Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Firemoth ❯ Chapter 6 ( Chapter 6 )

Xpyne: Oooh, ooh, guess what guess what!?!?!??!?

Seto: ........What?

Xpyne: Firemoth has its own website now!! With fan art pictures by me, and an unedited archive of the fic. If you're thinking, "I'm confused....It's not edited, is it?" Weell, it wasn't until chapter six here. Not much. ::sigh:: just enough to keep it rated R rather than NC-17, ya know? I wouldn't want to get me and Soli-chan kicked off FF.net for the sixth, yes sixth, time. This is the unedited version.

Seto: ::in monotone:: Please. Go to her website. Look at her art and tell her what you think here in a review or there in her guestbook.

http:// www.geocities. com/ soliandxpyne/ firemothfanart. html?1072249398010

Make sure you take out the spaces when you copy and paste it.

Xpyne: ><;; Sound excited, why don't you?? I'm excited. Anyway, more confusing Latin titles to be explained at a later date. And hey, a new character actually explains something in this chapter instead of leaving you all even more confused as usual!

Seto: Solitaire helped a bit this chapter.

Xpyne: Ah, yes, yes, which is why her bitch Seto is helping me with Authoress Notes instead of my bitch Yuugi, heehee. She wrote three whole paragraphs of it when I got stuck....(well I wasn't really stuck, more like taking a little break. Soli has really had me under the whip the past few days. ::in annoying, imitating Soli voice:: "are you working on vampy? Work on vampy. Why aren't you working on vampy?!?!" -__-;;)

Seto: Xpyne owns this weird plot and some of the stupid jargon. She doesn't own me or Yu-Gi-Oh!, and sure as hell isn't making any money off this crap, so don't sue.

Firemoth

Chapter 6

v * v * v * v * v * v * v * v * v

"You're back already?" was what he wanted to say.

But in actuality, he said nothing. He just watched, large brown eyes glittering in the shadows as his master strode around, issuing orders in an authoritative voice. "Go do this," "Go get that," "Now, dumbass": things of that sort. It was a long while before his master seemed to notice him. It was nearly dawn, only an hour or so left, and the others in the mansion had already retired for the night. As the last servant disappeared, slipping unobtrusively out the immense gilded doors, latch sliding into place from the inside, Ryou was alone with his master.

The lanky Egyptian night stalker sighed in a long-suffering manner, crossing the room and collapsing onto scarlet silk and tangerine chiffon. He lay there limply for several minutes, eyes closed. Finally, Ryou crept from his warm little enclave of pillows and blankets, long black chains clinking in the otherwise silent chamber. A pair of metal bands encircled each of Ryou's slender limbs, and attached to each platinum upper armlet or thigh band was a fifty foot long chain welded to one of four walls. He had freedom of movement and little else. Other than the chains, he wore a white silken cloth draped over his loins and rear, intricate rubidium embroidery trimming the material, with three strands of silver connecting the front and back of the sparse skirt.

He crawled over the mounds of soft bedding until he was perched beside his master, studying him intently. This life, this vampire, was all he'd ever known. He supposed he must have had a mother, and a father, at some point in his life, but he just couldn't remember. If he thought hard enough and long enough, sometimes....there was a girl, just a baby, toddling around. She had white hair and blue eyes and chubby pink skin.

Sister, maybe.

But that didn't matter, really. His only family was Malik. Malik, his caretaker. Malik: his father, teacher, companion, and master. Malik, who never aged and who never tired of him. Hesitantly, he stretched out one long hand and brushed back the blonde hairs covering his lover's eyes. ['Are you alright?' Why can't I just ask? He's not going to hurt me. He never hurts me on purpose.] As if sensing some fear or apprehension, the leader of the Rare Hunters opened his lavender eyes.

"Mmm...Pet?"

Ryou remained silent, as usual. He shifted, his waist long silvery hair spilling over one bare shoulder. Malik gathered up a great handful of the shimmering locks to his face and inhaled deeply.

"You smell exquisite," he complimented, pulling the slender teen on top of him. He kissed Ryou's jaw, and the bandage covering his throat. "I'm glad to see you're better. Have you eaten? You're still too pale." Ryou smiled mysteriously. It was nice to know he was cared about. "I'm leaving again tomorrow. You want anything before I go?"

