Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Shind Oni Kokoro ❯ The Armament ( Chapter 6 )

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“Jounouchi?” the Egyptian boy's voice trembled slightly more than it had when he first noted and questioned the other as to why they were not heading for the staircase. Malik wasn't terribly close to the blond, but when Jou kept silent and tightened his grip on the younger's wrist, tugging him through the dizzying mess of partygoers, Malik couldn't help but grow uneasy enough to wonder if this was the same joyous boy his lover was acquainted with so well. “Jounouchi! Please, you're scaring me. Where are we-”

 

The boy's body collided with the taller's when Jounouchi suddenly halted them, shifting so Malik was pressed flush against the gradual arch of one of the mansions cardinal set of columns. “I'm trying to save you, damn it!” The blonde's words came out in an anxious hiss, Jou trying to cover the tanned boy from view as best he could. He knew the others were staring; the prickly sensation of hungry gazes tearing through the back of his neck to leer at Malik was unmistakable; icy, hungry, hot, dark greed was threatening to ensnare the Egyptian from all sides.

 

There were more vampires within the mansion at this very moment than Jounouchi had ever even met personally. Most were centuries older than himself, their looks betraying nothing though as they held grace and youth masterfully, their adjustment to the modern times no more of a burden than the fact they were dead.

 

“W-what? Save me?”

 

The younger boy's voice broke his thoughts, Jounouchi sighing in agitation as he eyed Malik crucially, shaking his head for them both as he understood all too well the confusion and turbulent emotions that must have been rattling the Egyptian. And this was without knowing all of which was preordained to occur before the sun would set tomorrow.

 

“But from wha-”

 

“Shut up! They're listening, they're watching, they're hunting -you-!” A bite of his lower lip was all Jou allowed himself to express before he settled his raging tumble of panic, the blond taking a deep breath as he leaned in closely, hardly daring to whisper into Malik's ear. “Do you have any idea what you are? …How long he's been waiting for you?”

 

Lavender eyes widened in confusion, platinum hair quivering as the shorter boy shook his head, disbelief and concern evident as his voice rattled uncertainly. “What do you mean `what' I am? You mean Egyptian?... And who exactly-”

 

“Bad dog.”

 

The voice sprang out of no where, startling Malik badly, more so when he felt Jounouchi tense and grip his wrist tighter, and as uncomfortable as it was, something told the boy it was out of concern for Malik's security. That thought hardly quelled the boy's nerves.

 

“Very bad, kinkily dressed, dog. No one said you could speak, much less about Master.”

 

Malik threw a desperate glance past Jou's shoulder in an attempt to locate Yuugi. This was scaring the shit out of him, and if anyone could figure this mess out and explain it to him, it would be his boyfriend.

 

The sound of fingers snapping and Jounouchi's grip leaving him in an instant drew Malik's attention back to the two currently facing off. The blond looked uncomfortably stiff, even his hazel eyes remained unblinking as a hint of a stormy color somehow seeped over his iris, ringed faintly with a blood-like tinge that made Malik shiver. The other boy didn't help matters either, a deranged look laughed at him when he glanced at the other for a brief moment, possession and bliss evident across his face as he lustfully tracked his gaze across Malik's anxious body. The Egyptian quickly gathered his senses as he attempted to bolt away before the strange youth who had been leering at him decided to do any more harm than what his visual appraisal alone had done.

 

“Ah, ah…”

 

Damn his luck to Anubis.

 

A deathly cold hand seamlessly snatched his arm, Malik shocked at the fierce grip, and yelping as he was effortlessly shoved against the column again, the eyes of his new captor glowing with adoring, scarlet-ringed malice. The Egyptian boy's head swam with bewilderment, nothing making any semblance of sense. Were all foreign holidays this extreme? He hardly found the humor in it if this was tradition, then again, he hadn't been in Japan long enough to be accustomed to anything, perhaps he was taking this all wrong?

