Shadow lay on the grass in the park, relaxing, watching the little gems twinkle-twinkle in the sky. He had played a note on Diabound's door earlier, telling him to be at the park at one in the morning. Be there or be square. He never understood the square part. Those gems were very distracting, especially when he was trying to be on the lookout for Diabound. His body ached from all the wounds, but the amount of injections of pain medication had finally begun to work their magical magic on him. He was completely loosey-goosey, weapons spread out throughout the park. It was going to be the best game ever.

To say Diabound was angry would have been a severe understatement. The moment he'd stepped out of the hospital, he'd shed all worry and fear he'd held inside. Now, he was fairly shaking with rage. He was being mocked by the note, and he knew it, but nothing was going to stop him from showing up. The Ring swinging beneath his clothes burned hot on his chest in response to his hatred, and Diabound couldn't resist a sneer. If anything, he'd been waiting for a chance like this - a chance to truly unleash himself once more.

He walked briskly to the park he'd been summoned to, eyes sliding through the darkness easily, watching, waiting.

There was some type of movement in the distance. Shadow looked up to find his snow-haired playmate approaching. Now there were so many ways to go about this, and he had wanted to think of the best one, but those gems were too alluring. Must think, must think. He decided to just stand up and let his presence be known. There was no need to hide and prolonge the fun. His body wavered as he got to his feet, body feeling like it was sliding through water on a hot summer day instead of being on shore on a cool night.

Diabound's eyes caught the motion and focused on it, instantly calculating the situation. From his position, 'Shadow' was completely open, and from his motions, Diabound began to wonder if he was even utterly sober. Still, Diabound wasn't one for cheap shots when his pride was at stake. He fiddled with a card in his pocket as he approached, silent.

"You got my note, I'm so happy." Shadow adjusted his black shirt. His outfit was thicker and heavier then the other ones since he had made sure it was all bullet proof. Diabound had a hand in his pocket, and he wondered what little gift his playmate had brought for him. "I'm Shadow, in case you didn't know. Welcome to my Park of Fun!" He spread his arms out wide, showing off the magnificant green area that was surround by trees.

"...what are you, high?" was the first thing out of Diabound's mouth as he stopped a short distance from Shadow, eyeing him. Diabound had expected someone...well...not as loopy, for one. Still, judging from his suit and the way he was carrying himself, Shadow's seeming lack of defense was clearly a ruse. Then again, nothing would defend him against a millenia old hunk of gold, so it made little difference.

"That isn't a very nice thing to say." However, he was feeling rather far off. He needed to get the game started so he could focus his thoughts. His hands reached down to make sure his belt was secured around him, fingers running over all the extras he had added in. Everything felt cool beneath his touch, and he couldn't wait for them to warm out when it was there turn to play. Shadow did unclip one of his toys from the back of his belt and placed it in his hand that hid behind him.

"I've been waiting for this day to meet with you. You've been in my thoughts many times, and I've had to cut thieving short just to prepare for today." Shadow hoped Diabound would be pleased by this information.


Diabound scowled, other hand resting on his hip. "Gee, just who I always wanted to face. A stoned pervert." He pulled his hand free of his pocket, empty, to point at Shadow, eyes sharp with anger. "I hope you've made your peace with people, Shadow. You are going to die, here and now, at the hands of the King of Thieves."

Pervert? He was no pervert! This man obviously needed to be taught a lesson. Shadow's feet moved silently in the grass as he moved to the right. Everything was becoming clearer now, and he focused on where he had planted everything. "The King of Thieves? Really? I haven't heard much about it, probably because any thieving mentioned has had the name Shadow attached to it. Don't worry, though. It happens to us all in old age." Shadow had come prepared this time with the mouth area of his mask cut out. He gave him a rather large, and very fake, smile to show concern.

Diabound sneered, licking his lips. "Don't know, huh? Then that just makes this all the more fun." He crouched a bit, prepared for anything. "If you want to talk old age, you clearly don't know who I am." Inside, Diabound's mind raced, attempting to piece together a solution to this puzzle - either Shadow was an excellent actor, or... "I know you're fond of nicknames, so, considering the only Pharaoh I know is quite perverted and foul-mouthed, I think I'll be glad to name you after him."