Ryou shook his head. Then he leaned down and pressed his lips to his master's. It had been at least two whole nights since he had played with his master, and despite the wounds on his neck, he was in the mood. Malik grinned.

"Oh, I think you want something," he insinuated, rolling atop his favorite pet in a rustle of chains and silk. Ryou gasped, throwing his arms over his head in a submissive gesture. Malik immediately went for the throat, clamping his lips onto the tender area. Ryou hissed in pain, throwing one thigh over his master's waist and grinding himself against the other, the chains on his leg flung over them. Malik could feel his veep was already aroused, thrusting against him in the most seductive manner. He forced himself away from the bruised and bandaged skin, sliding his fangs down his pet's body, hard enough to scratch, but not enough to break the skin. When he reached the teen's pale, slender thighs, he spread them roughly and flipped aside the white silk, revealing his pet's erection.

"M-master!" he cried, shuddering, his body arching. Malik licked his lips, eyes half-lidded. All that blood, rushing to one area. He lowered his head, parting his lips for it to enter. The vampire drew the sex into his mouth hungrily, relishing the heat throbbing in his mouth, all that blood separated from him by the thinnest layer of flesh. He sucked until he couldn't retrain his lust any longer. Throwing his head back with a guttural cry, he began covering the supple white skin before him in kisses, moaning headily. Ryou pulled at his shirt, yanking the black leather over his head. "Take me! Do it!" he begged, hands curling tightly in Malik's blonde hair. "Take me!"

Malik ripped off his pants and threw one long leg over his shoulder, lifting his own hand to his mouth and slashing it with his fangs. Brightly colored blood poured readily from the wound and he stroked himself, coating his member in the slippery liquid. He thrust into his veep, drawing a shriek from the pale boy. Again and again he pounded into the hot little human, reveling in the euphoria only flesh could bring into being.

Ryou thrashed and screamed, clinging to his master, entwining them in a passionate tangle of long white hair and black chains. His ivory skin was flushed, burning, as he sought to close all space between himself and his vampire lover. He screamed in ecstasy and pain, digging his fingers into Malik's muscular arms. As their bodies untied, Ryou thrust his tongue into his master's mouth, raking it over razor sharp fangs. The blood poured burning like blissful acid into Malik's lips, enflaming his vampiric senses. He came with a groan, sucking on the bloodied tongue as he emptied himself into his veep. The hypnotic, aphrodisiac venom rushed freely from Malik's stimulated fangs, enrapturing Ryou, who released against his lover.

Malik rolled off his veep, sated. "....." He reached over and pulled his slightly paralyzed sex partner into his embrace. Until his vampire's venom wore off, the white haired boy would be very groggy and have difficulty moving. But it was almost dawn. Pressing a kiss to the drowsy boy's forehead, Malik rose, tossing off the loops of chain that had wound their way around him. He retired to his secure underchamber, a small room containing a cast iron coffin that locked from the inside. He lay down in the soft lilac satin lining and pulled the latch fast. Often Ryou would sleep in here with him, but not today. Malik trusted his servants would clean his veep and make him comfortable in his absence. Tomorrow night, he hunted Darkness.

v * v * v * v * v * v * v * v * v

Kaiba squinted against the breaking dawn. He had been driving all night. Yuugi was buckled into a seat bolted in the back staring forward silently, as he had been for the past hour or two, ever since Bakura, the Social One, had fallen asleep curled up on his kimono. All he could think about was the Darkness.

"Come and make me."

At that, a mocking laugh echoed around them, it origin undeterminable. The blonde vampire narrowed his pale, luminescent eyes, grip tightening on his katana.

"I surround you. Your eyes are blind to all but what I let you see. Would one so weak dare challenge Darkness itself?"

"Hunh. Your parlor tricks do not impress me, anymore than cold hurts or absence of light offends. Show yourself, that I may skewer you on my sword and be done with your childish games."

Glowing red eyes materialized in front them, followed by a white fanged smirk and an appallingly handsome face. It was, of course, the beautiful vampire Yuugi had met once before.

