Joey lay in an alley, blood dripped from his lips in streams, his eyes
stared around him open, but not really seeing. His body ached from being
kicked and beaten, he couldn't move, but could tell that nothing was really
broken. Rain came down in gray sheets, washing the blood from his cheeks
and torn clothes. He didn't want to move, just lay there, not thinking, no
seeing. The alley was slowly filling with rainwater almost up to his
mouth, the gutters had over flowed day ago. He lay still, not caring if he
drowned. The wheels of a car came slushing past and stopped in front of
him, too close to his head. Was it the rest, come to finish him off? A
pair of feet got out, Joey closed his eyes, ready for more pain. Strong
arms lifted him out of the gutter and cradled him gently, he kept his eyes
closed, not wanting to think. He felt himself moving, then lowered. A car
door closed, it was warm. Joey opened his eyes and looked up at the black
ceiling of a car. His head was lifted gently, ever so gently, into
someone's lap. He say two pricing blue eyes, then not wanting to see more,
closed his eyes again, before falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Joey's POV
I woke up in the same strong arms caring me. I heard voices from far away, muffled and dull. More movement. I was being set down, the whoever caring me hesitated and lifted me up again, setting me down again on what felt like stone. Warm water started to wash over my body. I opened my eyes slightly as my shirt my pulled off, I couldn't see through two black eyes. "Who?" I muttered.
"Shh, relax, your safe for now." Said some one. I nodded slowly.
"Whe-wh-where?" I asked feebly.
"Shh, your safe for now, all safe, quite." My shirt me off. Someone was pulling off my jeans. I struggled, feeling water splash. "It's okay, your getting a bath, bath."
I nodded and tried again. "Who?"
"It doesn't matter, relax."
"Y-Yu-Yug?" I couldn't finish.
"No, shhh." My jeans were off now, but who eve it was didn't go any further, thank god. I was starting to regain my senesce. The voice talking to me was a male voice, soft and kind, I felt his strong hands holding my head above the water, and felt soap in my hair and cuts. "Hold your breath." Said the man.
"O-k." I muttered as my head was pushed under quickly, washing off the soap. I came up again and was lifted from the bath. Someone warped me in a towel, I shivered. "So-so-so cold." I muttered shaking.
"We'll he be okay?" Asked a quieter voice, higher, younger.
"Yes, he needs to get rest, he'll be fine." Said the voice from before.
"P-p-please, what do I call y-you?" I muttered.
There was a pause. "Master, just call me master." Said the voice. I stirred, not sure I like calling his 'master', but nodded, to cold and too tiered to complain. I felt my self carried again, and tried to open my eyes.
"Where, are w-we going?" I asked scared.
"You need sleep and quite." Master answered.
I was set down on a smooth sheet and blankets were pulled up over me. I stopped trying to open my eyes and let sleep wash over me.
____________________________________________________________________________ _--
I woke up later and tried to open my eyes, I couldn't. I was very aware of being some where I had never been before. My body ached. I yelled out, hopping some one would come, and as it turns out some one did come.
"Whoa there Eazy, it's okay." Said a slightly familiar voice.
I sighed, relaxing slightly, the events from the night before flooding into my mind. The fight, the rain, the mysterious man who called him self master and the younger voice with out a name. "Where am I?" I asked, feeling my face where my eyes had swollen so much I couldn't see.
"In my house. My brother found you last night, you were just alive, do you remember?" Asked the voice.
"Y-yes, w-w-who are you?" I muttered pushing myself up onto my pillows.
"I'm Mo-Young Master." Said the voice. I nodded.
"I need to talk to my friends." I said stronger.
"They know where you are, don't worry. You can go home when you can see, it won't take long, maybe two days." Young Master said kindly, putting a hand on top of mine.
"Thank you and your brother for your kindness, I don't know many who would pick a stranger up off the street." I said relaxing.
I heard Young Master stir. "Well, we've heard of you, from the duels." He said.
"You have? Do you duel?" I asked.
"No." Came a sterner voice from some where to the left. "No, but we've heard of you." It was 'Master'. "It's good that your awake, if I hadn't have found you, you might have been dead, like-a stray mutt." He said, choosing his last word carefully.
I moved nervously on the bed, Mutt? I laughed lightly. "Like a Mutt?" I asked chuckling.
"Umm, yes, what is so funny?" Asked Master.
"I know someone who calls me mutt, it always felt like an insult."
