RE test today. He came top, Jay. Top! And they were all praising him! He took all the credit, he didn't even mention you. All that help you used to give him, to. He really… I really… I just can't stand to look at him!" She made a noise in frustration. "I came second, but… but… he did this to you, Jay. I can't stand to think he's got no punishment. I don't understand… I just don't get how the world can be so screwed!" She sighed deeply. "Don't worry. I'll stick with it. I won't have another pasta incident. I can't let mom know, right? And I can't give her anything else to deal with, either. Especially with Dad working nights…"

"Penny!" Her mom yelled from downstairs, not worrying about waking her husband- the roof could cave in and he wouldn't stir. "Would you get down here, and inform your mother of the day's events rather then exclusively your brother?"

"I'd better go." Penelope sighed, patting his hand. "I'll see you later."

He didn't reply. He didn't respond. He never did.

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It was a very small nursery, but to children of their age it seemed enormous. Their mom had gone, left them when they hadn't been looking, and the other children were looking at them. One dropped the dinosaur he'd been playing with and walked over.

"You look the same." He accused. Ryou nodded.

"It's 'cause we're twins." Amane explained, with an air of importance. "You know what twins are?"

"Yeah!" He protested, wrinkling his nose. "You're two people that look like one! You're weird."

"We're not!" Ryou protested.

"No, we're not!" Amane agreed. "We're special."

"No!" He shouted back. "They're twins to!" He pointed over to the other corner of the room before returning back to his dinosaur. Amane walked over to where he'd pointed, Ryou following hurriedly after her. Two children, a girl and a boy, were sitting and attempting to build a large tower of bricks which promptly fell over. The two giggled, while the girl yelled that now they'd have to start all over again.

"Hello." Amane said, getting their attention. "We're twins." The pair gasped, staring back at them.

"Hello." The boy replied. "We're twins to!"

"But, but…" The girl interrupted. "I'm older!"

"I'm older to!" Ryou said, amazedly. All four were marvelling at this startling revelation- that other people were twins to. "I've never met other twins before!" However, Amane's interest was not held for that long, and so she thumped down on the mat.

"I'm gonna make a big tower." She said, decisively, pulling the blocks over.

"Hey!" The boy protested. "We were using those!"

"Now I'm using them." Amane replied, comfortably, as Ryou shuffled guiltily behind her.

"Well…" The girl considered. "My mommy says if you're friends, you share…"

"We'll be your friends." Amane dismissed, piling up her tower regardless of the boy's anger. "My name's Amane."

"That's a strange name." The boy commented.

"Mine's Ryou!" Ryou put in, anxious not to be left out any longer. He went and sat next to his sister.

"You've got nice names." The girl said. "Mine's Penelope."

"My name's Jason." Her brother informed them, sounding proud.

"See?" Amane said, triumphant. "Now we're friends."

"Forever?" Penelope checked, suspicious.

"Okay." Amane agreed. "Like my mommy says: Forever and ever and ever…"

"Amen!" The others completed, seriously.

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"Harry."

"Gotta be Yugi."

"Indeed. Ron?"

"Joey. Duh."

"And Hermione? As if I couldn't guess?"

"Téa."

"Wait a minute." Ryou smiled at her. "What about this implied relationship between Ron and Hermione…?"

"Are you suggesting my brother and Téa…" Serenity trailed off, her own thoughts, her perception of reality, warping and twisting and boggling at this new concept. She decided to move swiftly on. "Draco Malfoy- Seto Kaiba!"

Ryou smiled slightly, the closest he ever came to a laugh, but then added: "You really shouldn't be so harsh on him all the time. You'll end up like your brother."

Serenity considered, her head on one side. "I guess…"

"I always thought Joey was a little like Kaiba himself." Ryou said, in a tone that, once again, left her unsure as to whether he was serious or not. "They're both stubborn and a little pig-headed at times, the temper, the fierce loyalty to their loved ones…"

Serenity snorted. "Yeah, that's true, but you forget that Kaiba is an arrogant jerk who could never love anyone except his work and his brother, has a heart carved out of ice, and could single-handedly fix global warming- and I don't mean because he's a genius."

"Well…" Ryou pondered. "I guess it's not really for us to say. We don't really know Kaiba at all. But I do know your brother, and… I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell him I compared him to Kaiba."

"Don't worry about it." Serenity shrugged. "It's not even like you said anything bad." They continued amiably along, the overcast sky and damp air having no bearing on their spirits. "…I would like to be more like Joey, though." She said hesitantly. "I mean, he's so brave, and confident. Everyone automatically loves him- he has no problems making friends. So he's stubborn and volatile and can be a little dense, sometimes; but sometimes I think…" She sighed. "That if I could be a little more like him, then I would… I'd be a different person."

"You don't need to be a different person." Ryou dismissed. "I don't think you have a problem with confidence…"

"And I don't think you have one." Serenity pointed out. "It's fine when we're just talking to each other, but around other people I…"

"Freeze up." Ryou completed. "I guess that's just something we'll have to work on. I've been getting better since… Amane always did the talking."

"Ryou…" She said, carefully. "I wanted to ask you, what was it like? Being a twin?" She looked away, a little sheepish. "It's just, when you're a kid, you always want a twin…"

"Heh." Ryou smiled slightly, though his eyes looked sad. Even happy memories hurt to remember for him. "Well… I don't know how to explain. Not the same as any other brother or sister. Not the same as a friend…" He paused, thinking. "Western mythology is always about good triumphing over evil; but it's a lot more like Eastern mythology- it's always about balance. Chaos and order, light and darkness, yin and yang…" He paused again. "I'm not saying Amane and I were good and evil, I'm just saying… that it's about balance. Two parts of the same thing- you don't get one without the other. Even when we got a little older, and started leading lives a little more separate… She was the confident one. The talkative one. So when I had to make my own way without her… It was like being a ghost, only being half there."

"I see…" Serenity mused over this. "But… I bet it was nice. To have someone so close to you."
Ryou merely nodded.

"Well, this is me…" Serenity said, as they reached her turn off.

"I'll be accompanying you a little further today." Ryou replied. "I need to go food shopping. At the moment I'm living off ham, cheese, and bread."

"Wow, sounds like fun."

"Yes, you'd be amazed at just how versatile bread is…" Ryou answered, his smile back in place. "Now then. Dumbledore."

"…Professor Hawkins."

"Hagrid?"

"Why are you making these so hard…? I don't know!"

"I'm going to have to hurry you…"

They continued through the numerous characters of Harry Potter until, finally, they reached the edge of the canal once again, a few minutes from where Ryou left her, nestled in the curve of the water. It was round this corner that Serenity had to travel, behind the shelter of the buildings, while Ryou needed to carry on straight in the opposite direction to reach the nearest convenience shop. They said their goodbyes and left once again.

Ryou had been unusually chatty that day, and he felt more at home in the quiet as he walked on alone. He could hear the sounds of the canal lapping ever so slightly against the ledges, the cars on the road, a train passing on the nearby railway and a scream. For a silly, foolish moment, he imagined it was his long-dead sister, screaming and screaming, but she was dead, was gone, and was certainly in no shape to be screaming. He knew it after only a second. And he ran. He ran back the way he'd come, and round the corner, faster then he ever had, ignoring as the air picked up on his instinct, propelling him along, and emptied his head of all thought, of all plans and schemes and fears and doubts, letting impulse take the front seat; hoping it would not steer him wrong.