"Atemu?" Shadow questioned, tilting his head. "You're giving me that name?" He hated when the climax was a dud. Though maybe he was counting Diabound out too early. There was still so much time for him to show something grand. Shadow had expect something large, had planned and did a lot of extra thieving on the side, and he would hate to be disappointed.

Behind him, a silver pin dropped to the ground.

Diabound grin broadened and he chuckled darkly. "I see you've heard of him. In that case, you must be an excellent actor, because no one knows him without knowing me." Pressing a hand against his own thigh, he could feel the stiff paper inside his pocket and he focused, waiting. "If you're going to drop and hide things behind your back, perhaps you're not much of a worthy opponent after all."

Shadow grinned. If Diabound wanted to see his toy, he wasn't one to hold back. He extended his hand slowly to the side, unclasping some of his fingers to reveal a grenade. "Just a little something I found lying around." With a wink he tossed it in Diabounds direction, then turned and started running for cover behind a rock not far off. He had timed everything out earlier in the week. He knew he could make it.

Diabound eyes widened, but there was no trace of fear in him. Instead, his lips curled into a wider, almost maniacal grin. "Modern technology," he called, the Ring burning on his chest as the grenade, coming right at him, suddenly stopped and flew backwards from where it had come, "has no effect on a three-thousand year old thief, small fry!"

Though Shadow did not want to turn around, he couldn't help himself, and was lucky he did so. The grenade was coming right back at him. Already his plan was falling apart. Realzing that the rock was no longer a safe place to hide since that grenade was heading towards there, he angled to the right, heading for a tree. The explosion was loud and knocked him off his feet, sending him rolling along the ground, the tree stopping him. His head instantly began to ring fromt he contact.

"How'd he do that?" Shadow mumbled to himself. His fingers were fumbling along his belt and clasped onto his pain medication while he pushed up his sleeve by rubbing it against his leg. He shot the injection into his arm where he had left an IV set in underneath his clothing. The empty plastic syringe fell to the ground and he stumbled up, looking at Diabound.

Diabound had approached when the grenade had gone off, hair whipping around his face with the force of the explosion, though he himself seemed unphased. He saw Shadow forcing medication into his body and sneered. "So, you are high," he said nonchantly. "I told you, little Pharaoh. You're a thousand years too young to defeat me."

"I'm not high!" Shadow threw back. He hadn't planned on needing an injection so soon into the game, but at least the throbbing that had started up could subside now. "What did you do to the grenade?"

Diabound grinned wickedly, eyes locking onto Shadow's. "I'm going to tell you a story, Shadow," he said, voice dark and sadistic. "Once upon a time, there was a thief. This thief wanted the ultimate powers of darkness, and killed anyone and everyone in his quest to get them. One man stood in his way, one man the thief hated more than anyone else in the world...but even this man couldn't stop the inevitable." He held up a hand, grinning wickedly as shadows coiled about his fingers, almost physical in appearance, like dark snakes. "Shadows destroy light. But I suppose you'd know all about that, wouldn't you, Shadow?"

Shadow took a few staggering steps back until he hit the back of the tree. He knew that Bakura had posses the ring, and that this version of Bakura would as well, but he had though it something like the Rod. Dangerous, yes, but nothing he couldn't handle. This was different. His eyes widened as he saw the shadows actually move around him. What a power! He wanted to have it. "How thoughtful of you to share such a wonderful tale with me. However, story-time is over." Without giving Diabound's hand a second look he dashed to his right, hand reaching into a low bush to pull out a gun.

"I agree," Diabound said, slowly turning towards where shadow was running, calm and stoic as death on the mortal plane. He glanced at the gun and frowned. "If there's one thing I hate more than anything, it's a one-trick pony. I told you already, modern technology is useless against me." He touched his thigh again, silently activating the card hidden there. He wasn't sure if the Ring's power could throw off something as small and as quick as a bullet, and Diabound wasn't taking any chances. Besides, it had been too long since he'd been reunited with an old friend. As he spoke, a shadow shifted around him, solidifying and gaining a visible form - large, demonic, and Diabound's own namesake.

Diabound's talk about modern technology didn't stop Shadow from making sure the gun was ready for use. He turned around, preparing to take aim at the man who mocked his guns, but his weapon quickly pointed to the ground when he saw a giant...something...take form. It was like right out of a movie. His eyes frantically looked around, but there was no refuge immediately behind him besides bushes and a few smaller trees. The gun was heavy in his hands as he lifted it up, aiming towards the monster.