"Really?" Asked Master lightly. "I know your name, but I'd like you to tell be it." Master said.
"Sense you two keep your names hidden from me, so well I. You can call me Mutt." I smiled.
"Mutt? You choose to be called a mutt?" Asked Young Master.
"Funny huh?" I said.
"I don't see much humor in it." Said Master, "If you need me I well be in my office."
"By big brother!" Young Master said.
"See you Master." I said, laughing at the end.
"I hope you get well-Mutt." "Thank you." I Answered, hearing the door close as master left the room. "Heh, now I know how Serenity felt." I said darkly. When I heard no answer I felt fear creep into my throat. "Ar-ar-are you still th-ther?" I stuttered.
"Sorry, I'm right here don't worry, you were telling me about Serenity?" Said Young Master, patting my hand.
I breather a sigh of relief. "She's my sister, she was blind, but I got her surgery." I said, relaxing.
"Really? Well hopefully you wont need surgery, are you hungry?" He asked changing the subject.
"Very." I answered.
"Hmmm, well you try to get some sleep, I'll bring you some food in a while, okay?"
"Okay." I said, scouting down in the bed. "Please, do-don't leave me alone." I muttered, knowing I sounded like a baby, but it didn't matter. Young Master had already left, and I started to drift into a light, feverish sleep.
____________________________________________________________________________ _--
I woke up with a yelp of pain, my left leg was trobbing, but I had lived with that for days before the fight. "Hey Mutt." Said Young Master's small voice, he put a wet cloth on my forehead. "How ya doing?"
"Fine." I mumbled.
"You were bleeding all over the sheets, you have some nasty cuts there. My brother had to move you so he could change the sheets and bandage up some of those cuts, I couldn't watch, there was too much blood." He sounded very small.
"I'm sorry." I said, wincing as I tried to move. I felt bandages on my chesty and wondered how hurt I really was.
"Are you still hungry, I made you some soup."
"Yes, I'm starving, thanks." I said, trying to sit up, but feeling very light headed, I must have lost a lot of blood.
"Here, let me help." Young Master said, helping me sit up. "I'll go get that soup." He dogged through the door. I lay in the bed, feeling over my bodies many cuts and bruises.
The door opened again and I smelt the sweet aroma of broth. I smiled, I was very hungry. "Thanks Youngen." I said, smiling at my own joke.
"Any time." Said a different voice, not Young Master, but Master.
"Oh, sorry, I though it was your little brother." I said. Feeling my face redden.
"No, he's doing his homework, he'll be back later." Master answered, setting a tray on my bed and sitting down next to me.
"That smells great." I said, groping around for the spoon, my hand went into the hot soup and I yelleped, putting the hand in my mouth.
"Ez there, let me help." Said master, I smelt the soup ver close to my face and felt the heat. "Open up." Master said.
I turned red, it was rather embracing to be fed like a baby, but I took my hand out of my mouth and let him put the spoon in. The soup was rich as salty. And ate it and felt the spoon come up to my face again. I opened my mouth, not believing I was allowing some one to feed me like a baby.
____________________________________________________________________________ __-- 2 Days Later
I woke up, screaming this time instead of yelling. I had relived the nights before, before I had been rescued. I have never been so scared, never know such fear. Three days ago I had been walking back from Yugi's, and went down an alley to get home, then they all jumped me, ten of them. They said they were from a gang, that they had come for revenge, I told them I didn't do that kind of stuff any more. They laughed, and then, it was all searing pain and red blood. I remembered the wait in the alley all day long, thinking I was dead and listing to the thousands of raindrops fill the streets tell they almost drowned me. I remember thinking, 'My dad well come looking for me, I know he well, or Yugi well be out for a walk. Tea of Honda, one of them well find me, they have to find me, I can't move, god why can't I move! I can't see, what happened to my eyes!' But no one came then, no one, but for the man with the strange blue eyes.
My room was a blur, just a blur of colors. I felt some one's arms around me, steadying me as I shook with fear. A pair of bright blue eyes in the dark. I screamed again, covering my face, with my hand and sobbing like a baby. I felt my face pressed against someone's shoulder, hugging me as I sobbed. I think I fell asleep that way, because next thing I new I was being nudged awake by a blurred body, and I had a pretty good idea who it belonged to.
"Mutt, wake up boy. Careful now, how do you feel?" Seto Kaiba asked me kindly helping me sit up.
