Crimson Ties in Lullabies

by Ferris Ulf

Sequel:Not all of Apophis is gone,forcing Ryou and his friends to flee.Accompanied by a reluctant Minkah,they find there are things about the Egyptian that will decide who he protects and who he kills...But do all the assassins truly have the same goals?

14. Chapter 14: Guardian

Sheesh. That took longer than I expected. My sister's graduating from high school, my dad's birthday, the NBA (Go Denver and Orlando!), we had to open our cottage after the winter, and: THE SNAKE FINALLY ATE!!! Everybody Celebrate! XDXDXD

nayades18: Yesss! Within Temptation is uber awesome! I'm going to be using a Lot of their songs...like at the beginning of this chapter! And I did say that not all the relationships are permanent. That holds. Oh, but which ones? The excitement! I'm glad you still love Afika. I luffs him a lot. He's very complicated. There's a little foreshadowing with him if you look for it in his POV.

Chrys: Ah! A new one! -tackles- Hi there! "You can't leave us hanging there" -grins- Oh, but I can! Having read this story so far you should know that! XD I love giving cliffies! One of your favorite stories? Whoot! I'm glad you are enjoying the scenes between Ryou and Minkah (bakura). There are more to come.

dragonlady222: Ain't Grandpa a saint? He decided he wanted to adopt them. I hadn't planned for him to even think of such until much later. Go grandpa! Ryou has a lot to come to terms with (hell, they all do) but he's a bit preoccupied with helping his brother heal. Aww! Sibling love!

Peepz: Hope you're doing better! Hospitals are icky. I've been in them far too often lately. -glowers- The poking and prodding is never-ending. And I take lithium as a mood stabilizer so I have to have routine blood tests. I hates needles! (Yami: Ahem. ferris, the story...) Oh! Think Niu will be a good guy? (Malik: He can die.) Uhh...did I need your permission for that? (Malik: -shrugs-) "Do you like killing people off? I think you do." -grins- And you Know it! XD

Detonate: Niu has definitely gotten the sympathy vote from the readers. (Niu: With good reason!) (Minkah/Bakura: Impossible! I'm the one who always gets the sympathy vote!) You say that like it's something to be happy about. (Minkah/Bakura: Oh...uhh...nevermind.) -snort- "In the beginning I really liked Afika, but now I'm not so sure." Excellent. That's my aim. It's funny, after you said that you went on to state you like how I make Minkah more human. I'm going to be twisting that whole idea into the Apophis survivors too. Kek and Severa shall be my greatest challenges. Wish me luck!

Fallin-Alone-Scared-Lost: Yes, Minkah has chosen Ryou! Finally something is looking a bit more...hopeful? Glad you enjoyed the chappie.

XxYourXxDisasterXx: "I CALLED IT I CALLED IT! I FIGURED OUT A PLOT TWIST ALL ON MY OWN!! IM SO PROUD! ^.^" lol I'm glad you called it. I think you were the only one. Correct, Niu is no pushover. You'll see that in this chapter. "I'm sure not even AFIKA can dodge a bullet from close up. (AFIKA: Yes I could! Im the all powerfull Master of the Universe!) Oh shut up and go to your hole." -snort- (Afika: No! Not the hole!) Here honey -hands him a bag of marbles- Go chuck those at the rabbits that have been eating the flowers on my rat's grave. (Afika: Woohoo! -races off-) -reads the rest of your review- O.O wow. You really have plotted out his death, haven't you? -smirks- Shall I take it your not a big fan of his?

x-hellfire-x: Oh, do we have the beginning of a Severa fan? Possibly? Well, it's hard to tell as you don't know much about her yet. She and Kek have been in the background quite a bit. I'm glad you like the past scenes of Afika and Minkah. I was also very pleased the car crash scheme surprised you. I like to write so some things are obvious, but I like to have plot twists that aren't figured out beforehand. Does someone--besides Ryou and Minkah and myself--have a crush on Afika? "for me niu going against Afika was the highlight of the chapter, you brave soul you" Well then you're gonna Love this chapter!

snagglepus: "OH FANTASTIC HE'S BACK AND HES GOT A SWEET TOOTH FOR REVENGE." -grins- Indeed he is. I don't think there's a single reader out there that dislikes Niu. Afika is another story...I'm glad you liked the interactions between Ryou and Minkah. They're finally figuring things out! Yay! "tension is really building i am anticipating the bang" -smirks- There will be many.

cgflower: "that whole confession scene was positively painful! Very depressing. Although it had a large"...WOAH." factor" -smiles in satisfaction- That description is just so Perfect. It encourages me that I'm doing this right. "But now we have to deal with Ryou's feeling for Afika! That... could end in a disaster" Hmm, indeed. Yet we get a look into Ryou's rationality about the whole thing in this chapter which makes it all the more complex. (ryou: oh joy) (Afika: mwahahaaha!) Can't bring yourself to hate Afika too much? -claps hands- Good good! A lot of people want to hate him but just can't manage to completely...while others are plotting out his death. lol Oh and, it's Niu, not Nuri. Yeah. I think Nuri is a name though...-goes off to google it-

Memnoch's Heart: "Tell all your doctors that Kana says hi. Then tell me their reaction. I shall laugh"-grins- I shall! And if you ever see any psychiatrists or counselors tell them Ferris says hi. -cackles- "Flashbacks always make me go 'obabies' for some reason" (Minkah: O.o Can we not have any more flashbacks?) -winces- Well, I really don't like babies...but we do need the flashbacks. (Minkah: dammit!)

Dragon-Tooth: "I'm also starting to like Niu... too bad he's probably going to die" lol Poor guy. (Niu: You know, I don't have to die.) (Malik: Hey, I've tried to talk my way out of this before, man. Trust me, it doesn't work on her.) (Niu: damn) Anywhoosle, I think you shall enjoy this chapter.

Sagira98: Well, Niu hasn't officially joined the gang yet. As you'll see, that's not something he's keen on doing. lol You want Afika to be killed 'cause he's bugging you, eh? "I want to see Severa, Kasiya, and Niu take down Afika. Death to the manipulator!" (Afika: I'm getting more and more of these death threats lately) Does that depress you? (Afika: -grins- Are you kidding? I'm all the rage! Literally!) -.-; that was horrible.

RyouLoverForever: Another new one! -tackles- Hi there! "This is one of the best stories I've read on fanfiction" I'm pleased to hear that. It's very different from my others due to having so many of my own characters. It can be a turn off to people. A lot of you guys have embraced them though, so whoot! Ryou and Minkah's relationship--yes, it shall continue to evolve!

This chapter shall be dedicated to Chrys and RyouLoverForever. I said these next few chapters would focus around the Yugioh characters more...well...something kind of happened and...feh! I'll just explain at the end of the chapter! Enjoy!

"The Last Time"

For so long I've tried,
Could not close my eyes
When you became an outcast in this life.
Again and again I try
To understand the demons inside your head,
But the truth is you love them to death.

Now, I know it's the last time I have tried
To lift you up, to make you fight.
Nothing is ever easy in life.
I can't change it if you don't have the will deep inside.

I have been blind to how you justify
Everything that you've wasted in this life.
Got lost in the illusion
I'd find a solution for the demons in your head,
But the truth is you love them to death.

You can blame and you can hide
Behind what is wrong and what is right.
Life is the choices we make
I hope you'll awake before it's too late.

(within temptation)

Chapter 14: Guardian

(Minkah's POV)

The others behind me inhale sharply. The person standing before us despite my identifying him frightens them. I do not blame them. Never have I witnessed such a fire in Niu's eyes. He's one to stay calm and collected.

"What are you doing here?" I ask loudly over the blistering wind, glancing behind him to make certain he's alone.

"Afika sent me," is the simple answer I'm given.

The scarf covering most of his face muffles his voice. This hides any emotions that might have slipped through, making it all the more challenging to tell what he's feeling about the situation. Trepidation fills my stomach at the sight of the metal case he's holding.

"He said 'Afika'. I heard it!" Honda says hoarsely. "Minkah, is that a bomb?" I don't need to look at him to know he's referring to the case.

"What do you want?" the blonde demands, stepping up beside me. "'Cause I'll have you know the army is keeping tabs on this place!...In fact they're here right now!...Downstairs!"

"Niu's Japanese is limited," I inform him. "Besides, your tone reveals that you're bluffing."

"Let's get something straight before we all freeze," Mr. Mutou says with a shiver. "Are you here to harm or kill us?" he questions in Arabic.

"No."

Niu and the old man stare one another down. While I am curious as to why Afik sent the black teen here instead of coming himself, I have an urge to shove Niu back away from the mansion away from these people I've come to care about. The way he and Mr. Mutou's gaze holds…

"Hurry in then before this blizzard is our deaths," the elderly man beckons. "Boys, stop hiding like that."

I look up to find Ryou, Marik, and Yugi huddled together on the spiral staircase. Wide terrified eyes are fixated upon the stranger in the doorway. I nod to my brother, he and the other two hesitantly descending the stairs to us. I turn back to Niu.

"Come in."

(Yugi's POV)

"Why didn't Afika come himself?" Minkah asks in a somewhat disenchanted voice as Niu removes his scarf and hat, pushing the hood of his thick coat back onto his shoulders and shoving his gloves into his pockets.

All of us are watching the teen that Minkah called the most merciful of his comrades. This assassin is taller than Jounouchi but shorter than Honda. His skin is a dark brown. What draws the most attention to him are his eyes. The irises are so dark that I cannot perceive them from his pupils. It makes them appear like caves that go on with no ending. When he briefly studied us each in turn I felt as though he was dissecting me with those piercing eyes.

"This isn't about me just checking up on you," Niu tells Minkah bluntly, pulling out something that looks like a remote control out of his pocket.

