A/N: Sorry it took me a really long time to update.

Chapter 3: Deceit

"Waah!" Yugi cried out. He felt totally humiliated when Malik had first told him his part. He was to simply sit there and play a role of some crybaby and allure Yami and his group. Of course he was prefect for the part being literally innocent compared to both Malik and Ryou. The Egyptian had also then reasoned about Yugi having charisma and that he was a better actor than any them, so how exactly can he refuse?

He didn't have a choice to begin with.

After a few minutes Yami, Marik and Bakura had expectedly appeared from the bushes. They were dumbstruck for the first few seconds after seeing Yugi sprawled about the ground, crying. "H-he looks exactly just like Yami, just younger………" Marik murmured to no one in particular.

"Wh-who are you people?" Yugi asked a bit awkwardly.

Yami glanced at the boy, "We heard you crying………"

"Oh I-I'm sorry I didn't mean"

Yami shook his head "No, its all right, is there a problem?" he smiled as he kneeled over, getting seemingly close to Yugi, who was somewhat panicking inside.

"I-I got lost………" he lied

"Unfortunately we can't help you since we're kinda lost ourselves" Marik stated with a rather cheeky grin.

"All thanks to this blonde block head here!" Bakura snarled earning a glare from the other.

"Kura, don't be mean!" Marik complained. At first Yugi found it rather amusing on how the 2 looked as well as acted almost the same way as Malik and Ryou did. The only difference was that they looked leaner and more mature compared to the 2.

Yami looked over to his companions and gave out a long sigh "Gomen, you have to see this, they tend to make a scene regardless of the people around them" he glared as Yugi plainly smiled.

Bakura snorted and turned his gaze to Yugi who slightly flinched with their momentary eye contact. He did somewhat look like Ryou but their attitudes were seemingly different. Ryou had always been the kind hearted one, but this stranger was entirely different judging by his looks.

"Bakura, stop scaring!!" Yami scolded as the albino rolled his eyes in reply "What's your name?"

"Yugi………"

"I'm Yami and that's Bakura and that's Marik!" his look-alike smiled pointing at his 2 companions. Marik waved back at the tri color haired teen while Bakura on the other hand made no effort to respond

"Where are your parents?" Marik asked

"I don't have any………" Yugi stuttered

"And that's why we take care of him!" a voice said from behind Marik. "Since its not as if we can fully rely on grown-ups either way!" he continued as Marik's initial reaction was turn to look at the intruder, but his action only resulted with a knife being locked in his throat by a hooded man………

"Who are you!!?" Yami exclaimed coldly as he shielded Yugi, not realizing that the boy was a part of their group

"Don't move if you don't want to see me to slit your friend's throat" the voice said, in its usual calmness.

"Then do it! Not that I would care!" Bakura snorted as the hooded intruder grinned pressing the knife in the flesh, making it slightly bleed.

"Hn, so he really is serious!" Yami murmured, with his unusual calmness

"Of course I am!"

"Ne, Malik, stop that!" another voice said as another hooded stranger appeared from behind them. He then turned his gaze at the 3 "We only need your money-we promise to leave afterwards" he said as Bakura turned to glance at the one speaking.

"Then take it!" Bakura said challengingly as Ryou glanced at his look-alike a bit awkwardly. He nodded as he approached the older man from behind. He blushed after seeing that Bakura was actually wearing leather, meaning no pockets.

"Do you even carry money?!" Ryou asked irritably as Marik on the other hand grinned. He was sure that the boy was blushing behind that dark cloak that he was wearing. I mean who wouldn't when you actually come across a Bakura-in-leather (not to mention that you actually had to touch him to get what you wanted)

"Ma-Malik?" Ryou said in a pouty voice

"To-touch him then!"

"Yada! You do it!!!"

"Baka Ryou! Its not as if you never touched any other guys before!!!"

"Hey!!!!" Ryou shouted out as he gathered all the courage he had and approached Bakura who was grinning inwardly to himself.

"I don't let anyone just touch me" Bakura finally spoke

"Its not like I want too. I won't if you just give me your wallet!" Ryou pouted feeling awfully embarrassed

"Unfortunately that won't work either!" the albino grinned as he suddenly grasped Ryou by the arm and pulling him toward himself, causing the younger one to fall off balance.

"Ryou!!!" Malik cried out letting his guard down which Marik on the other hand took as an opportunity to slap the knife away from the other's hand. Malik quickly paced away from Marik sensing that the other will be most likely be a barrier for him to reach Ryou, who on the other hand was struggling with Bakura's grasp………the only free one now was………Yugi!

Yugi, seemingly to have sensed his 2 friends in a tight fit, took a deep breath and gathered all his courage as he lunged at Yami and tackled him to the ground.

"YAMI!" Marik and Bakura shouted in unison. Malik took this opportunity as he swiftly ran for his dagger. Ryou on the other was also successfully on pushing the older albino away, but in doing so, the cloak that covered his face was automatically blown backwards revealing the same features as Bakura.

"What the!?" Bakura cursed as Ryou paced back, Malik backing him up

"No use for this wretched clothe anymore!" the Egyptian snickered as he too of took out his own cape, the hilt of his dagger now against Marik. "Yugi, Sankyuu!" he smiled as the younger teen ran towards them.

