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+Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh+

Rose D.: 3rd chapter comin' your way! Review Responses at the end!
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D. Crisis Chapter 3:

Tag, You're It

An hour had passed since Kaiba left Yami and Yugi, and without further explanation of what he'd meant. Both the Pharaoh and his former vessel had decided to leave the throne room, and had done so some time ago.

Now however, they were gasping for breath and running for their dear lives. "Run! This way!" shrilled Yugi, turning a corner; he grabbed Yami and shoved him ahead.

A group of Vampyrs too lazy to go outside to find something to eat, and realizing there wasn't much left to find, had noticed Yugi and Yami were still human.

They immediately darted after the pair, chasing them like a pack of excited wolves; though, they weren't really after the little one, they only pursued Yugi because he ran. No, to be sure they were dogging Yami ONLY, for he was not bearing a KC about is neck.

"This way! This way!" called Yugi almost choking; he and Yami skid down the hall.

The Vampyrs rushed along behind them, swift as shadows, their black-blooded hearts racing all the faster. The fact was, the only thing Yugi and Yami were really doing was making the Tainted more hungry and more determined to catch them. The Vampyrs' dirty mouths were salivating, for they could smell blood even through skin.

"Look, look!" shouted Yugi. He and Yami bolted through a wide opening in the wall, instantly entering an area that stretched out before them. The ceiling towered above their heads, being so dense with shadows anything could have existed in the eaves.

"No NO!" sounded Yugi, realizing the area had no exits. Yami and he turned, but it was too late. The Tainted were already there, some crouched low, ready to spring; some standing, fat grins on their faces; others hovering just above their fellows' heads. They were all breathing quickly and growling in delight.

Yugi placed himself in front of Yami and spread his arms out. "Don't come any closer!" he ordered, "I have a KC!"

The Vampyrs nodded. "We know, we weren't after you. It's your brother we want, for he hasn't any KC." The blood-suckers came closer.

"Oh yeah?" smirked Yugi, slipping the emblem from around his neck; he instantly placed it around his heart-brother's neck.

"Yugi don't!" barked Yami, taking the KC and stringing it back on his partner. Yugi turned to Yami angrily, as did Yami to Yugi.

The Vampyrs thought this was amusing.

"OK, fine!" spat Yugi, stretching out the KC's cord to its full length and then shoving it over Yami's head. Both had it around their necks now. Yami blinked; he didn't think this would work.

One of the older Vampyr's clapped his hands. "Ha, ha! Nice try! But it's one KC per Protected." he stated, "You are one of the Protected little one, and if we touched you, Kaiba'd kill us straight off! Your brother however, hasn't been chosen to join your rank, thus he's a free-for-all!"

The Tainted came forward. "You're brother's dead meat!" one shouted, meaning it quite literally.

Yami, not wanting to begrudge Yugi the chance to escape, took the KC cord and ducked his head out from under it.

"YAMI!" Yugi squealed at what his friend had done. And then, everything stopped.

In an instant the aura of the room snapped, for it was–that the first Vampyr who lunged at Yami was suddenly impelled into the floor! The rest of the blood-suckers jumped back.

"K–Kaiba!" they stammered.

Kaiba was perched atop the Vampyr in the floor, arms folded. "And just what do you think you're doing?" he asked, eyeing his lesser fellows; the C.E.O. had been dozing in the eaves above.

"Uh, upp, we—" they tried.

"Save it!" Kaiba thundered, "How dare you try and drink from my own personal blood-let! I could have your heads for this!"

All except one, a young punk, shrank back cowering in fear. "We're sorry! Forgive us!" they wailed.

The punk-kid, Thade, looked at Kaiba. "But that's not fair!" he called, baring his fangs, "He wasn't wearing a sign 'Do Not Eat'! And you never announced you had a personal blood-let! How were we supposed to know he wasn't up for grabs?"

Some of the others looked at each other. "That's right." they said.

Kaiba glared death; he shot forward, seizing the kid around the throat with one hand.

"Idiot! Why would an Untainted be wandering around our Den if I hadn't brought him here? You know they don't just come in off the streets. Besides! I don't have to announce everything I do!" he snarled.

Yami and Yugi watched the whole scene in utter bemusement.

"In fact," Seto continued, "My affairs are my own. If it affects the whole of this clan or has anything to do with defeating that puking Duel Monster, then I'll announce it to all of you! This," he gestured back at Yami, "Didn't strike me as absolutely necessary to trumpet throughout our Order!"