"What's that?" Jou fidgets beside Honda; both of them ready to fight if necessary.

Niu ignores him. "Your companions are suspicious. But I am afraid that is not good enough." He holds up the remote. "You know what this is, don't you?"

"What's he saying? Is that the detonator to the bomb?" Jou points with a shaking finger to the silver case resting against the couch.

Minkah's face has gone pale, never looking away from the device in Niu's hand. Ryou moves closer to his brother despite not being able to understand the black teen's words.

"You've discussed everything with them," Niu scrutinizes disapprovingly as if reading the younger assassin's thoughts. "Before or after you were visited by the soldiers? I know they were in here at least once." Minkah's jaw clenches. This simple act is an answer to Niu. "What have I told you about letting your guard down? Even now they could be coming here!"

"What is this about?" Grandpa interrupts.

"That's for finding bugs," Minkah motions towards the mechanism.

Jou's face scrunches up. "Like cockroaches?"

"Like bugs the army leaves to spy on us!" Honda's voice becomes hushed. "Oh god, we've been talking about basically everything…!"

"Which rooms were they in?" Niu presses Minkah, disregarding us.

"This one…all over this room," Grandpa murmurs apprehensively as he tries to remember. "The garage and the hallway downstairs…"

"They were in one of the bedrooms too," I pipe up, resisting the urge to shrink back when Niu looks at me. Minkah wouldn't know about this, as he was unconscious at the time. "My brother was injured. Two soldiers and a doctor were in there."

"Wait! You mean…" Jou pauses, lowering his voice to a whisper. "They could be listening right now?!"

Niu steps around Minkah, sharp eyes on the device in his hand as he begins to scan the room. Ryou leans against his brother.

"Should we not talk?" I ask quietly.

"At this point it does not matter," Niu mutters slowly in Japanese as he raises his arm, tracing the windows.

Jou gapes at him. "Did…did he just…?"

"I never said he couldn't speak or understand any Japanese," Minkah says, wrapping an arm tentatively around Ryou.

All of us stop talking and Niu doesn't seem interested in conversing with anyone, focused on his task. Maybe we're waiting for a bug to turn up. The conversations held in this room and the bedroom Yami and Malik are resting in…If there are bugs, cameras, or any other way the army could spy on us then they know everything. They know Minkah was an assassin for Apophis. They have heard about the car crash. They'll know we are well aware of all this and have been lying to them. That makes us traitors not only to Japan but to the world as well.

There's sweat forming along my brow and palms as time drags on. The others are in no better shape than I am. Not even Grandpa. He isn't trying to sooth our fears as they are too real. If the army has been listening in on our discussions there will be no way to talk our way out of it this time.

I look at Minkah who is still holding his brother. Grey eyes watch Niu's every movement. He looks like he's holding something back. There's a flicker of antipathy in his eyes. Is he mad at Niu? Maybe at Afika? I heard the disappointment in Minkah's voice when he found out his lover hadn't come here to see him.

"You're certain none of them left your sight while they were here?"

"Yes," Grandpa manages. "There were always several people with them."

Niu is clearly unconvinced as he crosses the room to the couch and chairs. "That doesn't mean they didn't plant anything right under your noses. Yugi said that Yami was injured. You were no doubt preoccupied."

"You know our names?"I ask in astonishment and more than a little unease.

"He wat?!

"Part of my duties is to know as much information as possible regarding targets," Niu answers blandly, pulling up the cushions of a chair for a more thorough search.

I shut my mouth, heart pounding against my ribcage. We're targets. Of course, we already knew that. It's just…to hear him say it makes it all the more real.

"If we're targets then why are you doing this?" I ask to which Grandpa shakes his head at me, telling me to stop inquiring.

Niu doesn't look up though I see him tense. "Because Afika ordered it."

The spite in his tone is unmistakable. Marik, who has stayed mute this entire time, speaks.

"You aren't on good terms with him."

Niu snorts, moving to the fireplace. "Whether I am or not, the army having this information doesn't bode well for any of us. Making certain they don't is in everyone's best interest, wouldn't you agree?"

"Did something happen with Afik?" Minkah asks, worried for his boyfriend.

Everyone save Minkah is intimidated when Niu whips around, a flash of rage quickly dissipating. "He is alive and as pompous as ever. I strongly advise you to shut up about him," he growls, patience waning thin.

Minkah's eyes are wide, evidently not accustomed to the black teen acting this way. "What happened?"

It's amazing and creepy how there isn't a trace of the fury only seconds ago. Niu has gone back to his assignment in a poised manner as if nothing had happened.

"This is my last mission for him—for the group," he replies soullessly.

This is unexpected. While Jou, Honda, and Ryou can see from our faces that something is terribly wrong, they comprehend that we will fill them in later. Minkah's standing stiffly, baffled and startled by his comrade's announcement.

"Your last mission?" he repeats in disbelief.

"Hn." Niu doesn't spare him a glance. "Now if you will stop throwing bothersome questions, I can finish it." Staring at the mechanism, he states in Japanese, "This room is clean."

Everyone exhales in relief. Niu doesn't share our reassurance, turning to Grandpa.

"Where's this other room?"

(Malik's POV)

I hold Yami guardedly as the strange assassin slowly inspects ever inch of the room. He is strange because he doesn't fit the profile of a killer. While he keeps a collected air there is a suppressed emotion. The barely perceptible tension of his movements, the cool resolution in his eyes. He's come to a decision about something although he isn't pleased with it.

Minkah and Grandpa have joined us, the rest of them staying in the den. Marik and Yugi are getting the others up to date. I was taken aback when told Niu barely speaks any Japanese.

"How is it that you can construct such advanced technology and break into data systems from all over the world if you don't understand the languages?" I ask the black teen who is currently going through the top drawer of the dresser.

"I've created a program that translates any language into Arabic. It's much more reliable than the software you can buy or the mediocre websites you'll find online."

I raise my eyebrows, impressed. "Where'd you learn to do that?"

"It was a project we were working on at the technological school I attended before Apophis. It's one of the reasons they chose me." He shuts the drawer, opening the next one down.

"They?"

"Fenyang and the other Apophis leaders," Minkah explains for him. "They had assassins the plenty but not enough knowledge on how to infiltrate advanced programs and information centers. They needed someone to create weapons and break codes. Niu and several others were kept confined from the rest of us to ensure their safety." The enmity in his tone is plain as he frowns scornfully at Niu.

"If you consider staying cooped up in a facility with materials for bombs and other weapons an enjoyable life. Not to mention our supervisors."

"Yet you didn't have to train each day slaughtering other people," Minkah retorts frigidly.

I look back and forth between the two of them for a moment. "That can't have made the assassins happy."

Neither makes a remark to that observation. Instead, Niu persists in silence. Grandpa clears his throat.

"Minkah, why don't we go and check on Ryou and the others?" he suggests.

The white-haired Egyptian considers objecting but nods instead, following Grandpa out of the room. This makes everything even more discomfited. I wonder how different Niu's life was as a member of Apophis as opposed to the others. It's a touchy subject that I'm not going to tread into any farther than I already have.

"What are the chances that the army did plant bugs?"

Niu sighs, closing another drawer. "At this point, highly improbable. It would have been the perfect opportunity for them too…when you were in a state of vulnerability and less likely to notice."

Bristling, I hate to admit that this makes sense. I don't like the idea of them managing to do something like that unbeknownst to me. I don't let people do that. But Yami was hurt badly and I wasn't paying attention to what the soldiers were doing, more focused on my boyfriend.

"How has Minkah been?"

This quiet question startles me. There is actual concern in it. Is this the same person Minkah was talking-down moments ago? I try to catch Niu's eye but he avoids me, walking over to the window.

"He's had several breakdowns…"

"I take it that this is one of the results," the teen remarks about Yami who is lying against my chest, pain twisted in his features. "He can lose control of himself. When we were returning to Japan he began getting edgy again. The traumas he went through are not anything a person can get over. Last I saw him he hadn't been healing psychologically. Especially since Afika doesn't believe in therapy of any kind."

"So what has he been doing to help Minkah recover?" Perhaps this will paint a better picture of Afika's intentions for the white-haired teen.

A grim smile forms on Niu's lips. "Not much. I was left to be his caretaker the majority of the time. Minkah and the others were trained that talking about their mistreatments will amount to nothing. That it is better to pent up one's emotions altogether."

I'm intrigued by Niu. "You really aren't like them, are you?"

"I like to think I'm not." He places the device into his pocket. "Clear. I'm doubtful that the soldiers placed anything in the garage. Even so, they won't get much information from it. I don't feel it necessary to scan anything else."

His boots clomp on the floor as he heads for the open door. He's holding a steely resolve and I don't like it. While I don't believe he'd harm any of us, I can't help but shake the feeling something bad is going to happen. I think he knows it too. Niu stops, not looking back at me as he stands in the doorway in his winter garb.

"I'm going to have a final word with Minkah before I go. Please take care of him, won't you?"

I want to ask why he wasn't ordered to bring Minkah back with him. What's going on? Is the rest of Apophis going to confront us? Will Afika toy with Minkah? And what about Ryou? What does the ebony-haired assassin have in store for him?

Instead I say, "Of course."

But Niu is already gone.

(Ryou's POV)

Niu isn't anything like I expected. I vaguely remember him from the Game Shop. He wasn't the one of the people I was focusing on though. What, with having my brother in the shape he was in, Afika revealing his true identity, and having Kaiba's mutilated head thrown at me. Niu is a blur in my memory of that night. Not for Jounouchi though.

"…walked right up to me and held a gun in Yami and my faces! Don't you remember?" he's ranting as we sit around the main room; Yami, Malik, and the black teen still in the bedroom.

"Honestly? No," Mr. Mutou confesses. "I don't remember any of them accurately except Afika."