 

“I, um…” Malik broke off into nervous laughter, trying to twist his arm free while his other hand scratched idly at the back of his head. “I didn't realize Halloween was taken so literally on the scary portion. Very funny, but I should really join Yuugi again.” Offering a shaky smile, he tried to squirm free again as he nodded at them both, not quite pleased with the nervous, frozen look Jounouchi had acquired. He gasped as cold fingertips dug into his dark skin painfully, an icy voice crooning close to Malik's ear, lights throughout the mansion going out with a dull flash, accompanied by a haunting pair of glowing eyes that stifled Malik's frightened whimpers.

 

“You're not going anywhere. Master's waiting for you as we speak, and he's simply thrilled at the fact this whole matter's settling so smoothly.”

 

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“Fuck.”

 

“Hn?”

 

“Kaiba's already picked up his scent.”

 

Marik's brow rose as he glanced in the direction the paler vampire was looking, spotting their fellow demon looking overly pleased as he darted among the mingling humans. The red gleam in the other vampire's eyes was the only indication as to his true nature, other wise it would have been quite simple for him to pass as nothing but human, a mistake Marik had done when they crossed paths the first time. “Kaiba doesn't follow traditional ways, why does Yami allow him to get away with so much?” The dark skinned vampire tried to see where it was the hunting demon was heading, finding it impossible as Kaiba was quick to thread a trail that made no particular sense. If he was heading for Malik, either he was having trouble sticking to the boy's scent, or he knew there were others ready to reap his prey away.

 

“Easy.” The paler grinned as he led them into the crowd of flesh, apparently heading in no particular direction as they were certainly not getting any closer to Kaiba, a flirtatious smile from Bakura tossed to whatever human glanced at the pair. “Kaiba has everything he could possibly want materialistically, thus Yami has no leverage on which to threaten him properly. And Yami doesn't want KaibaCorp, just a bit of spending money from time to time, which he always receives considering he only lavishes himself and us, hardly a dire budget for Kaiba to allow.”

 

“Still, why not have it all? And what of his sibling? Certainly Yami won't allow Kaiba's brother to remain human much longer? That way he could wholly command the company and its fortune-”

 

“You're not listening.” Bakura snapped, whirling around in a flash and frowning at the Egyptian. “Yami's no idiot. What good would it do him if he transformed both brothers? What of public appearances? Would society not question the reason as to why both siblings dare not venture during daylight?” Eyes narrowing, he allowed an irritated growl to escape him. “He has what he needs, and Yami knows better than to gamble more than he is absolutely certain he'll gain back. If and when the time calls for the other rich brat to become one of us, Yami will follow through.” Mahogany eyes flicked away from Marik, shaking his head as he murmured under his breath while striding onward. “No more questions, perhaps if you behaved and kept close to either Yami or I, you'd know all of this.”

 

Frowning sharply, Marik withheld from hissing at the other vampire, voice growling dangerously though as he snapped his hand out to tangle in the paler vampire's white tresses, keeping Bakura from distancing himself further. “And perhaps if both of you would keep your filthy, treacherous intentions to yourselves, I wouldn't be as repulsed as I am to be around either of you.”

 

Ignoring the fact they were amongst the mortals, Bakura smirked and reached back to trail his fingers over the other's hand still caught in his white hair. “Marik…” The name was purred softly as he caressed the darker hand, peeking over his shoulder in time to catch the hint of distrust in the violet eyes, a curl of disgust along the Egyptian's lips at the caresses to his hand. “Despite the fact we constantly wish to fuck you senseless, is it truly that difficult to stand our company every once in a while? Besides, it is your own fault, you know.”

 

Before the taller could verbally protest such an accusation, Marik found his hand and wrist violently pressured so he was forced to release his grip on the paler's hair, the ashen fingers digging into his skin and causing the Egyptian to clench his jaw as he steeled against flinching at the painful grip. He met Bakura's leer levelly, raising his nose to the seductive lull of mahogany eyes as the shorter vampire faced him and leaned uncomfortably close.