"Even if you aren't playing very fair, I'll still let you stay in the park." Shadow pulled the trigger and opened fire.

Diabound sneered broadly. "Fool." As the Ring finished summoning, well, Diabound, the King of Thieves held out a hand. "I think you remember what to do, Diabound," he said, rather amused at the fact that he was addressing his former ka by the name he'd adopted. The monster, stoic as ever, gathered a whirlwind-like power to his chest and fired, the bullet disappearing within the burst stream. Metal, gunpowder, anything flung at him would be shredded by the Diabound beast's power.

Even as he saw the bullets not working Shadow still kept firing. All his careful planning, all his late nights sneaking onto military bases, it couldn't have been for nothing. It took Shadow a moment to realize his clip had run out and the monster before him still stood. The air surrounding him smelled of gunpowder and cut grass, and he wished now to be focusing back on the gems. He pushed his fears aside and stood tall, tossing the gun down to the grass. "Why summon such a large beast? Too scared to beat me on modern terms?"

Diabound laughed loudly at that, arms flung out and head back. What a rush. "I'm three-thousand years old, and I'm supposed to beat you on modern terms?" he fairly cackled, anger driving him further into a madness he'd once accepted as his normal persona. "Let me introduce you. This is Diabound. He was once an extension of my soul, my inner demon you might say. Now, he'd just my beautiful beast, superior to you in all ways. And he will now help me show you why you are just a maggot to me."

Shadow's mind raced, bypassing the routes he had planned to take, trying to think of something that could do any sort of damage. Ah, yes! If his calculations were correct it was not far behind him. He began taking large steps back, keeping his eyes straight ahead. "Hello Diabound. It's a pleasure." Shadow moved his eyes down to focus on the white-haired Diabound he knew. Almost there, almost there. "He's really quite the pet there."

The thief Diabound watched Shadow moved, knowing he was planning something but confident in his creature's abilities. After all, his ka had pulled him out of the stickiest situations in the past. "Where are you going, little Pharaoh? Done playing, already?"

"We're in the middle of a game. I can't just quit now." Shadow's groped behind him, eyes flooding with relief as he felt bark. He had made it. While he reached behind the tree to pull out his new weapon, his eyes never left the pair of Diabound's standing not too far away. The item was heavy, but the need for it gave him strength. In just moments he had a bazooka aimed at the moster Diabound. He smiled over at them, waving. "I just wanted to get a new toy." With that he fired, practically knocked down from the force.

Diabound's eyes widened, and, had the bazooka not fired at that moment, he would have rolled his eyes at the absurdity of the situation. A bazooka, of all things...Still, he didn't have time for that as he ducked his head. His monster was still a monster and any attack on it was sure to cause an explosion. Then again, this wasn't necessarily to his disadvantage. Thrown back a couple of steps with the force of the blow, Diabound straightened as the smoke spread and dissapated. Even the apparent disappearance of his beast didn't cause his smirk to falter.

Once Shadow saw that the monster was gone he jumped up, pointing a superior finger at Diabound. "It seems I've destroyed your great pet. Who's the maggot now, huh?"

Diabound's shoulders shook with laughter before he broke into another fit of cackles, eyes dark and more wicked than they'd been in...millenia. "A man who knows the Pharaoh's name, yet knows nothing of my ka! What an incompetent fool!" He leered at the other. "Should've spent some of that extra thieving time doing your research!" On the ground beneath his feet, a shadow shifted. It had been too long...

Shadow took a step towards him, not noticing the shadow that moved around Diabound's feet. He reached to the holster at his side and pulled out a gun, aiming it at Diabound's chest. "Feel free to laugh and call me names now, Scar, but I'll be the one having a party on your grave before the sun even thinks of rising."

"I thought you'd be more creative with nicknames than that, Shadow," Diabound commented offhandedly as the shadow beneath his feet suddenly darted, moving beneath the ground itself. In an instant, the towering figure of the beast, Diabound, emerged from the ground, snake hissing sharply. "Did I forget to mention?" the thief called. "My ka is the ka of a thief. Quite adept at dodging and hiding."