My brother doesn't say anything, fixated on hallway waiting for Niu to emerge from the room. I reach over and take one of his hands. Minkah scarcely reacts.

"What about this thing?" Honda asks about the metal case that no one has touched even in Niu's absence.

"I'd leave it alone," Jou whispers apprehensively. "What if it's an explosive set to go off when someone tries to open it?...No, when someone touches it!...No, when someone comes within five feet of it!"

"Why five feet?" Marik grins from next to Yugi.

Brown eyes widen. "You're right!" Jounouchi hastily scoots so close to Honda that he's practically in his friend's lap. "Three feet!"

"Get off of me, moron!" Honda shoves the blonde back towards the case who scampers away from it.

Marik and Yugi share amused looks while Mr. Mutou is exasperated. As all of them are preoccupied, I return my attention to my brother.

"Why do you hate him?"

Minkah's head turns reluctantly. "What?"

I shift so I can see his face better. "Why do you hate Niu?"

My brother blinks. "I…I don't hate him…"

"Then what? You were seething when you and Mr. Mutou came back."

Minkah threads his fingers through his hair. "It's not like that. We just don't get along."

"I gathered that much," I smile slightly.

"Besides Afik no one else ever mattered. Then there's the bad blood between the real assassins and the sheltered technical experts," he spits out angrily. "They just had to build weapons and gather information. He's never even taken a single life."

"But he held a gun to my head!"

We're pulled out of the dark conversation by Jou's outburst to discover everyone else has been listening. Minkah scowls in disgust.

"He didn't pull the trigger."

"Something we are thankful for," Mr. Mutou points out, saddened by my brother's viewpoint.

"It also proves how weak he is," Minkah adds scathingly.

"Excuse me?!" Jou rises to his feet. "Are you sayin' he should have shot me?!"

"While I hold no grudge against you: Yes."

I swallow, realizing we're talking to the assassin programmed into my sibling. While Jou and Honda are incensed by his words and Yugi is frightened, Marik and Mr. Mutou hold somber expressions. I myself am speechless. How could someone have warped Minkah's mind so much? What kind of monsters taught him and the others that this is how life is supposed to be? That it's your obligation to kill? That if you don't then you're pathetic?

"Should have. Would have. Could have. Didn't."

Niu's before us with his arms crossed over his chest. My brother glares at him, standing swiftly. I hold onto him, not wanting to see what a fight between the two of them would result in.

"It is funny," the black teen says in a calm manner. "You call me weak. You have not killed them. That is why we come here. Aiywa?"

"Iowa?" Jou asks in confusion. "We're not in Iowa. We're in Japan not the US."

"Aiy-wa not I-ow-a. It's colloquial Egyptian. Means 'yes'," Yugi mumbles distractedly.

"Oh." Jou looks back and forth between the two assassins. "You know, he's got a point, Mink."

Jounouchi no. Yugi smacks his forehead with his palm while Marik and Mr. Mutou are aghast. Honda's gone pale, backing away from Minkah and me. I don't loosen my grip on my brother, afraid of what will happen if I do. He's trembling. I can feel the rage pulsing through his veins. Niu doesn't seem intimidated. If he is, he's masking it well.

"Why are you really here?" Minkah demands in a low voice.

(Niu's POV)

I glance at each of them, how they are so closely knitted. That's the reason they came all the way out to this remote place, cut off from society and, for some, their own families: to protect him. My eyes coming back to Minkah, there is a great weight in my chest. Is he really so blind that he doesn't see what he has here? What I'd give for such a chance for myself.

"I came here to tell you have to make a decision. It's time to cast off any illusions you have concerning Afika and these people."

Grey eyes narrow. "I don't understand."

"I didn't think you would. Afika is using all of us. He even…"

"Afika would never do anything to hurt me!" Minkah shouts at me, held back by his sibling. "The two of you don't see eye to eye but I know him! He'll hear me out."

"No, he won't," I disagree, anger building inside me. I don't even attempt to suppress it this time. "He wants these people dead, Minkah. Do you really think he's capable of letting others get close to you? As for the rest of us, we're just disposable soldiers."

"That's not true! Why do you think he chose you? He could have escaped with me and that would have been the end of it!"

"For the two of you," I answer quietly, knowing I'm getting under his skin now. "But he wanted to destroy Apophis. That, he could not do alone. He chose Kasiya, Kek, Severa, and I because he needed our particular skills. The time is rapidly approaching when he won't anymore. And he's said numerous times that he's going to slaughter these people."

"I can change his mind! He cares about what I care about!" the white-haired teen retorts.

Think again.

"What about Malik?" I ask freezes. "Can you change Afika's mind about him? He won't let Malik Ishtar survive after what the two of you did in Domino. And the rest of them will stand against Afika if he tries to harm Malik." I step closer towards the wide-eyed group, only some of them understanding what's going on. "An enemy to one of them is an enemy to them all."

Minkah's features are twitching as he racks his brain for an argument but cannot come up with one. The others are watching. I cannot tell who are more panicked: the ones who understand this conversation or the ones who do not. His younger brother won't look away from him. The old man then speaks softly.

"What he says is true, Minkah."

(Minkah's POV)

He's cornered me. Ryou was right. I do hate Niu. I hate him because what he's saying is accurate. I have to choose. Again. Just like I had to choose between Um and my brother. This is even harder though. I have to choose between Afik and this group. Mr. Mutou just told me he wants to adopt Ryou and me. I could be a part of a family; something I've never really had. But that would leave Afik all alone. I can't do that to him after all he's sacrificed for me. I'm the only one he cares about and yet…I steal a glance at my brother by my side. Can I abandon this offer for a new life? A better life?

"I see you've come to care for them."

"This is not your decision to make," I snarl at Niu.

"But you've already made it whether you've comprehended it or not." He nods to the group of people surrounding me. "I think you'd defend them should Afika or the others attempt to harm them."

"You know nothing!" I yell, ripping myself from Ryou's clutch and lunging at Niu.

"Minkah!" several of them shout.

Niu blocks my fists, forcing me to take a step back. His face is emotionless save his eyes. They tell too much yet nothing.

"I saw the wound Yami sported. I see how many of these people are injured from your meltdowns," he states, rubbing his arm gingerly. "They brought you here because they want to keep you safe. They've lied to the army to protect you."

"Afik suffered because of me for years!" I seethe, knowing any attempt to hit him again will prove fruitless. My body is drained of energy. "He's taken the fall for me countless times! He even moved the date of the uprising against Apophis for my sake!"

"Then where was he when you needed him the most?"

I stop, unsure of the 'when' he is referring to. Going back through my memories, I cannot find a time when I was in dire need and Afik wasn't there to save me. Hell, he killed Kaiba, sparking the revolution against Apophis way ahead of schedule. Afik did that for me. Everything he's done has been for me. I straighten up from my fighter's stance, sending Niu a confident look.

"He has always been there for me."

Niu sighs, wearied. "Look, I don't know his motives and I haven't a clue as to whether he cares for you or is just using you." The obsidian eyes narrow, stopping me from objecting to his statements. "Riddle me this, Minkah: Where was he the two months you were recovering from…?"

"He was scouting!" I don't let him finish, not wanting to hear the word 'rape'. "You know that! And he left me with you most of the time because he knew you wouldn't harm me! He didn't visit that often because he was busy making certain we were all safe!"

Niu's lips lift into a dour smile. "That's what I thought too."

Brushing past me, he walks over to the metal case, kneeling down next to it.

"What's he doing?" Jounouchi asks nervously.

Quick fingers punch in a code on the side. The others watch apprehensively. I blink it surprise to find the compartment small, much thinner on the inside than one would believe. A laptop rests in the padded interior. Niu pulls it out, opening it up and placing the machine on the couch.

"Kinda over the top just for a computer, don't you think?" I hear Honda utter to Jounouchi.

"What are you doing?" I repeat the blonde's question, becoming unnerved.

"I'm going to show you what Afika was really doing those two months." Niu pauses, looking up at us. His gaze falls upon Ryou, Yugi, and then rests upon Marik. "It might not be best for them to view this."

"What happening?" Honda is confused by the stalling.

"He doesn't think these three should see whatever it is," I explain in exasperation. This is a waste of time. While Afika may have done some things like murdering or torture in those two months, that wouldn't be anything out of the ordinary. It's just like Niu to overreact to those kinds of things.

"Why? What is it? Porn?" Jounouchi asks wryly, nudging Yugi in the side.

"Jou!" the boy and Mr. Mutou exclaim.

"Wat? It could be."

"I'll believe you on this." The old man turns to the younger teens. "Why don't the three of you go and sit with Malik and Yami." He glances at Niu inquiringly. "Or should all of us go?"

"That's up to Minkah."

What is that meant to imply? That this has something to do with me? I force myself not to shudder. Does it have something to do with Kaiba? Is that what this is about? Is that why Niu's being so vigilant about this? I look at them, reminding myself what Yami told me. They saw me right after the rape and beating had taken place. They cleaned me up. They all know what happened. But Niu is correct in saying Marik and probably the other two should not watch anything of the sort.

"What is it? A video?..."

"It's nothing that involves you directly."

"Then it's pointless to even show it to me," I snap.

"I want to see it," my brother's voice says quietly, sensing I'm uninterested despite the language being practically alien to him.

Niu considers him with respect. I growl, pushing Ryou back. The technology expert is using them to make me doubt Afika.

"I don't care what it is," I hiss at Niu. "You're just trying to turn me against Afik. Did you think some data could change that?"

Jaw set, his expression darkens. He deftly closes the laptop with a 'click'. Standing up with the device tucked under one arm, the black teen never looks away from me.

"Honestly, why do I bother?" he grates bitterly. Pulling the case up, he punches a button hidden on the front side of the interior where it wouldn't be noticed.

