Natoya: Hi everyone! Welcome to chapter three! Thank you so much for the reviews!
Yugi: /sniffs/ I can't believe you killed me. I don't even get to be in this story, do I?
Natoya: You're in the story! In flashbacks...
Yami: /glares hotly at the authoress/ And what about me?
Yugi: At least you came back. /huffs/
Natoya: And you have a pet bird. That can talk. I wish I had a talking bird.
Yami: Then get yourself a parrot!!!
Natoya: Hey! Do not make me sick Shakai on you! I'll do it!
Yugi: Who's Shakai?
Natoya: My new plot bunny. Tavi gave her to me. /smiles/
Shakai: /hops in and sits next to the authoress/
Natoya: Good little bunny.
Yami: Uh... Right. How about we get started now, eh?
Yugi: Natoya doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh, The Crow starring Brandon Lee, or the song Burn by The Cure.
Natoya: Enjoy the chapter everyone!! /waves with one hand and pets Shakai with the other/
Yami: /eyes the bunny warily as her eyes begin to glow red.../
Warning: Warnings are all the same guys. Blood, violence, mentions of rape, alcohol references, etc... all stuff not suited for little eyes. If you don't like it, don't read it. I've warned you, so any resulting mental trama is your fault.
Atemu trudged through the streets, arms wrapped tightly around his body as he shivered, the rain still pouring down heavily on him. It was so freaking cold and he didn't know how to make the cold stop. All he wanted right now was to get warm. His eyes were trained upwards, looking for the black bird he'd seen following around this whole time. He had no idea where the bird was taking him, but he trusted it for some reason he didn't understand. The bird cawed loudly, and Atemu's gaze flickered down, staring at a small building across the street from where he was.
Yellow police tape covered the building. Several of the windows were smashed, glass still littering the ground in front of said windows. The door to what looked like the shop area was falling off its hinges, hanging off to the side. Atemu felt a huge wave of sadness wash over him and before he knew it, he was walking inside the shop. Glass crunched under his feet as he went through the shop. It was as if he had no control over his body and it was taking him wherever it chose. Atemu reached a shaky hand out and grasped the door handle, pulling open the door at the back of the shop by the counter. A flight of stairs were what met his eyes when he opened the door. Atemu began to walk up the stairs, the crow flying in ahead of him, forcing Atemu to duck his head as it flew by.
Atemu reached the landing and looked around. There were patches of dark red on the carpet, and Atemu immediately averted his eyes. He continued to walk, somehow knowing where it was he wanted to go now. Something suddenly crunched under his foot, and Atemu looked down. A picture in a broken frame was lying under his foot. Atemu stepped back and knelt down, reaching for the picture, not caring about the broken glass that could prick him as he picked it up. He studied the faces; one was of a brightly smiling tan skinned youth with crimson eyes. This was... him? Atemu's gaze flickered to the person next to him and those same vivid amethyst eyes that assaulted his vision in the cemetery stared up at him from the smiling face of the most beautiful boy he'd ever seen.
Ahhhhhh!!! Please, someone help me! Atemu let out a cry and dropped the picture as the distant echo of a frightened voice sounded in his head. Flashes of scenes began to go off behind his eyes, tearing another cry from his throat. Atemu rose to his feet, reliving that night in a weird sense of deja vu. He hurried to the staircase at the back of the living room, that same frightened voice continuing to shout pleas for help in his head. He tore up the stairs, finding the room he was looking for and kicked the door in. Or, at least the him in his head did. The door in actuality was no longer there. Atemu's eyes took in the sight of the bedroom he and the amethyst-eyed boy had shared.
Atemu!! Atemu, no! The voice in his head screamed and pain shot through Atemu's chest. He hit his knees, remembering why his chest had hurt so badly. A man... More flashes went off behind his eyes. A man... No, four of them... Three of them, their hands were on his lover, pulling at his clothes and laughing at his screams. The fourth one was rummaging through the desk drawers and smashing picture frames.