"You win some, you lose some, I guess." Shadow went to pull the trigger, but the sudden emergence of Diabound caused him to shoot off target. The bullet passed through the night sky. I thought I got rid of that thing, Shadow thought to himself. "I have a proposition for you. Care to hear?" He arched a brow, gaze remaining steady.

"Unless it involved you bleeding to death, I'm not interested." Diabound approached Shadow slowly, shadows furling about him again. "I don't make deals with cowards who flee and run the first chance they get."

Shadow did not flinch as he approached. "My proposition is that we fight without the mosters," he pointed up, "or the guns. Just you and me."

"You and me, huh?" Diabound gazed at Shadow steadily, memories of his fight earlier with Rishid flickering in his mind. "Sorry, little Pharaoh. I don't trust you enough to believe in a proposition like that."

"You're making my heart feel bad inside." Shadow blinked a few times. Diabound was starting to get a little fuzzy, like someone had smudged the outline in a paint. He brought the gun back down to its former position and fired without hesitation. It was time to make the oil painting run.

Diabound's beast quickly moved in the path of the blow, firing off a blast identical to that of the bazooka against the gun's bullet. "Yes, yes, I'm sure I'm making your tender heart bleed." Diabound sneered, moving closer still. "You know, Shadow, if there's one thing I hate more than a fake thief, it's a fake thief who tries to save his victims. You really are a fool."

The force of Diabound's blast made him stumbled back and fall. His hands took the brunt of it, the handle of the gun scraping across his palm, luckily causing no damange to his skin because of the glove. "Wha-What are you talking about, saving my victims? I didn't try to save any of them."

Diabound grinned broadly, knowing he was rattling Shadow with his words. "Oh, no? Then why didn't you deal any killing blows? Why did you let them reach the phone for the medics? Face it, Shadow," Diabound smirked, stopping not far from Shadow. "You never intended to kill anyone. Siegfried told me you even had to be provoked just to hurt him. No, you never intended to hurt anyone...they just kept pushing and the fame just kept growing, but you couldn't force yourself to kill them..."

"You obviously don't realize, do you. It was a game. It's always been a game. Hurt them and see if they can get to the phone in time to live. The waiting to see if they end up reporting in those silly journals is part of the fun." Shadow looked up at him defiantly. It didn't matter if he had never dealt any deathblows. That was never part of his plans, and it didn't make him any less of a thief or a threat. Diabound just couldn't handle the spotlight being taken from him. He deserved to be knocked down a peg. Shadow's foot shot out to catch on Diabound's ankles and bring him to the ground.

Diabound hadn't expected the attempted tripping, and he barely caught himself on one foot, the other knee hitting the ground. He, however, didn't stop sneering, too far past the brink of sanity to care. "Is that the best you have, little Shadow?" he leered, eyes trained on the other thief. "You're too weak to kill, too weak to fight fairly, too weak to even face your own demise. What's the matter, Shadow? Didn't you say you'd planned to face me?" He got to his feet again, grin wide. "Weren't you planning for the death I'm going to deal?"

That sneer of his was driving him mad! Shadow shot up from the ground, the gun in his hand shaking from anger. His body felt on fire, and for the first time he wanted to see all of someone's blood on his hands. "I was planned for you," he began, his tone as unsteady as his searing emotions, "You! Not your mixed breed pet!" With numb legs Shadow closed the distance between them. "Even if you did kill me, it wouldn't really be you doing the deed. You have to have a lackey do it for you. And here I thought I was in the presence of a great," Shadow pushed his shoulder, "thief."

Diabound laughed again, blatantly mocking Shadow. "Didn't I already say? Diabound is a part of my soul. He is me." In one motion, Diabound swung his fist to knock Shadow back. "He and I are one. There is no line where he begins and I end." Around Diabound, his beast coiled, snake about his legs and the rest of him behind the ancient thief. "You should have done your research, little Shadow, rather than messing with a darkness not even the Pharaoh of Egypt could control without sealing himself away."

Shadow's head snapped to the side as he fell back. Blood was soon all he could taste and he spit out the foul flavor. He didn't bother look around, or thinking, or relying on any previous strategy. The bazooka had been the largest weapon he had taken from the neighboring military base. That had done nothing but trick him into confidence. Why, why had he not seen it? He knew nothing of how to defeat the creature that was wrapped around the opponent he really wanted. The little voice that had been supressed was now loudly making it's voice known. "I.." He blurted out before clenching his mouth shut.

