Story Title: To Dance with the Devil Within Me

Disclaimer: I do not own YYH.

Author's Notes: I took me a little while to come up with anything, but I finally have the first chapter done. Since I've got it started, I'll be working on it faster…the hardest part for me is always starting a story, not finishing it. Enjoy.

Chapter One: The Warning Signs

Yusuke slowly opened the door to his apartment. The house was a mess—his mother, Atsuko, must have had a party over the weekend in his absence. Sure enough, she lay on the floor in a pool of her own saliva. And thank god, it was only saliva. His mother was clutching a bottle like a teddy bear. Yusuke read the label. Son of a bitch, she bought the hard stuff, he thought, guess I'll be making dinner tonight—microwaveable ramen cups and old rice for two.

He left her sleeping and went into his room. Dropping his gym bag on the floor, Yusuke noticed his room had been cleaned. Keiko must have been here. Or did his mother get off her ass and cleaned something for once? He doubted that.

Yusuke collapsed on the bed. What a weekend! Training in the mountains was the best idea he ever had. No people, no noise, just the trees and rocks to smash and evade. Best of all, there was no hag (rest her dead soul) barking orders at him—just him and his own muscles. With that thought, he peeled off his sweat-stained, ragged T-shirt, and, playfully smirking, he bunched it up and threw it at the wall.

It stuck, much to his amusement.

Yusuke stretched out his arms and back. His muscles were tight but showed little change from his weekend training. They wouldn't really—he didn't really use his own strength that much. No. Yusuke was testing out a different power—one he had only in the recent year discovered inside him. It was so easy to tap into too. All he had to do was focus his anger and intensify his rage, and the power came. It was too much fun to feel the power coursing through his veins. Even now the urge whispered in his ear like a money-hungry whore.

Use me, abuse me, it spoke to him.

Use me, ABUSE me…

Yusuke couldn't resist any longer. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he poured his anger, his rage, all his negative thoughts into on place and squeezed it tightly into a ball until it burst inside, and the power overtook him. Veins popped through his throbbing muscles. His senses heightened. His eyes could see farther and wider than before. He could smell the alcohol on his mother's breath. He could hear the roaches scurrying in the wall as loud as he could hear his own breath.

The power poured throughout his body. His throbbing muscles constricted and relaxed all on their own. Yusuke's palms and fingers tingled as the power flowed back up his arms and down his chest. He felt like he was a snake slowly inching prey throughout his whole body, only he had no control of it. The feeling, still tightening and relaxing muscles, was flowing down his legs to his numb toes. Yusuke leaned his head back. His eyelids were fluttering rapidly and his eyes were melting into his sockets. This was such an amazing rush that in ignored the pain screaming from his body from his massive hard-on.

Gripping the mattress, Yusuke leaned forward and took in a long drawn breath like he was taking in the sweetest air or inhaling the smoke from the greatest cigarette. The boy inhaled and exhaled. Collapsing back onto the mattress, his chest rose up and down normally with each breath. The rush quieted slowly and left him drained but calm. This power was amazing.

And it was all his.

Closing his eyes, Yusuke drifted off to sleep. Dinner would have to wait.

Sunlight burned his eyes as he awoke the next morning. Wha? What time was it? His head was dazed and disoriented. Where was his clock? He found it upside down on the floor.

"12:32 P.M…" Yusuke read, groaning. "Shit, I missed school." Oh well, Yusuke shrugged his shoulders and yawned.

Yusuke like most humans was a creature of habit. Yes, even he had a morning routine and always performed it even if it was night. He first stood up and covered his mouth as he yawned. Then, he stretched his arms and back, and finally he scratched his butt in front of the open window. It wasn't very long, but his routine was very important to him.

His door was open as his mother walked by," Wha? You're supposed to be at school. Yusuke, I thought you straightened up. Why are you just sitting on your ass? If you're going to revert back to your old ways, get a job."

Yusuke narrowed his eyes," Well, when you get off your podium, I can explain. I WAS going today, but I overslept. I make mistakes, lots of them. Get off my ass, and we'll both have a better day."

"Whatever…" Atsuko said as she slid on her brown coat," Since you're skipping, be of help and clean the house. I've gotta go."

Yusuke did a double take,"What! You actually HAVE to be somewhere?"

