I know this is going to be a different story coming from me, but I've been obsessed with Jou/Kaiba fics lately. So obsessed that I wanted to write one of my own with a slight more twist than any of the ones that I've read. I know it's been forever since I wrote a story, but this is the first time I managed to get out of this strange funk I was in. I hope you enjoy this story. I don't think it's going to be a long one unless I advance the plot a little.

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Chapter One

A world of stupid people. I never thought I would be standing here in a world full of stupid people. Before I was rudely shoved into this world, the only thing I had to worry about was incompetent people. I ran my fingers through my dyed black hair, watching the pair of shoplifters through the square double mirror in the door. How could you not think someone was standing behind this door watching you. They lifted another box of artificial nails and placed it back on the wrong peg. I sighed. I just finished cleaning that whole aisle.

This had to be the worst job they could have found for me. I remembered the meeting crystal clear. A group of five men entered my office under my secretary's protest. "I will see them. Leave us," I instructed her, glaring at the men dressed all in black. "What can I do for you gentlemen?"

The one with dark brown hair stepped forward. "We've been ordered to take you into protective custody. An underground assassin clan is intending to assassinate you."

"Why would you care?"

"We don't, but the Prime Minster wishes to keep you safe. You're to come with us and leave your company under your brother's guidance."

"He's too young to handle it. Just let those assassins come."

"You have no choice. Would you rather it your brother they are coming here to kill? As long as they can't find you. He'll be safe."

I shook my head and looked out my window. I didn't believe them. Why would a group of assassins wait around for me to return. If they wanted to destroy Kaiba Corp. They just had to kill the CEO, but I figured I could trust them for a little bit. In order to keep him safe. I have to be their monkey and jump through all their hops. I pushed the call button on my page. "Saya, find Mokuba and bring him here."

"Yes, sir."

"You can't tell him what's going on. Just tell him that you'll be leaving for a year." A year? They weren't pushy at all. I didn't like being away from my company, but as long as I remain in Japan, I can keep a close eye on it.

Just as I was about to respond, Mokuba walked in. "Give us a minute." The men in the black suits hesitated. I glared up. "Leave!" I looked down at Mokuba as the door shut. "I need you to run the company for awhile." I pushed my fingers to his lips before he could respond. "I'll find a way to contact you. Trust me."

Mokuba moved my hand. "I can't run this company on my own. Why are you leaving?"

"I can't tell you, but I will find a way to contact you. Until then, keep us afloat and stay safe."

"I will, big brother." I knew Mokuba wanted to protest more, but he knew better than to question me. I grabbed my briefcase and left the room. The men grabbed the case immediately and led me towards the secret exit that only Mokuba and I were suppose to know about it. I refused to push the button at first, pretending like I don't know what they were doing.

"Don't play games, Mr. Kaiba." Now I was starting to distrust them. If I hadn't seen them with the Prime Minster ever time I visited, I would have never gone with them. Actually, if I would have been smart enough to ask them their plan, I wouldn't be here! They took away everything from me. Dyed my hair and gave me brown colored contacts. We flew all the way to America and refused to let me have a phone. It's been six months, and I've been unable to contact Mokuba. I can't activate a prepaid phone without them watching, and my work won't allow me to call Japan. I can't even get to a public library to send an e-mail. It was frustrating me.

Worst of it all, was being shoved into an assistant manager job at a local pharmacy that I could run better than they are now. I shook my head as I glanced up again to see the two girls shoving one of the package of artificial nails into their pocket. I was about to open the door and bust them, when a certain blond walked around the corner. "Give it to me and get out. Don't come back," he softly spoke as the two squirmed to get the nails out of their pocket and hand it over to him.

Leave it to him to have all the fun. I opened the door for him. "I was watching them."

"Do you do anything else besides watching shoplifters, Ken?" I shuttered again to the name. They couldn't think of a better name for me. The mutt glared up at me and that's when I noticed the bruise under his right eye.

"What happened, Jou?" I asked suddenly, reaching for it. I don't know why I care. He disappeared much like I did. Yugi didn't even know where he went. I'm sure he had no choice like me, but something was different about him. He didn't have as much fire as he did when I knew him.