Diabound chuckled softly. "Your first mistake was coming to this town, Shadow. Your second was targetting Malik. Your third was thinking you could actually defeat me." He held up a finger for each mistake, grinning. "Strike three. You're out." Behind him, his beast collected energy for another blow, larger than before.

"Wait!" His voice and arm reached out like a natural reflex. The voice in his head screamed at him. He wanted to live! Shadow cried out, trying to drown out the voice inside. All around him things spun, the only stationary objects the two figures in front of him. He wanted off this merry-go-round. "Please. Anything. I'll give you anything...if you just let me live." He kept his eyes on the ground.

Diabound sneered, but held up a hand, halting his creature from attacking...yet. "Anything, you say?" he questioned, seeming to mull it over. "Hm, hm, hm." He gazed at Shadow for a moment before he gestured at him with his other hand, one hand still keeping the attack from launching. "Very well, then. Let's play a game."

Shadow was surprised that he had agreed. Was this a trick? He looked up at him cautiously. "What type of game?" He asked, voice gaining a little more confidence. Games he enjoyed.

"Think of it as twenty questions." Diabound smirked. "Your true identity has been bothering me for a while, but I know you won't just give it up like that. Therefore, I will ask you questions about who you truly are, and you'd better answer honestly. If I think even for an instant that you're lying, Diabound will kill you."

"Agreed." Though he was worried, he knew that it would be the only way to stay alive. Or at least by him some time to think of a way to escape. Shadow grinned, hoping to get across the confidence that was slowly building inside him, and patted the grass in front of him for Diabound to take a seat.

Diabound smirked, crouching down where he was, as his beast's aim tilted down towards Shadow once more. "Game start," he said casually, confident as ever. "Are you a man?"

Shadow laughed, wrapping his arms around his tortured stomach. "Yes," he got out between fits.

"Are you a resident of Domino?" Diabound continued, seemingly unphased by Shadow's laughter.

"No, I just came to set you all up and watch you all fall down in a pretty little design." He rolled his eyes, annoyed with the question. "Yes, I'm a resident." Maybe he should have let Diabound kill him, though at least the simple questions allowed him to think of escape.

"Have you ever been directly in contact with the Sennen Items, outside of your attacks?" Diabound continued, pace and tone casual.

The question made him pause in his scheming. Had he...? "Yes, you could say that I have."

"How is it that you know of the Pharaoh but not of me?"

"The Pharaoh was going to give a concert. How could one not know of him?" He questioned back with a playful tone and smile.

Diabound grinned broadly. "I see, I see." He touched his chin for a moment. "Why is it that you were hesitant to hurt Siegfried but have started to make sport of bleeding others, lately?"

"You could say I wasn't in the right mood."

"How did you pick your victims?"

"You sure are curious. Thinking of becoming a detective if the thief job doesn't work out?" Shadow moved his eyes to look out at the stars. "There really wasn't a game plan. I just went where I felt I needed to go, like gut instinct."

Diabound ignored the first question, simply focusing on Shadow's answers. "Why did you decide to start this whole 'Shadow' act in the first place?"

"I." Shadow stopped, not quite sure how to answer that. His thoughts raced back to when he started. It was dark, and there had been some woman, but there wasn't much before that. "I'm not sure. I just woke up one night and felt the urge to go out."

Diabound smirked faintly. "Ever slept with another man?"

"Diabound. I didn't think you wanted to get to know me so personally."

Diabound sneered. "Trust me, the only man I'd bed is currently hospitalized, thanks to you. Answer the question."

The pain in Shadow's body was beginning to become much more known. It spread in sharp pains throughout him. "The answer is yes. Now may I call a timeout to take care of a little issue I'm having?"

"No," Diabound said flatly. "You think I'm stupid enough to let you make a move that could cost me?" Behind him, his beast growled softly, attack still held in suspension. "Do you have a day job?"

Shadow hunched over as a particular spot on his chest burned. He'd glare at Diabound if he could get the energy to do it at the moment. Instead he focused his efforts on just trying to get the words out steadily until the large pain passed. "One could...could say that."