 

“See, if you weren't so damn hot…” Bakura grinned, reveling in feeling the dark skinned demon try to suppress a shudder when the paler purposefully breathed against Marik's neck, twisting the Egyptian's wrist to an awkward angle, and chuckling at the protesting grind of small bones as he sharpened the degree further. “Then we wouldn't desire your body and submission. Unfortunately for you, it can't be helped that we have large, insatiable appetites for the tall, dark, and fuckable.”

 

His laugh was enough to earn them more than a handful of strange stares, some more appreciative than others, but no one dared interrupt what appeared to be nothing more than a lover's quarrel. Mortals were so stupid, and that's what Bakura loathed and adored about them. It's what made dangerous games like this, of teasing and threatening a formidable demon, all the more amusing. What would they do, what would they say, what would they scream if Marik were to lash out as viciously as he was capable of? Old rage and raw hate evident as the exotic would shred through Bakura's flesh and remnants of soul, shattering bone like fine glass, and producing that nightmarish, lovely screech all the while…

 

“Release me.”

 

Bakura snickered, straightening and allowing space to apply itself between them before teasingly snapping his teeth at the exotic's knuckles, the darker set of fingers slipping free at the first chance. He knew it would take more, much more, to get Marik to break, but Bakura was far more patient than he led on. “Come now, your clump of feathers is about to become Kaiba's snack, they're by the East Wing columns.” The grin he gave infuriated Marik to no end, but only a deep crease of the Egyptian's brow was evidence to such as he followed Bakura's lead, the pair forcing their way among the costume-clad array of humans, who couldn't even fathom the idea they were intermingled with vampires and hybrids of all sorts.

 

None of the other hybrids had quite as an impressive history as Marik, but most were of some sort of amusement at least, considering they were experiments that rivaled the tales of fiction and gossip. Not that it was apparent, for most at least. It took a vampire's sense of smell to pick up on the difference in blood; usually a grin or several of amusement passed between purebloods as they openly mocked and chided the lower ranked demons for their spoiled mix of life source.

 

There was one in particular the collective enjoyed teasing though, mostly because his blood-splicing had been done as a presentation, a gift for Yami, who all too well enjoyed the show, grinning and laughing with the rest as the human was drained and filled once more, eternally damned with the blood of a mongrel.

 

“Oh look, the Pup's with them.” The amused tone in Bakura's voice seemed riddled with malice, well-placed in his opinion as it was said puppy's fault that Yami had taken to appreciating the use of leashes much more than anyone would have deemed necessary… Then again, anything Yami did could be deemed unnecessary.

 

Unexpressed relief flooded Marik's body as he followed the paler's gaze, looking past humans and nonsense to spot a familiar blond figure he knew only as the tamest of the vampires, beside him the unmistakable head of platinum hair that belonged to the exotic demon's other half. “…Malik…” He felt as though he would faint again, just the sight of the boy placed a spell on him, but Marik was quick to lean against and hold onto the paler demon beside him. As unwanted as the clinging was, it was needed to keep the Egyptian vampire from collapsing as he had nearly done previously.

 

“Oi! What the fuck is wrong with you?” Bakura frowned and tried to shake the other off, eyes widening as he recognized the far away look clouding the violet eyes beside him. “…Marik! To hell with you! Snap out of it!” An arm slinging around the taller's waist, Bakura grunted as he tried to keep the Egyptian on his feet, free hand snapping fingers and patting Marik's cheek to regain the other's attention. “I did -not- drag our asses here just for you to play Sleeping Beauty! I have no doubt Yami'll be calling us soon, now go save your wings before Kaiba-”

 

“He's… he's branded…” Dark fingers shook as they curled into Bakura's jacket, violet eyes looking lost as Marik focused on nothing but memories and phantoms visible only to himself as he felt his body fall away. “Some… someone's marked him, warded him against me… I can feel… feel the barrier…”

 

The raspy breath in his ear barely managed to murmur softly before the room was encased in darkness, the lights dying out in a sudden flood of accompanied silence.

