Shadow was irritated. No, he was down right VERY upset. Shadow had made a visit to Ryou's house not long ago to find him not there. It really was inconvenient, but that did not keep him from going through the house and taking items anyway. Then there was that clunker out front. He had read about that. It looked like it had once been a very nice car, but now...well, he had taken a little momento and hooked it to a strap on his side, by his knife. He then started to make his way towards the hospital, planning to wait outside until Ryou came out.

Ryou yawned as he walked out the front door. His first day back at work since the incident with the mountain cabin, his boss really worked him, running from floor to floor. And he was really starting to wish he had his car.

"Well, look at what we have here," Shadow mumbled to himself. And here he thought he was going to have to wait a long time. Now how to approach him....well, he still was not tired of the game of pretend he had played last time, so he decided to go another round. Shadow began walking forward, still shrouded by the darkness, but he knew the outline of his body would be visible. He staggered, his hands wrapped around his body as if to keep his insides in. When he got a little closer he collapsed, moaning in agony. Oh, he was very pleased with his performance, and he hoped that good-natured quality of Ryou's would kick in.

He heard the strange moaning, and as predicted, Ryou quickly became the mouse to this carefully baited cheese on a rat trap.

"Oh dear... Sir? Are you all right?"
He rushes next to the man. "I work at the hospital. I can get you help..."
"Oh, it seems as if there is a problem," he groaned out, and quickly grabbed the rear-view mirror from the car and smashed it on Ryou's head. "There I go, causing accidents again."

Ryou stumbled backwards, his head reeling from the impact.
"...wha... what..."
Shadow stood up, stretching his hands high to get any kinks in his back worked out. "Well hello there, Snow White." He started taking small steps towards Ryou, flipping the now cracked mirror around in his good hand. "You weren't at home, so I decided to make a work visit."
He stopped just a step away from Ryou. "Though I'm glad you came out. It would have been annoying to try and get in there."

He trembled, looking back up at the strange man, who was still in shadow.
"You're... oh god... oh... oh god... no..."

"So you know who I am now?" Shadow whacked him again in the head with the mirror. "That's for not realizing sooner!"
Ryou screamed, as the glass on the mirror shattered.
"...wha... what do you want?" He fell backwards.
"Just to play, just to play." Shadow knelt down beside him, running his fingers through the white locks, occasionally tugging. "Don't you want to play with me?" He asked in a hurt voice.
Ryou's voice trembled moreso than his body.
"... n..no... I... no... "

Shadow yanked his hair back, then leaned in close, his lips practically touching Ryou's. "That's too bad, because I want to." He brought his lips close to Ryou's ear, breathing deep a view times before whispering, "I should tell you something...I never liked Snow White."
"..l..let... let me... g...go..." He quivered, trying to pull away from the strange thief. No matter how hard he loooks, he can't see anything but shadows.
"... pl..please..." he adds as an afterthought.
"No." Shadow stood up, picking Ryou up with him, and tossed him into a more well-lit area. So he's trying to get snippy, hmm? Well, Shadow thought, I must cure him of this.
He screamed as he slides in between parking spaces. He attempted to get up quickly, with hopes to run.

Shadow began dancing over to his Snow White, twirling and throwing his hands up into the air. "Pony told me fighting is like dancing," he cooed out. Ah, now where did he run off to? Oh there he is.
Ryou scrambled to his feet, attempting to escape back towards the hospital.
Shadow's dance steps were much quicker now as he reached Ryou and grabbed him, pulling him into a dance.
"I can't have my partner running off now." He twirled Ryou around and bent him forward.
Ryou pulled, attempting to get free.
"p..please.. no..."
"Please...no..." Shadow mocked and kneed Ryou in the gut.
At which point, Ryou fell forward.
"Let me go...I'll give you anything you want....pitty patter goes the tears, but your seven stooges aren't here to save you now!"
He looked back up, wishing that his yami were here... that Malik were here... that anybody were here...

Shadow crouched down next to him, running his hand from the top of Ryou's head down to his chin. "Did I hurt you, Snow White? Am I being a bad boy?"
He closes his eyes, for a moment hoping this is all a nightmare. But he knows it isn't. Ryou slowly backed away.
His eyes flickered to his left, noticing the broken rearview mirror. He goes back to watching Ryou, watching him cower away, but his hand reaches out to get the mirror. When his fingers finally close around it, noticing a piece of glass is still attached by the little prick he felt on his finger, he swings it at Ryou's shoulder, pressing in hard, hoping that shard will dig its way in.
They make contact, and Ryou can feel the glass slicing through his uniform and into his shoulder.

The look on Ryou's face made him smile. Oh, it did seem that luck was on his side tonight. He pushed Ryou bag and began pounding the mirror into his shoulder, each force coming with more impact than the last.
Ryou screamed with each strike. His hands shoot out, trying to push the dark assailant away, to thrust something between himself and the glass, but it only provides more open target area.

The screams Ryou made only brought more joy to Shadow. Finally he couldn't hold back, and he stopped the hitting and threw his head back to laugh. "Are you having fun?" He brought his face in close, his eyes, the only visible part of him, looking wild. "Because I sure as hell am."