Diabound's smirk widened a bit - he had promised to make it hurt, after all. "Are you still in school?"

"Does anyone attend school in this city? From how I read the journals, I don't think anyone attends. I'm just like one of them."

"I see." Diabound decided not to press it and waste energy. "Do you have long hair or short hair?"

"M-Medium length." Another bout of pain hit him, this one worse then before. He leaned back, exposing his belt and the syringes clearly seen strapped down on the dark fabric. With slow movements he unhooked on of the straps and grabbed one, keeping his gaze on Diabound.

Diabound suddenly reached out, snatching up the syringe from Shadow's hand and eyeing it. He held it out, needle against Shadow's neck. "How old are you?"

Shadow swallowed hard. "You don't have to be so kind as to give me my shot. I can do it. As for my age, that's a bit trickier. When is it that I started my little game. A month or so ago? It's hard to distinguish one good day from the next."

Diabound's eyes darkened a bit. "Answer, or your pain will be far too great for any medication to cease it," he said, his voice brooking no humour as his creature loomed over his shoulder.

"I did answer, but you were too busy not having any fun to hear me. I'm really not much older then a month." Perhaps, Shadow thought, he was growing old. That would explain his carelessness as of late. "I never did get a birthday cake, though."

Diabound hesitated a moment before he sneered slightly. "Do you believe in an afterlife?"

"I have to admit that I am a bit undecided, but you could say I'm leaning more towards yes." The needle was still pressed against his neck. His body craved the contents. "Can I have my syringe now?"

"Oh, you mean this?" Diabound pressed the needle in a bit, dragging it along to tear flesh slowly. He caught a glimpse of Malik's "mark" on Shadow's neck and snickered. "How old were you when you heard of the Pharaoh's concert?"

A small cry escaped him, both from the old pains and the new. If Diabound was going to stick the needle in, the least he could do was the the top a little push. "I saw a flyer in one of my first playmate's rooms. It was very nice."

"Answer the question," Diabound said more firmly, pushing the needle a bit harder without moving to inject anything.

"I am, I am!" His hands slid up and wrapped around Diabound's, trying to pull him off. "That's when I heard about it. She saw me look at the poster and started talking about it, thinking I'd let her go."

"How old were you?" Diabound fairly snarled, pressing only harder. The pressure of Shadow's hands only caused the needle to shake and jerk beneath his flesh.

Shadow did his best to keep his head from moving. Tilting his head either way only cause more pain. "Are you not listening? Sayu, her name was Sayu. She was one of my first playmates. I found her in her room and she showed me the poster. Later on I found out that he was the Pharaoh through websites and the journals."

Diabound's eyes narrowed. "Three strikes, Shadow. I don't play head games." He lowered the hand that had been keeping his beast at bay, eyes never leaving Shadow's.

"And I'm not playing any. My name is Shadow. Sometime a month or so ago I woke up and wanted to play, so I went out and played. What's so hard to understand about that?" He spoke through gritted teeth, paying no attention to the monster that was preparing to attack him.

Diabound paused a moment, silent, before he held up his hand again. Slowly but surely a soft chuckle developed in his throat. "Of course," he said softly, eyes widening with amused mania once more. "One month ago, you woke up and wanted to play. But tell me, little shadow, who did you wake up as? What face were you wearing when you woke up?"

Shadow blinked, staring at him curiously. "I don't know what my face looks like. When I woke up it was dark, and I found these in the darkness and put them on. I'd have to turn on the light to see, and I didn't want to do that."

Diabound laughed, hand tightening around the syringe. "In that case, I shall have to bring you to the light, little shadow."

"This is a game of twenty questions, not of unveiling the secret that even I keep from myself. You have five more."

"Very well." Diabound smirked broadly. "How is it that you can know the length of your hair if your whole life has been under that mask?"

"Like I said, I woke up and then I put on these clothes, including the mask. I had to make sure my hair was completely inside. I guess it to be medium length, but I admit I could be wrong." Shadow let his hands from from around Diabound's, realizing that no matter how much he wanted them to do good, they were hindering him more. "I did answer your question as honestly as I could."

"I should add that when I go back to sleep, I take off the clothes and put them away in a special spot."

"Very well." Diabound leaned in a bit. "What is the name of the man you slept with?"