He could not be too late. Not again.

Besides, Joey would absolutely kill him.

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"Psychic energy!" Ryou declared. "Now my Kadabra can use it's Psy Beam on your Cloyster!"

"Awww…" Jason groaned, as he removed Cloyster and moved another card up from the Bench; Ryou picking up another Prize card from the side. "I hate that Kadabra!" He paused. " What would you trade it for?"

"No way!" Ryou shook his head. "Come on, it's your turn."

Jason stuck out his tongue and drew. "Hey, Bill's Teleport! Now I can-"

"Who's Bill?" Penelope asked curiously, picking up the card. "He's pretty ugly."

"Not as much as this thing." Amane pointed out, having grabbed Kadabra. "What is it even supposed to be?"

"That's Kadabra!" Ryou supplied, snatching it back. "And he's really good. Really, really good!"

"Really boring, you mean!" Penelope shot back, and she and Amane collapsed into giggles.

"You're boring!" Jason said, angrily.

"You're all boring." A fellow class-mate, an antagonist by the name of Charlie- who thought he was better then everyone because he was already eight0 drawled. "You're all boring and stupid!"
The four glanced at each other.

"You're boring!" Penelope and Jason said together.

"You're stupid!" Amane and Ryou said together.

"Don't do that!"

"Do what?" All four asked together, smiling sweetly.

"Talk all together!" He said, angry now.

"We can't help it." Jason and Penelope replied.

"Twins can hear each other's thoughts." Ryou and Amane explained.

"You're… you're lying…" He said, uncertainly. "No-one can hear anyone else's thoughts!"

"We can." The four said together. "And sometimes… We can hear yours, to."

"Well then," He answered, stubbornly. "What am I thinking?"

"Nothing!" They informed him, politely.

The four made mystic faces until he went away, frightened. Then they gave way to hysterical laughter.

"We showed him!" Jason said, happily.

"Yay 'Twin Attack!'" Amane declared, referring to their laboriously practised routine. The others heartily agreed.

"We'll need a new one now, though." Penelope pointed out. "Or they'll work it out."

"We have an idea." Amane said confidently, looking to her brother for conformation. "Right, Ryou?"

"Yep!" He nodded, smiling. "But first… You insulted Kadabra."

"That's right." Jason said, remembering. "And all of Poké kind! We're not gonna speak to you now."

"We're not?" Ryou asked, confused.

"No."

"Oh, okay."

They turned away with over the top folding of arms and sighing and pouting until their sisters, giggling, swore they would never insult the 'sacred Poké-ness' ever again.

"We can't afford to fight now!" Amane pointed out. "We need to fight against Charlie instead! So, friends?"

"Forever and ever and ever amen!" The four chanted together, as they did every time, laughing all the while at their own wit.

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Ryou rounded the corner to the sound of a splash. He saw Serenity, and her attacker, struggling to their feet, but he was faster. A large, burly guy; he wore a malicious grin of triumph as he moved quickly towards her, ploughing through the knee-deep water with ease. He was quite alone, and you could see why- he looked the sort who picked fights just for fun. Just as Serenity stood, just a second after he had, He pushed her back down and held her under the water. Serenity wasn't having any of it, struggling and kicking and inflicting more pain on her attacker then he was on her, but, finally, he got her under.

Now, Ryou was angry. The rage was cold and unfamiliar, burning up his muscles, but now Serenity was putting up less of a fight the guy was almost still, his bent back large and looming in Ryou's line of vision. So, Ryou jumped, landing straight on the guy's back, who yelled in surprise and tried to throw him off. Ryou held on around his neck, hitting him with whatever bits of his body were spare at the time, blindly making contact as he rolled over, off Serenity, and they were both plunged into the water. Ryou was lucky as the guy went down first, completely submerged, and he only got half-way in. Ryou scrambled back, making contact with a flabby stomach on the way, and watched with a kind of detached interest as the guy scrambled to his feet, winded.

By now, Serenity was back on her feet and ready for business, and Ryou was on hand to help. Like a coward, the would-be attacker ran away, with his tail between his legs.

Ryou and Serenity, standing drenched in the middle of the canal, looked at each other, dripping next to them. Then, they laughed, out of relief and hysteria, and then at the attacker himself. He hadn't been too late this time.

"…Well, he was kinda pathetic." Serenity commented, sobering up. "Come on, we didn't even hit hard!"

"Too true." Ryou nodded. "Let's face it- you and I are hardly a formidable force. Still… are you okay?"

"A little soggy…" Serenity frowned, looking down at herself. "But, I'm fine. Thanks for helping me." She shuddered, or perhaps shivered from the cold, a little. "When he had me under the water, I really thought…" She paused, then started again. "I thought I was going to die. I just thought I was going to die. And I thought how stupid it was that someone so pathetic could have killed me just because he stood up a little faster."

"It's alright…" Ryou said, a little awkward, not sure how to reply to that. "What was it that made him so mad?"

"I don't know." Serenity shrugged slightly. "Looking at his uniform, I'd say he was from Maypine School. They're our rivals, they all hate us- but they're not usually thugs like that."

"I'll walk you home." Ryou replied, quietly.

"In case you have to save me again?" She asked, half-joking. He shook his head.

"No, because it's hardly likely that I'd be of any use bar jumping on top of people." He explained. "Violence isn't my strong point. But I'll see you home, so if there are unscrupulous people around, you can save me."

Serenity giggled slightly. "It'll be a team effort." She decided.

"Alright." Ryou nodded. "Then let's get out of this canal, shall we?"

Serenity nodded in reply, and sloshed her way over the distance between them. Ryou suddenly looked away, seeming embarrassed.

"What's the matter?" She asked, puzzled.

"Um… I don't suppose your blazer does up, does it?" He asked, still looking in the opposite direction.

"No…" She replied, confused. "It's designed to be worn open. So there's no buttons or anything…"

"Ah." Ryou said, and slipped his own off, passing it to her, still without looking. "Then you'd better take this…"

"Why do I...?" Serenity began, taking the damp article none the less. Then she looked down. And remembered that white shirts weren't the best thing to wear when being submerged in a canal. "Oh. Um, I, um…" She stammered, embarrassed herself now. "Thanks." She said, eventually, putting the blazer on over her own. It was a little big for her, but the most important thing was the fact that it zipped up, and she did so, grateful. After she was done, they made their way over to the side and climbed out.

"Well, then." Ryou said, gesturing that they should leave. "Lead the way." Having not being completely submerged as she had, his own shirt had fared a lot better. But now he was wet, and, in the September winds, that wasn't good. Not that he'd complain about being cold. She began to show him the way, and they walked most of the way in silent companionship, until Ryou suddenly blurted out: "That poor blazer. First the pasta, and then the coke, and now dirty water. If I have to go to the dry cleaners' once more, I'll be chipping in for staff birthdays."