 

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Small whimpers escaped him as he latched tightly onto the figure beside him, burying his face in the other's clothes while he listened to other people scream. He hated the darkness, it caused nothing but trouble and nightmares, both of which Yuugi knew he could and would rather live without.

 

“Kaiba, kun… D-did the power go out?”

 

A disdainful grunt was the response he received, but surprisingly, Seto did not try to move the shorter teen away, instead resting a hand on the boy's shoulder and patting it awkwardly, but it was a sign of more emotion than Yuugi was prepared to receive from the vastly taller boy. It comforted him, of course, but all the same the height deficient teen nibbled his lip anxiously and played with the pendant he wore on his leather choker, absentmindedly not tucking it away completely as he glanced up in the dark.

 

“…Do you have-”

 

“Generators take several moments before they activate, and if everyone else would quite whining and fake screaming, then it wouldn't seem like such a long wait.” The CEO shook his head in irritation at the crowd before him, those he could see due to the moonlight passing the extensively long windows had overly amused expressions on their faces, laughing and joining in on the faux terror. He had little idea how his brother had talked him into allowing such a large gathering of idiots within their home, the night the boy had asked wasn't even clear in his memories, but the elder shook his head once more and paid more attention to Yuugi when the teen whimpered softly again. “Several more moments, Yuugi. You can survive that.”

 

Tightening the grip he had on the taller's clothes, Yuugi whined softly with a nod, whispering into Kaiba's torso as he tried to focus his sight on what little patches of light were available to them. “…Malik… I hope he and Jounouchi are fine…”

 

“The Mutt can take care of himself, clumsily, but he manages.” Seto couldn't help but smirk just a sliver as he imagined his lover tripping over himself in the dark. “Worst case scenario would be that Ishtar and Jounouchi lose each other in the crowd, we'll find them as soon as these damnable lights return.” An exasperated sigh left him, Seto glowering blindly at the ceiling as though aggravated frowns and muttered insults would be enough to fuel the lights.

 

This was taking longer than he appreciated, not that he wanted the mix of morons in his home longer, but most of them were Mokuba's friends, and the party was for the younger, thus ending it early would disappoint his brother. Idly patting the shorter boy's shoulder when people brushed past them, nearly invisible due to the heavy cloak of shadows masking them, Seto couldn't help but bite his lip gently as his mind wandered to his brother more prominently. The younger had been dressed as a wizard, violet hat and cloak several sizes too large so that Mokuba looked comical, but even with such a costume it had been difficult for Seto to keep an eye on the boy.

 

Although he didn't question Mokuba's well-being, after all, his brother was more than capable of caring for himself despite being oddly short, or rather the same height for a handful of years now, and he knew the younger had outgrown his fear of the dark several years ago; Seto couldn't help but feel anxious all the same. Mokuba was his brother, after all, and what elder sibling wouldn't be worried over his only family member when the last time they had seen each other had been hours ago?

 

“Kaiba-kun…?”

 

“Hai, Yuugi?”

 

“How much longer?”

 

Seto frowned, shaking his head as he didn't quite know, the lights should have been back by now, unless the generators were malfunctioning, then of course they would be stuck in the dark until morning. “I don't know, but we are by the door, and it's not terribly cold out…” He let his thought fall away while he automatically took several paces back until his hand felt the glazed wood, and finding the cold brass of the handle, Seto opened the heavy door and smirked at the flood of pale light that entered the hall.

