By the way, if you are wondering what's going on with me, I've been busy with school work, especially as this year we have SATs. I suppose it isn't that big a thing, but I still want to do well, so I've been working really hard...
As far as this fic goes, I've changed the dub names to their original greatness, changed a couple of things, stitched up several plot holes and just generally fixed it up.
I will probably finish uploading chapters during this week, and I will continue to write as often as possible. By the way, I do not own Yugioh or anything else of worth, for that matter, save a rather twisted imagination and access to a computer.
Enjoy!
C.c
Mondays; How I hate Mondays. The first day of school; the first day of the week and it's always cold on Monday for some odd reason. This Monday is no different. I had to get up two hours earlier than I would do on a weekend because of school, and by the time I got there I had lost all feeling in my toes, not to mention my ears, nose, and fingers. And that was while I was wearing gloves and my jacket. I swear, it's even colder inside the school though; they are too cheap to pay for the heating, and love seeing us suffer. They won't let us wear our jackets in class, or force us to take them off if we do, even if it's below freezing.
Stupid teachers, stupid School, stupid Mondays…
I'm currently freezing my butt off in chemistry. Lucky for me, we are doing a practical which involves Bunsen burners: this means we get the added warmth of a lab coat, and twenty different Bunsen burner flames. I'm working with Yugi and Anzu for this experiment, as they are half decent at chemistry. I suck, of course, so I just watch and only ever help if something is going to explode or we are messing about with acids and alkali metals and stuff like that. Anyway, like I said, I was with Yugi and Anzu, and today's experiment was testing for glucose (in English that's sugar, I think). It looks quite fun, actually. We are using some funky blue gunk and putting it in the supposed glucose solution. Then we heat it up, and it should turn red or orange. Cool, eh? I think so, anyway. But still, I'll let Yugi and Anzu do it, as long as I can light the Bunsen burner.
That is, if Yugi will let me…
"Look, Katsuya. Last time you tried to light it you set fire to three books, a pencil case, my hair and Anzu's lab coat. My hair took a month to grow back. A. Month."
"Awww, come on!" I whined, "No fair! You said you'd let me! Besides, you could do with a haircut, not that I will set it on fire or anything but-"
"When, and why, did I ever say I'd let you?" Yugi asked, frowning suspiciously (and ignoring my final comment. Good job…I was suspecting that creepy puzzle dude to pop out and murder me…).
"Yesterday: at…Burger World!"
"Oh…" He said, falling (or at least pretending to out of pity) hook, line and sinker, "Oh, sorry I forgot, Jou. Go light it then…" He said, sighing heavily and tying his hair back nervously with a hair band he'd borrowed from Anzu.
He slipped on his goggles; I think most of the class did too when they realised I was walking over to the lit Bunsen on the teacher's desk.
I love it when I get my way: not that it's hard with Yugi. He's a total pushover. Still, I would never take advantage of him.
I approached the desk, only to be stopped by a rather curious looking Mr Masen, our chemistry teacher.
"And just what do you think you are doing anywhere near a naked flame, Jonouchi?"
"I'm getting some fire for my group's Bunsen." I replied honestly. For once, I had nothing to hide from a teacher.
"Really, now?" He growled, glaring at me suspiciously, "I'm not sure whether that it is wise to be attempting to pull a stunt like last weeks, Jonouchi,"
"What?"
"You know what I'm talking about," he said, a grim smirk creeping across his tired face, "No, I-"
I paused.
"Wait, are you implying that I deliberately set my Best friend's hair on fire?" I asked, nearly choking.
" 'Best friend' you say?" He grimaced, "
I was about to pick up the last remaining splint from a box on the table, when another hand grabbed it before I had the chance.
"Hey!" I shouted up at the person in front of me: The emphasis on up.
"What? Oh…it's just you…" An all too familiar voice growled, "Mind keeping it to a dull roar? You'll blow that flame out. Either that or explode the place with that noxious gas you call your breath."
"Shut your trap, Kaiba…"
"I would very much like to say the same to you…" He replied holding his nose and waving the splint in front of my face.
I growled and bared my teeth. Big mistake and a great excuse for Mister Moneybags to bring out that old and ever endearing phrase…
"Mutt." He smirked, knowing it would fire me up…
"I'm not a dog…" I hissed, "And can't you come up with any better insults than that? You know, original ones? Not ones you stole from Otogi…Not ones you have been using for years…" I said.
Ha! I just said something of vague intelligence…and in front of Kaiba, who just glared at me (You know, narrowing his eyes a bit more than normal and frowning a little more. He looks like he's glaring all the time…). But not one of is normal glares. He looked scary…real scary…
"Oh yes you are. And a stupid one at that. But no, I suppose I do have a question that even a dog like you can answer…" He jibed, practically glaring a hole into my forehead.
"What?" I stuttered. He is seriously frightening when he's angry: I bet every last employee he hasn't fired for fun is scared witless of him…
"Which is more, one or two?"
"Two, duh…Why do you ask?" I questioned.
And he answered by snatching my safety goggles off my face, nearly poking me in the eye with the splint in the process, and snapping them in two. He placed the glasses back into my hands: I was too shocked to take them off him.
"You got it right, mutt. Good dog. Now, Fetch!" He dropped the splint on the floor behind him as he turned and walked back in the opposite direction, "See you, mutt…"
"I'm no dog…" I growled inwardly.
I should be used to him insulting me by now: I'm not, and for some odd reason, his words always hurt me. I often wonder why he does it: Maybe just to see me squirm, or because he needs someone to let out his frustrations from work or home on. Whatever the reason, he chose me, and I seem to make a pretty good verbal punching bag.