Serenity laughed, and they lapsed back into silence; finding the whole ordeal more amusing then appalling- though she doubted Joey would see it that way. But, until she got home, she didn't need to worry about that, and could just enjoy the quiet company.

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The doorbell rang out into the house, and the two instantly leapt to their feet, heading towards the door. They knew exactly who it would be, and, indeed, it was. Before them stood Penelope and Jason, along with their mom.

"Happy birthday!" They said, together.

"This is for you!" Jason cried, pushing a box towards Ryou.

"And this," Penelope added, pushing a box towards Amane "Is for you!"

The two thanked them politely, and then stood and shuffled impatiently as the two mothers discussed how they were 'eleven already' and 'how the years had flown'. At last, they got off the doorstep and inside, where they set about that most important of tasks- present opening.

"They're from both of us." Penelope explained, as Amane, far more impatient then her brother, began peeling back the paper. "I hope you like them!"

"Ryou, you open yours now to." Jason commanded, as the boy had been waiting for Amane to go first. "They're almost the same, you see…"

Ryou, mystified, opened his to. As the bright paper came away, both found a video tape- more precisely, a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles tape. Ryou had the first film, and Amane the second. Both were ecstatic- they'd liked TMNT almost since they had first got into Pokémon, and, indeed, until a year or two ago, they'd spent many a break-time playing at being their favourite heroes- that was one game all four had played together, despite the fact the other girls thought Amane and Penelope were weird and the other boys often wanted to play. But it had always just been for them.

While they didn't run around pretending to be the turtles anymore, they still loved the films. Penelope and Jason had known this, of course, and so had managed to hit on a perfect gift.

"I hear they're really popular in America and Japan right now, to." Jason informed them.

"Really?" Ryou asked. "In Japan, to?" He paused. "I wonder if dad's seen them…"

"Is he still working at the museum?" Penelope asked.

"That's right!" Amane said, sounding more enthusiastic then she really was. "But soon, he's moving onto a dig in the middle of Egypt! He thinks there's a 'mystery Pharaoh' that never found his way into the history books for some reason… One of Egypt's darkest secrets…And, speaking of dad," She added abruptly. "Look what he sent me!" She held up a stack of manga happily. "Cardcaptor Sakura and CLAMP School Detectives!"

Jason and Penelope looked blankly at the un-translated books Amane loved so much. The crazy Japanese writing meant nothing to them. Their dad wasn't native to Japan, after all, and so the only odd word they knew came from Ryou and Amane; particularly when they were little and the two hadn't been quite able to get the hang of the fact that they had to speak completely in English away from home.

"And…" Ryou put in, pausing dramatically. "Take a look at what he sent me." He lifted a large box.

"No way!" Jason cried. "It's Monster World! Man, I'm so jealous…"

"It's what?" Penelope asked, blankly.

"It's just a game." Amane dismissed. The two boys looked at her slightly evilly.

"It's not 'just' a game." Ryou sounded insulted. "It is the most popular table-top RPG ever, so there!"

"RPG?" Penelope repeated, as if it was a foreign language, which, to her, it might as well have been.

"Role Play Game." Amane supplied, wearily. "Ryou loves them."

"I'm not the one who stayed up all night on Saturday playing Final Fantasy VII!" Ryou pointed out, laughing.

"That's a video game, though." Amane shrugged. "Not some board game."

"It's not a board game!" Jason and Ryou chorused.

"Prove it." Penelope challenged. "Let's play it- right now."

After some arguing over parts- Ryou ending up being the Dark Master as he couldn't say 'No'- they spent the rest of the afternoon playing Monster World- even Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles couldn't distract them. That game became the first of many for the four of them. Ignoring the fact they were an adventurer short, they all got surprisingly into the game. It was not until two years later that anything changed, it was not until two years later that there would be any danger in the game.

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"Here we are…" Serenity said, cheerfully. In reality, she was a little embarrassed. The flat she was currently living in was nowhere near as nice looking as the block Ryou lived in. Of course, she didn't know what his was like indoors, but she knew this one was pretty scruffy. She tried to stand in front of a small patch of graffiti without him noticing. He didn't seem to have noticed his surroundings at all, come to think of it. "Maybe if you're here, we'll have chance to explain what happened before Joey jumps to a dumb conclusion…" She pressed the buzzer next to the door, and, a moment later, footfall sounded in the hallway. The door was wrenched violently open, and there stood a man, leaning on the doorframe.

"Dad!" Serenity gasped. He wasn't normally home at this time… Her dad looked at her, and then at Ryou, and before either could react, he had Ryou round the neck, pinned up against the opposite wall of the corridor.

"You little punk…" He drawled, his words slurring together. "Are you the one who's been doing things to my daughter!"

Ryou did not reply. He couldn't, his air was cut off. He struggled against the hands that held him, but it was useless. He could smell the alcohol coming off the man, but even when he was drunk Ryou could not shake him off. He was being held aloft above the ground, and, pathetic as he felt, there didn't seem to be much he could do about it, as Serenity's father continued to rant at him about all the improper things he seemed to think Ryou was doing to her.

"Dad!" Serenity was shrieking, tugging ineffectually at his arm. "What are you doing! Let him go!" He swatted her away, easily, without even looking at her. Joey arrived just then, late from school because of football practise, and reacted quickly, running up the corridor and wrenching his dad away. Ryou crumpled, chocking still, and staggered to his feet as Joey struggled to control his enraged father.

"Stay back!" He yelled, trying to push the man back inside and wave Ryou away. "I can handle it!"

"But-!"

"I can handle it!" Joey repeated, urgently. "Now, get outta here! Take 'Ren with you, and get out of here!" His dad broke free of the grip and swung at him, but Joey, apparently used to this sort of thing, evaded easily.

"Joey!" Serenity protested.

"I don't care what's happened!" Joey yelled at her. "I'll call Ryou when it's safe to come back! Just go!"

"Joey!" Serenity cried again, starting to head towards him as he, distracted, was hit. But it was no use- Ryou had grabbed her arm and was pulling her forcibly away. Eventually, she turned, and ran of her own accord, as her dad shouted after her, calling her all sorts of names she didn't need to hear. Soon, he to faded out of earshot as the two began walking back the way they'd come. The silence this time was not friendly. The silence this time was chilled, and frightened.

"Ryou…" She said, softly. "I am so sorry."

"It's alright."

"He… Well, he's been better recently, he hasn't been like this for so long…" She wiped her eyes determinedly. "If he had been… himself, I'm sure he would have liked you. He wouldn't have accused you of… all that stuff."

"As I said, it's alright." He assured her. "…I tell you what, though. Two fights in one day. Perhaps I'm becoming a gangster."

Serenity couldn't help but laugh at the sheer absurdity of this statement. "You're useful to have around." She commented. "You make me laugh no matter how bad things are…"

"It's a survival method." Ryou answered, suddenly serious. "Things… hurt a lot less if you can try to laugh at them."

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The doorbell rang, three floors below, but, up in the slightly dusty attic, it was ignored. There were few teenagers that would celebrate their thirteenth birthday stowed away in a little used room, sitting on upturned crates or boxes of Christmas Decorations, but these didn't mind. In their minds, they weren't really there.