 

“Ah!” Yuugi immediately relieved the CEO of his grip, feeling much more confident as the moonlight draped over them and the entire stretch of land before the mansion. All he needed was enough light to see and the tri-colored haired teen was comfortable. “Good idea, Kaiba-kun. Perhaps everyone will-”

 

Yuugi's voice was lost as a loud murmur from the crowd approached them, separating both teens as the mass group of costumes did just as the shorter boy was about to suggest. Stepping into the outdoors to enjoy the fresh air and continue their socializing as they could all see much better, the mood was universally deemed appropriate for their Halloween festivities since nearly all were drunk, and the fog had long since settled on the property, masking them from the impending clash within the mansion.

 

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“Nghmm…” His eyes opened unfocused in a disoriented fashion, nose wrinkling as the scent of old death and wilted roses brushed softly against his cheek in cold strokes, a stifled cry clawing up his throat once he realized the pale digit touching him belonged to his captor.

 

“Shh, Innocent.” The demon's grin was jagged and deadly, dark humor curling the corners of his lips as he leaned down to purr at the boy, tongue flicking out to tickle the trembling mortal's brow. “I'm not going to hurt you.” His breath was like wisps of chilled air, the kind that curled about one's neck in the shadows of a cemetery, teasing to strangle and mirthfully dance with the corpses of victims. “…You're too pretty to scar.”

 

Ryou's breath hitched when the vampire cupped his chin, coaxing the boy to sit up and stare eye-to-eye with the demon, who all too calmly smiled and brushed his thumb over the pale lips. “W-where are we-”

 

“My home, my bed, my paradise.” The demon's laughter rattled the human's bones, those bloody eyes that held and played with screams lidding until only chinks of scarlet bled through ebony-feathered lashes. “We have a play date, don't you recall, Pet? Marik and Bakura will be joining us shortly, as will an assortment of others…”

 

Shaking his head, the pale boy bit his lip to keep from tearing up, trying to ignore the tightening grasp on his chin that made his jaw ache. “I… I'm not a part of that! You said, and he… Marik would trade for my safety… I heard you both agree to-”

 

“Hush, Pet…” A faint glow resonated in a ring around the red of Yami's eyes, gracious smile accompanying the slackening of the human's body as Ryou whimpered and crumpled back against the black sheets of the bed, unable to do more than blink and breathe as the vampire crawled atop the bed completely. “I create the rules, Ryou. I also break and mend them as I wish.” Like a serpent, Yami slithered seamlessly over the oily satin of the sheets, pausing only once he was peering down hungrily into the mortal's wide, deliciously dark brown eyes, tongue dragging ravenously across his own lips as the vampire watched the boy's neck.

 

He could hear it; the thick splash of Ryou's quickening pulse throbbing earnestly beneath the thin stretch of young flesh. The sound was maddening, Yami wetting his joyously trembling lips, fangs lengthening by their own accord when the demon lowered his mouth to murmur ancient words of twisted beauty and appraisal against Ryou's throat.

 

“So beautiful, my Ryou… Tell me… Haven't you ever wondered why the fates have always consistently cast you into the shadows of loneliness?”

 

Tear glazed eyes blinked widely, if he could, Ryou would have snapped his head to face the demon lord directly, a faint swallow all he could muster as his lips parted with a mewl of question. Yes. Always, always alone, always behind, always forgotten, always. Always left to wonder and cry in his private haven of empty sanctuaries constructed solely in his mind. He had questioned his miserable life time and again, shed more tears than there are stars, and had long ago abandoned the hope for reason or answer to his pleadings.

 

Why him?

 

And now…

 

And now?

 

And now that he had crossed paths with three inhuman embodiments of nightmares, facing what he never would have believed to exist, Ryou had to throw caution to the wind and wonder something else.

 

What did Yami know?...

