A/N: Mentions of Rape and Violence.

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Marik patiently watched the house and waited for the opportunity to strike. Finally, he had it! He'd been keeping track of exactly how many kids were there. He decided the time to strike would be when they were all gone and the guardian wasn't around, though he still wanted Nosaka.

While Nosaka was outside talking to one of the parents, Marik slipped in unnoticed through an open window.

"Hello little one, we met again."

Mokuba looked up and fear came rushing over him seeing Marik there. He got up and started to run but Marik easily caught up with him.

"Where do you think you're going little one?" Marik said, pinning Mokuba to a wall. "I am sorry over this kid, I don't relish in the thought of killing up close like this. But I promise to make it quick so you won't feel it. I don't treat my kills with respect like this normally but it's a new thing for me to be forced to kill a child." Marik said, pulling out his knife and holding it close to the boy's throat. "Now just hold still, it'll only be a minute."

Mokuba whimpered.

Then suddenly they hear, "Who the hell are you? What are you doing in here?"

Marik looked up, moving the knife away from Mokuba a bit. Mokuba looked over and was surprised and happy to see that it was Nosaka. She'd finished her conversation and came in to see this man holding a knife to Mokuba's throat. Mokuba took the chance, ran and threw his arms around Nosaka's waist.

Nosaka wrapped her arms tightly around Mokuba and started to move towards the door slowly. Then Marik charged towards them and Nosaka quickly picked Mokuba up and ran. But Marik got to the door first. He shut the door and Nosaka holding Mokuba backed up against the wall.

"You weren't going somewhere were you?" Marik asked.

"What do you want, here?" Nosaka asked.

"I came here to accomplish my mission."

"What would that be?"

"To kill that brat."

Nosaka tightened her grip around Mokuba. "Look, if you're the man that's been killing all these women and he saw you, you don't have to worry, he won't tell. He's frightened enough as it is that there's no way he could testify against you." Nosaka said.

Marik laughed. "Is that why you think I'm here? To kill him because he saw me after I killed that bitch in the alley."

"It's not?" Nosaka asked.

"No, I don't care about that. I was hired to kill him."

"Hired by who, why?" Nosaka asked.

"It's not important."

"Not important!" Nosaka yelled. "How the hell can it not be important? What could a 10-year-old do that was so bad that someone would hire a hitman?"

"Look lady, why they want him killed is their business not mine. Now just hand over the kid."

"Never, you'll have to go through me first!"

"Not a problem as far as I'm concerned, I wanted a piece of you the moment I saw you."

"I'll do whatever you want just don't hurt Mokuba. He's just a little kid."

Marik walked over to her and moved the knife blade lightly across Nosaka's cheek saying, "So as long as I give my word not to hurt him you'll consent to do anything and everything I ask?"

"Yes." Nosaka said.

Marik smiled. "Really, well then do you happen to have any rope on you?"

"Just the 20-foot one I keep outside the backdoor to use on the calf in the morning to drag it away and tie it up away from the cow so that I can milk it."

Marik turned her around and pushed her still carrying Mokuba forward with his hand and the knife on her neck. "Nothing funny or I won't hesitate to kill you."

"I won't, just don't hurt us."

"Do as you're told and I won't."

They got to the back door and Marik grabbed the back of Mokuba's shirt and pulled him down and away from Nosaka. "Get the rope and if you try anything the kid gets it."

Nosaka nodded, walked outside, got the rope and handed it to Marik who snatched it away.

"Where's the bedroom?" Marik asked.

"It's over there."

"Let's go."

Once they were next to the bedroom Marik pushed Nosaka inside. "Get in there."

Nosaka had a very bad feeling that maybe one or both of them wouldn't make it out of this situation alive. "Please at least let me talk to Mokuba first. Then I promise to do as you ask."

"Fine, just make it fast." Marik said, throwing Mokuba towards Nosaka.

Nosaka got down on her knees and placed her hands on Mokuba's shoulders. "Mokuba no matter what happens I want you to remember I love you and your brother very much. Never, ever forget that."

"I w-won't. I l-love you too." Mokuba said, hugging her neck tightly.

Nosaka hugged him back super tight! "I'm so sorry kiddo, but be good and try to be brave for me."