There was silence for a moment. Several of the Vampyrs were already slinking out the doorway. Thade said nothing.

There was, however, one Vampyr in particular amidst the small crowd, who had followed the pursuers and the pursued simply out of interest; this white-haired Vampyr — was the tomb robber Bakura.

Ever since he'd been turned into a Vampyr, he found he greatly enjoyed wearing the customary black clothes, his long black leather duster and pants in particular. Nevertheless, the memory of his day-of-transformation was something he would have dearly liked to forget.

Now, as he was among the gathered, he was grateful he wasn't the only light-haired person there, for he didn't want to be noticed. He was extremely glad Yami and Yugi hadn't spotted him either, and he smiled.

He thought it very interesting the trouble Seto Kaiba was going through to justify him having Yami there in Kaiba Tower. There was more going on than met the eye, and this caused Bakura's eyes to widen and his smile grow even more.

Perhaps if Kaiba hadn't reacted so harshly to the young Vampyr's questions, his intentions with Yami wouldn't have stuck out like a sore thumb; Bakura prided himself on reading between the lines.

'Pharaoh blood-let? My Ring!'thought the tomb robber, 'He wants Yami for his 2nd! Probably to aid in defeating the Vampire Lord. Ha! Little do they know . . !'

Bakura bowed his head, chuckling lightly; he then looked at Yami, 'But wait, here's something,' Bakura cocked his head slightly, looking a bit like a puppy dog in doing so, and sniffed; his senses went straight passed all the other Vampyrs in the room and settled on the Pharaoh's aura.

'Funny,' Bakura thought, 'I know the Pharaoh isn't a Vampyr as of yet, but he isn't even in the process of becoming one! Hmm . . . the livid marks on the side of his neck prove he's been bitten. Obviously something very strange is going on.'

Bakura's eyes brightened suddenly. 'Oh ho! It must be so! Heh well, if you're looking for it, it's as clear as day.' Slowly the tomb robber began to slink out of the room. 'I can't wait to see his face when I tell him!'

Bakura was the last one to leave before Kaiba dismissed the group that had remained. The corporate exec. even reached down and yanked the impelled Vampyr out of the floor. "Get lost!"

Once all the pursuers had gone, Seto turned to the twins. "What were you doing anyway?" he demanded.

"What do you mean?" Yami and Yugi queried together.

"I mean, why in the name of Dracula did they start chasing you? No one goes in my throne room but me!"

Yami glowered. "We had long left your throne room by then Kaiba,"

"Yeah!" spat Yugi, "We are still human, we left to find food! You know, something not red and liquidy!"

Kaiba harrumphed. "Well Yami," he began in a sarcastic tone, "Next time, just send your little gofer here to bring you stuff, okay? You stay in the throne room from now on."

Yami's heart flooded with anger; his fists balled. "Listen Kaiba! I agreed to be your blood-let, YES! But that doesn't mean I'm your little puppy dog that's going to sit next to your chair and wait for your return! The only obedience I agreed to was to submit my neck to the gnashing of your teeth!"

Kaiba stood there, and suddenly he seemed different; Yugi almost gasped.

"Oh?" asked Seto, "You wanna see some real gnashing of teeth?"

Instead of hot anger, Yami now felt cold fear, and in a moment he found out what it preluded. It happened so fast his breath was knocked from his body, his skull searing with pain as he was slammed down against the shiny concrete floor.

"Yami!" Yugi cried.

Yami opened his eyes; Kaiba was holding him down.

The Pharaoh began to cough when he realized he couldn't breathe; Yugi was searching the chamber frantically for something to whack Kaiba with.

Yet, as Yami looked into Seto's eyes, he found it wasn't really him, for it seemed the pupils of Kaiba's eyes had been overcome by some strange brown mist that was swirling and reforming rapidly.

The expression on Kaiba's face worsened, and it looked as though he really would tear into Yami just to prove he could do anything he wanted to him.

Yugi rived a loose metal pipe from its mooring in the wall.

However, it was then that Kaiba's eyes began to clear; his pupils had been islands in a storm and they'd just reached the storm's Eye. Seto blinked. "Yami?" he asked, "What am I doing?"

Yugi ran up behind the corporate exec. raising the pipe.