 

“You see, Innocent.” Yami purred, lips closing over patches of skin now as he mouthed the warm flesh, suckling softly to revel in the sweet taste of life and purity. “You're the lovely, broken, long lost sliver of Bakura's humanity… I tore you from his soul, well… More like I shattered his soul, then reconstructed it to my liking, without his human attributes… tossing those pieces I didn't appreciate into the murky depths of time and space.” The demon's body straddled the boy's hips now, feverish kisses claiming territory across Ryou's neck and throat, “I thought you, the shards of his soul, would be lost and damned to exist as nothing more than dull sparks of forgotten diamond dust…” A breathy moan escaped the vampire as he brushed his long since aching groin against the prone body beneath him, hissing softly in pleasure as he applied more pressure with every jagged crash of their hips.

 

“And yet… I knew… I sensed… I realized the missing portions of his soul were somehow reconstructing themselves, formulating and thriving over time, materializing into their own vessel. A duplicate of Bakura, with every lost quality flourishing and searching… Looking for and timing their reappearance on this fuck-forsaken planet… Choosing to become you, a lost quality… Created only to suffer in isolation because nothing, absolutely nothing would satisfy the fates, the Celestial Gods, more than to destroy my work and thread your souls back together, even at the cost of blindly leading you, my precious Ryou, through a life of unhappiness. Always awaiting your moment of release, to join your missing half of rampant hate and hunger.”

 

The fearful tears in Ryou's eyes from the touches and kisses he was given across his skin were reflected in bubbling sobs from his throat. The scratch of teeth and nails as Yami intensified the roll of his hips against the boy's, frightened the human more as his body reacted to every pleasurable thrust the vampire provided, Ryou shutting his eyes to try and will away the arousal flooding his other wise unresponsive body.

 

“But never… I never would have expected Marik's wings to appear during the same mortal lifetime.” A dirty grin and croon into the shell of the boy's ear was added as Yami ceased his movements, forcing his tongue to pry past incompliant pale lips in a hungry flurry of tasting, the boy's mouth plundered and scoured for several, air deprived moments. “What a treat indeed…” Yami grinned darkly once he allowed the human to breathe again; eyes alit with malice and lusty greed as he laughed and rolled away from the boy, standing and snapping his fingers to release Ryou from his spell, the human sobbing loudly as he curled against himself to hide his shame and wipe his mouth and tongue free of Yami's deadly taste.

 

//Dearest, feel free to drag that lump of temptation here as soon as you find opportunity… I'm feeling ravenous.//

 

Yami grinned as the lesser demon gleefully and reassuringly responded through the ripples of his mind, watching through the other's eyes as the events he had been quite meticulous in securing would occur unfolded in the mansion's hall so far away from his own home. Pleased for the most part, a slender brow did arch though as the vampire noted a small snag in the audience surrounding his demonic follower.

 

“Ah… I should have known this would happen. How very arrogant of me to assume other wise.” He faced the pale boy still huddled on his bed, a less than cheerful smile gracing the demon's face, shadows darkening Yami's eyes as he menacingly approached Ryou again. “So… Tell me, Innocent, how well do you know the Armament?”

 

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When the last of the partygoers were outside, it was then that Seto glanced back within the empty room, having not seen Mokuba or Jounouchi exit, he figured they would have done the intelligent choice of staying back to better find him with the subsiding of the crowd. And indeed they had apparently done just that as Seto was quick to spot their missing lovers and his brother across the room, along with another pair who he couldn't have cared less for since they were strangers. “Come, Yuugi. I see the Mutt and Ishtar with Mokuba.”

 

Nodding with a smile, Yuugi was quick to take the lead as he and Seto made their way toward the others, steps echoing in the now amazingly quiet room. “Jou! Malik!” He giggled softly as his voice bounced merrily across the closing distance between them, quickly pausing his steps as he neared the strange pair left in the room as well, one of whom looked as though he had fainted only a bit away from the three he had intended to meet. “Oh… Is he alright?”

 

The brown eyes that met amethyst ones widened once the demon thoroughly looked over the boy, Bakura glancing down at the weakly panting figure in his arms and nodding his head, answering in a low voice as he tried to shift Marik upright to stand on his own. “Hai… He will be.” At the relieved smile he received from Yuugi, Bakura lowered his head further, tightly clutching the Egyptian closer as though Marik were his protection against the childish teen before them.