Shadow shrugged and smiled. "Truth be told I didn't catch his name. I thanked him, though, by giving him a gun. If he hadn't pulled me out of sight from the sidewalk I passed out on, I may have been discovered, and we wouldn't be having this conversation now." Something crossed his mind; maybe this wasn't exactly what Diabound meant. "You didn't mean sex, did you? Because I haven't had any. Now what happened before me or during the day...well, I'm not entirely sure."

Diabound hesitated a moment before he chuckled, shaking his head. "You really are a fool. There's a man out there right now who could know who you are, and you let him live." Diabound pressed the needle a bit further into Shadow's neck, smirking. "I told you, didn't I, about leaving a trail."

Shadow started to laugh, though the instant pain that arrived when he tried made it sound more like wheezing. "There wasn't a need to kill him. He was just some beaten down street person. For all I know he's dead by now." He didn't think that whoever had found him had taken off his masks.

"You're so quick to assume, which is what got you in the situation you're in now," Diabound said, smirking. "You thought you could defeat me with your pretty little guns."

That wasn't exactly it, Shadow thought. He had gone through the situation that he knew and planned for it. It wasn't his fault...fuck, that hurts! Another wave of pain washed over him, including the wound in his back that felt like he was being stabbed all over again. He shut his eyes and wrapped his arms around his midsection. His fingers ran over the handle of his knife. To cover up the sound of him unsnapping the strap that held it in he cried out and coughed loudly. When he opened his eyes it was as if the stars were closing in on him. "Four more," he said, slowly pulling the knife from it's resting place.

Diabound's eyes narrowed, and he kept his eyes on Shadow carefully, wary. "Where do you go exactly every night once you're done thieving?"

"Down a street, over some grass, and into a window. I believe the word for it is home." The knife was full out now, hidden at his side. Even though the star-gems were glaring in his eyes and it was hard to see anything, Shadow watched for anything that could seem like an opening.

Diabound moved back a little bit, gazing at Shadow steadily. "Did you go to the Pharaoh's concert?"

"No. As far as I know it already happened. Or maybe it didn't happen. She was crying at the time when she was telling me about it, and it was hard to hear her clearly." Look away, not at me, Shadow silently pleaded. He looked to side in the direction towards the trees, opening his eyes wide and forcing his heart and breathing to visibly increase.

Diabound's eyes narrowed at the action. There couldn't be anything there, he hadn't heard anything...Still, it was almost compulsive, and his eyes darted over in the direction Shadow was looking.

There! With reflexes that astounded even him, Shadow swiped the knife on Diabound's side. He brought the knife back to him and leaned back, ready. He hoped he hadn't made a mistake, but he was tired of this game.

Diabound made a startled noise, mentally smacking himself for falling for the oldest trick in the book. He gripped his side, with was now torn and warm with blood, but the grin crept back onto his face again. "Next question," he said, voice rough, as he reached out and grabbed the wrist of the hand holding the knife. "What's this mark you keep putting on people supposed to mean?"

Shadow looked at Diabound with a defiant look. He had marked him. Around him the star-gems turned red. "I needed a little calling card. Couldn't have someone going around hurting people and slapping my name on their messy work." He jerked his hand, trying to get loose from the grip.

Diabound gripped his wrist tighter, pressing his thumb into a soft spot to try and cause him pain. "Just a random mark, huh? How uncreative." He pressed a bit harder, both hands now occupied, one with the wrist, the other with the needle.

Tears welled in his eyes and threatened to fall, but for now they stayed put. His grip wavered on the knife. "Is that," he cringed, "your next question?"

"No, actually. My next question is...if you woke up a month ago, with a face you didn't know, where were you before that?"

"I've just been here. I just sleep and sleep and every now and then I get a yummy little tidbit to tuck away and remember. It was so dark back there." Shadow laughed. The fear, the pain, the bloody stars that were going to fall on him, he was able to see and feel them so clearly now through unhazed eyes. "Questions are up."

Diabound chuckled, pressing a bit harder into Shadow's wrist. "Actually, I have just one more question." His eyes flashed, no pain evident in his expression despite the blood that was now trickling down his leg. "Any last words?"