"Yugi wait!" cried Yami with a rasp in his throat.

"Huh?" Yugi averted his attack, his strike coming down right by Kaiba's ear. The President of Kaiba corp. reacted instantly, tearing the metal pipe from Yugi's grasp; he then spun away, resting on one knee about two yards from the pair.

Yugi decided to ignore Kaiba no matter the cost, and jumped to Yami who was then sitting up. Kaiba watched the Pharaoh.

'If you feel it, say it! Other wise don't bother.' Kaiba told himself, "Yami, trust me. I didn't mean for that to happen." There wasn't much sentiment in his voice, but it was an attempted apology non-the-less. "I've been struggling with this stupid Vampire-reconditioning ever since it started. Freak Duel Monster!" he spat, wishing all death to the Vampire Lord.

"Kaiba," said Yugi, "I think it's time you explained what's up and down about this whole situation. Hmm?"

The Pharaoh nodded. "Yes Kaiba, you began to back in your throne room, and you never finished. Please do so."

Seto sighed. "Ah well, guess it doesn't matter anymore anyway; I'm sure the spy's already on his way to Vampire Lord."

"Spy?"

"Yeah. There's been a spy in our midst for a few months now. I haven't been able to figure out who it is because everyone in the Den has been where they're supposed to be. That's why I wanted you to stay in the Throne room. I didn't want anyone to know and report to the other side of Domino that I'd chosen you, for my — 2nd."

Kaiba turned from looking at Yami & Yugi. It was a little embarrassing for Seto to say this, because he hated admitting he needed anyone — especially the King of Games.

Yami pointed to himself absently. "Me? Your 2nd?"

Kaiba looked up at the sound of smirking, and realized Yugi was reacting just the way he hadn't wanted; he growled, and Yugi instantly wiped the smile from his face.

"Tell me truly Kaiba, what could I have done for you, had I not had this strange immunity, and turned into one of your fellows?" quizzed Yami.

"Well, I can't pinpoint your exact usefulness, but since you are the next best Duelist to me," Kaiba emphasized this, "I figured you could help me devise the best way to destroy Vampire Lord, then lead one of my divisions, etcetera." The smirk slid from Kaiba's lips suddenly, "I'm telling you, I can't wait to see that little blood-sucker squirm before he shatters to pieces like the Duel Monster he is!"

Yami pondered this a moment; Yugi simply blinked, trying to draw conclusions of his own. Kaiba watched them indifferently.

"Well," he said, "I suppose the fact that I wanted you for my 2nd could still be a secret, but not if that spy is as good as he's been. He could be on the other side of Domino Empire by now, ratting everything he's just found out. And that could ruin everything!"

Yami swallowed; he really didn't know what to think.

"Anyway," continued Seto, "It's vital we destroy Vampire Lord and the whole of his horde, the reason being mainly: I've heard a rumored legend that states: If the Vampire that bit you is killed – you'll return to normal. In other words, become as human as the day you were born."

The twins blinked. "Oh yeah?" asked Yugi, wondering how such a thing could be true, "Seems like it'd be a bit more complicated than that."

Kaiba nodded quickly in agreement. "I know, I know! Like I said, it's a rumored legend, it may not even be true. But, it's worth a shot!"

The Pharaoh nodded, and Yugi looked at him; their stomachs then chose that moment to growl loudly in contempt of hunger. Yami grimaced.

Kaiba sighed. "Well, come with me," he stood, "And we'll find you something to eat. What you're used to, I promise."

The three nodded at each other in agreement, and Yugi and Yami followed Vampyr Kaiba out of the chamber.

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Dead And Buried: Are you really? I'm talking to a real-life Zombie? laughs Anyway, yeah, my mistake with postin' the same chappy twice! I was just new when I did that ya' know!

Metalsilverarmor23: Wow! O.O An actual Mokuba/Kaiba fan? My fav characters are Yami & Yugi! . But, 'yes' Mokuba is for surly going to be in this story, but 'no' he's not gunna be a Vampyr like his brother! Hope you continue to like!

Kikoken: Yo! I spell it V-a-m-p-y-r because I saw it spelled that way in a nonfiction Reader's Digest book! IOW (in other words) I didn't make it up! Plus I thought it would be something new for readers to look at. I mean, who hasn't seen V-a-m-p-i-r-e a million times?

Iamnothing: You are NOT nothing! smiles Thanks for reading!