The room lets out a collective gasp as the false bottom of the case slides back to reveal the true contents of the secure holder. Guns. Four guns lay inside. They range in size, the largest nearly a foot long. The smallest is a good concealed weapon.

"What the fuck!" the blonde yells.

"Holy hell!"

"Get those out of here!" the old man exclaims.

"There is another layer containing four more," Niu informs me candidly, ignoring everyone's frenzied reactions. "They're new designs. I haven't shown them to anyone yet. Not even Afika knows of their existence. Instructions for each individual gun have been placed on the bottom level. They are written in both Arabic and Japanese."

I'm able to come out of my stupor enough to ask, "What am I supposed to do with them?"

"Whatever you want. I have no use for them. You can give them to Afika. You could give them to the army…" His stare becomes more intense. "You could teach these people how to use them so they can defend themselves regardless of whether you decide to remain with them or not."

Mouth dry, I watch him done his hat and gloves, striding for the front door. The others are still gaping at the box of weapons. Guns themselves are illegal in this country, let alone whatever Niu has done to enhance them only makes them even more powerful. Definitely not something a citizen wants to get caught with in their possession.

"That's it?" I ask incredulously, following Niu. "You're not going to lecture me further?"

"What would the point be? You wouldn't listen to me. You never have," he replies.

"Maybe because you don't know anything about Afik!" I rejoin contemptuously.

Niu whips around and shoves me violently against the door. I'm too stunned by this quick action to so much as blink.

"Hey! Waddaya think you're doin'?"

"Minkah!" my brother cries.

"Watch your tongue," Niu snarls, teeth bared in ferocity. "Those two months you were recovering from the traumas I was the one who took care of you. I was the one who researched safe havens and hospitals for you. I kept track of the media coverage. I broke into hundreds of government databases to find what they believed to have truly taken place at the Apophis headquarters. When not doing these tasks for Afika I was sitting in empty rooms holding you so you would feel safe! Not Afika—me! He didn't do any of those things!" He looms closer so our faces are inches apart causing fear to churn in my stomach. "That is what I did those two months. Besides the both of us, who can you account for?" I'm unable to come up with an answer, shocked and bewildered. He snorts, satisfied. "Exactly."

Releasing me, he reaches around me and grabs the doorknob. I grip his coat sleeve without thinking.

"Niu…"

He's trembling. Something has upset him horribly. I'm frightened by his words and actions. He's never so blunt and he never loses his temper. He also doesn't lie to me. That's the worst part about this. If he says Afika wasn't doing what he claimed then Niu is right.

I take an unsteady breath. "What was Afik doing those two months?"

Dark eyes burn me. "It suddenly matters now? You didn't want to know before."

"I need to know," I implore him, swallowing my pride.

"You don't want to know," Niu points out resentfully, shoving me aside and opening the door.

"Niu!"

"Apophis isn't gone, Minkah. It remains in our minds. Especially Afika's. You stay with him and you'll be stuck with Apophis forever," he states as the storm enters the room. "These people here—they are the ones you can trust. Betray them and you'll never forgive yourself." Sadness fills his eyes as they move over Ryou and the others. "Take them for granted and you'll regret it for the rest of your life," he finishes in a quiet voice laced with hurt.

"Where are you going?" I press, remembering that he won't work for Afika anymore.

"Don't concern yourself with me. You have enough to worry about. Good luck, Minkah," Niu states with a dismal smile as he steals a final glance at my companions before shutting the door behind him.

(Ryou's POV)

My brother stares at the closed door, back to us. I want to go to him, but I don't know what is happening. The others are just as confused, even those who speak Arabic.

"What do you suppose he'll do now?" Mr. Mutou asks softly.

"Woo baby, look at this mother!" Jou whistles lifting the largest gun out of the case to examine it.

"Put that back!" Mr. Mutou admonishes him.

"But he left those for us, Grandpa," Yugi objects innocently.

Honda's eyes widen. "Really?"

"To use for self-defense," Marik confirms.

"Yeah! That's what I'm talkin' about!" Jou laughs, pretending to aim at imaginary foes around the room. "I suppose I can forgive him for holding a gun to my face. 'Specially since he gave us these. Hey Mink, come here and show us how to use one of these babies!"

"For the last time: Put it back…! Marik!" Mr. Mutou shouts when the Egyptian pulls the guns and their holder out, revealing another layer with more weapons.

"Holy shit!" Jounouchi races back to see.

I walk over to Minkah tentatively. He could have another meltdown after what just happened with Niu. The black assassin hadn't acted like what my brother had led us to believe. Minkah is shaken.

"Minkah?"

"This isn't like him," Minkah murmurs to himself, turning to look at the case of guns that other assassin left behind. "None of this is like him. He represses his anger. He obeys Afik. He doesn't withhold information!"

I bite my lower lip. "Do you two really know one another that well?"

"I know him well enough to recognize something was bothering him immensely," Minkah replies as Mr. Mutou tries in vain to get everyone to return the guns to the case.

There's no reason to ask my brother why he didn't want to see what Niu had wanted to show him. It was something that could possibly cause Minkah to lose faith in Afika. Apparently my brother would rather be ignorant to his lover's secrets than learn of them. I cannot fault him for that. For a while I wished I could take back knowing the truth about Otousan. I liked having a father around after so long that I preferred to be left in the dark of his sins. But once I knew them, even though I wanted things to go back to how they were before, I understood it was for the better. Otousan didn't come back to Japan for me. He came back to interrogate Minkah about where his fellow archeologists had been taken by Apophis as well as kill my brother. I was unwittingly part of the sideshow.

"Did you see Niu's eyes?" I ask which causes my brother to look at me inquiringly. "They were like he was determined…but also like he'd given up. I can't explain it really."

"I did see," he whispers in contemplation.

"Do you regret not hearing him out and looking at whatever it was he wanted to show you?"

Minkah stares at the others who are arguing amongst themselves about whether we should keep the guns. His confidence has wavered even if he won't admit it.

"Yes and no," he finally confesses. "Niu wouldn't make it up. But then, I didn't think he'd do any of this either."

"Do you think he was lying about Afika?"

My brother closes his eyes, brow creased as if he's trying to block out the whole world. The very thought of Afika deceiving him is horrifying. That's why he'd lashed out at Niu.

"This is confusing and frightening," I say quietly placing a hand on his shoulder. "But not knowing can make the imagination concoct even worse scenarios." Our eyes meet. "You need to know the truth. Don't you deserve that much before making judgments about anyone?"

Minkah exhales in defeat, nodding. I squeeze his shoulder while opening the door with my other hand. Squinting my eyes, I search for any trace of the assassin. His footprints are nearly filled in with snow already.

"What are you guys doing?" Jou yells to us over the moaning wind.

"Do you think he went back to Afika and the others?" I ask Minkah.

My brother shakes his head. "That would just promise a slow excruciating death for him. He said he was leaving the group."

"So he's gone."

Grey eyes narrow. "Niu has a sense of justice. While he's changed I don't think he would kill anyone. Therefore, it's highly improbable he's returning to the others. But he has a guilty conscience that needs to be laid to rest."

A shiver runs down my spine as the others come towards us. "Suicide?"

"Maybe." Minkah isn't convinced by this either.

"He might go off and fight crime like some masked superhero!" Jou offers with an unsteady grin. "Y'know, as a penance type thing."

"Jou, that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard from you…in the past three minutes," Honda mutters.

"Hey!"

"Boys boys…!"

I'm not sure how it happened, but we all freeze at once, eyes on Minkah. His body went rigid and time stopped. Everyone watches my brother as he takes a step so his feet are on the edge of the doorway.

"Niu…" Minkah looks at me with alarm. "I know what he's going to do!"

(Afika's POV)

Locked in the bedroom alone, I stare at the computer screen in deliberation. Niu hasn't shown them. He hasn't shown Minkah the pictures of Niu's family. This perplexes me slightly. The technology genius is sappy and wants everyone to get in touch with emotions. I figured he would try and reach Minkah through their ideas of family. My lover has grown close to those freaks.

Scowling, I close the laptop and looking around the empty room. There aren't any photographs on the walls that are bare like the minute rooms I grew up in. Like the memories that were wiped from each young recruit, the walls are empty and stripped of any sign there had been anything on them before. That's how a person survived. They left behind who they were and the people that had been a part of their life.

While I loathed Apophis, they made me who I am today. I would never thank Fenyang or the others but they built me out of nothing. They did a damn good job. I don't have a single recollection of time before Apophis. That's why I'm strong. Ties make you fragile. Like Niu and Minkah. They are both susceptible to the seemingly innocent nature of the world out there. I did my best with Minkah and it saved him…barely. I won't let Ishtar and Ryou undo everything I've worked so hard for. This has been a life-long commitment for me. I'll be dead before I let them snatch him away from me.

A smirk twitches on my lips at the sound of Kasiya pacing in the front room. Every so often the sound ceases; probably him checking the window for Niu. Whether he's comprehended that Niu is not coming back, I don't know. Frankly, I like to watch Kasiya squirm. Hell, putting them all at unease brings such pleasure to me.

My face falls at the sight of one lone object hanging crookedly on the wall.

A mirror. An old, dust-covered mirror.

I rise from the bed and slowly move across the room to it. Gazing into its hazy depths, I find my reflection. My eyes narrow as I stare at it intensely. Shoulder-length black hair, brown eyes, tan skin, an emotionless face…

Something isn't right. What is this feeling of agitation? My hands…they're shaking! Where did my self-confidence suddenly go? Why does this simple thing bother me? More importantly, what is it exactly that troubles me? I stare in mystification at the glass, unable to see through this obscurity.

A knock at the door brings me from these pointless speculations.

"What?"

"Where's Niu?" Kek's voice booms. "I've got everything set up. What's taking him?"

This time the smirk emerges full. "He's not coming."