Yugi's eyes were wide with terror as he beheld the knife jutting from his lover's chest, the maroon haired man that had thrown it laughing as it hit its target. In the background, a high pitched and annoying laugh came from the green haired boy as he turned to watch, his eyes glinting behind his glasses. Yugi screamed his name, and Atemu knew he had to do something. His lover was in trouble and he had to help. Atemu pulled the knife from his chest, screaming in pain with the effort it took. The maroon haired man tsked and his brown haired companion took out a gun.
"Atemu!! Look out!" Yugi screamed, thrashing in the grip of a huge muscled blond haired man. Why? Why was this happening? What were those men even doing here? The blond hit Yugi harshly across the face, enticing a yelp of pain from the boy.
Yugi... Atemu shakily rose to his feet, imitating what the him in his head had done. He took a few steps forward and his body jerked.
Atemu looked down at the bullet hole in his stomach, now pumping red fluid from it just as the wound in his chest was doing. Atemu's strength was rapidly fading, but he had to help Yugi. Yugi needed him. Yugi let out another scream as the blond tore his boxers off. Fury made Atemu stronger and he took another step forward. The maroon haired man just smiled and the brown haired man raised his gun again.
"Sleep well mate." The blast of the gun knocked Atemu onto his back.
Atemu stumbled backwards, falling onto his back. He screamed out as more visions assaulted him.
He stared up at the ceiling, his vision swimming with black, Yugi's screams of fear and pain still sounding throughout the room. The brown haired man and the maroon haired man were now standing over him, smirks on their faces.
"He isn't getting back up, is he, Valon?" The maroon haired man asked. There was a smash in the background, and another laugh from the green haired boy as he continued to destroy their possessions.
"Nope. He's as good as dead. Bloke can't even move anymore. Now, let's get back to our fun with that feisty little one over there." Valon replied, kicking Atemu harshly in the side. Atemu couldn't even open his mouth to cry out in pain. The last thing he heard was Yugi's loudest scream and the grunts of the blond haired man before his vision faded to black and he knew nothing more.
"Yugi!" Atemu screamed, getting to his feet and glancing wildly about the room. He knelt down beside the bloodstains across the room. Tears began streaming down his face as he lightly touched the bloodstains, the memory of his lover's terrified face still burned into his retinas. Those men... They had raped and hurt his little one and he hadn't been able to do anything to help him. Sobs racked his body as more things began coming back to him. He remember what he'd loved most about Yugi; his kind, sweet nature, and his bright cheery smile and the way he could make Atemu feel so loved and so at peace. He would never have harmed anyone, for any reason. He hadn't done anything to deserve that. Atemu stood and turned, punching the wall, making the partition crack and plaster fall to the ground. The pain in his hand was nothing compared to the pain in his heart. He stared down at his bleeding hand, watching in amazement as the blood vanished and the knuckles healed.
That's why you have to set it right, Atemu. Neither you nor Yugi did anything to deserve your fates. The crow cawed from its place on the desk. Atemu was startled for a moment as his head snapped up and he turned back to the desk, his eyes meeting the bird's. The bird had been quiet for a while; Atemu had forgotten it was there. He walked over to the desk, glancing over it and seeing more broken pictures lying on it. Atemu moved the chair back and sat down, brushing his fingers over the picture of a smiling brown haired girl with vivid blue eyes. Atemu gasped as the simple touch made a vision flash behind his eyes.
%Flashback%
"Smile, Anzu!" Yugi chirped, holding the camera up to his eye. Atemu grinned from his place on the park bench as Anzu playfully tried to duck away from the camera, squealing in delight as she clasped her hands over her face. Every time Yugi would try to take her picture, she would do it again and turn her body in the opposite direction.
"Please, Anzu!? Just one picture!" Yugi begged. The blue eyed girl consented, striking a pose and smiling sweetly for the photograph. The shutter clicked and Yugi cheered happily. "Thanks, Anzu!" Atemu let out a laugh as Anzu then tackled Yugi, taking the camera from him and snapping pictures of him, despite Yugi's protests.
