Den of Thieves (Rei no Kaado)

[mugenginga]

The organization here is atrocious...

Few would have considered the white haired man leaning in a corner of the small area a teenager. Physically he was, but he held himself much older. In the absence of his host's consciousness, he hadn't even bothered combing their styles anymore, although he had modernized a fair bit. His main outfit was pretty much a grey martial arts gi, although the pants and sleeves cuffs were held down just above his ankles and wrists with gold bands. The tie arond his waist was more a sash than a belt and colored black.

Something resembling a trenchcoat was over his entire body and held the most similarity to his former attire. It was a far deeper shade of crimson red than the one he'd worn over three thousand years ago. The bands around the edges were dark grey and the hood pulled over his head was black. He had on black soft-soled boots that came up under the anklets. It was more than a bit chilly here, and without being able to bleed directly off his host's memories, was the thing that had quite honestly taken the most getting used to.

In any case, he was frowning at the mess that was supposed to be the illegal trading circle of this world. Either the police were paid off are total incompetents. He finally found himself smirking. Then again, those modern laws were of more use to criminals than the innocent. No one seemed to know he was there, he hadn't had to put much effort into it. He'd been spending a fair bit of time here lately. People who hung in places as this tended to have money. In fact, his outfit had been obtained legally.

I wonder where that Malik fellow has gotten too... Anpu smirked, He's been tracking me for several days, after all...

[Firebreath Fishslap]

It had been several days since Magatsu Izanagi had returned to Adachi's apartment. There was no need to until he was confident Seta was dead. There would be hell to pay from Seta's group and Izanami, but he stopped caring about that bitch long ago and he honestly didn't give a shit about Seta's group.

At the moment, though, he was just searching for Anpu. If that little shit was going to be anywhere, it was going to be here. Even with how suppressed Adachi was, the fact still remained that Magatsu Izanagi had been born from Adachi's suppressed negative emotions and the negative emotions of the true Izanagi. At the moment, he was driven by Adachi's own negative emotions in regards to Anpu.

Besides, this way I can do you a favor. You wanted to see Anpu dead, right? Izanagi spoke to Adachi. Once again, he got no response. Not that he'd expected one. The only bad part about this body was he couldn't just push Adachi out. Even if he hadn't been a Persona, the fact remained that Adachi's body had not been designed to be a shell like Souji's had. Adachi had a soul, something Souji lacked, and that fact kept Izanagi from being able to force Adachi out.

As far as appearance went, Magatsu Izanagi looked mostly the same Adachi had when he went into the TV World that one day. He was still wearing Adachi's usual outfit, just without the jacket. He wished he had a jacket, especially what with how it had finally gotten cold enough for now, but now wasn't the time to worry about that. Right now, his eyes looked normal, so it wasn't immediately obvious that he wasn't Adachi, but anyone who knew Adachi well enough would be able to tell he wasn't him. He hadn't quite perfected Adachi's mannerisms yet, and he wasn't going to risk another incident like what happened with Seta.

Magatsu Izanagi had gotten more than a few nasty looks as he walked through the area. He supposed it was a bit obvious he was some sort of law enforcement official, considering his outfit and gun. But he knew if Anpu was anywhere, he was here. He missed Anpu. It wasn't just where Anpu was standing; the change in outfit had tripped him up as well, and the way Anpu had his hair hidden meant his oh so noticeable white hair had not been so noticeable to Izanagi.

[mugenginga]

Izanagi had missed Anpu. The Thief King had not missed the God. Anpu's smirk froze halfway as he noticed the man's mannerisms. It was a rather interesting change, and carried more of Adachi's true nature than the one he used in public. But that wasn't quite right either. No, this difference... Anpu didn't move as he scanned the man's body searching for some sign of artifact. He couldn't find any, of any sort. It made sense, but it didn't explain the shift.

Anpu glanced towards a side path. About the only thing this disaster had going for it was multiple routes, multiple exits. He slipped into the one nearest to him. A few minutes later Anpu was stepping out of one Izanagi had just passed. The former thief king of Ancient Egypt wasn't stupid, he didn't tend to look for trouble... but he knew how Adachi felt about him. That stance needed investigating.

"Has your 'law-abiding' dropped so low?" Anpu smirked, his voice low enough that only Adachi would hear it.

He was rather convinced it wasn't Adachi. No need to tell whatever was using the man's body of such a thing.

[Firebreath Fishslap]

Izanagi wasn't surprised in the least as he heard Anpu's voice. It seemed the thief had chosen to seek him out instead. The moment Anpu spoke to him, Izanagi very slightly adjusted the direction he was walking, heading for an area he knew was a dead end, and not often visited here. If he was going to kill Anpu, better to do it in a shadowy area no one would see it in. Even better, a place no one would see the body in until it started to smell.