"Would you see me? Would you like a name to go along with your humiliation?" he smiled charmingly. "I am Yami. Remember it." He paused, his blood colored eyes narrowing, fixing on Yuugi. "Release the child and I spare you tonight."

"This child belongs to me. Lust after another mortal whore," Malik suggested flippantly. The small vampire frowned.

"Malik, Rare Hunter, servant of the Ancient Shadi --" Malik's face hardened in anger at being referred to as an underling. "--you overestimate your say in the matter." In a movement too fast for Yuugi to register, he found himself yanked from Malik's grasp, the Hunter thrown in the dirt. Malik lunged at them, and Yuugi shrieked, burying his face in the welcoming arms that stretched out to protect him. Malik's twin swords were bared and slicing through the air in a silvery blur, attacking ferociously, but they couldn't touch him, so fast was the dark one to lift his own slender blade and deflect each blow. Yuugi was paralyzed with fear, clutching the cold, lean body of the dark vampire. He could see no possible escape. But then the sound had built in his ears, the high pitched whine, louder and louder.

Malik burst out laughing. "Looks like you leave the child or you fry. See you Hell, Yami." And then he dissolved into a cloud of vampire bats, scratching and biting as the swarm scattered, disappearing beyond the black fog's borders. To Yuugi's surprise, Yami threw his cloak over himself and Yuugi, and clutched the diminutive teen tightly. "Hold on, little light," the Darkness whispered.

And then it seemed the burning sun consumed them, and Yuugi, his dunpeal blood too sensitive, blacked out.

Yuugi sighed. At least now he knew his name. [Yami...] Yuugi shook his head wearily, the scene replaying for the hundredth time in his mind. Dawn's light washed over him suddenly and the glanced up, startled. Finally, the night was over. He had survived another. Relaxing for the first time since the last evening had fallen, he allowed sleep to claim his taxed body and hoped no dreams would torment his exhausted mind.

Kaiba announced aloud, "I'm stopping at a diner a mile up the road." Glancing in the rear view mirror, the brunette observed that his two companions were fast asleep. Speaking of sleep, Kaiba was rather too tired himself. He needed a nap. Pulling off the super highway, he parked down a deserted alley. He turned the van's armor on, closing out the morning's faint pink light and securing the vehicle. Leaning his seat back, he closed his bleary eyes and slipped into a deep slumber.

v * v * v * v * v * v * v * v * v

When his sapphirine eyes opened hours later, he was surprised to feel the van was moving. He half sat up, disoriented for a moment or two until he realized he had been moved to the back, his cloak spread over him like a blanket. Kaiba pushed himself into a full sitting position against the wall of the van, his muscles aching, and pulled his cloak up to his chin. His eyes shifted to stare at the back of Bakura's head.

"What do you think you're doing?" he stated. "Move over. I'll take the wheel." The ivory haired slayer didn't answer and a slight frown of annoyance creased Kaiba's brow. "I said--"

"I heard what you said; I'm ignoring you." Bakura glanced back at him in the rearview mirror, and the brunette didn't have to be able to see his mouth to know he was smirking at him. "I'm not your wet nurse, so I don't know exactly how long it's been, but knowing you, I'm guessing you haven't slept more than five hours in the last thirty, and I for one would appreciate not not waking up plastered to the asphalt." A muscle in Kaiba's jaw twitched. "So sit back and enjoy the rest of the ride. Hell, shock us all by going back to sleep, or even eating something back there." Out of the corner of his eye, Kaiba noticed a small pile of shrink-wrapped sandwiches and a case of plastic water bottles.

After a suitable period of resentful silence, the blue-eyed teen snatched up a water bottle and rifled through the sandwiches until he found one he thought he could stomach. Pulling away the plastic wrap, Kaiba took as large a bite as he could force himself to. While he chewed slowly and deliberately, his eyes strayed to the little Tracker seated across from him and still deeply asleep.

"Has he eaten?"

"Yeah. Kid scarfed his food, took a leak, and was back asleep within five minutes."

"Good," was all the brunette muttered, then grimaced as he forced down another bite of his tuna sandwich. (AN/ Barf! Tuna is sick.)