"Atemu, help me!" Yugi squealed as he and Anzu laughed, the sound echoing pleasantly through the park.
%End Flashback%
The vision faded the moment he removed his fingers from the picture. Anzu... Anzu was one of their friends. Yugi had met her during school, and they became inseparable. Anzu was always over, and their favourite place to go was the park. Atemu trembled as he remembered Yugi's smile that day he took that picture of Anzu. Yugi's smile always filled Atemu with warmth. Whenever he was in a bad mood, just seeing Yugi's bright smile would make any bad day perfect again.
Atemu reached out for another picture, this one of both Yugi, himself, and a small blonde haired girl with bright green eyes. Atemu touched the picture and braced himself for the onslaught he knew would come.
%Flashback%
"Yugi! This dress is pink! Why is it pink!?" Rebecca cried in a mortified voice as she stepped out of the bathroom. Atemu began to laugh at the frown on the little girl's face, falling onto his side on the bed when Yugi smacked him with a pillow.
"Pink goes with our color scheme, Rebecca, and you look so cute!" Yugi told her with a giggle.
"Yeah, Becky, you look adorable." Atemu chuckled. Rebecca huffed at him.
"Don't call me Becky! I hate that! And it's pink! I hate pink!" Rebecca protested with a stomp of her foot. Atemu laughed some more, wiping a stray tear from his eye.
"But you look cute!" Yugi protested too. "You'll make such a pretty flower girl; please wear the dress?" Yugi begged, pulling out the Puppy Dog Eyes. Rebecca sighed and rolled her own eyes, hopping onto the bed with Atemu and Yugi. She launched herself into Yugi's arms, the boy letting out a good natured laugh as she snuggled him.
"Fine. I'll wear the dress. But only because it's you who asked." Rebecca consented. Yugi giggled and looked at Atemu, whose eyes were shining with merriment and love as he gazed upon the man who consented to spend the rest of his life with him.
%End Flashback%
Rebecca... Atemu remembered her now. The sweet little girl whom he and Yugi had basically adopted as their own. She was a little spitfire that one. He and Yugi had loved her so much. They almost wished they could have truly adopted her, but they knew her mother would never consent to that, even if she truly didn't care about the girl. Atemu pulled open the desk drawer next, finding more pictures. Some were of just him and Yugi, others were of Rebecca, Rebecca and Yugi, and the three of them. There was also a picture of a brown eyed man with an arm wrapped around a red haired girl. Honda and Miho... Atemu remembered them as his fingers swept over the picture.
With every memory, Atemu's emotions rocketed upwards. Happy memories, sad memories, they were all right there in his hands. Atemu felt angry and poignant that all of this had been taken away from him and Yugi. The crow let out a caw again, flapping its wings. Atemu looked up, glancing at it. He noticed a white piece of paper in front of the bird, and he picked it up. His eyes widened when he saw it was a wedding invitation. His and Yugi's wedding... According to the date, the wedding would have been in two days. In two days, he and Yugi would have been having their one year anniversary. Atemu's rage rose again and he crumpled the invite in his hand. Anzu's name had been on the invite. An invite to a wedding none of their friends had been able to attend.
So, everything's come back to you now, has it? The bird's voice spoke inside his head. Atemu's gaze flickered to the bird, who fluttered its wings.
"Yes. I remember who I was, who we were. Why did this have to happen?" Atemu asked, tossing the crumpled invite to the floor.
A wrong has been done. It's up to you to make things right.
"Make things right how? What do you want me to do?" Atemu banged his fist onto the table and scooted the chair back, rising to his feet.
You have to make it right, by dealing justice to those who have wronged you. Only you can do this, Atemu. This is why I brought you back.
To set the wrong things right... Atemu understood now. He had a mission and he had to see it through, not only for his sake, but for Yugi's as well. His lover hadn't deserved the fate dealt to him that night, and Atemu would do everything in his power to make sure he got his revenge on the men who had done this. "How will I find them? I don't even know where to look." Atemu murmured. The crow cawed.