 

“Ah, good… You should take him home anyway though; you wouldn't want him getting worse…” The short teen smiled brilliantly at the pair, catching and holding gazes with Marik for a moment, whose violet eyes widened in apprehension, darting toward Malik's direction earnestly before the exotic vampire felt his mind fall into unconsciousness.

 

“Yuugi!”

 

Malik's pleading voice startled the shorter boy badly, Yuugi glancing over to his boyfriend only to jolt a bit at the frantically squirming Egyptian being held in place by the younger of the Kaiba siblings, Mokuba's normally stormy colored eyes glinting maliciously with scarlet and humor despite the fact there was little moonlight catching him.

 

“He won't let me go! Yuugi!”

 

“Don't yell, Ishtar.” Seto grunted as he gently massaged his temples, a headache threatening to bloom as he followed Yuugi and stepped around him to reach his brother undeterred. “Mokuba, are you…” He blinked a moment, shutting his eyes to rub them as he swore this had been too long of a day for him if he was seeing his brother with demonic eyes now.

 

“Aw crud.” Mokuba's voice flitted across the short distance between them all, a playful grin spreading across his face once his brother glanced at him again and looked overly puzzled at the fact the boy's eyes were still illuminated by unholy means. “I didn't want you to find out this way, Nii-sama.”

 

“Yuugi!” By now Malik's voice had pitched to a desperate note, fright evident in his pale lavender eyes as he fruitlessly tried to yank free, not even budging the smaller boy holding him.

 

“Mokuba… Let go of him.” Yuugi's voice faired no better in worry, his eyes darting between all of them as he nibbled his lower lip, glancing at Jounouchi, and blinking widely at the fact his best friend looked frozen mid-heartbeat. “Jou?”

 

“I'm sorry, Yuugi, I can't do that.” Answering politely, Mokuba smiled with a casual shrug as he snapped his fingers though, smirking as he watched the blond vampire pant for breath at being released, a pained whimper escaping Jounouchi as he lowered his head at noticing Seto was there.

 

“What's going on?” Seto's voice hardened, breaking his silent spell as he was quick to gather Jou in his arms, the boy trembling and trying to move away with a shamed expression on his face, not managing to do more than snuggle closer in the CEO's arms though as Seto refused to release him. “Jounouchi, Mokuba… Ishtar… One of you, start talking.”

 

“He won't let me go! Tell him to let me go! Yuugi!” The Egyptian boy's pleading was accompanied by tears now, some of which stuck to his lashes and made his eyes shimmer desperately with every attempt to escape the child's clutches. Amongst his struggles, Malik somehow managed to notice the movement behind the others. Two figures were drawing closer to the jumbled conversation, one of which looked eerily akin to a boy he had met in Yuugi's school, the other, although seemingly lifeless and cradled in both of the white-haired male's arms, was who caught Malik's attention more definably.

 

There was something familiar about the unconscious stranger, something that made Malik forget his own predicament, the Egyptian boy struggling now only as a means to reach the silent figure wrapped in black leather and a fairy tale memory that evaded the boy's mind. “…Let me… Let me go… I need to…”

 

Mokuba responded with amused chuckles to the Egyptian's muttering, switching his grip on Malik's arm to the scruff of the neck, gently fingering his soon to be pet's bruised arm. It took every strand of patience to keep from feeding on the beautiful specimen, the younger of the Kaiba siblings purring softly as he sniffed along his prey's pale hair, ignoring the Egyptian's continuing struggle and half-pleas. “Nii-sama, I don't have time to explain. Master instructed me to watch and now deliver this flummoxed seraph-”

 

“Master?” Yuugi blinked all too calmly at hearing that, his façade dropping as a hardened look crossed his normally innocent features, making him appear nearly all too familiar to the vampires present. “You mean Yami's behind all this?”

 

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