"Kaiba?" I muttered, clutching his arm. "Kaiba? H-h-how, w-w-who? Dear lord."
"Are you okay Mutt?" He asked, concern in his voice, "You had a ruff night last night."
"I can see you." I muttered, touching his check.
"Y-y-you can s-s-see me?" Kaiba muttered, jumping back.
"What are you doing here, you don't care about me, you-you-you, saved me? You and Mokuba.. Oh my God, you." I shook my head trying to clear it, tears came to my eyes and I felt them drip down my face.
"Took you long enough." Kaiba snarled, becoming his normal evil self.
"You couldn't have, how did I get here?" I mumbled. Mokuba came into the room and saw me crying.
"What wrong Mutt?" He asked, using it as an enduring term, but it sounded like coal to my ears.
"I have a name Mokuba." I snarled, swinging my legs out of the bed and grabbing my cloths. I pulled on my pants and tried to get to my feet. "How could I have not known." I mumbled.
"How-Seto?" Mokuba stuttered, watching me feel my way along the side of the wall, using it to help me see and for support.
"He can see." Kaiba said.
"Damn right, money bags. Now move aside, I'm going home." I snarled, tripping and falling to my knees.
"Seto, help him." Mokuba pleaded, watching his brother just stand there, expressionless.
"He doesn't want my help." He answered, it wasn't true, I wanted anyone's help who would offer it, anyone's.
"Joey, are you okay?" Mokuba asked, trying to help me up.
"Get away from me, Mokuba." I spat, trying to get to my feet.
Mokuba jumped back as I crawled to the door. "Seto, you can't let him go like this! He's still hurt! Seto help him, please!" Mokuba wined.
There was a pause as I tried feebly to find the door handle and pull my self up. "Your right Mokuba." Kaiba said after a pause. "The Mutt owes us."
I stopped. "I owe you nothing." I snarled. I heard foot steeps behind me and felt the now familiar strong arms lift me up. "Put me down NOW!" I yelled wiggling around trying to get away.
"Hold still mutt." Kaiba said, dropping me onto the bed. I tried to move, but found myself unable to. The blur of colors sharpened as I tried to open my eyes some more. "You've gone and gotten your self hurt again stupid." Kaiba snarled. "Can you move?"
"No." I answered.
"Stupid puppy." He said sighing and turning me onto my back and pulling the covers over me.
"Let me go." I whispered.
"I would love it if you were gone Mutt, but as Mokuba reminded me, you owe us, and you can't pay your debt if your still hurt." Kaiba said pushing Mokuba out of the room. "So get well soon puppy, so I don't have to see your pathetic face any more." He followed Mokuba, shutting the door with a snap.
Joey's POV
I woke up in the same strong arms caring me. I heard voices from far away, muffled and dull. More movement. I was being set down, the whoever caring me hesitated and lifted me up again, setting me down again on what felt like stone. Warm water started to wash over my body. I opened my eyes slightly as my shirt my pulled off, I couldn't see through two black eyes. "Who?" I muttered.
"Shh, relax, your safe for now." Said some one. I nodded slowly.
"Whe-wh-where?" I asked feebly.
"Shh, your safe for now, all safe, quite." My shirt me off. Someone was pulling off my jeans. I struggled, feeling water splash. "It's okay, your getting a bath, bath."
I nodded and tried again. "Who?"
"It doesn't matter, relax."
"Y-Yu-Yug?" I couldn't finish.
"No, shhh." My jeans were off now, but who eve it was didn't go any further, thank god. I was starting to regain my senesce. The voice talking to me was a male voice, soft and kind, I felt his strong hands holding my head above the water, and felt soap in my hair and cuts. "Hold your breath." Said the man.
"O-k." I muttered as my head was pushed under quickly, washing off the soap. I came up again and was lifted from the bath. Someone warped me in a towel, I shivered. "So-so-so cold." I muttered shaking.
"We'll he be okay?" Asked a quieter voice, higher, younger.
"Yes, he needs to get rest, he'll be fine." Said the voice from before.
"P-p-please, what do I call y-you?" I muttered.
There was a pause. "Master, just call me master." Said the voice. I stirred, not sure I like calling his 'master', but nodded, to cold and too tiered to complain. I felt my self carried again, and tried to open my eyes.
"Where, are w-we going?" I asked scared.
"You need sleep and quite." Master answered.