I grudgingly picked up the splint and poked it into the fire; it lit. Slowly and carefully, I walked back over to our Bunsen.
"Hey, Yugi! Turn on the gas!" I said proudly, being extra careful with my lit splint. I continued to pace slowly.
"Careful, Katsuya…careful…" I whispered to myself as I dodged past a few other groups of people surrounding their experiments for warmth.
"Hurry up, Katsuya!"
"Yeah!" Moaned Anzu, folding her arms and tapping her foot impatiently on the floor.
"I'm coming! Sheesh!" I muttered, still staring directly at the fire on my fingers.
Wait.
Fire on my fingers?
"NOOOOOO! I'M ON FIRE!" I screeched, shaking my hand about like crazy and screaming. I blew on it, I waved it about and then I tried spitting on it. None of them worked, and one of them was gross, so tried to run them under a tap. Steam rose from my now stinging hand as the flames went out.
"Phew…" I sighed. I checked my fingers: everything looked okay. I suppose they were a bit charred and black, but they didn't hurt too much anymore.
"You okay, Katsuya?" Anzu asked, rushing over and messing with my hand.
"Get off…" I thought to myself, rolling my eyes. She's like the mother I never had…
"Are you hurt? Was it painful? Do you want to wash it with cold water again? Eeep! I think it's flaking…"
She was right: A large black flake of skin fell right off my finger. Ouch…
"Anzu…I'm fine…" I said, pulling my hand away from Anzu's and going to light the splint again.
Wait, no. Too dangerous. I don't want to set myself on fire again, let alone the rest of the class.
Hmm…what can I do? Let's see: what is flammable, self lighting and portable and can be found in this classroom?
Scanning the room, all I can see is people: Most of them I know pretty well.
Over in the far corner of the classroom I can still see Anzu and Yugi messing about with the blue stuff. Anzu, as usual, is being really dominating: pouring all the dangerous chemicals, not letting Yugi touch anything over room temperature and keeping a firm grasp on his wrist at all times. I suppose she's just being over protective: it's in her nature. She'll make a great mother one day…hec, maybe even to Yugi's kids…
Anyway, I shall remove that slightly disturbing thought from my head and continues on my mission for a portable source of fire…
Hey! A box of matches on the desk! I'm sure the teacher won't mind if I borrow these. It will be much safer if I light the flame from next to it, rather than carrying a burning stick across the classroom.
So, I decided to take the matches, discreetly of course, not that the teacher would have noticed anyway, and take them to light the fire.
I wandered back over to Yugi and the experiment stuff casually, trying not to arouse suspicion. I mean, it's not like I cared that I had stolen something. I do it all the time at the shops or even from people in my class.
I just had a really bad feeling: and I recognise it.
I know I've felt I before: it's sort of like a heavy feeling in my stomach, and every other time I've felt it, something bad has happened…
Duellist kingdom: on the boat, right before Insector Haga threw Exodia into the sea.
Battle City: when I met Namu, Malik's alias.
Kaiba's virtual world: after a rather nice dinner, then minutes previous to me donning my caveman costume…
And just now.
Call it instinct, call it paranoia: actually, you could call it indigestion, but I haven't had breakfast yet…
I just know one thing: something bad is going to happen.
Finally, I got back to my experiment and sat down on a stool. To my misfortune, it collapsed right underneath me, causing me to fall flat on my back. I grimaced, but had to pull myself up as Yugi and Anzu were both off getting other equipment.
Well, at least I knew what the warning was for. Nothing else bad to look forward to, I guess…
So why do I feel so weird?
"Ow…" I whined, slowly steadying myself. I limped over to the Bunsen, nevertheless, and fetched out the teacher's matches. Well, they were mine now, actually.
I was about to open the box and take out a match when Anzu came rushing up behind me, her arms full of test tubes, bottles and a tripod. She dumped them onto the desk.
"Jonouchi!" She exclaimed, spotting the matchbox and attempting to snatch it off me, "Are these yours?"
"Course not!" I said, smirking, "I borrowed them off……Honda in…French."
"Ummm…whatever…" Anzu sighed, backing off, "Light it then…" She waved her hand in the direction of the Bunsen burner, then wandered off and started mixing up more chemicals in a test tube.
I pushed open the box and looked at the contents: or the lack of them…
"Ahhh…great. Just my luck to steal an empty matchbox" I sighed, and put the box on the desk. Once again, my great luck kicked in and I missed, dropping the box on the floor.
And, hey presto: a lone match escapes on impact!
"Hey! There's one left!" I picked up the match from the floor and twiddled it about in my charred fingers.
Maybe my luck was changing or something…
Maybe things were going to be better today or at least for the rest of the lesson. Yeah, I know; one little good thing isn't going to change everything, but maybe it's a sign of slight hope.
Still…
Something's not right…
I struck the match: no fire.
I struck the match: no fire.
I struck the match: still no fire; not even a spark.
"Humph…maybe my luck isn't changing after all…" I thought sadly to myself, "I better try just one more time anyways…just to check…"
I began to slide the match along the rough side of the box. Sparks were beginning to fly off, and the match was getting hotter. It moved further down the strip and was nearly at the end when I heard a yell from behind me, accompanied by loud, fast footsteps…
"No! Jonouchi! The gas! Don't light the match!" A male voice screamed, diving to snatch the match out of my hand. Instinctively, I moved it out of his way.
And I bet you can just guess where to: right in front of the open gas tap.
I stared down in disbelief: the pipe that led to the Bunsen burner lay only a few centimetres from the tap, but it was no use putting it on now. Fire was already beginning to spread out from my match…
Towards me.
I tried to dodge the huge ball of flame heading straight towards me, but it was no use. It swallowed me whole.
Well, at least I wasn't cold any more…