"...He seemed pretty worried about you," the crypt raider added slyly after a few moments. "He was afraid you were unconscious or something, until I explained that you'd pretty much crashed and would sleep like the dead for another hour or so at least. I had to get this show on the road again, so I let him dress your wound, heh." Kaiba's hand reflexively went to his chest, and he could feel the gauze and medical tape through the shreds in the fabric of his suit. "I hope you don't mind?"

"Just what the hell are you insinuating!" Kaiba growled, fighting back a blush.

"Heheheh--oh shit," Bakura swerved to avoid rear ending a slower moving rice rocket. Once he had control of their tank again, he returned his attention to his pretending-not-to-be-distraught partner. "Heh heh. Nothing: it was just a more economical use of our precious daylight hours. Heheehheh--I hope he did a good job--" more snickers "--he sure took long enough." Bakura was fit to burst now. "--Guess-guess he was in no hurry to put your shirt back on! Ahahahehehaha!!" Bakura had lost it now, cackling madly at his own mean jokes, tears streaming down his cheeks. Kaiba's cheeks were aflame.

"Watch the road, you moron!" Bakura was grinding against the concrete barrier now, sparks flying and a painful grating noise vibrating through the Vamp Van's frame. The white haired slayer jerked the wheel to side, righting their course once more. "I'd rather not not-live-out-the-rest-of-my-days in an Afdlamne District prison for traffic violation! Get out of my seat. I'm driving."

All the yelling and reckless driving had awakened one bleary eyed Tracker. He sat up, yawning and rubbing his half-lidded violet orbs. "What's going on, guys?"

"Nothing," Kaiba stately coldly, daring Bakura to object. "Go back to sleep." Yuugi stared at the brunette broken heartedly.

"Oh--Okay." Yuugi leaned back against his seat and closed his eyes, prepared to try and fall back asleep as quickly as possible. Kaiba dragged his glare from the back of Bakura's head and glanced at Yuugi uncertainly.

"You don't--you don't have to go back to sleep."

One large, amethyst eye peeked open slowly. When it saw it was being stared at, it quickly shut again. "It's okay. I'm tired," Yuugi assured Kaiba unconvincingly. Kaiba swallowed, scowling at the snickering driver briefly before trying again.

".....When you aren't so tired anymore, I'd like to talk to you," the blue eyed boy offered. Several minutes passed in silence (well, silence discounting Bakura's occasional snigger). Then Yuugi cracked his eyes again, sneaking a look at one lanky brunette from underneath thick black lashes. OOOHe sat up again, warily regarding the teen across from him.

"What happened in the dark realm?" Bakura's snickers subsided and he sighed. Oh, here was a romantic topic.

Yuugi swallowed.

"I--I don't remember much--"

"You said that--vampire--saved your life," Kaiba prompted, eyes glinting.

Yuugi blinked, not liking the proverbial corner he had been backed into. "There was a blonde vampire with dark skin--I think he was a--Arabian, or something from the Old Middle East--and he was Malik, I think, and he grabbed me."

"Mah-leek," Kaiba repeated. Yuugi nodded.

"Then--then everything went dark and cold, like before. The Darkness, the ancient vampire, appeared. He took me from Malik and fought him off without hardly even trying! They had swords. And then there was this noise..." [The sun-flash building. This is the second time sunlight has hurt me in their presence. If they realize...I'm dead.] "..and the Darkness told me to hold on. Malik did that bat thing, and swarmed over me, and I blacked out. When I woke up, you had me." Silence fell when he had finished.

Finally, Kaiba spoke. "Kura. Get that bonkotsu from Intelligence on the 'Rare Hunters' and 'Malik.'" Bakura twisted around in his seat and riffled through a compartment for a transmitter. "And for God's sake, watch the road!!"

v * v * v * v * v * v * v * v * v

Around midday, Bakura stopped for a bathroom break at one of the painfully ugly truck stops, the smell of piss and hick permeating the entire establishment.

"Wake up already!" Bakura shook Yuugi violently, irritated. The teen's head lolled back and he snored. "I'm not stopping again," he threatened. "So you'd better get up now."