Ryou would have taken that opportunity to escape, had he not been utterly frozen in shock and fear.He tried to answer, but no words would come. Just quick, panicked breathing.
"Let's play another game." Shadow stood up, then held his arm out to help Ryou. "Come on, up you get."
Still frozen, Ryou doesn't move. Blood runs down his shirt, from the multiple wounds on his left shoulder.
"Take the damn hand or I'll kill you right now. Don't think I won't; I hate it when someone doesn't play more than anything."
Not knowing what else he could do, Ryou extended his right hand silently.
Shadow took the hand, wrapping his own around until, squeezing hard. He bent his knees and yanked Ryou up with all his force.
Ryou was pulled up, trembling, shaking, still frozen.

"All right, here are the rules. I'm going to give you to the count of whenever I stop counting, and you can run as far as you can, and I'll try and catch up. Read?" He let go of Ryou's hand. "Go! One...two..."
Ryou fell to the ground when he let go, but tried to get back on his feet as fast as he could.With one hand clasping over the bleeding shoulder, he started running towards the main hospital building... his only sanctuary out here.
"Three...Four...better pick up that skirt and start running, Show white...five...Six...done now." Shadow hopped twice in his spot and darted after Ryou, picking up pace as they started nearing the hospital. He couldn't let him get in there.
Ryou could hear the quick footsteps behind him. He hoped he could just reach the door first.

The thief thought to himself - Damn his leg! He hadn't taken any pain meds so he could be well aware of his surroundings, and it was slowing him down. The mirror gripped in his hand gave him an idea, and he chucked it at Ryou, aiming for his legs.
It skitters across the ground. Ryou avoided it with one foot, but tripped over. He fell, skidding across the pavement, rubbing dirt into the already painful wounds.

There's that Ryou luck he loved so well. Once Shadow reached him he let himself fall down, using his hands to make it as gentle as possible. "I got youuuuu. But now you're just a mess, let me clean that up for you."
Instead of gentle hands to sweep any dirt away, Shadow pounds into him with large, arching strokes.
In desperation, Ryou picked up a handful of loose gravel, throwing it at the thief's face. And he tried to crawl away.

"Shit!" Some dirt got into one of his eyes, and he closed it. Tears began streaming down and soaking into the mask. "Oh no you don't!" His hand reached out and grabbed Ryou's. He was glad at least one eye could work; his Snow White almost got away.
"I still have a little gift to give you." Another scream was heard as his hand was snatched.

"pl..please... l..let me go..."
Shadow crawled onto Ryou, sitting on his knees, then let go of his hand. "There we go...see, I can be nice."
Ryou tried to pull free, but it wasn't working.
His now free hand runs across his belt, unclipping the strap that held in his knife. The base was cool against his fingers, and he pulled it out slowly and brought it in front of his face, letting the light catch it. He loved productions.
Ryou sees the knife. He holds up his uninjured arm to block whatever might be coming.

"... no... no please... no..."
"Now I don't have a lovely poison apple for you...but I can make something else that's red."
"...no..."
He brought the knife down to Ryou's left side, pushing in and sliding the knife forward, then pushing in a little more to slide it back.
Ryou screamed, the blade hitting the edge of his ribs. He hasn't screamed that loud or that frightened since being tortured in Atlantis.

While he didn't mind the screams, they really were most joyous, he was concerned that being this close to the hospital, someone was bound to hear. Was that some movement just ahead of him? He might have to finish up quickly.
Ryou cringed, as the pain overwhelms him. "pl..please..."
Thief of Shadow: "You know, Snow White, red really is your color. You're very pretty when you're injured."

Knowing he can't escape, he curled up, trying to at least protect himself.
Shadow ran his hand up Ryou's chest and curled around his neck. "It's a good thing I'm not a bad man. Someone else might take advantage of the position."
"..n..no..."
"Now what to do." Shadow leaned back, looking at the body before him. He saw a good sized dark puddle forming on Ryou's left side. Well, he couldn't have him dying out here. That wouldn't be a good thing at all.

The blood loss was indeed great. Already Ryou felt his consciousness starting to slip away. He fought as best he could to at least stay awake. Should he pass out, something worse might happen.

As he was about to stand up to drag Ryou over to the hospital doors, he was struck by an idea. A very brilliant idea, he thought, and he laughed as is played over and over again in his mind. He pushed Ryou's shirt up, still laughing, and dipped a finger in the blood puddle. It soaked through and he could feel the dampness on his finger. He started writing on Ryou's chest, gathering more blood until...
"All finished!" Now that was a lovely masterpiece.
Ryou could barely stay awake.

Shadow stood up and grabbed Ryou's arm. The boy didn't look too heavy, but dragging him along the ground was taking a little bit more effort then he thought. When he reached close enough to the doors he adjusted Ryou's shirt so that the words 'Shadow Was Here' could clearly be seen by all.

A trail of blood behind him could be easily noticed as well. The injury, though simple, was devistating. Best case scenario - a blood transfusion and stitches. Worst case - a ruptured spleen, and being left out in the night to meet his death.

Ryou, try as he might, could barely keep his eyes open.
Without a care in the world Shadow strolled over to the doors. They opened when he approached, and he waved to a nurse that sat at her desk with the bloody knife. "Someone's been hurt," he said in a melodramatic tone before running off.

That's the last thing Ryou heard as well, before darkness overcame him.