CH1
hiding in plain sight
The group is together in the abandoned city streets, looking around in shock at the bizarre sound that seems to emanate from everywhere and nowhere at all. Yugi grips to Jous arm in desperation for safety, he holds rather tightly to to his small friend refusing to allow whatever is stalking them to have his friend. Honda has hands folded into tight fists raised at the ready, his back arched as he looks around seeing nothing but fallen leaves twirling along in a passing breeze.
They shouldn't have stayed out so late, they should have listened to Atem when he said he felt something was amiss this night, it worried him that the moon was bloody red. But Honda and Jou where so positive that whatever the city had to hold against them they could handle. In the distance something lands with a soft thump, a sound similar to that of a pillow hitting the floor.
All three of them jerk to the left as a man shaped creature steps on all fours outward toward them. It looks smaller than it is as it slinks forward from between to tall slate gray skyscrapers. As it walks forward to them it quickly becomes apparent, it's hungry. It has a slit like mouth thin almost non existent lips behind which can be seen uneven long narrow discolored needle like teeth. Colorless empty eyes gawk at them, Jou glares back terrified but not about to let the thing win and hurt his dear ones.
As he glares at the tall thing with its gnarled joints and stiff fibrous muscles stretching underneath its sallow almost translucent skin. It raises one hand out ward that reminds Jounouchi of a dead tree with gnarled twisted roots arcing upward to the sky.
Jou grips yugi stepping out in front of him, some how perfectly aware that running away is not an option. It cocks it head to the side looking almost curiously at them, the corners of its mouth raise upward into an impossible smile that causes hiroto hondas stomach to turn cold. They all pause at the rhythmic sound that looms nearer, after a moment they watch colorless eyes go wide as it mouth turns into an ugly grimace.
'thup thup thup'
The sound of unhurried footfalls comes nearer, the creature begins to back away. What is it that scares this thing, its body shifts weight, going from a prowling pose to one far more defensive. Its long sharp arms curl in at its sides, bizarre hands are opened wide causing its fingers to look something akin to rusted meat hooks. Jou arcs an eyebrow as the thing begins to back away, an attempt to return to the alley which it came from.
Honda refuses to let loose the sigh of relief as it dashes away, the footsteps stop. They are replaced by the sound of a horrid screaming yowl, which is accompanied by a thunderous crash and then silence.
A low moaning is heard, the sound spikes as a snapping crunching noise floats out from the alley. Something scrambling about, was it trying to get away? Jou grabs yugi in one arm and yanks honda out of the line of fire as the thing that threatened them earlier is pitched out of the darkness like a tattered rag doll. Neither honda nor yugi find themselves able to pry their eyes away from the crumpled body bleeding and gurgling just a few feet away, Jou however stares forward into the alley as their 'rescuer' resumes his unhurried walk.
'thup thup thup'
Jounouchi finds his breath caught in his throat as a tall slim figure steps out of the shadows. Following the sound, the other two turn to look at the figure that walks toward them, looking rather bored and only mildly interested.
"kaiba?"
He looks at them with his sharp blue eyes, one hand tucked in his pocket the other hanging at his side, dripping a thick syrupy rust colored fluid. Hearing his name called he turns his face only slightly, his neon blues focusing on Jounouchi.
"yes..."
A long scream echoes from the distance, kaiba closes his eyes and tilts his head to the side as he listens to the guttural sound. As it ends his eyes snap open, he stares at them with slight worry.
"follow"
He walks briskly along the streets, continually glancing over his broad shoulder at them. Yugi huffs and wheezes trying to keep up with their long legs and brisk pace. It seems useless as they keep going faster, until Jou grabs yugi and throws him over shoulder breaking into a run at the same time kaiba does. Honda keeps pace well enough, the sound repeats itself and Jou sees panic on kaibas face when he glances backward past them.
Shit.
He moves fast jerks left easily jumping a rather tall fence and landing with ease, Jou rolls off his shoulder into his arms shouting at kaiba.
"CATCH!"
He throws yugi who shrieks as he finds himself flailing in the air before landing with a loud huff into kaibas long strong arms. Jou and honda jump the hurdle with practiced ease, landing with heavy thumps. Yugi is bodily shoved back into Jou who grips him like a child before tailing kaiba who runs along a long forgotten river, long since dead. They follow it until kaiba locates a large cement pipe, filled with the sound and smell of distant saltwater. Their feet land loudly against the cement,all but kaibas, which makes following him difficult since their isn't much light.
However he is made visible every time he glances backward, looking at them with his luminescent eyes. They're dilated accommodating the weak light, night vision. Kaiba can see in the dark. This skill is not a shared one, however jou has something neither yugi nor honda has, and while he will not divulge what it is he will use it to guide the trio. One arm wrapped around yugi the other hand gripping onto hondas sleeve, jou stays close to kaibas back.
A few moments later kaiba emerges from the other end of the tunnel, standing knee deep in saltwater and sand. He steps to the side waiting a moment for the others, he quickly resumes when he sees them step into the cool water. This time kaiba moves in less of a hurry as he walks along the beach, feeling a bit safer, Jou lets yugi down but still grips his hand as if leading a child.
After a moment kaiba stops and waits for them past the beach at the roadside, his arms crossed over his chest in a familiar way. Moonlight guides them down the black road until they find themselves approaching an upper class neighborhood. Each house spaced apart by miles of lawns gardens and rows of blossoming fruit trees. Each one was passed by until they found a single massive manor guarded by a massive marble wall, at the center of this wall was a spiraling iron gate. A splendor to look at, the gate that guarded the kaiba estate was a work of art.
The masterpiece left the trio behind him in awe, kaiba however barely seemed to notice it as pressed his hand against a touch pad beside the gate. The gate yawned for them in silence so as not to irritate the master of the house, kaiba who hated the sound of old metal screeching at him. It shut just as silently as it opened, honda blinked as he looked forward realizing they had only made it to the driveway. He wondered how long the path to the door was, and continued to do so until yugi found himself too tired to continue walking- not for lack of trying. Yugi slumped over riding piggyback on jou who for some reason barely seemed winded by the long journey. After three miles of trudging along in awkward silence they found kaiba standing beside a large set of dark wood double doors. Much like the gate the door was a wonder, another mans masterpiece. Sadly there was not a moment to give it any attention, as they stepped inside and looked about the entry way.
Kaiba turned to look at the three of them before stating as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
" you will be spending the night here."
Before it had a chance to register as thought the question tumbled out of Hondas mouth
" what why!?"
Before kaiba could make to respond jou opened his mouth, effectively closing hondas.
" you really think that was the only one? You wanna walk all the way across town in the dark... when there could be more of those things out there?"
"..."
Honda stared at jou then back at the door, more specifically the lock.
"guest rooms are this way."
CH 2