I will be your eyes. Trust me, and we'll find them. Atemu nodded. He walked to the closet and tore it open, looking for something better suited for him to wear. These ragged, rotting, dirt encrusted clothes would not do. They were falling apart. Atemu wasn't surprised to see his and Yugi's clothes were still hanging up in the closet. Atemu tore a pair of leather pants and a matching leather vest off their hangers. He quickly changed his clothes and set to work looking for some shoes. The ones he had been wearing wouldn't do either. A pair of black boots lying at the bottom of the closet solved that problem. As Atemu slipped them on, he looked up and caught sight of a small packet on the top shelf. Halloween makeup...?
Just paint your face, the shadows smile...
Atemu snatched the packet off the shelf. White and black makeup... Atemu tore the packet open and went into the bathroom connected to his and Yugi's room.
"Hey, Valon. Hey, guys." Mai Valentine said, batting her lashes as she approached the counter they were sitting at. Mai was one of the bartenders at the bar that Raphael and his goons visited regularly, and Valon had liked her, a lot. The two were lovers, and Valon couldn't seem to get enough of the blonde bartender. He grabbed her around the waist and kissed her sloppily, ignoring the groans of disgust from his other three companions. When Valon let her go, Mai walked around the counter and grabbed some glasses off the back shelf. She turned around and set the glasses in front of the three men. "What can I get you boys tonight?" She asked sweetly.
"I'd like a piece of that ass." Valon smirked. Mai giggled.
"I meant to drink, Valon." Mai said. Valon chuckled.
"Give me a beer." Raphael grunted.
"Make that two, Sweetheart," Alister said. Mai grabbed a couple beers and set them down in front of the two men. Weevil cleared his throat and Mai glanced at him, looking him up and down. She knew he wasn't old enough to drink. The little twerp was only nineteen, and she didn't care to get fired for giving alcohol to a minor, whether or not he was in Raphael's little badass gang.
"I want a beer," Weevil said, as she knew he would. She scoffed at him.
"Not gonna happen till you're twenty-one, hun. I'm not getting fired for you." She informed him, setting a glass of soda down instead. Weevil sent her a hot glare and began to drink it, not happy at all that she had once again refused his request. Damnit, he was tired of being treated like a child by that blonde-haired bitch. Valon laughed and snapped his fingers at her, getting her attention.
"Some whiskey, baby. Put ice in it." Valon said. Mai smiled and poured some whiskey from a large glass bottle into one of the smaller glasses, dropping some ice into it once she had set the bottle down on the counter. Valon took a drink, winking at Mai and making her giggle again. Raphael rolled his eyes and took a healthy swig from his beer bottle.
"So what are you boys up to tonight?" Mai asked.
"Nothing you need to worry about," Alister snapped, taking a drink. Valon smacked him upside the head, making Alister spew his beer on the counter.
"Be respectful to my lady, you asshole." Valon growled. Mai leaned across the counter, her blonde hair brushing it as she kissed Valon on the mouth.
"My hero." Mai giggled again. Valon cupped the back of her head, pulling her into another kiss and deepening it.
"Anything to get a piece." Alister grumbled under his breath. Valon sent him a glare, but he quickly turned his attention back to Mai, choosing to ignore the maroon-haired man in favour of getting more kisses. Another blond-haired bar tender suddenly showed up, tossing his jacket on the counter as he walked behind the counter, a look of disgust crossing his face when he saw his employee kissing the man in front of her.
"Mai, why can't you ever do any work for a change?" The man asked.
"My shift's almost over anyhow, Malik." Mai told him. Malik rolled his lavender eyes and walked down to serve a man waiting at the end. Alister finished his beer and set it on the counter, grabbing his trench coat off the counter where he had set it and rising to his feet. Raphael and Weevil shot him a look.
"Where are you going?" Raphael asked while Weevil went back to his soda.