"…What?"

The pleasure of tormenting Kek helps me distract myself from that damn mirror. "If I had money I'd bet it on him surrendering himself and all his information to the 'secret' army."

"WHAT?!"

The entire cabin shakes with his fury and I can't hold in a chuckle. "You can go out there and try to catch him before they do. It'll be like a hunting party."

There's a pause as his temper simmers a bit and he considers my proposal. "So he'll be telling them about this place?"

"You catch on quickly," I reply mordantly, leaning my back against the door separating the two of us.

"That means we need to leave."

"Preferably soon."

Another long recess. Kek isn't as stupid as he seems but he never has been one to come up with plans. Luckily, I am not so sluggish.

"Tell Kasiya and Severa to gather in the front room. We'll discuss our next course of action there."

The floorboards creak but stop. "This is just temporary, Afika," he hisses through the aged wood. "Me doing what you say."

"I'm well aware of that. It's nice to know you are too, though," I sneer, fingering the knife at my side.

A guttural growl vibrates through to me. "Soon Afika. Soon I'm gonna twist that fucking head of yours right off your skinny neck!"

"You shouldn't tell me how you're going to do it," I rebuke slickly, opening the door to find him looming over me with a promise of murder in his eyes. I fix him with a smug smile. "I prefer surprises."

(Niu's POV)

Speeding through the trees, I just want it to be over with. Why is it taking so long to reach that fucking camp? The silencer on the motor of my snowmobile makes me difficult to find. Perhaps I should disconnect it so they can hear me coming. There's a much greater risk of getting riddled with bullets if I ride through their territory and accidentally catch them off guard. Of all the ways to go, that's not one I'm interested in.

I pray Minkah makes the right choice. My chest aches as I picture all of the people surrounding him, supporting him. There's a chance for him and he'd better take it. If I had that chance…

I banish that consideration from my mind. All chances are spent for me. Afika and Kek made sure of that. I clench my fingers tight around the handles of the vehicle. At least, I think I am. My body is becoming numb. With my luck, I have frostbite.

I strain my ears at what sounds like motors. Slowing down, I look about, using my thermal scanner to aid me in my search for the source of the noise. Confusion sets in when I find three distinct signals coming right at me…from behind.

"You didn't…" I whisper, turning to find three snowmobiles plowing towards me.

They skid to halts, waves of snow flying at me from several angles. As the cloud settles they are seated before me, the one in the middle removing his helmet.

"Niu wait!"

(Malik's POV)

The black teen takes off his helmet and we do likewise. Honda is looking around warily for any signs the army is coming. Jou's eyes are trained on Niu who is gazing straight at me.

"What are you doing out here?" the assassin asks in a monotonous voice.

"Keeping you from doing something stupid," I reply, unable to believe to what lengths this guy is willing to go for absolution. "You didn't see what these men did to Minkah when they captured him. What do you think they'll do to you?"

"Torture."

It's a gruesome word said with such plainness. So plainly it makes me wonder if he even knows what the word means. Jou pipes up at this.

"We need to be quick, Malik! Someone's gonna find us out here if we don't hurry!"

I persist. "And you're all right with that?"

"I have nothing left to lose."

What does that mean? Niu holds gaze with me but something is wrong with him. Is the guy drugged? Snow swirling around us in mini tornados, I comprehend that the army or other Apophis members coming upon us aren't our only danger. The weather itself is possibly an even deadlier threat. And the clock is ticking.

"I don't see why the three of you came after me," Niu states without even a hint of interest. "Minkah is the only one who'd have something to gain if he wanted information. Unless you're here to probe me about Afika and the others."

"Malik, come on!" Honda urges me through chattering teeth.

"Minkah would have come. We had to keep him from doing so. The army has set up an area he cannot leave. Jou, Honda, and I coming out here at 4 AM looks suspicious enough as it is. We don't want to draw any more unwanted attention to him," I explain as quickly as possible, throat becoming raw with the cold. "This isn't about answers to questions he might have. Minkah doesn't want you to turn yourself in! Those people aren't don't have integrity. They're looking for the spotlight—the glory of capturing the Apophis survivors."

"I don't care about their motives," he replies calmly, moving to put his helmet back on only to stop when a device in his hand begins beeping.

"What's that?!" Jou asks.

Rubbing a gloved finger over it several times to remove a thin layer of snow, panic creeps into Niu's features. Pressing a button, he seems to be trying to ease his qualms but only looks at all the more troubled. At that moment a light droning of an engine reaches our ears. He turns to us.

"Go back now!"he shouts in Japanese.

"What the…?"

Sensing we're not going to leave he gives us a very short but extremely convincing reason.

"Kek!"

My stomach drops.

"Oh shit!" Jou swears.

All of us don our helmets and spin our vehicles around, taking off as fast as we dare. If the way were clear I would be going at the speed of light. Looking to my left and right I find Jou and Honda. Craning my neck to look behind us, I find that only my friends are with me.

"Damn it, Niu!" I hiss.

(Niu's POV)

Racing through the heavily wooden area, I switch off the silencer. The motor of my vehicle roars to life. Kek needs to follow me. I want to make that as easy as possible for him. While I'm not for killing my comrades, I wouldn't mind getting a little justice for my family and Kek's hundreds of other victims who had to suffer the torment of excruciating torture before a slow death. Clenching my jaw, I know I'm only two or three miles from the army camp now. They can take both Kek and myself. I can't keep a bleak smile from lifting on my lips at the sight of him on my radar following me in hot pursuit with the thirst for blood.

"That's right, chase me, bastard," I mutter under my breath.

Is this going against my beliefs?—leading him into a trap that will subsequently end with him being tortured and executed? It's not being done by my hand but it still feels like I'm the one pulling the trigger. Swearing, I swerve to a stop. Dismounting my snowmobile, I try to keep my cold breath steady. I don't have a gun, having left them for Minkah and his friends. That doesn't mean I am defenseless. It doesn't, however, bode in my favor given that it's one of the other Apophis members. Particularly Kek. I've seen him snap necks like the bones were cardboard.

The snowmobile appears, burly figure sitting atop it dressed in thick winter clothes and a black helmet. I'm trembling; whether it's due to coldness or fear I don't know. Maybe it's both. I can almost see him grinning manically as he charges at me possibly with the aim to hit me. It will work too if that be his objective, the thick snow hindering me from moving quickly. Still, he's never been one to let his prey die quickly. He's not going to run me down. There is too great a chance it would prove a fatal blow to me. Kek wants me alive.

When he's not twenty feet from me I gape when an unmanned snowmobile comes flying from between the trees smashing full-force into the side of his. With an explosion of metal and gasoline the two vehicles go crashing down. I back away as fast as I can, taking cover behind a tree before daring to look down at my radar.

"Will you come back now?"

I look straight into the face of Malik Ishtar. He's covered in snow. Behind him are the other two on their own snowmobiles.

"Hurry up, man!" one of them yells. He says more but I don't understand it.

"Did you jump off that?" I ask in disbelief.

Malik shrugs 'modestly'. "Had to keep him from plowing you down somehow. Now come on."

I resist. "I did not ask you to risk your lives for me."

"We know that. It was our decision."

"Guys…!"

"A grave mistake on your part."

I duck just in time as a knife slashes into the tree behind me. The two on the bikes shout in fear. Malik hopefully is with them. They had better not come over here. The last thing we need is for Kek to have more victims to play with. They'll leave if they value their lives. Practically lying in the snow, I gaze up at Kek towering above me with a crazed excitement in his beady eyes.

"You were actually gonna turn yourself in, weren't you?" he chuckles, smoothly pulling forth another concealed knife and hauling me up by the front of my coat. I recognize this curved dagger. It's one of his favorites: the one he fancies for skinning people.

"Afika sent you here, didn't he?" I rasp, biding my time.

He snorts. "I decided to come when he told me what you were gonna do. He didn't order me, if that's what you're implying."

"So you fell right into his trap," I muse as I hang in his grasp.

The blade presses against the base of my neck as Kek shoves his face into mine. "What's that supposed to mean, maggot?"

I feel the tension ripple through him at the rumbling of large vehicles approaching from not too far off. The army heard the blast when the snowmobiles rammed against one another. The smoke is giving them a perfect signal leading them straight here.

Afika knew I was turning myself in. He told Kek, knowing he wouldn't be able to resist; probably hoping the army would take out his archrival as well.

"They're on their way," I tell Kek with no remorse on my part. Struggling to raise my voice when being held like this, I call to the others, "Get out of here before they come!"

"Shut up!" Kek snarls, twisting the both of us around to completely face the three teens who are watching on with wide eyes. "No one is going anywhere. Take so much as a step and I'll slit his throat!"

(Jounouchi's POV)

We stand motionless, afraid a single movement will prove fatal for Niu. My memories of Kek back at the Game Shop are not clear an' the picture Mink drew of him was intimidating. But nothing could have prepared me for the strongly built monster of a man with ruthless eyes. I hadn't realized just how muscular and giant he is. Niu is only a little taller than me and his feet are well above the ground. Kek's holding him up like that with just one arm too.

My palate dries at the way the knife curves around the front of Niu's neck. It's almost a perfect fit. Even in the deadly situation he's in the black assassin doesn't seem all that alarmed. Then again, he was planning on surrendering to the army. Maybe he just wants pain.

What will Mink do if we don't bring him back with us? It took Honda, Ryou, and me to keep him from coming out here himself. Why would Mink do that though? He didn't act like he was friends with Niu at all. Quite the opposite actually. Is he afraid of Niu handing Afika and the others over?

Niu's mouth moves and Kek pulls their faces close threateningly. The shorter teen is not intimidated. I stiffen when I hear the sound of those monstrous army vehicles. They're on their way!

"Fuck!" Honda swears from next to me.