"Yea, it's called a job," his mother said as a vein in her temple quirked in annoyance. She turned and left with her heels clacking down the long hall. She got a normal job? When in the world…who would hire her? Yusuke couldn't believe it. His mom was actually doing something right. He guessed after he straightened up, she wanted to as well. Yusuke smiled. Things were slowly getting better for them. It was nice.

He ran into the hall," Hey Mom!"

She was at the door when he yelled. Atsuko faced him. Was he going to say how proud he was of her…maybe even that he loved her? Her heart swelled at the hopeful thought.

"Better hope they don't wax your pole today," he grinned goofily.

Atsuko flipped him off and closed the door behind her. Typical Yusuke, she thought and sighed. But in a way, that was his way of showing he cared…as twisted as it sounded.

"I love you too," she whispered and left.

Yusuke sat in the middle of the disaster zone. It would take him hours to fix all this, hours he could be at Pachinko. There had to be an easier way. Think, he told himself, think.

He grinned cunningly. There was a way but he really should be doing it. It would be wholly abusing his power, but it was so easy and Pachinko was fun. Hard work or easy fun, which would Yusuke choose…after balancing the sides for a little over a half of a second, Pachinko won over cleaning.

As his heightened senses stabilized, his muscles throbbed in anticipation. Yusuke crouched down like a marathon sprinter. One, two, three, he counted off, go! From outside, he just looked like a large red streak. Pick up this, throw it in here, and wash dishes, vacuum—the thoughts raced in his head faster than the speed of light. Within five minutes, Yusuke was done. The house was immaculate, lemon-fresh even. He had energy, excess even, as he stood marching in place, even shadow boxing in the air.

"Whoo!" he exhaled loudly, "Anymore? Yes? No? I think I got it." He spoke rapidly, almost incoherently.

Back to his normal self, Yusuke suddenly felt dizzy. He was exhausted, more than just that—he was falling asleep on his feet. "Pa…chin…ko," slowly he slurred. The room was hazy and spinning him around—it was like back in kindergarten when he got sick on the tire swing…only worse. Walking was impossible, Yusuke staggered on the tips of his toes. He heard a voice laughing at him. Blissfully he grinned. It couldn't be…the laugh wasn't real. It sounded like him, though he wasn't laughing, so there was no way it was him. Yusuke was sure of it.

Or was he?

Twirling and whirling, Yusuke wasn't sure of anything. A gentle wind pushed his body too far in one direction. Yusuke loudly "thunked" on the wooden floor.

"Oh Yusuke, I can't believe it!" Atsuko gawked in disbelief as she set the groceries on the counter," You…you cleaned, and you're good at it."

Yusuke sat up and wiped the drool from his mouth. Nothing she had said had registered yet. How long had he been out? What time was it? Yusuke searched for a clock as he scratched his back. His mom was walking toward him. She seemed happy.

"Yusuke," she punched him on the head," You've been slacking on me."

Her yelling exploded in his ears," God, Mom, just shut up for once." Yusuke was leaned forward and clutched his ears. Atsuko blinked. What was wrong with him? He looked like he had a hangover, but there wasn't any alcohol out.

Lowering her voice, she couched down beside him," You okay? Yusuke? Are you o—"

"Don't you listen!" Yusuke's face was contorted in anger. His eyes flashed as veins protruded from underneath his skin. "I want you to shut up and shut up now," he screamed bitterly.

Atsuko was stunned. They fought all the time but never like this. The boy in front of her was not her son. He couldn't be—not this…this monster.

Yusuke rose and walked right past her. "I'm going out," he announced in a dry voice.

"Wait, Yusuke," his mother ran to catch him. Her son turned and stared at her with a crazed look in his eyes.

"I don't have to listen to you," he said and grabbed her tightly by the shoulders. Atsuko couldn't speak—to afraid to make a peep. Thrown roughly across the room, she landed on her side and knocked her head against the floor. "You," he pointed and commanded her like a dog," wait here. Dinner better be ready by the time I get back."

Atsuko lay trembling with tears welling in her eyes. That face…it was Yusuke, but it wasn't Yusuke. Where was her goofy slacker son? Where…where did he go? Atsuko lay on the floor and wept as the mark on her side turned black and blue.

–End chapter one

Author's Comments: Lately all of my stories have been dark and depressing, but I'm not in a bad mood…things are fine, perfectly happy even. Oh well…I'm rating this story "M" just in case for now. Actually, now that I think about it, it would be "M". I hope you enjoyed, if I haven't made you clinically depressed. I need to do some happier work…