"Tripped and fell." Liar. Even I knew he had more balance than that. I followed him through the large stockroom and over to the lockers.

I slammed his locker door shut and glared at him. "That's a lie, Jou. I hate being lied to."

The initial shock wore off quickly and his face saddened. "I used to know someone that would be pushy like you. Great friend and rival. Sometimes you remind me so much of him." Friend? I moved away from his locker and looked at him. Since when did he ever call me a friend. If only I could tell him. With his help, I could probably contact Mokuba.

"Was this friend from Japan?"

Jou sighed and shut his locker. "Yeah. I wished I was still there."

"Why did you leave?" I don't know why I wanted to know. I just hate not knowing something. I remember Yugi asking me to look into it. They said he didn't show up for school for several days. They got worried and went to his house only to find it completely empty. I found a plane ticket for him and his father, but it didn't have a destination. Mysteriously, I found him or Ken did.

"I can't tell you that."

"Why not?"

"You don't like being lied to so the only way I could tell you is to lie to you." Oh, how considerate of him.

"Tell me the truth."

Jou remained silent for a little bit. "It had to do with my father. I have one more month before I can legally go back." He smiled softly. "Go back and see all my friends."

I just had to know more. I couldn't stop myself from talking. This was the strangest conversation to ever have with the mutt. I never knew he cared about me. "Including the friend I remind you of?"

"I don't know if he'll see me. He's busy all the time. Running his own company, but maybe if he has another tournament I'll be able to see him again." It sounds like he's talking about his girlfriend.

"Do you love him?"

Jou turned forty shades of red. "No, why would I love that moneybags? I just enjoy making him see that I'm more than a filthy dog." I didn't think he was a filthy dog, just a mutt. "Now that I'm here, you can go. See you tomorrow, Ken," he said, dismissing me. Too stunned to answer, I decided that it was best for me to leave. He did have feelings, but how deep were they?

The next morning, I watched every minute go by. I knew that I could trust Jou to get a message to Mokuba. I went through ever line I could possibly think of that I've ever told him in order to get him to realize who I really was. Two o'clock came and went, but no Jou. A couple of the employees became concerned. I walked into the office and shut the door. Placing a chair by it I sat down at one of the computers. None of Jou's paperwork was kept here for some strange reason. I never knew where he lived, but today, I was taking a risk to go see him.

I hacked into the backdoors of the prehistoric computer system. Finally after a few minutes, I found Jou's file and wrote down his address. He didn't live too far from here. Unblocking the door, I swiftly moved out of the office and grabbed my coat. I didn't want anyone to know where I was going. It took me only ten minutes to get to the apartment complex that Jou lived in. It looked worse than mine. The stairs leading up to the second floor were rotten wood. The smell was horrible like a combination of piss and molting food.

Blocking the smells from my nose, I moved up to the last door on the second floor. It was opened a crack. "Jou?" I whispered. Something was off. Jou never missed work, and I know he could hear his name even from miles away. I pushed the door opened slowly, wishing I had some sort of weapon. The apartment was dark except for the sunlight bleeding through from the door. There was broken glass all over the floor and the walls seemed stained with something. I walked further into the apartment only to come to a dead stop. There Jou was lying naked on the floor.

Creeping slowly through the room, I knelt down beside him. Glass lied all around his head and a half broken bottle was a few feet away. Blood caked his blond hair. I looked over the rest of his body for any more wounds. I could barely see the bruises, lining everywhere along his body. He was being abused far before this. Looking behind him, that's when I noticed something very disturbing. A beer bottle was shoved up his rectum. I placed my hand around it, feeling dried out blood. Sickened by such an act, I gently pulled the bottle out, watching a small stream of blood run down his thighs. "I'm sorry," I whispered.

Choosing to venture further into the house, I found a phone and dialed 911. I knew that my medical team would be much better, but Jou might not survive the trip back to Japan, and I would never make him travel in coach looking like this. After getting off the phone with the dispatch center, I wrapped a blanket around him and carried his oddly light body down the stair to wait for the ambulance. I didn't care what the paramedics said, I was going with Jou to the hospital.

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Wow long chapter! I just didn't want to stop. I don't know when the next chapter will be up. Hopefully before Saturday. I work until then. Thank you for reading please review.

Angel Dove