Rated T for some cursing. You've been warned. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, obviously. You may now trudge forth.

The bell for the end of fifth period rang, signaling the end of the day for Domino High. Students rushed out of the classroom, teenagers that wanted nothing more than to get home to start the weekend as quickly as possible. Groaning,Yugi swiped both his hands down his face and slumped down in the desk he was sitting in. From across the room Mana, one of Yugi's best and only friends, stuffed the rest of the things into her back pack and made her way over to her friend.

"Why the glum face?" She questioned.

He lowered his hands from his face and used one of them to point a finger at the window to his left.

"I have to walk home in that." He whined. Mana turned her gaze to the window and looked at the drizzly state the weather had taken to in the last hour or so. "As if it wasn't bad enough that my car decided that it hated me and attempted to commit suicide. I won't get it back for another two days. This blows."

Mana clicked her tongue repeatedly and shook her head. "Oh, quit complaining. Your stubby legs need the exercise. Sitting here won't make getting home any faster, either."

He gave her a glare. "It's four miles."

"All the more reason to start now, huh? If you walk fast and take the short cuts you should be home in an hour or so." She smiled down at him. " You know I wish I could take you home, but I still don't have a car. If you would have filled out the paper work for the buses at the first of the year you could be riding it home instead." She shifted the weight of her backpack onto her other shoulder. "Okay, I really have to go because if I don't get out there now I'm going to miss mine and then I'll be walking home, too." She smiled at him again and leaned down to peck his cheek. "Bye short shit."

Yugi sighed as he stood up and made his way out of his school. When he made it outside he sent a silent cursing up into the sky at the bad luck mother nature thrust upon him at the one day all school year he was without his car. If he had to walk home, it mind as well have been pretty.

Domino, Japan was a of course, a metro city. That meant that it was rather large in size. It also meant it had it's combination of classy and run down and that although not in all areas, some places weren't completely safe at night, especially the Downtown District. Yugi tended to stray away from these places, since he never had any need to be around them anyway.

Not only that, but he, just like everyone, had heard the stories. The stories that ranged from theft to murder. Gangs ruled those areas, and there was no benefit to anyone that showed their face in wrong territory.

He was making his way through Downtown at around his second mile, knowing if he took the short cut he intended on taking, he'd be home in less time, probably in about 15 minutes if he walked quickly, which he knew was definitely going to be the case. It was starting to rain harder and all the adolescent wanted was to be home already.

The only thing was he'd have to go through the Downtown District. He reasoned with himself earlier that it was the very edge of the alleys and he had a very slim chance of being messed with. There was also around an hour or so before sundown, even if technically the rain clouds shielded it from direct view. He had nothing to worry about. No one would bother him. He was safe.

He was wrong. Dead wrong. The amethyst-eyed youth made his way down the last alley that would spit him out into the right direction of his house. Seeing a group of men in the distance, he once again cursed his luck.

With questioned reason, he quickened his pace, hoping with everything the boy had he would be able to pass freely. One again, he was wrong.

Just as he thought he was home free, a crow bar crushed his hopes. Looking from the barrier that was stuck in front of him to the man with the fierce face and greasy, slicked back black hair, he resisted his urge to whimper in defeat. This wasn't how this was supposed to play out. Yugi thought he was safe.

"Hey there pretty thing, where do you think you're going? This is our territory. If you expected to pass through here unnoticed you were sadly mistaken." Greasy's face twisted into something sinister.

Just as he said this, he walked from the place he was standing on the right side of the alley to come straight in front of Yugi, crow bar bouncing up and down in his left hand as he manipulated it to move with his right.

To Yugi's agony, the other four men that were also standing on both the right and left side of the alley from earlier, came to stand by Greasy. With all five of them together, they made a barricade. If Yugi thought he couldn't get out unscathed earlier, he knew he had absolutely no chance now.

"Guess we're just gonna' have to teach you a lesson then, huh?" He laughed lowly, wickedly, and advanced forward, along with the other four men.

