A/N: Here's another update. Just letting you all know that I've been given an extremely important SAT task to do for one of my classes so I may not get the chapters up as quickly. I will try my hardest, but by the holidays I should have plently of free time. Also something you should know is that this is a mix of The Mummy and The Mummy Returns so it won't be exactly the same storyline as I want it to sort of be my own creation of sorts.
Hikari Marik= Marik
Yami Marik= Malik
Disclaimer ownership to Kazuki Takahashi and Stephan Sommers
The Thief
It was a pleasant day in Cairo. The birds were singing, the sun was shining and the yells from the inmates were ever surprisingly colourful. You see, the place we've come to on our story is one of rotten bars and swearing men. If you guessed a prison, your spot on. Marik and Malik were currently making their way in through the entrance that lead to a courtyard where the prisoners were held behind bared walls. Marik wasn't happy as he just found out his brother had lied to him about where he'd found the key.
"You told me you found it on a dig in Cairo." Marik hissed at his brother who was currently whistling to himself. Malik turned to look the angry man in the eyes.
"I was mistaken." He replied casually, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Marik seethed.
"You friggen lied to me!" he spat, Malik was still unfazed.
"I lie to everyone, what makes you think you're so special?" he questioned. Marik looked dejected for a moment, then looked up at Malik with big eyes.
"Because I'm your brother?" he replied, sulking. Malik grinned.
"That just makes you more gullible." Marik glared again.
"You stole it from a drunk at a local bar!" Malik just looked smug.
"Picked his pocket actually."
A warden was leading them to where the person they needed to see was held. In front of one of the bared walls was a young white-haired man that seemed to be begging one of the guards for something, or in this case, someone.
"Please can I see him, for just five bloody minutes? It's all I need, please!" he had a soft British accented voice and he had his hands clasped together in a pleading manner. What Marik didn't establish was the man they were trying to find was also the man the white-haired wanted to see. Marik turned to the warden escorting them.
"What is he in prison for anyway?" The warden just shook his head.
"I didn't know, but when I heard he was getting visitors I asked him that myself." Marik was intrigued by this.
"What did he say?" The warden chuckled to himself.
"He said, he was just looking for a good time." Marik was about to ask further when the door on the other side of the bars sprung open. The man in question was in chains and was being lead by four guards. His extremely dirty white hair was almost in a mattered state and he looked like he hadn't showered or shaved in a month.
The cleaner white-haired man, sprung into action immediately. He bolted over to the chained man with a very wide grin on his face.
"Oh thank goodness your alright Bakura, I was worried sick!" his soft voice thick with worry. Bakura just looked at him with a tired look.
"Ryou, I'm not a baby anymore and I certainly don't need my brother playing the worried parent over me." He rolled his eyes while trying to get a more comfortable position with his tied up hands. Ryou perked up at that statement, seeming to grin evilly at his brother.
"Oh and speaking of worried parents I let mother know what you were up to as well." He smiled, knowing what his brothers reaction was going to be. Bakura blanched for a moment and then let a scowl form on his lips.
"You did what? God, do you know how much trouble I'm already in with her? When she finds out about this shit I'll be in a lot more trouble than I am now." He glared at his happy-go-lucky brother for a moment before he was interrupted by a soft coughing sound.
Malik had no idea what had just transpired amongst the two supposed brothers, but he was slowly growing impatient. Once he had both albinos' eyes on him he smiled.
"Sorry to interrupt…..whatever the hell that was, but I, we, kinda need your help…"
Bakura took in both of the Ishtars appearance, stopping on Marik for a bit, considering whether he was a boy or a girl. When he noticed the broad shoulders he smirked, definitely a male. Turning back to Malik he grinned.
"Whose the tart?" he asked, gesturing with his head towards Marik. Said man was outraged.
"Tart?" he glared at Bakura who chuckled darkly. Malik, trying to get the attention off a now seething Marik coughed awkwardly.
"That's my brother actually." Bakura shrugged.
"Yeah? Well,…I'm sure he's not a total loss." He grinned again when Marik glared. Ryou was watching the exchange with a blank face, hiding his surprise at the younger tanned male's confidence. The warden near Bakura's bars signalled for everyone's attention.
"I'll be back in a moment." And he was gone. Bakura gave a wry smile.
"I tremble with anticipation" he said sarcastically. A guard then reached over to thump Bakuras face into the metal bars and his head bounced right off it. Ryou gasped, obviously worried about his brother, but it seemed Bakura was in no pain and merely glared at the offending guard. Marik, wanting to finally progress into details, moved closer to the tied up man. He gave an awkward tug of his hair.
"We eh….found your puzzle box, and we've come to ask you about it." Bakura gave him a blank look.
"No" he said finally. Marik looked confused.
"No?" he asked. Bakura, still with a blank look on his face, huffed.