Mokuba whimpered and nodded.

"All right enough let's get this over with. Come here kid."

Nosaka took the boy over to Marik. "You wont hurt him will you?"

"I told you lady you do as you're told and I wont hurt him. You make me happy and maybe I'll break my contract and just take some of the brat's hair and tell them he's dead. I'm not fond of killing children myself." Then Marik grabbed Mokuba, looked at Nosaka and said. "Get your clothes off, get on the bed and spread your legs for me." Then he turned and proceeded to tie Mokuba up, he tied his hands to his ankles, just outside the door. Then he walked into the room and shut the door. "Now, down to business." Marik said and proceeded to remove his clothes. Then he moved on to her bed and proceeded to lick and nibble all over her before raping her.

The whole time Mokuba whimpered and hid his head between his knees. 'Ryo where are you, I need you!'

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At the same time at the castle, Ryo was having to stack feed sacks with Tristan. Suddenly he gets light headed.

"Hey are you okay man?" Tristan asked.

"No, I have to go." Ryo said.

"Go? Go where?"

"I have to get to Nosaka's. Mokuba's hardly left my side recently. I-I just got this feeling that he's in trouble! He needs me."

"Hey look if you leave now, Amelda will never allow you to become a guard!" Tristan said.

"My brother's more important!"

"Look, I'll tell you what, I need to make what I did, up to you. I'll go check on him. Plus Nosaka is my sister. If the boy's in danger then she's probably in danger too."

"Thank you Tristan."

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Back at the house, Marik finished up, got up and started cleaning himself off.

"Oh, god that was the best I've had in a long time."

Then he walked outside and stood over Mokuba. "You know I've never had a kid before, that's my brother's obsession. But you know…" Marik started bending down to Mokuba's level. "There's a first time for everything. My brother tells me that children, especially little boys, are extremely tight! What do you say little one, how about we find out if he's right and see just how tight you really are."

Nosaka hearing this couldn't allow it, she'd just went through a horrible rape by this bastard she wasn't going to let him hurt Mokuba if she could avoid it at all! Since she agreed not to fight him, he hadn't tied her up. She got up all though shakily and made her way to the door just as Marik started to untie Mokuba.

"You bastard." Nosaka said getting Marik's attention. "You promised me you wouldn't hurt him now you're sitting there saying that you're going to rape him!" With that, she slapped him hard across the face!

"You bitch." Marik said, grabbing Nosaka's hands and shoved her back into the room. "If you move from that spot I will kill this kid!" Marik told Nosaka, then retied the boy, then walked back into the room and started to rape Nosaka again. When he was finished this time, he looked at her and knew she'd only get in the way no matter what he tried to do with the boy. So, he got up, grabbed his knife and slit her throat. "Finally she's out of the way." Marik said getting up and pouring water from the pitcher into the water basin. Then he washed the blood off.

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Tristan had been lazily riding towards Nosaka's. Suddenly he sped up, as he now understood the feeling Ryo had been talking about. Ryo's feelings meanwhile had gotten even worse. He didn't care what consequences followed; he had to check on Mokuba and Nosaka.

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Marik walked outside, cut some of Mokuba's hair and put it in a pouch. Then he went and got dressed. He walked back out and looked at Mokuba. "You're lucky kid, I decided I'm not in the mood to try you." He shakily held the knife to the kid's throat as Mokuba whimpered.

Then a sudden knocking on the door startled him. He walked out into the living room to check it out.

"Nosaka! Nosaka answered me!"

When no answer came Tristan burst open the door and seeing Marik there he charged. Marik easily avoided Tristan and hit him in the back of the head.

"So many distractions. I'd better get this over with before anything more happens." Marik said, moving towards the kitchen. He reached up and removed a wooden kitchen match from its iron casing above the wall near the cast iron stove. Then he took some bacon grease and poured it over the firewood stacked in the corner next to it. Then he lit the match, threw it on the grease and watched it burn. Then he walked back and stepped around Tristan and left. There were just one too many things happening. He was now too spooked to try to kill the kid. He felt there was a curse or something about that kid. Since every time he tried to kill him something happened. He didn't want to kill him anyway. He got his proof and the fire would do his job for him.