"Please...please...just...l...et me go. I...just. Want to go home." The young boy managed to croak out. This was it. He was done for. What about his friends? His grandpa? How were they going to take this? Oh, god. He didn't want to die. He was only 17.

"You hear that guys? He actually thinks he has a chance of leaving. How hilarious is that?" They all laughed in agreement. They were enjoying his fear.

Yugi had no choice. He had to get out of there. He wasn't going to let them get their way. The adolescent turned, but found running away wasn't an option. About fifteen feet in front of him, the alley way ended. How had they corned him into a dead in without him realizing? Oh god, this really is the end. He whipped back around.

"No place to run, no way to hide pretty thing. Let's play a game." Knowing nothing else to do, he sunk down, squeezed his eyes shut, and covered his head, anticipating the oncoming blow that was sure to follow.

Just when he thought it was over, that he was a goner, a voice broke the reverie. A deep, velvety tone. One that sent shivers down Yugi's spine.

"Robbing the cradle much? You're fucking pathetic, Joe. How old is the kid, 11?"

"What the hell are you even doing here? This isn't even your territory. Therefore, none of your business. Get lost, Atem."

Yugi from his place on the ground opened his down turned eyes and blinked repeatedly at the ground. Joe. Atem. Well, if he ever got out of here, at least he had two of his attackers names. Not like it mattered without last names. Or even with them, for that matter. None of the Downtown District gangs were ever put into custody. Ever. Probably based on the fact that anything they did could never be directly pinned on any of them. They moved like ghosts through the shadows. It was quite impressive, actually. If you take out the fact that they were all terrible people who did terrible things and were about do as such to said boy still in his place on the ground.

The baritone voice shocked him, though.

It sighed. "Just let him go. It's not like he's going to tell anyone. Or even if he does, that he's going to do any damage in doing so. Just let him go, Joe."

Shocked, Yugi removed his arms that covered his head and looked up. The man, the one Yugi assumed was the one trying to save his life, Atem, stood between him and the barbaric low-life men that were, until up until about five minutes ago, about to harm him.

"And why should we?" Greasy spit out.

Yugi could hear the smirk his rescuer's voice as he responded. "Because, if you don't, I'll get Marik, Bakura, Seto, and the rest of the Millennium to teach you what happens when you cross us."

"But this isn't even your territory!" Whatever Atem had said, it had obviously done enough to frighten Joe. He looked more fearful for his life than Yugi had only ten minutes before.

Atem only chuckled, dark and smooth. "And I'm telling you, if you don't do what I say and leave this kid alone, I'll make sure you pay deeply."

Greasy had obviously heard enough. Yugi watched as he growled in defeat and turned with the others to draw back. The boy on the ground looked at their retreating forms in awe. This man just saved him. He was going to see the light of day tomorrow. Pathetically kissing the ground he was sitting on didn't seem like enough at this point. He left out a breath of air he didn't even realize he was holding.

Then he remembered Atem, the one who still stood with his back still to him, confirming no doubt that the group had indeed walked fully away from both of them.

"I-I..." Yugi tried, but failed, to get the words he wanted to say out of his unresponsive mouth.
The man in front of him spun around, looking down at him with ruby red eyes. Yugi sucked in air. They were breathtaking. Ignoring him, Atem asked firmly. "Are you hurt?" Yugi shook his head.

"Good. You need to get out of here. I know I just got those guys to leave, but they'll be back. You know where you're going. Now go." He ordered.

"But-"

"Save it. Run. Or do you want to die tonight?"

That was enough incentive for Yugi. With all the strength he could muster, he bolted off the ground and towards the entrance of the alleyway. He made it home unharmed that night, but not before he promised himself that he would find Atem and give the thank you he couldn't muster out that night.

So if I'm being honest I was really excited about this. It is my first chaptered fic on this account, after all. I hope you enjoyed this first chapter and there will be more to come! So if you did like it, look forward to that. Not completely sure how often and on what days I'm going to update, but I do want to give you all a schedule so I'll let you know when that happens. Other than that, thank you for reading!

Follow, review, favorite? I'm always down for that, :)

XO.