"No…..you came to ask me about Kul Elna."
Marik and Malik looked around, hoping no one heard him as Bakura gave his brother an exasperated look, Ryou just shrugged. Both tanned males stepped closer to the bars and Marik decided to act coy.
"How do you know the box pertains to Kul Elna?" Bakura gave him a dry look.
"Because that's where I found it, I was there." As if an informal 'duh' should have been added. Marik looked surprised, but Malik looks suspicious. Glaring at the tied up man he huffed.
"How do we know this guy isn't feeding us a load of crap?" he asked. Bakura took a long look at Malik, seeming to recognise him from somewhere.
"Hey,….do I know you?" he asked lengthy. Malik looked guilty as he tried to come up with a reply.
"Uh…well, you see I happen to have one of those faces…." Bakura interrupted his answer with a swift punch to Malik's face, earning him another beating across the head.
"Bakura!" Ryou scolded and went to help Malik up while tending to whatever injury he had received. Bakura growled at the man now nursing his sore eye.
"He bloody well deserved it, he stole my key." Marik looked toward his beaten brother, then calmly stepped around him while looking at Bakura.
"You've actually been to Kul Elna?" he asked, getting Bakura's attention. The dirty male looked confused.
"I just decked your brother." Marik merely shrugged.
"Yes, well….I know my brother." Bakura almost smirked, the boy has spunk.
"Yes, I've been there." Marik, still not entirely convinced, gave the weird man a long look.
"You swear?" Bakura gave him a hard look.
"Every damned day." Marik thought he was confused with his question.
"No, I mean-"
"I know what you mean. I was there alright. Seti's place. The city of the dead." Marik grinned excitedly.
"What did you find? What did you see?" Bakura tilted his head to the side in a tired manner.
"Same things you'd expect from a city of the dead. I found sand. I saw death." The warden came back to stand behind them once more and Marik moved even closer to Bakura.
"Could you tell me how to get there? The exact location?" Bakura heaved an exasperated sigh.
"You really want to know?" Marik nodded his head feverishly.
"Yes." Bakura then yanked Marik towards him by the scruff of his neck.
"Then get me the hell out of here!" He was then whacked once again by the guard and before he could react, was dragged back out the door by all four guards. Ryou stood up in a panic.
"Where are they taking him?" he asked desperately. The warden gave him a blank look.
"To be hanged." All three individuals looked shocked and Ryou let out a strangled whimper for his brother. The warden then smiled, showing them his green teeth.
"Apparently he had a very good time." The warden then walked away, presumably to watch the so called "hanging". Ryou turned to the Ishtar brothers with a panic-stricken face.
"Ok, I don't know who you two are, but I really need your help freeing my brother." Marik and Malik glanced at each other in a silent agreement, they needed Bakura so they had to help in anyway they can. Marik nodded his head at Ryou.
"Yeah, we'll help, but how are we gonna free him?" Ryou looked enthralled.
"Oh, thank-you! I think I may have an idea, but I'm gonna need a distraction…." He eyed the taller males thoughtfully, but stopped when he realised he'd forgotten something. Blushing profusely he stuck one of his pale hands out to them while scratching his head with the other.
"I apologize, I haven't even introduced myself and I'm already asking you for something. My name is Ryou, Ryou Touzoku, and the wanker we're about to try and free is my twin, Bakura." Malik was the first to shake the blushing mans hand.
"Malik Ishtar and the supposed 'tart' your brother was referring to is Marik, my baby brother." Marik scowled at his brother.
"I am not that freaking younger than you!" He shook Ryou's hand.
"Yes, I'm Marik." Ryou smiled, glad that the two Egyptians were now aware of whom they were talking to.
"Nice to meet you and I'm sorry, but we're going to have to save the 'getting to know you' part until later. We have to save my pig-head of a brother first."
Hundreds of filthy prisoners stared down into the gallows as the hangman's noose was draped over Bakura's head and cinched tight around his neck. Marik was following the warden into the sitting area above. The warden turned to look at him.
"No kids allowed." Marik look. at him, appalled.
"I'll have you know, I am a respectful young adult, thank-you very much." The warden gave Marik a confused look then turned back to the seat to sit down. Bakura looked up at the two men as Marik took the seat beside the warden.
"I will give you one hundred dollars to let him go." Marik stated. It didn't seem to impress the smelly man beside him though.
"I would pay one hundred bucks just to see him hang." Marik panicked.
"Two hundred dollars!" The warden looked tired.
"Proceed!"
"Three hundred dollars!" Marik shouted, hoping it would work.
Meanwhile, Bakura could hear every word been spoken and looked up hopefully. He didn't spend most of his life researching and developing skills to end up at the end of a rope. Nothing else could be heard except for the two talking, or in this case, shouting. The hangman turned to Bakura.
"Any last words rat?" he hissed. Bakura smirked.