Niu shouts something to us in Arabic; a useless effort. It's enough to get a reaction out of Kek though, who turns them so they're facing us fully.

"No one is going anywhere. So much as take a step and I'll slit his throat!" he bellows, emphasizing his point by drawing blood from Niu's neck.

A swift movement from my left catches my attention but not enough to look away from the two assassins…not until I see the looks on their faces anyway.

"Malik!" Honda yells.

(Niu's POV)

Kek jumps in surprise when Malik's pointing a gun at us—one of the guns I gave them. I must have blinked because I didn't see him do it. The blonde Egyptian's features have morphed. Stony cold eyes, tight lips, anger surfacing from his body…

This is the face of a killer.

"Release him," he orders in a tone that warns arguments will not be tolerated.

"Malik!" one of his friends shouts.

Kek lets loose a rumbling laugh. "Who do you think you are to challenge me? You have the gall to believe you can shoot me before I execute Niu?"

"Want to find out?"

Unlike Kek, I know about Malik and Marik Ishtar. They were from the tombs. Once they escaped that life Malik murdered on the street. While he wasn't trained like the assassins he isn't one that should be taken lightly. I gulp, recognizing that look in his eyes. I've seen that look in each of my companions. So long I have wished it would dissipate, that they could go beyond being murderers.

But Malik isn't that way anymore. I can't let him do this. He's moved on with his life. He doesn't kill anymore. He shouldn't have to kill again!

And he won't—not for me.

"Cocky, aren't we?" Kek sneers.

"You'd be a hypocrite to call me that."

Malik really needs to stop taunting Kek. The two members of our group you do not taunt under any circumstances are Kek and Minkah. Minkah because he is emotionally unstable due to traumas. Kek, well, because of his extremely short temper and irrationality. Malik is, however, keeping him distracted. I carefully roll up my sleeve to reveal my watch, gently twisting the switch to use a weapon I have always prayed I'd never have to use. My heart's pounding like mad at the quickly approaching army personnel. If those three are found here there's no telling what will happen to them.

I gasp when Kek forcefully yanks my head back, startled he didn't snap my spine. Instead, he runs the serrated blade up and down my throat as if giving a presentation of what he's planning to do.

"I must tell you that I was hoping we could draw this out, Niu," he hisses in my ear.

"Yeah. It's a such a shame," I mutter before whipping my arm up and smacking him full-force in the face with the head of the watch; breaking it, releasing the fumes contained in it for an emergency like this.

Shrieking, he would have decapitated me if not for milliseconds before I thrashed out of his grasp. As the tall assassin howls while clutching his face with one hand, his knife in the other as he was trained to never to drop their weapon, I get up and stagger away from him. A hand grabs my arm and I find Malik supporting me. No words pass between us as I grudgingly allow him to herd me over to the others. There's no time to argue. To do so would get them caught here as well. Climbing up behind one of them, I exhale heavily as the entire snowmobile jerks, carrying us away from the scene as the army closes in.

(Mr. Moutu's POV)

"I can't believe I let them do this," I murmur, rebuking myself as I stand at the window waiting.

"They'll be fine," Ryou says half-heartedly from beside his brother at the other window.

"Even if they are, the fact that I allowed them to do this…that I let them have such a responsibility…" I shake my head.

"Malik's got a gun," Minkah points out in a faint voice.

"And I don't want him using it. Once again, neither he nor Jou and Honda should have this type of burden!" I state in a harsher tone than I meant to use. "I apologize. I didn't mean to snap at either of you."

Ryou nods sympathetically. The older boy shrugs indifferently. Earlier Minkah would have cringed at my manner. Since Niu's departure, he has been acting unconfident, worried, preoccupied…I understand why and am concerned about him.

I let my attention divert from the window for a moment to look at the two boys standing across the way. They are both strong in their own ways, but I fear the worst may have yet to come for them. I will be beside them. Even if they are not or cannot legally be my grandsons, I will always consider them as such. I make a silent vow to do all in my power to both protect them and give them the love they deserve but have been deprived of up until recently.

"Any sign of them yet?" Yugi asks emerging from the bedroom.

"No."

"Oh." He tries to hide his worry. "Well Yami's awake and asking for a glass of water…"

"How is he?" Ryou questions to which Minkah also looks at Yugi inquiringly. The Egyptian has felt guilty about his fight with Yami.

"Groggy. A little pained, but Marik thinks he's doing pretty well," Yugi assures us.

Minkah turns to the window. "They're back!"

We press against the windows which fog from our breaths. I squint my eyes but don't see anything. Ryou and Yugi probably don't either. I trust Minkah's trained senses though. The boys are coming. My breath catches when two shapes come into view. I wait in anticipation for a third and maybe even a fourth to appear. No, only two snowmobiles.

"Those look like Jou and Honda," Yugi says quietly. "But where's Malik…?"

"They're on the back! There are two people on each!" Minkah exclaims, racing for the stairs with us right behind him.

Running through the lower level, we reach the door at the end of the hallway. Minkah lets me by so I can unlock it. I struggle to get the key in due to how my hands are trembling. Minkah pulls Yugi back when my grandson reaches for the doorknob to keep him from being hit as it swings open.

"We are not doing that ever again!" Honda announces as he enters.

"Are you boys all right?" I ask as the group shuffles back so the rest of them can get in; the grating sound of the garage door descending drowning out the untamed wind.

"If by 'all right' you mean 'intact', then sure," Jounouchi mutters as he files in behind his friend. "That was too close, man!"

Minkah's breath intakes when Malik and Niu appear behind the blonde. Yugi smiles in relief.

"You found him!"

"Grandpa, we're going to be getting a call from the army," Malik gives no time for easing in as we all stride back down the hallway. "They'll have seen our tracks all over the area and leaving the scene."

"Scene?" I question as we enter the television and game room. "What scene? What happen…?"

"No time for explanations," Honda cuts me off. "We need to call them before they contact us otherwise it'll look even more suspicious!"

"And just what do you propose we tell them?" Malik asks doubtfully.

"We contact them—say we were doing something stupid like racing," Honda lays out his idea. "We get lost and Kek shows up."

"Kek? Kek was there?" Minkah turns to Niu. "Where is he now?" I internally pray the gun Malik is carrying played no part of the answer to that.

"Alive…unless the army miraculously caught him."

"The story will have to do," I sigh, picking up the remote. "Malik, Honda, Jou, you stay here with me and explain what happened to Lieutenant Hiroki. The rest of you go upstairs..."

"I do not understand much of what everyone says," Niu suddenly speaks in broken Japanese, not budging when the others start to leave. "But I have general idea what you plan to do."

"Niu, please go upstairs with Minkah, Ryou, and Yugi." I avert my attention to said boys. "Find somewhere for Niu to keep out of sight in case the soldiers come here. Malik, I need you to…"

"There were too many snowmobiles," the young man interrupts again while gripping his left wrist tightly.

"Oh shit," Malik rubs his eyes with his fingers. "They'll trace the remains of my snowmobile back to here. They've been in the garage. They now how many snowmobiles we have…had."

"Guys, we need to think of something fast!" Honda urges, getting more and more frenzied.

"Just turn me in."

The room goes silent as everyone regards Niu. The teen stands with an uncanny composure amidst a room of frantic people. This is no longer about trying to help a young man that obviously does not wish to continue the life he's lived for years now. The expressionless face convinces me he isn't thinking in his right mind. His decision-making is being influenced by something. Until he recuperates from whatever it is that is causing this, I won't allow him to make such a choice.

"Kek had a snowmobile too?" Ryou breaks the chilling stillness.

"Yeah. Malik rammed into his. That guy was insane! He didn't even look hurt!" Jou whispers with a shudder.

"And you left Niu's snowmobile?"

Malik nods, having begun to pace. "So what?"

"So what if…" Ryou glances at his brother apprehensively. "What if we just claim one of the other Apophis members was there with Kek?"

"You mean Afika?" Yugi asks in astonishment.

(Ryou's POV)

Malik halts, gazing at me in confused awe. Minkah is horrified by my suggestion. Yugi steps over to me.

"It won't work, Ryou."

"Yes it will," I insist, knowing this discussion has been stretched out too long already. "That solider named Ichiro has all the records from his interviews with us two months ago. In them we blame the assassinations in Domino on Afika—only we identified him as Khalil. We gave descriptions of him. It was easy because he'd been interacting with us so much." My voice strains. "Because of these things Afika is no doubt the assassin the army is putting the most of their effort into finding. Besides, the descriptions we gave of the others at the Game Shop weren't clear."

"But the army knows what they look like now. That includes Niu. The only person they don't have a picture of is Afika because you kept it when you gave the other sketches to Ichiro," Yugi points out meekly from beside his grandfather.

"You…?!" Minkah can't finish, betrayal covering his face as he listens helplessly.

"What are you talking about?" I ask my friend in puzzlement. Everyone gives me dubious and accusing looks.

"Ryou," Malik clears his throat uncomfortably. "We know you have…unresolved issues about him. We know you kept his picture to save him." The gleam of hope in my brother's eyes makes my heart wrench.

I shake my head. "I didn't…"

"Ry, it's okay. But you've gotta make up your mind, man," Jounouchi smiles awkwardly. "I mean, one moment you're protecting him and the next you want to use him in a story as a cover-up for Niu? Why'd you really keep Afika's picture?" he adds intriguingly.

"Not the time!" Honda interjects. "Have you all forgotten what's going on here?!"

Yugi latches onto me when something large rams into the outer garage door. Jou practically leaps over a chair to get closer to the stairs. Malik pulls out his gun as the battering is repeated again and again.

"Put that away!" Minkah hisses grabbing Malik roughly.

"No! It might be Kek!" Honda objects, pallid.