On top of a large box that had once held a refrigerator, lay the world of Nerfder, another expansion of the Monster World Game, another civilisation under threat. Ryou had received it earlier that day, and was now all ready to begin the serious business of conquering it- Of course, there was the minor problem of those heroes that would oppose him. But that was okay- he was confident he could beat them this time. The monsters were fierce. The NPCs were now far more flexible to use for his own strategies- and he had a good few. The terrain was varied and exciting, the figures seemed like real people, and the villain was more villainous then ever before. There were traps and monsters amok, and it was just about ready.

Ryou placed a final chest token down on the board and grinned round at his companions. "Right, we're all ready!" He said, happily. Gaming, and this game in particular, was his favourite thing, after all. "Let's see what story they've cooked up for us this time…" He picked up the manual, and the others looked serious. This short introduction would give them motivation- who they were fighting, and why, as well as giving Ryou a basis for his stories. Without it, they'd just be randomly defeating monsters; which, while fun, was not enough to capture the imagination.

"The land of Nerfder has a dark and terrible secret that casts a shadow across it's entire area. While the people in the towns and villages prosper, no-one knows how. Nothing is known about this mysterious and reclusive kingdom, except for the healing oils that it makes. But, there are whispers. Whispers of a curse, long forgotten by man. A curse that no-one knows the cause or effect of. Yet, it is enough to scare away even the stoutest of heart…" Ryou paused for breath, and the others held theirs. This was part of the reason Ryou rarely played anything other then the Dark Master. His hushed, emotive tones were enough to transform them from normal children, Amane and Penelope and Jason, into a Half-Elf, a Birdtail and a Human; a Magic Gunman, an Illusionist, and a Bard. Ryou to could make up the rest of the adventure as easily as he could tie a shoelace, each more exciting and dramatic then the last. The Gunman, Illusionist and Bard leant forward eagerly as their narrator continued with the final part of the introduction supplied. "But you must venture in. From a town in the neighbouring country, you have been sent to ascertain healing potions for a plague that is effecting your civilians. However, counting the curse as an Old Wives' Tale, you are unprepared for the perils that await you. Will you uncover the secret of Nerfder? And will you return alive?"

"What's the secret?" Amane demanded, immediately.

"That's for me to invent and for you to try and find out." Ryou replied easily. "Now then…" He barely had to pause for thought before continuing. "You have entered the land at it's Southernmost border, near a town named Brine. However, before you can even reach it, a sound comes from the bushes to the side of the road. Will you investigate? Or will you continue?"

The three adventurers looked at each other.

"I'm curious." Amane admitted. "I think we should go look."

"But it could be a trap." Penelope pointed out. "…Or, it could be a good thing. He gives us good things sometimes to." She looked at Ryou for a clue, but he merely smiled, giving no clue. "Graah… Now I'm curious to…"

"What have we got to lose?" Amane pointed out. "We've only just started! He won't give us anything irreparable yet. Right, Ryou?"

Her twin just continued to smile, saying: "So, do you investigate?"

"Wait a minute." Jason piped up. "I can use my Dusk Sonata to put anything around us to sleep. That way we can get close and see what it is, and if it's dangerous, it won't be able to do anything."

"Good idea." Amane nodded. "Okay, go for it, Bard-Boy!"

"The success rate in this area is seventy percent." Ryou supplied. "You need a roll of thirty or over."

"Easy!" Jason replied, picking up the dice. "Okay, Dusk Son-"

"Ryou! Amane!" The mother of the two was calling. "A parcel just came from your father!"

The two stood immediately, and, pulling open the hatch, began to climb back down stairs. Jason carefully laid the dice down, and he and his sister followed, to where Ryou and Amane's mother was waiting.

"The postman just brought it to the door." She explained. "It's downstairs."

The box, on discovery, was large and brown, and had been sent all the way from Egypt. The dig had been going on for more then eighteen months, and, in all that time, they hadn't seen their father. But he'd still remembered their birthday, and, inside the box, were two brightly wrapped parcels, nestled in bubble wrap and polystyrene pebbles. Amane took them out with more care then usual, judging by the packaging that these were a little more delicate then normal. She handed Ryou his, it making slight clicking and chinking noises. They looked at each other, as their mom, Jason and Penelope looked on.

"You go first." Ryou murmured, and Amane nodded.

"Okay." She pulled the purple paper back. Inside was a white piece of paper. Unfolding it, she saw that it covered in her dad's neat handwriting- a letter, that had been wrapped around the present itself; which she couldn't see through a layer of tissue paper and bubble wrap. Having got it out of the layers that so desperately sought to keep her out, she found an item more beautiful then any she had seen before. It probably wasn't real gold, but it shone like it, and the tiny gems embedded into it glinted like the Nile in the sun.

"What is it…?" Penelope asked.

"It's an Egyptian bracelet…" Amane whispered, in awe, slipping it onto her wrist. It was a little longer then the average bracelet, and would probably have been better described as a wrist band. And it was beautiful.

"Is it one they dug up?" Ryou asked, knowing the excavation team had had very little luck.

"No…" Amane replied, scanning down the letter. They were well aware that due to laws in both countries, archaeologists were no longer glorified Treasure Hunters; anything they found belonged either to the National Museum of the country it was found in, or to the Crown, to be put in some other dusty museum in England. "He brought it from a market stall. He says he doesn't know if it's authentic, but he thinks it's beautiful…" She paused. "According to the stall owner, it's for safety, protection, and to 'repel evil'…Nice." She continued reading silently.

I don't know how well these charms and trinkets work, it read, but I hope it'll help keep you safe while I'm away. Don't do anything too silly, and try not to do anything to worry your mom and brother! I should be able to come home for Christmas. Until I see you next, don't grow up too fast. All my love, Dad.

"Mom! Ryou!" Amane grinned. "Dad's coming home at Christmas!"

"I know." Their mom smiled back. "It said so in my letter, to."

"Open yours, Ryou!" Amane prompted.

Slowly but surely, Ryou ripped and tore and unfolded the various layers of protective packaging. It was larger then Amane's, but, oddly, lighter. The first thing he saw was his own letter, but he put it aside for now- what he'd got was more interesting to his spectators then him reading, and besides- their dad usually wrote about the present itself in the letter, so it would help to know what it was. The next thing that came to his attention was what appeared to be an eye. It was mounted on a gold-shaped triangle. The triangle was inside a circle, with several cones coming off it. But the gold it was made of didn't show any signs of age- apparently, it wasn't authentic either.

"What is it?" Jason asked, this time.

"It says here…" Ryou replied, looking at his own letter. "It's called the 'Millennium Ring'. Dad thinks it might have some sort of connection to the Pharaoh they're looking for, but, seeing as it hasn't worn at all, it's probably just a copy. Anyway, it's meant to grant wisdom and power…" He glanced at the Ring in confusion. "'Wisdom and power'? Wisdom of what? What kind of Power…?"

"Does it matter?" Amane asked, exasperated.

"He does spoil you." Their mom added, equally exasperated.