"To the pawn shop. Got a couple rings that would make me a nice profit." Alister grinned. Raphael tipped his beer at him.
"Remember we have a job tonight. You know where to meet us," Raphael said. Alister nodded.
"Yeah, I know. See you later." Alister replied, walking off. He nearly bumped into a little blonde girl who came in as the door opened. "Watch where you're going, you stupid little girl." Alister snapped before walking out.
"Yeah, screw you, buddy!" The girl shouted after him before stalking to the counter and setting herself down in between Raphael and Valon. Mai gave her an annoyed look when she broke away from Valon.
"Gonna be home late again tonight, Mai?" The little girl asked.
"Rebecca, I told you not to come here. This isn't any place for you." Mai replied hotly.
"Like you really care," Rebecca snapped. Mai glared at her.
"Go on home. I'll be home later." Mai said. Rebecca snorted.
"Yeah right. I've heard that one before." Rebecca retorted. Valon leered down at her, his eyes boring into hers.
"Your mom's busy, kid. Get lost, alright?" Valon sneered. Rebecca calmly stared back at him.
"Here, go get some food, alright?" Mai said, sliding a ten across the counter to her. Rebecca took the money and pocketed it, her gaze flickering to her mother.
"Thanks, but I've already eaten." Rebecca hopped off the stool and took off, pushing the door open so hard that it banged against the building outside. Mai sighed and brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. She just didn't understand that girl. Mai brushed it off as nothing then, and she turned her attention back to Valon. Raphael and Weevil both grunted in disgust as they began making out again, Valon nearly pulling Mai across the counter. Raphael finished his beer and set it down, setting a little cash on the counter.
"There's a tip in there for you, Sweetheart." Raphael said. Weevil pushed his drink aside and stood, knowing Raphael wanted to leave now. Valon grinned at him in approval and Mai thanked him with a smile and a wink. "You know where to find me; remember we have a job to do tonight." Raphael added before turning and walking towards the door, Weevil hot on his heels. A moment later, they were gone.
Natoya: And that ends chapter three.
Yugi: /sniffles/ All those flashbacks... /starts to cry/
Yami: They all die painfully, right? Tell me they all die painfully!!!
Natoya: They all die painfully?
Yami: /glares/
Natoya: Relax, will you? You'll get your revenge. Trust me. /smiles evilly/
Shakai: /eyes glow red/ /snickers evilly/
Yami: /eyes the bunny/ Uh... Can bunnies snicker evilly?
Yugi: Uh... Yes?
Natoya: Alright guys, review please?
Yami: Yes, review please!
Yugi: Pretty please?
Natoya: See you guys next chapter! /waves/ And as an added bonus, here are the lyrics to Burn, by the Cure. Awesome and amazing song, can be found on the soundtrack to The Crow. And yes, this is where my story title came from. /smiles/ Fitting, don't you think?
BURN - by The Cure
"Don't look, don't look" the shadows breathe
Whispering me away from you
"Don't wake at night to watch her sleep
You know that you will always lose
This trembling
Adored
Tousled bird mad girl..."
But every night I burn
But every night I call your name
Every night I burn
Every night I fall again
"Oh don't talk of love" the shadows purr
Murmuring me away from you
"Don't talk of worlds that never were
The end is all that's ever true
There's nothing you can ever say
Nothing you can ever do... "
Still every night I burn
Every night I scream your name
Every night I burn
Every night the dream's the same
Every night I burn
Waiting for my only friend
Every night I burn
Waiting for the world to end
"Just paint your face" the shadows smile
Slipping me away from you
"Oh it doesn't matter how you hide
Find you if we're wanting to
So slide back down and close your eyes
Sleep a while
You must be tired... "
But every night I burn
Every night I call your name
Every night I burn
Every night I fall again
Every night I burn
Scream the animal scream
Every night I burn
Dream the crow black dream
Every night I burn
Scream the animal scream
Every night I burn
Dream the crow black dream
Dream the crow black dream...
Dream the crow black dream... (Repeat 2X)