I was set down on a smooth sheet and blankets were pulled up over me. I stopped trying to open my eyes and let sleep wash over me.
____________________________________________________________________________ _--
I woke up later and tried to open my eyes, I couldn't. I was very aware of being some where I had never been before. My body ached. I yelled out, hopping some one would come, and as it turns out some one did come.
"Whoa there Eazy, it's okay." Said a slightly familiar voice.
I sighed, relaxing slightly, the events from the night before flooding into my mind. The fight, the rain, the mysterious man who called him self master and the younger voice with out a name. "Where am I?" I asked, feeling my face where my eyes had swollen so much I couldn't see.
"In my house. My brother found you last night, you were just alive, do you remember?" Asked the voice.
"Y-yes, w-w-who are you?" I muttered pushing myself up onto my pillows.
"I'm Mo-Young Master." Said the voice. I nodded.
"I need to talk to my friends." I said stronger.
"They know where you are, don't worry. You can go home when you can see, it won't take long, maybe two days." Young Master said kindly, putting a hand on top of mine.
"Thank you and your brother for your kindness, I don't know many who would pick a stranger up off the street." I said relaxing.
I heard Young Master stir. "Well, we've heard of you, from the duels." He said.
"You have? Do you duel?" I asked.
"No." Came a sterner voice from some where to the left. "No, but we've heard of you." It was 'Master'. "It's good that your awake, if I hadn't have found you, you might have been dead, like-a stray mutt." He said, choosing his last word carefully.
I moved nervously on the bed, Mutt? I laughed lightly. "Like a Mutt?" I asked chuckling.
"Umm, yes, what is so funny?" Asked Master.
"I know someone who calls me mutt, it always felt like an insult."
"Really?" Asked Master lightly. "I know your name, but I'd like you to tell be it." Master said.
"Sense you two keep your names hidden from me, so well I. You can call me Mutt." I smiled.
"Mutt? You choose to be called a mutt?" Asked Young Master.
"Funny huh?" I said.
"I don't see much humor in it." Said Master, "If you need me I well be in my office."
"By big brother!" Young Master said.
"See you Master." I said, laughing at the end.
"I hope you get well-Mutt." "Thank you." I Answered, hearing the door close as master left the room. "Heh, now I know how Serenity felt." I said darkly. When I heard no answer I felt fear creep into my throat. "Ar-ar-are you still th-ther?" I stuttered.
"Sorry, I'm right here don't worry, you were telling me about Serenity?" Said Young Master, patting my hand.
I breather a sigh of relief. "She's my sister, she was blind, but I got her surgery." I said, relaxing.
"Really? Well hopefully you wont need surgery, are you hungry?" He asked changing the subject.
"Very." I answered.
"Hmmm, well you try to get some sleep, I'll bring you some food in a while, okay?"
"Okay." I said, scouting down in the bed. "Please, do-don't leave me alone." I muttered, knowing I sounded like a baby, but it didn't matter. Young Master had already left, and I started to drift into a light, feverish sleep.
____________________________________________________________________________ _--
I woke up with a yelp of pain, my left leg was trobbing, but I had lived with that for days before the fight. "Hey Mutt." Said Young Master's small voice, he put a wet cloth on my forehead. "How ya doing?"
"Fine." I mumbled.
"You were bleeding all over the sheets, you have some nasty cuts there. My brother had to move you so he could change the sheets and bandage up some of those cuts, I couldn't watch, there was too much blood." He sounded very small.
"I'm sorry." I said, wincing as I tried to move. I felt bandages on my chesty and wondered how hurt I really was.
"Are you still hungry, I made you some soup."
"Yes, I'm starving, thanks." I said, trying to sit up, but feeling very light headed, I must have lost a lot of blood.
"Here, let me help." Young Master said, helping me sit up. "I'll go get that soup." He dogged through the door. I lay in the bed, feeling over my bodies many cuts and bruises.
The door opened again and I smelt the sweet aroma of broth. I smiled, I was very hungry. "Thanks Youngen." I said, smiling at my own joke.
"Any time." Said a different voice, not Young Master, but Master.
"Oh, sorry, I though it was your little brother." I said. Feeling my face redden.
"No, he's doing his homework, he'll be back later." Master answered, setting a tray on my bed and sitting down next to me.
"That smells great." I said, groping around for the spoon, my hand went into the hot soup and I yelleped, putting the hand in my mouth.