"Oh, sure. I'd like for you to be a delightful little servant and let me go." The hangman ignored him and grabbed the lever to the trapdoor.
"FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS!" Marik shoutd, no dice from the warden though as he gestured for the hangman to pull the lever. The lever is pulled and the trapdoor fell open with a bang, but it's a second bang that drewthe whole attention of the crowd to the wooden pole holding the tied rope.
A small dagger seemed to have been embedded into the wood, cutting the rope off the plank in the process. While the attention was off him, Bakura scurried through the crowd with the rope still around his neck to an open door. For an outsider it would look like Bakura had 'magically' disappeared.
About ten minutes later, the group of young men were stationed in the Ishtar's automobile. Bakura with his now free hands and neck looked grimly at Marik who was sitting across from him.
"Ok, so I guess I owe you for saving my life." Marik looked up from his view outside the vehicle to look at the dirty man hopefully.
"Does this mean you've decided to help us?" Malik, who is currently sitting next to his brother across from Ryou, looked confused though.
"Wait, Marik didn't- OUCH!" he was interrupted with a swift kick to the leg by Ryou. He turned to glare at the offending man, but Ryou was gesturing for him to 'shut his trap'. Bakura, confused by the two's weird actions, sighed.
"Fine, I'll help you. But you have to do exactly as I say once we're there. There's no telling how dangerous it could get." Marik was confused by the statement.
"Why would it be dangerous? It's just a bunch of ruined buildings isn't it?" Bakura gave him a wry grin.
"Oh, you'll see." And left it at that. The rest of the trip to a nearby motel was in silence, as all four men were contemplating their next course of action.
Once they arrived and hopped out of the car, Malik took Ryou aside. "Why didn't you let me tell him it wasn't Marik who saved him?"
Flashback
While Marik ran off to talk the warden out of hanging his brother, Ryou pulled out a small carving knife from his pocket.
"What's that for?" A voice asked from next to him. Ryou jumped with fright, but looked to his left to see the wild-haired Ishtar and sighed with relief.
"Oh, Malik, it's just you. I thought you may have been a guard." Malik shook his head with a small smile on his face at the man's reaction.
"Naw, I'd never be a guard, too much work and if all the prisoners are like your brother then I'd have a permanent black eye." Ryou chuckled at this, but looked towards Maliks muscles and gulped.
"Hah, I'm pretty sure you'd manage fine." Malik let out a bark of laughter.
"I guess your right, but that still doesn't explain the reason why you're holding a knife." He crossed his arms and gestured towards the dagger the pale man was holding with a raised eye-brow. Ryou looked sheepishly at this.
"Well, you see, I erm…." Malik was still waiting, but Ryou was looking off to the side, obviously listening to something. Malik sighed.
"Ryou-"
"Shhhh!" Ryou shushed, him, gesturing for him to follow him towards the stands. Malik complied and they both made their way to the top of the steps.
"Three hundred dollars!" Marik shouted at the warden. Malik face-palmed himself, "What is that idiot doing with our money?" But Ryou was too preoccupied with the tied up man to notice.
"FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS!" Marik shouted, but the warden didn't listen, gesturing for the hangman to pull the lever. Ryou gasped, gripping the knife tighter. As the lever was pulled, he forced his arm backwards and, just as Bakura was about to fall to his untimely death, he flung the knife towards the pole holding the rope. It made its mark perfectly and Ryou smiled to himself. He turned around to find a shocked Malik with his mouth hanging wide open. Ryou blushed.
"What? I couldn't very well let my brother die now could I?" He then turned to go meet Marik and an escaping Bakura outside, a still shocked Malik following right behind him.
End Flashback
Ryou crossed his hands and looked off to where Marik and Bakura were heading inside and sighed to himself.
"Listen, Bakura's always had problems before. He's never thought to put others before himself either. This is why I think he should go on this 'so called' adventure with you. It'll improve his character and hopefully put an end to his rebellious lifestyle. Goodness knows our parents would want that." He looked towards Malik with a small smile on his face.
"Just don't tell him I did it alright?" Malik heaved a dramatic sigh, crossed his arms and leaned against the car door.
"I suppose I could spare him that little detail." Ryou grinned.
"Thank-you, it's all I could ask of you." Malik shrugged.
"I'm just in this for the treasure anyway. By the way…Where in the world did you learn to throw knives like that?" Ryou chuckled.
"Oh, I just sort of, picked it up I guess…" and then raced into the motel, leaving Malik standing by himself outside. The wild-haired blonde shook his head.
"What the hell is up with these Touzoku brothers, I'll never know…"
A/N: If you all must know, Ryou will most likely fill the role of Alex in the second movie as I think he'll suit the character perfectly. I've also decided to give him a bit more strength, but he is still the same Ryou at heart. Hope you enjoyed! R&R Please!