"Hurry up already," Kaiba ordered loftily, sliding into the driver's seat. Bakura turned on him.

"I'm trying! This damn kid is dead!" Yuugi smacked his lips together sleepily and curled up against Bakura. "Argh, that's it," he fumed. He hoisted Yuugi into his arms and climbed out the back of the van. He put Yuugi on his feet and gripped his shoulders firmly. "Let's go." As he half dragged, half shoved the petite boy towards the impoverished convenient store, he swore he could hear the blue eyed boy laughing at him.

Once they were standing outside the single bathroom, Bakura fumbling with the key he'd gotten from the manager, Yuugi seemed to wake up.

"Wh-where are we?"

"Bathroom. Have fun." Bakura had managed to open the door and shoved Yuugi inside. A minute later, he heard the water running. Several minutes later, the water was still running. Bakura knocked on the door. "Hey, you alright in there?" No response. "Yuugi?" Bakura opened the door and entered. He spotted Yuugi immediately, slumped over the dirty sink with the faucet on. [Oh, fuck.] Bakura rushed to his side. "I don't believe it," he stated aloud. Yuugi had fallen asleep washing his hands.

Bakura hustled a disorientated Tracker back into the van a few minutes later.

"Is he alright?" Kaiba queried, noticing the Tracker had the kind of sickly flush one acquires after being out in the sun too long over his cheeks and nose.

"Ah-hmm, I'm fine..." Yuugi trailed off, curling up in his seat and promptly falling asleep. Kaiba roared back onto the freeway.

"He's worse than you," Bakura accused, slumping back. His green eyes darted to his partner's soft, voluminous white cloak. It'd make the perfect pillow.

"Don't even think about it."

v * v * v * v * v * v * v * v * v

A black Viper convertible tore down the battered superhighway, racing towards an unusual destination. Actually, the destination itself was not so unusual, rather, it was unusual that the woman controlling the ebony sports car should be headed towards this destination, of all places. For how many twenty-two year-old ex-convicts sought out Nyctomortem headquarters?

The buxom woman veered off an exit ramp and shifted gears, pursing her full red lips together. She didn't like what was going on, what her associates were planning. They called it a venture to "empower human-vamp relations and promote permanent peace." She called it a pretentious attempt at genocide. But, for the moment anyway, the lady's hands were tied. She used be disgusted by Nyctomortem, and their over-dressed self-righteous morals; now she was one of them. Sometimes you had to sell your soul to avoid the Devil, even it was just an extension, really, instead of the promised pardon from her execution sentence.

Her tires screamed down the long, circuitous driveway, a red flash whipping over her left flank as she sped through the decorative arc guarding the entrance of the compound, the only sign anyone had noticed her imminent arrival. The flash, of course, had been a laser scanner that read the invisible ultraviolet-responsive barcode painted two foot long, half a foot high on her Viper's door. The Castle Nyctomortem appeared around a bend at last, its spiraling steel towers and gargoyle-guarded turrets a testament to the modern day architectural obsession with the gothic.

The modern day human, at least the artistic one, was obsessed with the utterly taboo fashion of vampirism. To dress like a death eater was edgy; to have encountered one (without being tainted by it, of course), was enviable; and to live in a glass and steel castle that would have proved too good for Dracula was quintessential Nyctomortem. Nyctomortem could get away with imitating that which it hated for the simple reason it was, and always had been, an organization of fantastical proportion. The pathetically boring average human worshipped the slayer, and all he stood for. The murder, the pain, the suffering and isolation--day walkers grasped the concept that the life of a slayer was unique, but they didn't really understand. Slayers were cool. They were beyond emotion. Slayers kill vampires, and vampires are bad. It was too uncomfortable a question to ask, "Are slayers therefore good?" The blonde careening down Nyctomortem's front lawn had been slaying night stalkers for almost six years, and she considered herself anything but a "good girl."

The woman squealed to a stop in front of the looming castle, throwing back her door and sliding seductively out of her car, slinging a pack over her shoulder. She tossed the keys to a waiting attendant, smirking at his obvious intimidation, bordering on fear. She paused as she passed him, leaning slightly in his direction even as her beautiful eyes were trained forward.