"It's cool, though." Jason commented, reaching out to touch it. "I wonder if it actually did come from ancient Egypt…"

"I doubt it." Ryou answered. "Not if it looks that good." He slipped it over his head. "I'm glad it's not. A lot of things from Egypt are cursed."

"That's just fairy stories." Amane dismissed. "Hey, that looks good round your neck."

"I think it's kinda tacky." Penelope commented, flicking one of the spokes.

"No… I mean… it just looks right, somehow." Amane shrugged. "Now! I believe Jason was about to cast 'Dusk Sonata'!"

They went back up to the attic, ready to continue the game. They did not know that they would never finish it.

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Serenity let the hot water warm her up again, her teeth finally stopping their chattering. It had been quite a walk up to Ryou's, and, when soaking wet, very cold. They had reached the block of flats he lived in, climbed all the way to the top floor, where a lonely door had lead to where he lived. There was a living room leading onto a small kitchenette, on one side of the hallway, and on the other was a bedroom and a bathroom. His home was smaller then the flat she was currently residing in, and, of course, much smaller then her mom's house; but it seemed very homely, and very nice. However, it still had the air of loneliness about it, as if it longed to see a face other then Ryou's, and so she felt as if she had been welcomed.

She upturned her face to the spray to shake the weird thoughts out of it. She was most defiantly the worst person she knew for personification. Still, it was a nice, if small, flat; and now here she was, using the shower. This had been another cause of embarrassment for them both. She had been wet, and dirty, and smelly; but while she could use his shower, she was also in desperate need of a change of clothing- she couldn't just out her horrid uniform back on again. In the end, Ryou had produced some trousers and a shirt she could borrow, which was a kind gesture, and the only solution- but she wasn't used to walking around wearing other people's clothes, and he probably wasn't used to other people walking around in his clothes. And so, like every other issue, they ignored it as much as possible and pretended it wasn't there. Stepping out, she dried off, and got dressed in the clothes he'd leant to her. They were a little big, but they covered her, were warm, and were reasonably comfortable, and so that was the most important thing. She picked up her uniform from where it was squelched up in a corner, and headed out into the rest of the flat.

Ryou was across the corridor, in the little kitchen. He, to, had got changed, and what was presumably his uniform was clanking noisily around in the tumble dryer. Over it, she could just hear some music. She wasn't sure where he was playing it from, but she could just hear the strands come drifting lazily to her ears. At that point, he turned and saw her, and smiled.

"My turn in the shower, then." He stated, reaching out to take her uniform, removing her blazer before dumping the rest into the washing machine. "I won't be a moment. Please, make yourself comfortable…" He headed out into the hallway, and shut the door behind him. Serenity took the opportunity to look around.

The hallway had been whitewashed walls, and a brown carpet, but very bare; and at first the flat had seemed a little unwelcoming. However, it seemed that Ryou just hadn't got around to decorating yet, as it didn't carry through to the rest of his home, behind four doors, two on either side of the corridor. The bathroom had been all white and dark blue tiles, a shower, sink, and toilet crammed in to a tiny space along with a small cupboard for linen. More then anything else, with the fact it was immaculate, it had reminded her of the bathroom in the caravan she stayed in on her last holiday. Small, but neat, and enough.

The kitchen part also reminded her of a caravan, leading off the hallway opposite the bathroom. It was a small, hexagon shaped space, with a fridge, washing machine, dryer and oven crammed in underneath the work surfaces, and shelves and cupboards above them. There were some drawers, a toaster, a microwave and a bin forced in, but, despite it's cluttered layout, the room seemed spacious enough. 'Enough' did seem to be the key word in this flat, she thought, looking at the pale cream paint that showed on the few bits of wall that weren't covered by shelves or cupboards. The kitchen ran directly through into a living room, so she stepped through, looking around in interest.

The walls of the living room were also a cream colour, although these were slightly darker and more a pale yellow then a pale orange. There was a little fireplace at one side, an armchair, and a sofa, hiding the radiator; as well as a television. Between the television and the settee was a coffee table, covered with pieces of paper which were later revealed to be RE notes, apparently left over from a revision session. As was the rest of the flat, it was comfortable and cosy, and as she sat down in the armchair she felt as if she'd been there a million times before. She located the music, finding a small CD player tucked out of sight behind the chair, playing some sort of blues tune. She hadn't listened to much before, and had never really liked it, but this time she did; the melancholy of the notes soothing and making her feel not happy, but content. She now had a fairly good idea of the layout of the flat. On entering the front door, the first doorway to the right lead to the kitchen and the living room, and the one next to it she could only assume was Ryou's bedroom, as that was where he had disappeared when he went to fetch her some clothes. Opposite that was the bathroom, but the forth door, opposite where she was now, remained a mystery. Her imagination had just begun to run away with her, lulled by the sounds in the room, when Ryou entered.

"Hello." She said, unnecessarily, sitting up from her slumped position.

"Hello." He replied, easily. "…I'm hungry. What would you like?" Then he slapped his forehead. "Oh, no… I was going to go food shopping!" He sighed. "I'm afraid there isn't really a choice at all, then. Cheese on toast okay?"

"Fine." Serenity giggled. He disappeared into the kitchen, and reappeared a little later with the promised substance.

"Here we are." He said, handing her a plate, and bending down to turn his music off.

"It's alright." Serenity assured him. "I like it."

"Really?" He blinked. "Not many people are into Jazz and Blues anymore…"

"Well, I think it sounds nice." She said, firmly. "What is this?"

"This is Sonny Boy Williamson." Ryou informed her, matter-of-factly. "One of the best blues harmonica players ever known."

"I can tell." She answered, unable to resist anymore and taking a bite out of the cheesy bread.

They ate, and still Joey hadn't phoned. The rest of that evening, they passed idly talking or doing homework, but he still hadn't phoned. By the time evening had run into night time, and still no sign, Serenity was beginning to become concerned.

"I should go home- it's late." She said, eventually. She'd been putting off saying it for almost three hours now. She was worried about Joey, but she was so scared of her dad, and it felt so safe here…

"Serenity, it's almost eleven." Ryou said, gently. "He probably hasn't phoned because it's so late."

"…I guess…"

"You can't walk all that way at this time of night. You can stay here tonight, and we'll phone him first thing." He told her this firmly, with no room for argument, despite his awkwardness at the idea. Joey had told him to look after her, and he would- if she needed him to or not.

"Alright…" She sighed, gratefully. She hadn't really wanted to leave, if she was honest. "Thank you. You're so…kind, Ryou."

He smiled. "You're welcome. It really isn't a problem, I promise."

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Some hours later, the game was nearing it's conclusion. The new expansion pack had brought an entire new dimension to the game, and, Ryou must have felt 'powerful' after all, because he was a lot more ruthless then usual. He set traps every two paces. He had monsters lurking in every crack and crevice. Most of the chests were rigged, and the tasks were hard. He seemed to be getting lucky to, as all his rolls seemed to be a lot closer to critical then usual.