Marik glared at Malik as he stood still, finding no other option. He knew the boy was dead serious about slitting his throat and he couldn't really do anything about it. "Onegai! Please just give us your wallets and we'll leave" Yugi sniffed.

"And no funny antics!" Ryou growled as he glared at Bakura who smirked in reply. Now that he had seen the boy's face, he wouldn't really mind being touched by him.

"Well, well it seems the 3 had caught themselves 3 fat mice!" a voice came from the bushes as Ryou instinctively came in front of Yugi. He knew that voice and how he loathed it.

"What do you want Keith?" Malik growled as he adverted his gaze as the shadowy part of the alleyway. The ironic thing of it was that he was seemingly defending the 3 aristocrats.

"What's going on here?!" Yami asked

"Yami-sama!" Ryou started figuring it was the name of Yugi's look-alike "Can you please take care of Yugi for a while?" he murmured as Yami nodded.

"Ryou what are you doing?"

"Malik I think its better to trust them than Keith!" the albino reasoned as Malik nodded. Both were equally frustrated since they had to give up the chance of robbing the 3 to simply put up to Keith's foolishness.

"You 3 are in for a beating, I'll make sure you pay for what you did earlier" he growled as he and his men emerged from behind. Malik and Ryou backed away, they were greatly out numbered and not only did they have to protect Yugi but the 3 innocent strangers as well.

Bakura glanced at his look-alike and so did Marik, they had first noticed that the 3 including Yugi had numerous scars and bruises and despite their being skilled they were still a bit too young. Bakura glared at the man named Keith, he hated the look that he gave Ryou. Cancel that, he hated everything about the bastard, how can he pick on someone much younger than he was?

Malik sighed as he lunged at a group of men. He struggled against them, kicking and punching one after another fervently. Ryou on the other hand took a defensive stance as he took on the others that dared to come his way. "Ryou! Malik!" Yugi cried but Yami held a tight grip on the younger's shoulder.

Of course Bakura and Marik were not as patient as they too joined in the fight. Everything seemed to have been under control at first when there was a sudden strangled grasp that came from Ryou. Malik instantly slashed one of the thugs and turned at Ryou who was roughly pulled by Keith as he was held by 2 smirking buffoons.

"Fuck you Keith! Let him go!" Malik cursed. He should have known that the bastard wouldn't let Ryou go that easily. Bakura glared as he watched his look-alike struggle from the man who was currently slipping his hand in the others pants

"That's right, how much I would want to fuck this one senseless" he purred as again Ryou struggled fanatically

"Yameru, onegai! Malik, tasukete!" he cried as the man began to touch him in unwanted places. Bakura snarled as he suddenly lunged at the man and punched him hard on the face. Malik and Yugi awed as Keith was sent backwards, Ryou clutching tightly into his look-alike's shirt. He was shaking terribly and Malik dropped his dagger and approached his friend.

"Ryou, it okay, he's gone now" he muttered but for some reason the albino didn't seem to calm down as he buried his head on Bakura's chest, to the older's surprise.

"What happened to him?" Marik asked the Egyptian boy

"He's been raped. And I guess Keith's antics brought back memories!" he replied as he glanced at Marik. "Go-Gomenasai. We never meant for this to happen" he muttered as Ryou finally managed to calm down a little.

Yugi then rushed to his friend's side "Ryou-kun daijoubu?" he asked as the albino looked at him and nodded sheepishly

"Ha-Hai! Gomen!" the albino stuttered as he then looked at Bakura awkwardly "Arigato" he muttered as he stood up and grasped his fallen dagger "I guess I just panicked" he said truthfully, forcing out a chuckle to lighten up the mood.

After hearing this Yami approached the trio "You 3 aren't so bad for thieves" he smirked "and little Yugi here actually had me believed that he was all alone" Yami continued as he ruffled the boy's hair. Malik and Ryou frowned but nodded nevertheless.

"Boy, were you really--?" Bakura asked sheepishly as Ryou glanced at him

"Raped? Yes several years back, several times I- I was Pegasus's whore! But it obviously doesn't matter now does it, why would people like yourself even bother about the likes of me" he murmured as he suddenly ran off without saying another.

"Ryou! Wait!" Malik exclaimed. He sighed and looked at the 3 and as if swallowing his pride bowed to them "Thank you for helping us" he whispered "Ryou would have appreciated it as well" he smiled as he grasped Yugi's arm and ran after their albino friend

"Now why'd you have to ask him that?" Marik glared

"I don't know. He somewhat reminded me of myself" Bakura replied "I never knew someone as young as him can be taken advantage off"

"Pegasus? I wonder if they were talking about THE Maximillian Pegasus? Yami muttered

"You know them Yami?" Marik questioned

"He was the head of a syndicate. He sells slaves, some he keep for himself. He was a very famous man and I've hear rumors that anyone that defied him ended up dead"

"Does that mean those 3 are?"

"Seems like it" Yami nodded "We better asked Kaiba about this"

"There's seems to be a little problem Yami, we're still kinda lost if you haven't figured it out yet!" Bakura sneered

END OF CHAPTER 3:

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