"Hey," she whispered, and he stiffened. "Don't muss the interior." She tossed her long blonde locks over her shoulder and strode up the walk way to the great double doors, engraved like the gates of Hell. They opened as she approached, golden light pouring out into the night and silhouetting the form that stood within the doorway.

"Miss Valentine. Welcome back."

v * v * v * v * v * v * v * v * v

"Oh man, is Kaiba gonna have his panties in a knot when he gets here. I'm talkin' one seriously pissed off Cruentus. This is not good."

"Aww, well don't worry, hon; I won't let him lop your cute head off." The blonde woman winked, dropping into a comfortable black armchair with a sigh, violet eyes sliding shut.

"Gee, thanks." The teen picked up her bag and hefted it over his shoulder. "Geez, whadda you got in here, rocks?"

The woman smiled, eyes still shut. "A Maks shotgun, two Falcon side arms, a PK-102 assault rifle and of course, my diamond plated Harpie's Claw: everything a girl needs for a good time."

"Heh heh, but where d'ya keep your spare underwear?"

"Jounouchi, you pervert, how about I show you where I keep my spare left hook?" she threatened, glaring at him. He grinned.

"What ever makes you happy." She smiled, despite herself.

"It's been too long, Katsu-kun." He made a face.

"Not long enough for you to get away with that sickening pet name, Mai-chan. C'mon. I wanna hear what Isis had to say to you. Are you sticking around for a while this time?" He extended his free hand, the one not holding her bag, to help her up. She eyed it from her very comfortable position of being slouched across smooth black leather. Sighing, she allowed her self to be helped up and led the way out of the spacious outer room of the Genetrix, Ishizu Isis's office, and toward the elevators.

"So is this why you were waiting for me outside Ishizu-sama's office? For gossip and protection? (How did you piss off Kaiba this time, anyway?)," she demanded shrewdly.

"Ouch! You wound me. Believe it or not, I missed you. (And I can take Kaiba on by myself any day, Cruentus or not)," Jounouchi replied, entering the elevator and waiting as his companion pressed the floor number.

"Right. Well, who am I to disappoint? I'm here on assignment, obviously. As part of the field team for Firemoth--"

"You're working on Firemoth??" Jounouchi cried. Mai Valentine shot him a quizzical look.

"Yes. You got a problem with that?" Jounouchi glowered.

"What if I do?" he asked darkly, planting one arm on the elevator wall beside Mai's head, boxing her in. Surprise, an emotion Miss Valentine rarely experienced anymore flickered over her countenance, before her suave demeanor returned.

"Hmph. Well then I'd say too bad for you," she responded arrogantly, slipping her arms around his neck and bringing her face centimeters from his, licking her dark painted lips. Her violet eyes bore into his uncharacteristically serious honey colored ones. The elevator doors opened with a chime. Suddenly Jounouchi seemed to snap out of it.

He pulled back, chuckling nervously, and one hand reached up to scratch the back of his head.

"Ah, Mai, I just worry about you, is all. It's so dangerous, what you do." He followed her out of the elevator and down the hallway.

"We can't all have cushy desk jobs, like you," she replied airily.

"Nani?! Excuse me, but as Nyctomortem's premier Vox-class Intelligence agent, I--"

"Jounouchi, hon, learn when someone's pulling your chain," she smirked. "This is exactly why you and Kaiba-senpai can't play together. He commands, and you bark."

"Wh--whaa-fft!!" he sputtered. The woman ignored him as she stopped at the end of the hall, glancing at the number on her custom key: a small black crucifix, engraved with a minute silver "VP" and a paper tag reading "2803." She slid it into the lock of room 2803, turning it with a click. "You gotta lot of nerve, lady, you really--!" he carried on.

"Would you like to come in, Jounouchi-kun?" she asked casually, as if he wasn't ranting at her, taking her weapons carrier from him.

"AND I--oh, sure." He stormed into her room and paused, his fury replaced suddenly by a little look of confusion. His brows knit and his mouth worked silently for a second. "What was I saying?"

Mai laughed. "I was saying, I'm here on project Firemoth. DiMaggio will be here soon as well."