"I came here looking for you," Izanagi spoke. It would be easier to knock Anpu unconscious with a Mudoon first, and then finish him off, preferably with Adachi's gun. Less blood that way, and it was to Izanagi's advantage that he look as inconspicuous as possible, even with his current appearance.

[mugenginga]

Anpu noted the direction 'Adachi' had shifted. He smirked. Either whoever this really was didn't have Adachi's memories, or he was vastly underestimating him based on them. Anpu didn't move from where he was, leaning against the wall and observing. The current person may have been more potentially dangerous, but he seemed to be operating under different assumptions than Adachi usually did.

"You wouldn't be drunk, would you, Adachi-san? If you can't tell, my voice is coming from the direction behind you."

That subtle action had said quite a bit to the former thief king. Whoever this was, he was trying to kill him. Anpu noted that a few people had walked away from the situation. Well, he was in a den of criminals and thieves. He didn't have to lose all respect for this location if a few of the more observant realized something was going down.

[Firebreath Fishslap]

Izanagi slowly came to a stop as Anpu spoke. He had to give the thief some credit. He wasn't stupid. After a moment, Izanagi turned around and walked toward Anpu. He scowled at Anpu.

"Trying to provoke me like that will do you no good, Anpu," Izanagi growled. "You disappeared from the hospital, even though you still likely need a fair bit of bedrest. If you're not careful, you'll hurt yourself worse."

This wasn't to be misinterpreted as Izanagi actually showing some kind of care for Anpu, nor was it to be seen as Izanagi pretending to be Adachi. Izanagi already knew Anpu knew he wasn't Adachi. But it served as a sort of small talk, and if he managed to work it right, he could get Anpu to slip any kind of crucial detail.

[mugenginga]

Anpu kept the eye contact that Izanagi had started when he turned around. His expression was more or less neutral despite having a slight smirk as the distance was closed. This stance... it wouldn't be as easy to lift the gun as it had been that first time. Beyond that, normal humans weren't able to go around possessing people. At the very least he was dealing a ghost. Whatever it was didn't like him.

He didn't twitch as Adachi pointed out his injuries. As a matter of fact, those were still present and the bandages would be visible if any of his skin was. He'd been slowed down from usual after his escape from the hospital. He had no way of knowing if the person before him knew that. It was likely he was acting on evidence. Still, this air...

"I don't think I've had the pleasure," Anpu stated, allowing his smirk to widen just a touch, "I believe its considered impolite to not introduce yourself in your host's culture?"

[Firebreath Fishslap]

Izanagi's expression didn't change as Anpu continued to speak, but in a way Anpu had confirmed two things. One was that he was still injured from when Lucius had taken the Ring, and the other was that he knew he wasn't Adachi. The first one Izanagi hadn't even needed direct confirmation in the way of a reaction from Anpu. In a way, the lack of reaction had been proof enough. Izanagi's smirk widened just a tad as well.

"I didn't see the need to. After all, we've met once before, when you kidnapped my useless avatar," Izanagi said. "But if your memory's that spotty, I'll introduce myself. I am the god Izanagi."

[mugenginga]

Anpu's smirk faded to a slight frown. The only 'avatar' he had ever kidnapped was that Souji teenager. The rest of Izanagi's statement confirmed that he was the one in question. What he didn't understand was how the god had jumped bodies. The presence could be made to match what he'd seen of Izanagi before, but only part of it. When the god had fought that goddess, and the way he'd not killed her then didn't seem quite in character here. What bothered him the most was the insult. The frown turned to a slight snarl.

"I remind you I'm more agile than you think. You're here to kill me, right? Why now? Your 'useless avatar' fought to protect Ryou, and I saw no attempts otherwise."

----------

Malik had been forced to change clothes in the time since he'd begun to look for Anpu as well. A navy turtleneck with a heavy black coat on top of it. The hood was pulled up. He had on black sweatpants and snowboots as well. As it was, he still felt damn cold. Even Japan had been in summer during his time there. This was the coldest climate he'd been in his entire life. Hanging around his neck was the Millenium Ring, although he was wearing it around a new rope.

He'd been trying to find Anpu for several days. The bottom line was that if Bakura's body needed to be killed, he'd do so. But he still felt the teenager could throw off the other personality. Perhaps useless sentimentality due to Yuugi's group, but it didn't make the feelings go away. He'd tracked the man down to the black market several times before. The way he kept missing him had left the realm of coincidence. The new incarnation of Dark Bakura, whoever he really was, clearly knew he was being trailed.

It was odd this time, though. He'd noted a few people leaving the area. With his own experience with the criminal underworld, the reactions only meant something was going on at the market...