"Man…" Amane moaned, as she rolled to see if her 'Cold Blooded Bullet' would have any effect on the goblins before them. They were close to the final room of the villains' castle, and they still hadn't figured out Nrefder's secret- without it, they surely didn't have a hope of defeating Pavari. "You're really rubbing salt into every little wound today, aren't you, Ryou?"

"I like it." Jason said immediately. "I like a challenge. It's nice to see Ryou not holding back for once."

"Yeah, but he needn't make it impossible…" Penelope argued. "What do you say, Ryou? Could you ease up on the traps a little? I'm tired of stepping on booby trapped tiles in the floor…"

"Sorry." Ryou apologised, rubbing his head. "I don't mean to be too harsh. I… I'm just feeling a little weird."

"You alright?" Amane checked, as Jason took his turn. "You didn't eat too much cake, did you?"

"No, it's just… I-"

"Oh, no…" Jason groaned, pointing to where the dice were lying, showing '99'. "A fumble…" He sighed deeply. "Fine. So, Ryou, what's Nrefder's penalty for a fumble? HP? MP?"

"Let's find out." Ryou replied, ignoring Amane's worried looks and flicking through the instruction manual. It didn't specify, and so, he input the data to the little PDA that came with the game, used for calculating hit points lost or gained, speed, attack strength, and just about anything else that the game needed to function. "Oh…" Ryou frowned at the screen. "That's odd."

"What does it say?" Penelope asked, curious.

"It says that you stay in the game forever." Ryou read out from the text on screen. Then, almost thoughtfully, he added "To stay forever in Monster World, with no escape, and no way back to friends, or family, or life as you know it… Trapped."

"I what?" Jason asked, before suddenly falling over the box they were using as a table, scattering polythene trees in his wake.

"I really don't feel good…" Ryou said. He felt dizzy, and woozy, and somehow as if his brain was being shut down and pulled away from his grasp…

"Ryou!" Amane protested, sounding appalled. Ryou shook his head, trying to clear it, as Penelope leant over a now unconscious Jason, desperately attempting to wake him. "Now's not the time for you to be complaining over a headache!" Amane yelled. "Get mom! Get an ambulance!"

"What about finishing the game?" Ryou asked, still feeling dazed and confused. He felt weird indeed. But, he did want to finish the game so badly…

"Ryou!" Amane screamed, slightly panicked. "Stuff the game! Go and get help!"

Ryou went. They couldn't wake him. The paramedics, on arrival, could neither wake him nor understand why he had collapsed. Ryou continued feeling odd, so he barely noticed the looks Penelope was giving him. He hadn't even cared when Jason had collapsed, he'd wanted to finish the game. And the scariest thing was that he had known it was coming. He'd told Jason in that indifferent tone that he would never speak to anyone again. She didn't know what he'd done, only that he'd done it. She'd seen it with her own eyes. He must have known. He must have done. Otherwise, why would he have come up with all that stuff extra to what was on the screen? Why…?

As the evening passed, Ryou felt more like himself again; but they were both withdrawn, scared, frightened by what had happened, and scared by the fact that they didn't understand what had caused it. As the days passed, they became convinced that it was a freak accident. They had to convince themselves of that a lot as time went on. Penelope couldn't stand to be in the same room as Ryou, needing someone to blame, and, seeing him so unhappy and withdrawn, their mom decided to move- making a fresh start. Ryou forgot to pack Monster World, but brought a new one. One that was not tarnished by the memories of his best friend collapsing over it.

In their new home, the same thing happened again. And in the next, and the next, and the next. Each time, Ryou convinced himself that it was just a coincidence, was so desperate to make friends, and only knew one way to do it- Monster World brought him closer to people as they went on adventures together. But, following his thirteenth birthday, he started to have real-life adventures himself- He found that the air, the wind around him would listen to him, would do as he said, would help him. And so, looking for people to accept him, not thinking of him as a freak who sent people to hospital, Ryou, with the help of Amane, adopted a hero persona- quickly being dubbed by the English media as 'Faceless'. He saved a lot of people.

But he couldn't save his family.

When he came to Japan, with nothing- no family, no home, and no possessions- it was time for another fresh start. He'd vowed it to be his last one. His past was buried and dormant, and so were his powers. He had other things- the Ring- to concentrate on. Yugi and the others defeated Monster World, everyone woke up. The Ring was now buried in the desert sand of Egypt. And so, Ryou had thought that all links to his past were now gone.

Then Penelope had arrived. He had come full circle. And she still hated him. He just couldn't understand it. Hadn't Jason woken up after the Pharaoh had won Monster World, like all the others? But, if he had, then… where was he?

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

She may have been sleeping on a sofa, as that was the easiest to organise, but she felt so comfortable, and so warm, huddled up under a spare blanket he'd pulled from the linen closet in the bathroom. It smelt vaguely like lemons, and despite the trials of the day, and the worries about her brother, and the fact she was sleeping on someone else's sofa in someone else's clothes, she slipped easily into sleep. She was warm, hot even, but not uncomfortably so, and would not have woken at all had it not been for a cool, cold draught that began to blow across in the early hours of the morning. The door in the kitchen had been left slightly open, and through it, she could see the door on the opposite side of the hallway was open to. To her surprise, it opened onto a set of stairs, and, out of curiosity, she got her sleepy body out of bed and went to investigate.

Sometime before, Ryou had also been sleeping, but his had been, as always, troubled. He had dreamt that they were all in the Alice in Wonderland book, but instead of Duke being the Cheshire Cat, it had been the spirit of the Ring, and even as Ryou ran from him, he was always just behind, as Wonderland burnt around them. As they ran, Ryou became more and more like a rabbit, and the Yami-Cat had changed into a fox, bearing down on him, ready to-

Thankfully, at that point, he had woken up. He'd been half way through stripping the sheets as always, knowing they were drenched with sweat, before remembering that Serenity was there, and he didn't really want her to know about his problem. He'd left the sheets half-off the bed, and then poked his head around the kitchen door. She was probably worried about Joey, so it was quite possible she'd be awake, but when he looked, she was soundly asleep. If only he could sleep so easily… He had left, softly pulling the door to behind him, but not wanting to shut it lest the click woke her. He didn't know how heavy or light a sleeper she was, after all. Then, he opened the door opposite, the air immediately colder. He'd climbed the stairs, up onto the roof, as always, unaware of the fact he'd left the doors open, that the wind would blow into the flat and open them all, and tickle her face till she awoke. As such, he was quite surprised when she appeared behind him, rising up from the stairs.

"Ryou…?" She said, quietly. She didn't want to startle him, as he was sitting sideways on top of the wall that ran around the edge of the roof, his knees pulled up near his chest, his arms on top of them, and his head piled on after them, looking out over the Domino skyline that rose most magnificently around them.

"Serenity? Did I wake you?" He asked, in surprise. "I'm sorry…"

Serenity didn't answer, coming to stand next to him. "I didn't know you had roof access." She commented. "It's beautiful up here…" Below, she could see the whole city, from her own tower block to both schools, to the city centre, off in the distance with fountains, museums, shops, libraries; the downtown with people only now spilling out of clubs. She could see a playing field and a park, and between it all, roads and the railway and the canal ran amok. "You're in a really good position. You can see a huge amount…"

"Yes." Ryou agreed. "That's why I chose this place."