"Oh, that guy," Jounouchi acknowledged loftily, plopping onto a velvet upholstered divan.

"Jounouchi, how many times must I tell you there's nothing between DiMaggio and me?"

"Yeah, uh-huh. Well, you tell everybody there's nothing going on between you an' me, too, so..." Mai sat down beside him, her body just brushing against his.

"In case you haven't noticed, there isn't anything going on between us, is there?"

Jounouchi glanced slyly at her from the corner of his darkly lashed eyes.

"Is that social commentary or a proposition?" He wet his lips innocently.

"Social commentary," she deadpanned. Jounouchi sighed, stretching.

"Aa, well, continue. May I know what you and Di Maggio will be doing in Japan--your PG-13 activities only, please--before Nycto ships you off once more to Emerika?" (AN/ Yeah, America sold herself out to the computer companies and clothing labels long before the year 4112. u__u )

Mai rolled her eyes. "You know, I'm pretty sure old DiMaggio likes his toast buttered on the other side, if you get my drift. (And I wouldn't exactly call slaying PG-13.)"

"I heard he likes his toast both ways, if you get my drift."

"Do you nose around in everyone's business?"

"That's my job," he defended cheekily. "Part of Intelligence's duties are to make periodical background checks on Nycto's members. Psychological make ups, behavioral profiles, etc."

"Kiddo, I don't wanna know what you got on me. (And really, bi, you say? How reliable are your sources; he's my partner, after all.) Anyway, we're here to take on the Rare Hunters, as soon as Kaiba and Bakura have secured the Tracker. Which I'm sure your nosey ass already knew, seeing as how Intelligence is collaborating with DiMaggio on the lair rooting tactics. What you don't know is that Ishizu-sama just informed me a Darkness is tracking Kaiba-tachi, which means this is going to get complicated. If we don't get location confirmation by tomorrow night, I'm heading out with a relief unit." She sighed. "We've got the Tracker. Question is, can we keep him long enough to do our dirty business with him. The blood's got to be fresh, right?"

"Yep. Ethylenediaminetetraacetate ruins it. (And, yes, bi as they get. Of course my sources are reliable; I looked into it personally.)," he confirmed.

"Ethylenah-what? Sorry, I need to brush up on my medical jargon. (Personally, huh? You really are a nosey pervert.)"

"EDTA?" Jounouchi prompted.

"Oh, right. Blood preservative." He nodded. A contemplative silence settled between them. After a few minutes, she picked up the thread of conversation again. "What do you know about Darknesses? Facts, Jounouchi. I've heard the legends." An unreadable expression crossed his face.

"....You want to kill it, I presume?" he asked. She pressed her lips together, delicate brow furrowing.

"Let's just say, I don't want it killing me. You know how I feel about Ncytomortem... I'm good at what I do, but I'm not a fool. No single Slayer is strong enough to take on a Darkness, if even half the myths are true. I'm not even sure if I believe there is such a thing, or if it's a rumor vampires propagate to inflate their egos or humans spread to scare little children into being good. Jounouchi-kun," her voice turned warm, cajoling. "You know just about everything, though God only knows how. Tell me what you know. Tell me what I'm going up against." Jounouchi regarded her appraisingly.

"This ain't in any one a' my files. This isn't the kind of information I record for this institution, for reasons I think you'd understand--which is why I'm tellin' you." She nodded, waiting for him to continue. "A Darkness is an old an' powerful vampire. Those two don't necessarily come together in night stalkers, but a Darkness--a Darkness is both. When a vampire in really ancient--like two or three millennia, at least-- if he's been honing his powers over the years, using them, perfecting them insteada' just living offa his natural 'talents' of bloodsucking and stealth, he can evolve to the point where he just doesn't need blood any more. God, they want it, but the point is--they don't have to have it any more.