[Firebreath Fishslap]

Izanagi only considered to give his slight smirk as Anpu asked his question, markedly beginning with a statement about how agile he was. It was meant to make Izanagi realize how defenseless Anpu wasn't. The problem was, even with how agile Anpu was, there was a reason this incarnation of Izanagi had been so much trouble to Seta's group. For one thing, it was damn fast. That carried over to Adachi himself.

"And I'm just as fast. There was no need to come after you before today. And besides, I felt like doing Adachi a favor," Izanagi said. "He may be my host, but that's no reason to be uncivil to him."

In truth, the reason Izanagi hadn't come after Anpu before was a bit complex. Izanagi knew Anpu wouldn't survive the oncoming Fall, while Souji would. There was no need to waste energy that Izanagi could use to follow Izanami across the dimensions on a ghost like Anpu. Now that the Fall had been averted, Izanagi could afford to do things like this.

[mugenginga]

Anpu's frown remained. What methods of killing him would Izanagi have that Adachi wouldn't? It didn't mean he intended on giving up, but he disliked not knowing the potential outcomes. Anpu kept his gaze locked. Would distracting the god be possible? The distance they held meant that he wouldn't be able to dodge a counter, and the man was not striking him as one to miss a lifted gun. He had a feeling he could steal it, but there would be a counterstrike...

"A favor? Ryou had no body to return to if you kill me. I hardly think Adachi would consider that a favor."

Had that teenager died in that TV World after all then? If he had, then it was very possible there was a favor. If he hadn't... there was no outward expression change. Anpu was fishing, but nothing about him indicated it. He'd have one shot at this. He'd been in tight situations before, though.

[Firebreath Fishslap]

"Adachi will appreciate the sentiment later, once you're dead," Izanagi spoke. "And to be entirely honest, I don't care what Adachi thinks. He can't object as it is, anyways."

Izanagi only continued to smirk. He had the upper hand here; he'd had it since the moment he'd explained that he was Izanagi. He was aware of the presence of his gun. If Anpu tried taking it like last time, Izanagi would counter and if he could, take it back. If he got it back at that point, he'd just put a bullet in Anpu's skull then and there.

Izanagi became aware of the nearby presence of a Millennium Item. So, Malik had finally made it back to the black market, hm?

[mugenginga]

And now there was silence. If he didn't do anything, he would die. If he did, he might die. He still had things left to do in this world. Anpu had never been suicidal, contrary to what quite a few of his victims had thought and some of his followers had hoped. With those choices... Anpu had literally been half a second away from attempting to grab the gun when he heard a single step. He didn't turn his head, but there was a barely noticable twitch in his left hand as he stopped the action. Luck was as much an aspect of survival as skill, after all.

Malik turned the corner and in a flash had a dagger drawn at the scene. He took a step towards Izanagi and Malik. The man appeared to be an officer of some sort. Anpu was a thief. The Egyptian teenager only excercised caution because there seemed to be a standoff. He'd seen some of Dark Bakura's skills, and it made it clear this cop was something different than usual.

"You'll step away from him if you value your life," Malik stated.

[Firebreath Fishslap]

Izanagi had only turned around at Malik's voice, and as he turned, he placed a hand on the gun, just in case Anpu got the bright idea to try to swipe it while his back was turned. He was still keeping a close eye on the white haired man, and his plans hadn't changed any from this latest development.

It was then that Izanagi allowed the yellow color to shine through in his eyes. He chuckled.

"Threatening an officer of the law? You're the one they gave Ryou to after they rescued him from the other side, hm?" Izanagi chuckled. "I'm sorry to say this, but Anpu has to die."

And at that moment, Izanagi summoned the large spear-knife and pointed it at Anpu's throat in a way identical to how Adachi's Persona had once before. He looked between Anpu and Malik. Two against one. He'd have to be careful here.

[mugenginga]

Anpu watched the body language of Izanagi far more than he was paying attention to Malik. The teenager was threatening Adachi, and he was wearing the Ring. The only thing that fit that evidence was that Ryou was alive. Still, he could tell if he tried to run Izanagi would shoot him. Those modern weapons were damn inconvenient sometimes.

Malik paused as the man's eyes changed colors. While he'd seen yellow eyes in his homeworld before, there remained the fact they had changed to that. The gleam was a bit unnatural, as well. Whatever it was, it was hiding behind the facade of this form. Malik said nothing as the man stated Anpu had to die and then summoned a weapon out of thin air. Anpu had been about to slip away given the distraction when he had the all too familiar experience of a blade to his throat. He tensed up and stood there, pinned.

The Egyptian teenager didn't lower his knife. He took another step forward, confident he could do so by the man's stance. He was focused on Izanagi, but also on his own thoughts. Something clicked into place and he lowered his hand. Anpu's expression was a glare. Malik had once stated he would kill Ryou to kill him. Was it over?

"Do you gamble?" Malik stated. He had an arrogant expression. Anpu looked confused and annoyed.