"It is not Kek," Niu assures us with a passive glance at the inner doorway down the hallway. As the walls shake there comes an insistent banging on the door upstairs.

"Fuck! They've got us surrounded!" Honda shouts as a deafening crash announces the metal automatic garage door is broken down.

It happens so fast. Minkah grabs the gun from Malik, kicking it under the couch. Then the inner door is smashed through and soldiers are everywhere. Machine guns are aimed at all of us close-range as they encircle us. Hard eyes penetrate me and I find myself searching desperately for Ichiro. The affable officer is not here. I automatically follow Honda and Jou's example of putting my hands up.

"Search the entire house!" a tall man thunders causing soldiers to swarm into the bedrooms and up the stairs.

"Lieutenant Hiroki, what is the meaning of this?" Mr. Mutou yells but is silenced when the man with the thin beard whips around to him, incensed.

"Perhaps you would like to explain how one of your vehicles ended up at a scene where Apophis members were?" the soldier demands frostily. "I see several of the boys are still wearing their coats." He zones in on Malik, Jou, and Honda. "What is your affiliation with Apophis? Why were you out there so close to our encampment? Allying with the assassins to plot a surprise attack on us?"

"What?!" Honda exclaims in fear.

"You guys are insane…!" Jou goes reeling over as a man smashes the butt of his gun across our friend's face.

"Bastards!" Honda screams, lunging at the soldier only to end up on the ground with a split lip.

"Honda! Jou!" Yugi cries in terror, cowering from the soldiers.

"Shall I take that as a 'yes'?" Hiroki sneers.

"Sir, I don't recognize this one!" one of his subordinates calls with ill delight.

My heart stops at the sight of two soldiers holding Niu in their iron grip. My brother is sheet white, fighting against the men restraining him, panicked grey eyes fixated on his peer.

Oh god, Minkah, don't say anything!

(Minkah's POV)

They have him! The same people who captured me. They have Niu!

I struggle wildly against the soldiers hanging onto me, fraught with helping him. Niu keeps a blank face that reveals no alarm. He does not resist even to the rough treatment. Why doesn't he use one of the hidden weapons he wears? Why doesn't he do something?! His eyes dart to mine for a split-second warning me to keep my mouth shut and not interfere.

Powerless, I watch the horrid lieutenant stride confidently to him, lifting my comrade's head with a gloved hand under his chin. They gaze straight into one another with an internal battle raging between them. To most it would appear they're having a staring contest, waiting for the other to give and blink. I perceive what no other can: the soldier is unable to read Niu. Obsidian eyes are empty. There's no fear nor anger. No bewilderment or hatred. Nothing.

"Who is this, Solomon Mutou?" the man finally questions. "I do not recall him being listed when you told us of each of the occupants of this mansion."

The old man cannot find his voice, horror covering his ashen face. I beg him mutely to think of a plausible explanation. He's trying but cannot come up with one. They were going to use Afik as the rider of the second snowmobile but that has been ruined since the army has caught Niu. The corners of Hiroki's lips lift.

"Well, men, it appears we have our first Apophis assassin!" he proclaims to which the soldiers all around us cheer in a most callous and bloodthirsty manner. The two holding Niu begin to lead him away, kicking the backs of his legs so he'll stumble. No! They'll torture him! Gods, they could even…even…!

"He was a prisoner like my brother!"

All noise ceases abruptly. Attention is upon Ryou. I hold my breath as I wait for a miracle. Our friends are filled with fear while the soldiers look ready to club my sibling for tainting their triumph. The victorious smirk slips from their leader's face. In a sinisterly slow way Hiroki stalks over to him, the tapping of his boots the only sound.

"What was that you said, boy?" he says in a deep guttural growl.

"He…he was captured like Minkah," Ryou states, using his willpower to maintain eye contact. "He didn't do anything wrong!"

The soldiers mutter amongst themselves, vehemence vibrating in the atmosphere. Their tall leader leans down so he's eye-level with my brother.

"Is that so? Then perhaps you'd like to explain it to us…if you can," he finishes with a smirk, his men chuckling darkly.

Ryou doesn't look at me or any of the others. "He and Minkah had only seen one another briefly before Minkah escaped from Apophis. He contacted us through the phone you gave us. I guess Apophis has tapped into your technology somehow. He said he'd found a way to escape but didn't have anywhere to go. Honda, Jou, and Malik went to get him. The assassins found out and one of them followed him…"

"This is bullshit!" a soldier yells.

"Yeah, this brat is lying through his teeth!" another agrees, the rest shouting their concurrence.

"It's the truth!" Ryou screams above their voices making them even more enraged.

"Enough!" Hiroki bellows. His men silence immediately though that doesn't stop the deadly glares being directed at my brother. "Now boy, if this tale you've woven were true then why didn't any of you inform us after he contacted you?"

"I already told you. Apophis has connected to your communication devices. If we'd called you then they would have killed him!" Ryou retorts with an amazing amount of confidence, getting right in the man's face.

The lieutenant's features twitch as another flaw has been pointed out to him. I can see he is too angry now to care about explanations or rationality. He wants results. Already he failed to keep me in his custody. To have a group of civilians foil his victories twice is too much for his ego. The glory of handing the Apophis survivors over to the entire world is too great to pass up. So what if one or two innocents is wrongfully accused?

"Lieutenant, there are only two boys upstairs. They were both here previously. We found nothing," a recognizable voice reports.

Ichiro, the soldier Ryou and the others spoke of, walks down the spiral stairs. If only he could aid us somehow this time. Blue eyes widen when they fall upon the scene before them. Hiroki turns to him.

"Private, do you have any records of this one?" He points accusingly at Niu who has remained silent and impassive throughout the ordeal. His tone makes it sound like he's asking the man to identify a type of parasite. The subordinate is unsure of what to make of this. A fleeting glance at Ryou seems to tell him enough.

"In the interviews I took at the Game Shop two months ago there was a young man with dark skin involved…"

"Ha! So he is an assassin!" one of them begins.

"…but that is all. There is no clear description of the assassin beyond that." Ichiro looks at Niu hesitantly. "I cannot identify him as a member of Apophis based on such miniscule information. The only assassins I would recognize are those that Minkah has provided sketches. None of them match him," he nods to Niu.

"How convenient," someone mutters.

I can tell the others are fighting to keep from gaping at Ryou. I myself don't know whether to celebrate or not. He didn't keep the picture of Afik after all…

…He kept Niu's.

This realization makes me want to scream, though not necessarily at my brother. At everyone. At no one. Yet Afika brought this upon himself by getting involved back in Domino. Logically, what Ryou did makes sense. It would have been pointless to keep Afika's picture as two months ago the army was already given a thorough description of him. Sketch or no, they would recognize him. But not Niu.

(Malik's POV)

Hiroki is beyond livid when Ichiro replies. I'm afraid he'll have us all arrested or shot right here. Niu would argue our claims and surrender but for the fact that it would make us liars. It would put us at the army's mercy. We'd be traitors harboring enemies to the world—which, technically, we are. This is out of his hands now. If he confesses to being a member of Apophis then they'll hang on his every word. It would be expected for an assassin to call us out as traitors. If he said we are guiltless it would be too suspicious.

"How much longer are you going to keep this up?" the lieutenant commands us to answer.

"And what will it take to convince you that Niu has nothin' to do with Apophis?" Jou bites back, dark bruise on his right cheek where he was struck.

"Niu?" Hiroki probes, approaching said teen. "Is there a last name we could look up by any chance? Surely if you were abducted by Apophis then your family must be searching for you." An emotion flashes in Niu's eyes but it's too fast to catch. "It's a simple question, young man. I would think you'd want to go home."

This time the emotion stays. Fury. There is such ferocity in Niu's features that I shiver. What's behind that wrath? The lieutenant is pleased with having drawn such a response from Niu.

"Give me the name. That's all I need to requite you of these charges. You return home. What will it be?"

Niu glares at him, refusing to speak. What the hell does he think he's doing? Is he trying to protect his family? Does he not understand what the man is saying? Is Hiroki talking too fast?

It hits me. Shit. If his family is tracked down they will reveal that he's been gone for years. He can't give the army his name. And, knowing him, he won't make one up with the risk of endangering strangers who happen to have it. One look at Hiroki proves he understands exactly what he's doing. This man is no sucker. He is a lieutenant appointed to bring down the remainder of Apophis. We should have seen this coming.

"Niu tell them!" Jou implores him urgently.

The teen stares straight at the lieutenant. "I do not have one."

"You don't have a last name?"

Niu won't reply, expression cold and bitter.

"He is not the first orphan in the world," Grandpa speaks up; creating a lie off the results of Hiroki's questions and Niu's answer. "He has no family," he emphasizes to make certain Niu understands him.

"Just like all the other assassins," a man beside me grins fiendishly.

"They target people like Niu! That does not make him one of them!" Grandpa rejoins from next to Yugi who managed to sneak over to him.

Ichiro glances at his comrades, our group, his leader, and Niu; unsure of whom he should be focusing. I haven't figured whose side he's on.

"Lieutenant, please be reasonable," Grandpa beseeches him.

"Reasonable, you say? All right." Hiroki smiles shrewdly stroking his bearded chin. "Apophis tattooed a black snake on Minkah's arm after he was captured." He focuses on Minkah. "Does your fellow captive here have an asp on his arm too?"

"I would suppose so," Minkah answers carefully, not wanting to sound too knowledgeable.

"Hmm." The smile widens. "You know what's funny about this story? It would make sense for Apophis to kidnap Minkah because they targeted archeologists like his father. But this one…" Narrowed eyes dissect Niu. "They collected children the plenty. He's a teenager. While a teen would agree to not revolt in order to spare their family and friends, an orphan would have nothing to lose." Damn it, this guy is good. "Yet even a willing recruit would go through the grueling process of becoming an assassin. He should sport scars the plenty…Wounds, if it was recent. He will also bear the Apophis symbol on his arm." Minkah's trembling now. Hiroki nods to the men holding Niu. "Search him!"