The knife started slipping from his hand. He curled one finger to keep it from completely falling, the others relaxing to help ease the pain. "Now now. I thought we had a deal. You got to ask me questions and that meant I got to live."

Diabound arched an eyebrow, chuckling. "I'm sorry. I don't ever remember saying I was an honest person." He suddenly threw Shadow to the ground, grabbing the knife by the blade and yanking it free. Rising to his feet, Diabound laughed. "King of Thieves, remember?"

Shadow fell hard, the wound in his back screaming at the contact. He could feel the blood slowly soaking through his clothing. Damn. At least the game had been mildly entertaining. He scooted back a foot or so before jumping up and taking off towards the trees. The pain in his neck reminded him of the syringe. He yanked it out, blood tickling his neck.

Diabound quickly motioned his beast after him, waiting until he'd disappeared among the trees before falling to one knee. The gash in his side was finally catching up to him, not to mention the energy it took to keep his beast Diabound solid, and, as he pressed a hand to his soaked side, he gasped for breath, exasperated. It took him a few minutes to get to his feet again, stumbling in the direction Shadow had just run.

"Die you fucking beast!" Shadow tossed grenade after grenade at the beast over his shoulder. He didn't bother wasting precious time and looking back; he could still sense that it was there, slithering after him. He paused in his tossing to grab a syringe and inject himself with pain medication.

Diabound vaguely wondered if he shouldn't have kept the syringe for himself as he steeled himself against the pain in his side and ran after Shadow and his creature. There was no way he was getting away. No way. As soon as a white sillouette came into his vision, he cried out, "Diabound! Finish him!" He could almost feel it as Diabound gathered the energy for an attack.

The trees were becoming thinner. Shadow could see a large stone fountain up ahead. He pulled out on of his last grenades. It was a flash grenade. When he was close enough to the fountain he pulled the pin and threw it back before diving behind the stone.

Diabound threw his arms up to shield against the blast, not seeing the grenade fast enough to make his beast dodge the blast. He winced, a tight feeling in his chest as he felt his beast vanish. As he stumbled into the smoke left from the blast, he quickly smirked again. "Didn't you learn your lesson last time?"

"Don't make me laugh, Scar!" Shadow stood from behind the stone fountain. A control, once attached against the stone fountain, now rested in his right hand, his thumb hovering over a red button. "You've been a great teacher, don't get me wrong, but I have only one thing to say to you: You shouldn't have let me get to this point." He pressed the button. Explosions began going off all over the park. When the one in front of the fountain finally went off he used the cover to run the the exit of the park close by.

Diabound's eyes widened as he saw everything around him exploding. The Ring couldn't deflect something like this, he had no time to summon his creature again...it was all he could do to throw up his arms in defense before he flew backwards from the blast. He hit his head on a tree hard, falling to the ground, mildly concussed. Can't be...I can't...I have to... He grasped for the last strands of consciousness, struggling to his feet and staggering for the exit after Shadow. As everything around him went so ironically dark, Diabound reached for the man who'd escaped him. It wasn't possible... Falling forward, he collapsed on the ground, blood sticky on his skin and vision spinning away from him.

Shadow ran as fast as he could, feet crossing over each other as he tried to stay upright. His body felt as if it had nothing left. The footsteps sounding behind him were the only thing that kept him going. Even with Diabound still after him he thought himself in the clear until a hand reached out. Though the hand did not fully grab on to him, the force was enough so that he fell forward. The tears that had been pushed back fell down and were absorbed into the mask. He coughed up blood as he got to his feet, finding it more of a struggle then ever before.

Relying on his hearing only, Diabound dazedly reached out to grab Shadow's ankle. "G-going...to...kill you..." he rasped, blood slipping out from between his teeth.

The touch hardly registered through the hurt that covered him. It was only when he went to run that Shadow noticed that Diabound had hold of him. He kicked out of the grip and stumbled forward, almost falling again. "Not today..." he breathed out and made his way as quickly as his body would allow down the street, giving himself another injection.

Diabound couldn't see Shadow running, couldn't feel anything anymore. He felt like such a fool, playing that game and not getting any closer to figuring out who Shadow really was. He knew Rishid, Malik, everyone would be mad at him, and...and...Grasping for a coherent thought, Diabound barely registered anything as he fell into unconsciousness, bloody and sprawled on the sidewalk.