"Ez there, let me help." Said master, I smelt the soup ver close to my face and felt the heat. "Open up." Master said.
I turned red, it was rather embracing to be fed like a baby, but I took my hand out of my mouth and let him put the spoon in. The soup was rich as salty. And ate it and felt the spoon come up to my face again. I opened my mouth, not believing I was allowing some one to feed me like a baby.
____________________________________________________________________________ __-- 2 Days Later
I woke up, screaming this time instead of yelling. I had relived the nights before, before I had been rescued. I have never been so scared, never know such fear. Three days ago I had been walking back from Yugi's, and went down an alley to get home, then they all jumped me, ten of them. They said they were from a gang, that they had come for revenge, I told them I didn't do that kind of stuff any more. They laughed, and then, it was all searing pain and red blood. I remembered the wait in the alley all day long, thinking I was dead and listing to the thousands of raindrops fill the streets tell they almost drowned me. I remember thinking, 'My dad well come looking for me, I know he well, or Yugi well be out for a walk. Tea of Honda, one of them well find me, they have to find me, I can't move, god why can't I move! I can't see, what happened to my eyes!' But no one came then, no one, but for the man with the strange blue eyes.
My room was a blur, just a blur of colors. I felt some one's arms around me, steadying me as I shook with fear. A pair of bright blue eyes in the dark. I screamed again, covering my face, with my hand and sobbing like a baby. I felt my face pressed against someone's shoulder, hugging me as I sobbed. I think I fell asleep that way, because next thing I new I was being nudged awake by a blurred body, and I had a pretty good idea who it belonged to.
"Mutt, wake up boy. Careful now, how do you feel?" Seto Kaiba asked me kindly helping me sit up.
"Kaiba?" I muttered, clutching his arm. "Kaiba? H-h-how, w-w-who? Dear lord."
"Are you okay Mutt?" He asked, concern in his voice, "You had a ruff night last night."
"I can see you." I muttered, touching his check.
"Y-y-you can s-s-see me?" Kaiba muttered, jumping back.
"What are you doing here, you don't care about me, you-you-you, saved me? You and Mokuba.. Oh my God, you." I shook my head trying to clear it, tears came to my eyes and I felt them drip down my face.
"Took you long enough." Kaiba snarled, becoming his normal evil self.
"You couldn't have, how did I get here?" I mumbled. Mokuba came into the room and saw me crying.
"What wrong Mutt?" He asked, using it as an enduring term, but it sounded like coal to my ears.
"I have a name Mokuba." I snarled, swinging my legs out of the bed and grabbing my cloths. I pulled on my pants and tried to get to my feet. "How could I have not known." I mumbled.
"How-Seto?" Mokuba stuttered, watching me feel my way along the side of the wall, using it to help me see and for support.
"He can see." Kaiba said.
"Damn right, money bags. Now move aside, I'm going home." I snarled, tripping and falling to my knees.
"Seto, help him." Mokuba pleaded, watching his brother just stand there, expressionless.
"He doesn't want my help." He answered, it wasn't true, I wanted anyone's help who would offer it, anyone's.
"Joey, are you okay?" Mokuba asked, trying to help me up.
"Get away from me, Mokuba." I spat, trying to get to my feet.
Mokuba jumped back as I crawled to the door. "Seto, you can't let him go like this! He's still hurt! Seto help him, please!" Mokuba wined.
There was a pause as I tried feebly to find the door handle and pull my self up. "Your right Mokuba." Kaiba said after a pause. "The Mutt owes us."
I stopped. "I owe you nothing." I snarled. I heard foot steeps behind me and felt the now familiar strong arms lift me up. "Put me down NOW!" I yelled wiggling around trying to get away.
"Hold still mutt." Kaiba said, dropping me onto the bed. I tried to move, but found myself unable to. The blur of colors sharpened as I tried to open my eyes some more. "You've gone and gotten your self hurt again stupid." Kaiba snarled. "Can you move?"
"No." I answered.
"Stupid puppy." He said sighing and turning me onto my back and pulling the covers over me.
"Let me go." I whispered.
"I would love it if you were gone Mutt, but as Mokuba reminded me, you owe us, and you can't pay your debt if your still hurt." Kaiba said pushing Mokuba out of the room. "So get well soon puppy, so I don't have to see your pathetic face any more." He followed Mokuba, shutting the door with a snap.