They each pull out knives, sick grins plastered on their faces.

"No!" Minkah screams, thrashing to free himself. "Don't touch him!"

"Why? Afraid we'll disprove your fictional account?" Hiroki snorts.

Niu doesn't resist as the blades swiftly cut away his coat, though he winces when they reach his wrist. The soldier on his left grips it tightly, holding his arm up.

"Look here. He's got some sort of burn. Happened recently. Very recently," he determines.

"Go on," Hiroki orders impatiently, not caring about burns.

"Stop it! Stop it!" Minkah's crying now, reliving his own torment at the hands of these people.

Anticipation getting the better of them, the men viciously slice the layers of fabric from Niu's arms. There's an intake of breath from both of them once they reach bare skin. A long pause follows. Then, not so gently, they twist his arms every which way, back and forth in mounting desperation. Niu holds face, eyes watching Minkah the entire time as if trying to reassure him that everything is going to be all right.

"Stop…" Minkah sobs as Ryou attempts to get to his brother to calm him.

"What's wrong?" the lieutenant asks curtly.

The soldiers share an uneasy glance. "There's no…he doesn't have any tattoos. Not even any traces that he had one ever."

Hiroki's face turns red. "Remove his shirt!"

"Stop!" Minkah shrieks, panic taking a hold of him; memories of rape no doubt overwhelming his mind.

Tearing away the last bit of fabric from Niu's torso, the men circle him like excitable hyenas waiting for that right moment to strike. While there are some scars scattered across his skin there's not anything that would plaster 'abuse' or 'extreme injuries' to him. That's when I see his collarbone. The dip behind it running from shoulder to shoulder is a mass of uneven scar tissue. I stare, trying to decipher what could have caused such. Hiroki is on the verge of exploding. The soldiers look at him nervously.

"N-no tattoos or signs of harsh beatings, s-sir."

(Ryou's POV)

Niu gags when the lieutenant's fingers curl around his throat. Minkah continues to scream for mercy, trapped in the past but witnessing the present. I shove through the soldiers who are too busy watching their leader to care about me. Grandpa is heading for Niu and the lieutenant.

"Do you believe us now?"

"Silence Mutou!" the man snaps, thrusting Niu against the wall and holding him fast. "Where are they? Where are the assassins?!"

Once again Niu doesn't answer. I wonder just how much he understands of what has been said. It would probably worsen the situation if they knew his Japanese is scarce. No patience left, Hiroki constricts his fingers, cutting off Niu's windpipe.

"Stop!" Minkah sobs as I reach him.

"Let go of my brother!" I demand, grabbing one of the men's arms.

"Beat it, kid!"

"How about a trade?" Mr. Mutou asks loudly.

The lieutenant studies him scrupulously, not relinquishing his hold on Niu. "I'm listening."

"If Niu gives you the location he was held at then you allow him to remain here with us."

Everyone, my friends and the soldiers alike, wait. Hiroki's hard eyes dart back to Niu who has masked his emotions again.

"If he gives the location," Hiroki snarls.

The assassin closes his eyes.

"North…small cabin…owned by…Hitoshi family…" he chokes.

"I know of that place. I have maps that show all the residence in these woods," Ichiro pipes up, eager to cease the interrogations.

Niu collapses when Hiroki releases him, kicking Niu swiftly in the stomach. The teen gasps in pain as he rises to his knees, one arm wrapped around his stripped abdomen. Nodding to his men, Lieutenant Hiroki treads for the door. Malik and I catch my brother as the soldiers let go of him. He whimpers, burying his face in his hands while pleading.

"They will not…be there," Niu pants, lifting his head to meet Hiroki's gaze. "They will go…somewhere else."

Hiroki's eyes narrow menacingly. "Where?"

Niu shakes his head, taking another deep breath of air.

"Then you'll have to come with us and help us find them, won't you?" the man simpers striding back towards him.

"That wasn't the deal," Honda interjects, stepping between Niu and the commanding officer. "You agreed to leave him with us if he told you where he was imprisoned. He told you. If the assassins have turned-tail and fled it's not his responsibility to track them down. It's yours."

"Quite brash of you to tell me my place," the man's gloved fingers clench. "You tempt me to remind you of yours. Was one punch from my men not enough for you?"

"You're wasting your time bullying us!" Jounouchi intercedes, keeping the lieutenant from drawing more blood from Honda whose chin is stained red. "The people you should be targeting are out there somewhere regrouping and you're here picking on Niu and Mink who've already been through enough!"

"I will concur you are a waste of valuable time," the lieutenant grounds out. "I am a man of my word. He will stay with you." Hiroki is not a fool and promptly dampens this declaration. "And all of you will remain here under house arrest. We will be seizing all of your means of transportation…"

"You can't do that!" Honda objects hotly.

"…as well as keeping a close watch on the mansion and the area surrounding it. You will be contacted regularly several times a day," he continues smoothly as his men march single-file down the hallway and out the door. "There are two of you in particular that will quite certainly be questioned further. You will contact us if there is anything you require such as food and other necessities. In addition, if any more 'prisoners' happen to show up you will notify us at immediately. As of this moment, gentlemen, you are in the custody of the country of Japan," he smirks arrogantly before slamming the door behind him.

While Honda and Jounouchi follow to make certain the army is leaving, I avert my attention to Minkah who has curled up into a ball, swaying back and forth where he's crouched. Malik rests his hand on my brother's shoulder only to have Minkah recoil.

"Yugi, go upstairs and check on Yami and Marik," Mr. Mutou says quietly. Yugi mutely obeys, ascending the stairs while casting concerned looks at us.

"Damn bastards broke the lock!" Honda growls, wiping his bloodied mouth across his sleeve.

"We can fix it," Mr. Mutou says wearily. "For now let's just put a piece of furniture in front of it. This has been a long eventful night."

"Minkah?" Malik asks but my brother shies away from both of us.

"You okay, man?" Jou asks apprehensively from beside Niu who has gotten to his feet. Nodding distractedly, the black teen approaches us, stuck on my brother.

(Malik's POV)

My heartbeat quickens as the quiet assassin approaches us slowly, looking odd in being shirtless but wearing jeans and heavy boots. Kneeling down in front of Minkah, depthless eyes study the white-haired Egyptian.

"Minkah," he adds the accent to our friend's name. Minkah tenses up.

"Let us handle this," I tell Niu who doesn't spare me so much as a glance.

"I 'handled this' for two months," he counters, reaching out with his right hand and placing it gently on the top of Minkah's head. "You know where we are?"

"Yes," is the faint answer. Minkah lifts his head, eyes teary as they scan Niu's bare torso. "They were stripping y-you…They were going to…r-rape you…"

"Minkah…"

"No!" Minkah shakes his head, tears on his face. "They were! They were going to…!"

A pair of dark hands move forward, fingers massaging Minkah's temples while the pads of Niu's thumbs gently stroke his closed eyelids. It is a bizarre technique I've never used for Marik yet within minutes Minkah's breathing slows and his muscles loosen. I note how the left wrist and back of Niu's hand are burned; the skin appearing melted almost. It must have been a result from when he hit Kek in the face. He used something on that bastard. Whatever pain Niu may be experiencing from the wound he doesn't show; focus on soothing Minkah.

"We have talked about this," the older teen reminds him of past conversations that the rest of us know nothing. "Your mind distorts what you are witnessing. You perceive a piece of what happened to you and automatically fear the worst." He pulls his hands away and Minkah opens his eyes. "Go to your brother. He is worried for you."

Minkah hesitates as I motion to Ryou. He lets out a shuddering sigh as his younger sibling draws him into a light hug. Jou, Honda, and Grandpa are looking on in surprise at how easily Niu was able to calm him.

"Dang, he didn't even have to give Mink meds!" Jou says, coming closer. "How'd you do it?"

Niu looks at me for a translation due to Jounouchi's rapid speech and slang.

"He…er, we want to know how you did that."

"I told you, I took care of him for two months. When he had panic attacks I was the only one the there. It was trial and error for a while," he replies quietly.

Grandpa and I both stare at him in admiration. I remember what it was like trying to shelter a hysterical Marik in Egypt. What the hell happened? Did Afika just dump all responsibilities for Minkah on Niu?

"I did not catch much of what Hiroki said towards the end."

"We're all prisoners here," I inform him bleakly. "You included."

Before he can say anything more Minkah speaks from where he's being held in a comforting embrace by Ryou.

"Niu?"

"Yes?"

"Are you…are you leaving?"

There is fear in his voice. Mostly, I believe he is afraid for the older assassin's safety. This makes sense especially since he thought the soldiers were going to assault his comrade.

Meeting my eyes to confirm my words are true, Niu exhales in defeat.

"No. I guess I'm not."

---

-grins- Poor Niu.

...but he lives! He's still alive!

Malik: Those soldiers have a thing for taking people's shirts off.

Ferris: -grinning madly- Yup. -drools at mental image of shirtless Niu- Nyummy!

Niu: -glare-

Ah, my explanation! So I was planning on them catching up with Niu and stopping him, but Kek has developed a mind of his own (like so many of my villains do) and decided he was going to hunt Niu down. Thus the army came and, in conclusion, made the chapter a hell of a lot longer. If you wanna blame anyone for the extra wait blame Kek.

kek: heh.

Really, it's good though. I'm planning some GREAT (by GREAT I mean humorous/cute/fun) scenes for next chapter. While there will still be angst it's time for everyone to settle in since they're under house arrest. XD

Niu: You are enjoying this waaay too much.

Guilty! XDXDXD

And the snake has eaten! Rejoice! Rejoice! -dances around computer chair-

Reviewsies!