"It's peaceful up here." Serenity agreed, feeling the cold wind caress and nibble at her skin. It was cold. "Still, two in the morning… What's wrong? Couldn't you sleep?"

Ryou didn't answer her question, instead making a reply with the words: "I'm sorry I woke you. You should go and try to get some more sleep- after all, we do have school later…"

Serenity, sensing that he was uncomfortable, decided to let the matter rest, and left him to it. It took her a lot longer to get to sleep this time. She was beginning to realise that there was a lot more to Ryou then his carefree exterior let on. She only wished he would share it.

Up on the roof, the wind ruffled through Ryou's hair and around his face. It whispered as it whistled around him, of places it had seen, and of places it would go; and wanting him to go with it… Ryou shook his head, trying to clear both the silly personification and the idea. He wasn't a hero. He'd tried to be, once upon a time, but he'd failed- it had only ended with a lot of people hating him, and, more importantly, his family being dead. He did more damage then good.

And yet…

And yet. He thought back to Serenity's words. Was he really doing them an injustice, by giving up his powers? They were part of who he was, however much he tried to get rid of them. And Amane… She had always encouraged him, told him it was his duty, helped him as much as she could. She wouldn't have wanted him to stop. Ryou knew that. He'd probably known that all along. But he'd just ignored it, because he was so scared. Scared that someone else would be hurt, killed, because of what he'd done. Scared of what he'd do. Scared of what he wouldn't.

But that wasn't really an excuse. If he could help, then he should. The problem was, it was so much easier said then done…

The answer presented itself in the form of the same guy from earlier. Ryou only just saw him, skulking in an alleyway a few streets away. Considering the time, he really was just out for trouble… He stood not far from a night club, which had just disgorged a lot of quite young, quite drunk, people. All holding purses or wallets or handbags. The guy made his move.

And Ryou knew it was time to make his.

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Faceless walked easily through the air as it cushioned up and supported his weight. He stepped briskly, hoping he wouldn't be seen- although the mask would be enough to avoid him being recognised. For once, behind that mask, he was smiling. Being a superhero, he discovered, was scary- but people loved him, needed him, and he could not let them down. It was also a way to repay his debt. Repay society for the curse he seemed to bring on people…

He shook his head, determined not to think about the mysterious collapses anymore. Today, someone had got their just reward, the final member of a gang that had been giving the police some trouble. They'd been looking for him for months. Once he got home, he could tell Amane-

By now, he had reached the building opposite his house, and he didn't even need to look to see that's where the smoke was coming from. There were crowds of people, fire engines, paramedics, gathering round the smouldering remains of his house, the final persistent flames being stamped out by some fire fighters. Several more were gathered around what looked like it used to be the stairs he climbed up and down everyday. They removed a banister, and pulled. Slowly, a charred, black, red-raw object became visible; and then the rest of her. She was placed on a stretcher, and covered in a sheet. They didn't bother taking her to an ambulance just yet. Just put her out of the way and carried on with their more important work- finding if anyone else was in there.

"Mom…" He whispered, his mouth dry. He did not grieve yet. He just sat down, very heavily. He pulled the mask off, no longer Faceless, the hero, but Ryou Bakura, the boy who had just seen his mother's body lifted out of the wreckage of his life. Ryou Bakura, who had been off playing at hero instead of at home, where he could have been of help. And Ryou Bakura, who now had not another soul in the world.

"It was just the three of them." A loud-voiced neighbour was telling the emergency services. "Her, and the two twins. I think he may have been out, though…"

Ryou did not hear the reply, suddenly vomiting horribly. He still hadn't been noticed, but his position would not go unchecked for long. He had to get out of here. He heard shouts. They'd found Amane in the rubble now. He stood, shakily, threw the mask down, jumped, and ran. He couldn't see her as he had seen his mom. He just couldn't. He ran, and ran, and ran, because he had just realised that there was one other person who may or may not be alive. There may be one person who was still with him. His father. He had to find his father. He would find his father, and he would forget his powers- he would be with what remained of his family from now on. He could bet that the attack was on him, not on them. So he would stop.

But he wouldn't stop running. He couldn't stop now. He had gone too far, too fast, to stop.

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The first thing he needed was something to cover his face. On one of the balconies lower down on the opposite building, someone had forgotten to take their washing in, and a jumper was hung over the railing, slowly drying out in the wind. That was all he needed. He remembered what this punk had tried to do to Serenity. He thought that he was about to try and do it to someone else. Swallowing hard, he looked again. Back in the day, he would have made jumps like that without thinking. He was suddenly frightened- what if he'd forgotten how?

"Well, there's only one way to find out." He muttered grimly to himself, stepping backwards. He then ran headlong across the roof, pressing down and making hard contact with the wall, using it to sling himself over. He fell, and for a moment, the fear overcame him, but then he came back to his senses, and his movement slowed slightly; no longer a tumbling plummet, but a controlled fall, as the air rippled and moved around him, becoming thicker so it was harder to penetrate. Ryou allowed himself a small smile. He still had it. Then, he landed on the balcony without a sound.

He paused momentarily, looking at the red woollen thing he was 'borrowing', wondering just how to use it, and then pulled it partly over his head, so that his face was covered, and all that could be seen through the head hole was a circle of white hair, the rest tucked inside the jumper or his shirt. Blindly, he tied the sleeves behind his head, out of the way, before scrabbling hastily, desperately, at the threads in front of his eyes until he could see. He was certain he looked a total and utter fool, but he no longer cared- his heart pounded in exhilaration, glad that they were back to doing what they were born to do, that his head had so long delayed.

There was that personification again. Kinda.

Wasting no more time, Ryou leapt into the air, pulling it up beneath him and using it almost as a trampoline, bouncing from each invisible platform he made to another, high and fast. He could have simply had it push him up and flown, but that was a lot harder, and he didn't want to run before he could walk. He caught sight of his culprit about a street away from where he'd first been spotted, stalking a woman who had separated from the others. A bad choice. Even from here, Ryou could see she was stone-cold sober. As a result, she was more alert.

Ryou began running through the air, each time he put his foot down bringing the air beneath it temporarily together to keep him up. It was an exalted feeling. It felt right, and natural, like a well-worn shoe. He'd felt it a little when he'd saved the girl that had fallen off the bridge, but had pushed it away. Now, he embraced the feeling. He wasn't nearly as scared now as he had been before hand. But he could think it all through later. Right now, he had to focus on the task at hand.

The man had approached the woman, and now grabbed out for her. She had been expecting him, however, and, screaming, spun round and hit him full on in the face with her handbag. Swearing, he staggered away, but enraged now, came back. Ryou landed silently on the roof behind him, watching. It seemed quite possible the woman would not need his help at all, as he ran at her again, intending to grab her bag, but she evaded him easily and kicked him harshly where he really did not want to be kicked. He, however, straightened up, smiling. And he pulled out a knife.

Now it most defiantly was time to intervene.

Ryou sprang down, using the air to force him more forward, landing for the second time that day on the man's back. This time, however, he jumped off again before he had even fallen over, and unceremoniously grabbed the woman. He used the air as a trampoline again, depositing her on a nearby balcony, out of harm's way.

