Strike You Down Cinetti woke up with a headache. The last thing he remembered was Jessicakissing Ryou. The startled look in Ryou's eyes made him believe maybe Ryouwould learn to enjoy it. Maybe he was beginning to change. Ryou could bereturned to his dad after his "rehabilitation" would be successful. Cinettirolled away from Jessica and went to the kitchen. After a long night, he neededsome food. He decided to bring Ryou some toast. There would be nothing to saveif Ryou starved to death. The kid already looked sickly. He saw a note on the kitchen table: Dear Assface…I mean Tom. After what I saw tonight, I cannot take you anymore. I knew you were an ass, but how could you cheat on me? I also way what you did to the boy in the basement when you went to bed. I don't want to know what you did to him. You are a sick, sadistic bastard, Thomas. I can live with a wife beater…but I refuse to live with a child molester. Goodbye, and may no god havemercy on your soul."Cinetti ran to the basement door and unlocked it. He ran downstairs where he saw a word scribbled on the wall in blood "Murderer." The liquid dripped sliding down the wall and pooling on the floor."Ryou! Kid!"Ryou wasn't anywhere. Tom staggered back as he passed the word on the wallagain. Cinetti ran upstairs to his wife's room which was empty."Tom?" Jessica said running in."Have you seen my wife?""No. Why?""That brat escaped!""What?"Jessica and Cinetti ran out the front door and encountered Steven ready toknock.

"Where's my boy?"

"He escaped."

"WHAT?!"

"My wife bailed him out, the little witch." Steven grunted and heard the door to his house being knocked on.

"Ryou! Ryou! Time for school!"

Cinetti saw the boys who killed Alan on Steven's door step.

"Ryou! We'll be late."

One boy still held the instrument of Alan's death in his right hand. "That's the boy who killed Alan!"

Steven looked at the Egyptian boys. "That's Ryou's friend Malik. He talks about him all the time.

I caught him holding Ryou the other day."

"Ryou's been a busy boy, Steven. Malik, huh? Do you know his last name?"

"Ishtar."

"It's not like Ryou to miss only the second day of school. That's strange even for him."

"Maybe. Let's go."

Cinetti ran to the phone and dialed the precinct to give a description of Alan's killer as Malik Ishtar.

Marik turned to his hikari walking away. "Maybe he's still sick."

"Hmm…maybe but he did say his dad beat him. Maybe he's in trouble, Marik." Malik banged on the

door again when Marik saw Yugi and Yami approach.

Marik crossed his arms. "What are you doing here, Yami?"

"I walk my aibou to school like you walk Malik."

Malik turned to Yugi. "You make it sound like I'm an animal, Yami!"

"You didn't mind playing the underdog last night, Malik," Marik grinned back at his hikari.

Malik growled. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that, Marik Ishtar."

"Calm down, Malik."

Yugi turned to Yami. "Ryou should have been at the Game Shop a half hour ago. It's not like him to be late.

Steven ran over to his house. Marik and Malik snarled furiously as they watched him approach.

Marik pulled his hikari behind him and gripped the Millenium Rod tightly. Yami also pulled Yugi behind him.

"Why are you all here?" Steven growled.

"We're here to check on our friend and your son who you must enjoy beating," Marik said poking

Steven with the Rod roughly.

"My son never came home after school yesterday. So get off my property."

"You hit your son, you demented snake! Ryou is too good for you, you know that?"

"He is my son and what I do with him is none of your business!"

Marik slapped Steven's face making Steven flinch and hold his red cheek. "When you hurt Ryou, it becomes my business.

You don't deserve to call Ryou your son just like you don't deserve to be called a father."

"You hit me!"

Steven came nose to nose with the furious yami. "I should call the cops."

"I could do the same to you!"

"You killed Alan, didn't you? You killed my friend!"

Marik's lips curled. "I don't let anyone touch my hikari. I protect him and with Bakura gone, I vow to protect

your son from you and anyone else who wants to harm him." Marik advanced on Steven. "You are a hateful,

spiteful person! I refuse to call you a father. You persecute your son, you beat him and you demand respect?

Respect is earned. I swear to my god Ra that if you lay one more hand on Ryou, I will strike you down to Anubis himself!"

Marik backed away and took his hikari's hand tightly. Yami followed them with Yugi in tow quietly.

"Sorry about that's outburst. They needed to be said."

"He deserved it," Malik agreed.

Steven watched the group leave and Cinetti ran up to him. "Where did they go? The cops were on their way!"

If the boys came looking for Ryou, that means he wasn't with them. There was only one other place he could

lie and he would need the support of the police.

"Why didn't you stop them?"

Steven laughed.

"Why are you laughing?"

Steven crossed his arms. "Because I know where he is. Those boys wouldn't have come looking for Ryou

if he was with them. He's gone to see his other lover."

The sirens came blaring down the block and stopped at Steven's house. An officer came out of the car quickly.

"Where is the suspect?"

"My son has been kidnapped, officer, and I know where he is." Steven ran to the police car with Cinetti.

"Take us to KaibaCorp."

Next Chappie: Will Ryou return home with his father? Also, Anzu goes camping……(Pity the creatures of the forest, guys.)