"This'll change a vampire, their psyche, ya know? They...lose the excuse of necessity. A Darkness has trouble justifying himself anymore. Vampires, all vampires, have a different perspective than their human selves did on death. They don't think it's wrong to kill." He was quiet for a moment. "I 'spose that's why it'll never work--peace, dat is. But a Darkness, he's been around, to get where he is. He can change the atmosphere; make it cold, or dark, an' stuff. And he appreciates things. Which is why, once the physical dependence on blood is gone, he turns into a Purity Hunter, as I call 'em. He spends all his time seeking the 'ideal human'. Somebody who embodies our best qualities, whether he seeks someone strong, or courageous, or beautiful or brilliant or all a' the above depends on the vamp, but usually....they like 'em young and innocent. But it's not enough, to bust in an' drink their chosen one to the last drop. He's got time to kill, and power to spare.

A Darkness wants total submission: body and mind. The lengths he will go to to seduce a human. Sometimes he'll watch one from birth; sometimes a human will just catch his attention. But he makes them...love him. He won't strike until they trust him, want him, love him, and then, he kills them." Jounouchi sat back, shrugging, as if it wasn't so incredible, just another tragedy of life.

Mai was entranced, horrorstruck. The very idea, of devoting all the time and effort and passion of finding love, only to throw it away at the sweetest moment was repulsive. The waste, oh the waste was disgusting. The truth was worse than the legends, the myths of incredibly powerful, evil demons, always coincidentally plucking the most precious of beautiful children in a wake of black smog. It was no mindless boogeyman; it was deliberate deception of the heart, the promise of eternal devotion repaid with treachery and death.

"Oh, that's sick," she said finally. "Oh, that really takes the cake..." She shuddered. Jounouchi glanced at her.

"No, don't you get it?" he contradicted softly. Her violet eyes locked onto his, searchingly. "They don't do to be cruel, but ta immortalize perfection. When the human is, at their best--they're swallowed willingly by Darkness. The vampire stops stealing innocent lives when he becomes a Darkness; he takes only what is given to 'im, and he only accepts the best, to make it that much better," he laughed, breaking the serious tension that had been building. "Like sex, y'know, everything's better consensual," he joked. Mai smiled weakly. "Eh, I should get goin'...it's kinda late," he offered, but made no move to get up. After a moment or two, Mai seemed to regain her composure.

"Oh, no rumors will defame my honor for our late night chats, Jounouchi-kun, seeing as how you start them all. (If they do, I'll know you kiss-and-tell.)," she added, standing. Jounouchi rose as well.

"Our business is our own. (And who's getting kisses??)," he agreed regally. She walked him to her door. He hesitated in the hallway. "Be careful, Mai. I like you best in one piece, and yer right about one thing: no Slayer can take on a real Darkness." Mai arched her brows challengingly.

"Thanks for the concern, but rest assured I can take care of myself, desk job boy." He stuck out his tongue at her. She kissed his cheek and shoved him out of the doorway. "Always a pleasure, Katsu-kun!" she called as she closed the door in his face.

She leaned back against the door, listening to his footsteps receding. She frowned, concern creasing her brow.

"Not that I ever doubt you, but where do you get your info, Jounouchi? (You worry me.)," she asked aloud to no one in particular.

v * v * v * v * v * v * v * v * v

Xpyne: Well, I guess I lied when I said Kaiba-tachi would get to Nyctomortem this chapter. Heh. ::sweatdrop:: It's not my fault they're taking so long!! Oh, anyway, here's a Japanese refresher for those who need it:

John-sama : Lord John, or I-really-respect-you-mister-high-class John

John-san : Mr. John

John-kun : John, my friend

John-chan : Little John, or cute baby Johnny

John-senpai : John, my comrade/co-worker of slightly higher rank, or John, whom I respect but not enough to butt kiss with a "-sama"

John-tachi : John and company, or John's group

Nani? : what?

Aa : yes, affirmative

Bonkotsu : mediocre person

Xpyne: So, ah, I think that's it. That website, one more time, is

http:// www.geocities. com/ soliandxpyne/ firemothfanart. html?1072249398010

Don't forget to take out the spaces when you copy and paste. I made it with my crappy 56K dial up, so all you out there in computer land with equal or better machines should be able to visit it pretty quickly and easily. ::crosses fingers:: heehee. Thanks for reading and reviewing! I'll try to update my site with pix and this story as soon as possible. Ja ne!

Ja ne : goodbye, or see ya!