"Excuse me." He murmured, remembering to disguise his voice behind a false accent, and then jumped back down to face his foe.

"W-who's there…?" He stammered, proving once again that he was a coward. Ryou stayed hidden in the shadows, surprised the red of the jumper didn't reveal him immediately. "I…I have a knife…"

Ryou rolled his eyes, and called the air from behind the man to gather itself into a concentrated gust, which sharply and accurately hit the knife, sending it spinning out of his hand- and safely into Ryou's, who stepped forward to catch it.

"I'm afraid you're mistaken." He said, quietly. "I'm the one with the knife."

Just as expected, the man ran away. Ryou took to the air again, silently following him, but it seemed he was done making trouble for the night, returning home. It was about time Ryou did the same. And so, he did, returning the jumper on his way. Numbly, he returned to bed as if nothing had happened. He felt so excited, so amazed at what he'd done, he was certain he would not sleep. But he did, more soundly, more deeply, and more well then he had done for a long time.

He was back.

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Serenity awoke early the next morning, feeling well-rested in spite of her disturbed night. There was no sign of Ryou, but whether that meant he was still asleep or not remained to be seen. She padded across the room, through the kitchen, and peered round at the door to his room. It was slightly ajar, as though he had stumbled into it half-asleep, but it was still occupied- she could see a rough lump in the bed. Not knowing how long he had stayed up last night, she decided to leave him to sleep, rescuing her slightly crumpled uniform from the dryer and heading into the bathroom. She couldn't really do much about her hair yet, but at least she could be dressed and in her own clothes. Once she was showered and dressed, she retrieved her blazer, which was now dry- but even on the black, it was clear to see the dirt and grime. She grimaced and put it back. It was lucky she had a spare- but it became clearer then ever she desperately needed to go back to her own flat before school. She wanted to brush her teeth and hair, change her underwear, use some deodorant, get her blazer and books…

Ryou still hadn't appeared. Perhaps he was feeling ill, and that was why he had been up all night. She formed a plan of action, deciding she would hang around for a little longer, as it was still too early for Joey to be up and moving and she didn't want another encounter with her dad, and then she would head back; leaving Ryou to sleep as much as he needed to.

Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way. Unaware of how temperamental Ryou's toaster was, she innocently put some bread in it for breakfast. Within a minute, smoke was pouring out of it, and, even as she turned off at the wall, the smoke alarm began to shriek it's warning. Ryou burst in, looking haggard and half-asleep, his hair sticking out at even odder angles then it usually did.

"What's happening!" He demanded, before working it out on his own and wafting a tea towel in the vicinity of the alarm to get it to shut up. He then surveyed Serenity, he looked sheepishly back at him. Finally, the sprinkler system installed in the ceiling decided to come on, raining down on them both. They watched each other, water streaming down their faces, and soaking them yet again.

"…Good morning." Ryou said, eventually.

"Morning."

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It was complete chance that carried Abaca past the television set at precisely the right time.

As always, Midha was parked on the sofa, watching repeats of the old duelling tournaments. Judging by the elaborate settings around them, it was a castle, meaning it was the end of the Duellist Kingdom tournament. Abaca had no more then a passing interest- card games weren't really her thing- but in a house that contained Midha even she knew most of the big names and contests.

"Who's playing?" She asked, moving past to go through to the kitchen.

"Finals." Midha grunted. "Yugi Motto and Joey Wheeler." She then progressed into a rant about how Pegasus had refused to let anyone film the duel between him and Yugi, thusly spewing many theories about what had gone on behind those closed doors. Over the grumbling, Abaca barely heard it.

"The stakes are high," A voice, quiet, background noise, was saying. "But hopefully, when it's all been said and done…"

She gripped the back of the settee as a shot of the speaker was shown. It was taken from across the arena where the duel was in full swing, but, over the top of the Celtic Guardian, you could see a shock of white hair.

"Midha…" She said, quietly, trying to control herself. "Who's that, at the back? With the white hair?"

"That?" Midha answered, not looking at her, not seeing her skin go pale. "That's Ryou Bakura. Finalist at Battle City. Hasn't done much else, though."

"Ryou Bakura. I don't believe it. Ryou Bakura…" Abaca repeated quietly to herself, whispering the name. "And you didn't connect him with Professor Bakura? The one I've been searching for since I got here? It never crossed your mind to tell me!"

"You never said you were looking for a Ryou to." Midha pointed out.

"Of course I-!" Abaca began, then took a few deep breaths. "How old is this?"

"A few years." Midha shrugged.

"Then he'll still be in Japan." Abaca murmured to herself.

"Domino City, if he hangs round with Motto." Midha told her, trying to redeem herself. Abaca was the only one who never made her get off the settee.

"In that case," Abaca answered, steely, "I'm going to Japan."

"And I'm coming to!" Midha said, cheerily. "I always wanted to go and find some prominent duellists to challenge…"

Abaca nodded, leaving the room. She hadn't even begun to think of the technicalities of how she'd get all the way to Japan. She was shell shocked. It was Ryou. He wasn't dead. He was alive, and well. Unfortunately, he was on the other side of the world. But that wouldn't stop her. Nothing would. If she couldn't find the father, she'd have to find the son.

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I love comic books. Superheroes in particular. You could say it gives me something to aspire, I guess. Usually, they're just a normal person, and then something happens to them that makes them 'Super'. I am not like that. I was always this way- so I suppose my favourites should be the X-men. I do like Wolverine. He's so cool. Still, one thing I don't like so much is the 'Self-made' heroes- Batman, namely. Lots of people like him because he is just a normal guy that has made something more of himself. Maybe I'm not so keen because I can't relate to, I don't know. But my favourite has to be Spiderman. I really do relate to him, that's for sure. I know what it's like, Peter Parker. I do. Everyone got really annoyed at him, particularly in the second film, when he decided to give up being a hero, so the ones close to him wouldn't get hurt. But I understood. I did the same thing. I should have accepted the inevitability that I, just like him, would end up right back where I started.

He eventually tells his Aunt May and Mary-Jane who he is. I can't do that. Amane knew, but Amane died, and I thought 'Faceless' died with her. But she isn't totally gone, because she's inside me; and so he's inside me to. And now he's back. Still, Faceless was just what the papers called me… I wonder what the Japanese will come up with. Something much cooler, I bet.

I'm excited. Scared, but excited. And I've realised that my family is now gone- what is there left to endanger? I love this place. I love my life here. And so, just as I did then, I have something to protect.

I will protect it. There's no way I'm going to lose everything again. I may not be 'Super', and I don't consider myself a 'hero'; but I am Ryou Bakura, and I do have some unusual skills, and I will use them. That was a promise I made to Amane many years ago. It's about time I stopped breaking it.

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A/N: So, there we go. Was ANYONE surprised by the Jason thing? Oh, that reminds me- I decided to, as you've seen by now, make Ryou and Amane twins. Why? Well, I'd seen fics when she was older, fics when she was younger, but I'd never seen her as a twin. So I thought I could try. Because it's fun to try new things! Whee…