Notes: I'm a little leery of the short conversation on the subject of home piercings, so I want to make it absolutely clear that I don't condone such a practice at all. And I should have mentioned from the start, Sarah McLachlan's Fallen is the image song.

Chapter Three

We All Begin With Good Intent

The shower was refreshing and stinging all the same time. Duke sighed, letting the water wash over his raw skin as he fumbled with the elastic holding his hair in its ponytail. There was hardly any still in place, but what was left had wrapped around the elastic, effectively sticking it where it was. He tugged harder, trying not to damage his hair while at the same time trying to free it of the insistent grip. At last it slipped loose, and he set the thing on the shelf next to the tub while letting the shower run through his hair. He reached up, pulling out any tangles he encountered. Then he grabbed for the shampoo.

As he worked, his mind wandered. He was exhausted and drained; there was a heaviness over him that he had not felt since he had vowed to take revenge for his father. He had to admit---he felt bitter at his employees' betrayal. He had been furious ever since he had learned of the smuggling several weeks ago. That was bad enough, but now they had found out that he knew about them and had tried to kill him.

He was angry at himself, too---angry that he had not discovered the smuggling before, angry that he had not realized they had been spying on him, and angry that he had fallen into the trap of driving a rigged car. If he had been more careful and alert, maybe none of this would have happened. He had never thought he was that trusting of a person, but clearly he had trusted his employees too much.

And David . . . what about David?

He looked away, shutting his eyes. He did not want to think that maybe David was not on his side. Especially now that he had taken David into his confidence. If David was his enemy, that would be a nightmare.

Or maybe he was still being haunted by his father's ghost. For years he had been told not to trust anyone but himself. And his father had especially never liked David, fearing that the older boy would take Duke away from the goals he had wanted his son to achieve. Duke had liked David, perhaps because he was an escape when his father had become too much. But he had known better than to say anything about it.

And that did not change that he still wondered how far David would take his love of money. The other part of his mind continued to argue that David would not do anything illegal. Surely David was deserving of trust, unlike those creeps. But there were still some people whose identities he had not uncovered, such as the mastermind behind it all. That could be almost anyone, either someone in the store or even someone outside of it. And as long as he did not know who it was, or who else was involved in general, he did not know how he could remove David from the suspect list.

"Sometimes I wish I could just make my dad's ghost go away," he muttered to himself. "I hate being like this."

Unfortunately, in a lot of ways his father had seemed to have been right. Duke wanted to trust people, but how was he to know who was loyal? Even David helping him would not necessarily mean that he was on Duke's side. Maybe he was doing what he felt would be most profitable to him at the time.

If he felt that way, though, what about Yugi and the others? He trusted them, even though he felt like an outsider in their group. But somehow, people you had saved the world with several times over really did feel easy to trust. Though, he had trusted Yugi right after their first encounter, when Yugi had whole-heartedly forgiven him for his part in his father's scheme.

He ran a hand over his face. Sometimes he did not understand his feelings at all. While he said he trusted them, he rarely ever had opened up to them. But when he had needed help, it had been David to whom he had gone. And yet he said he did not know if he could trust David.

He leaned back, letting the water run through his hair. At the same moment, his left leg gave out without warning. He gasped, grabbing for the towel rack as he went down.

The bottom of the tub was hard. He winced as his right leg hit it with full force. For a moment he just knelt there, his eyes shut tightly as the shower beat over him. He had been an idiot to try this. David would be the first to tell him that.

"Duke?"

He started at the muffled voice on the other side of the door. "Yeah?" he called back, opening an eye.

"Are you falling in there?" David sounded suspicious already.

Duke gritted his teeth, pulling himself up by using the towel rack as his support. "No," he said. "Everything's under control."

"I hope so. But I think I'll stand out here and wait, just in case."

Embarrassed, Duke let the water wash away the rest of the soap and shampoo. "I'll be out in a few minutes," he said.

"Well, that's something," David said. "Are you hungry at all? I could put something in to cook."

Duke paused, thinking about it. He had not eaten for hours, but could he really stomach food right now? His emotions were still in such a dither. And he was so exhausted he would not be surprised if he collapsed again, out of sheer fatigue. Sometimes having a shower woke him up more. Now, if anything, it was making him more tired.

"I think I just want to sleep," he answered then.

"You should," David told him. "And go ahead and take the bed; I'll sleep on the couch."

"The couch is fine for me," Duke said as he turned off the water. Reaching for the wall and then another towel rack, he eased himself out of the tub and onto the rug before grabbing a thick towel off the nearby shelf. He rubbed it over and through his dripping hair before applying it to his skin.

"It's fine for me, too," David returned in that smooth tone that meant he had made up his mind.

Duke rolled his eyes. "Okay, wise guy, if you want it so bad, you can take it," he said.

"Thank you. I will."

Duke only half-heard. The tiredness was coming over him again, stronger than before. He could barely keep his eyes open to get dressed. He swayed, just managing to catch himself in time as his left leg wobbled once more.

Within a few minutes he opened the door, half-limping out of the bathroom. David was right there, as promised, his arms crossed as he watched Duke move across the floor.

"Bedroom's over there," he said, pointing across the hall.

Duke nodded. "Thanks," he mumbled.

He scarcely remembered sinking into the bed or falling asleep. And unlike his earlier slumber, this time he did not dream.

It was a relief.

****

David sighed as he watched Duke wander past him, somehow managing to make it through the doorway and into the bed. Or rather, onto the bed. He was too tired to even pull back the comforter and get under it. And it looked like he was already, instantly asleep.

Amused in spite of himself, David went to retrieve a second quilt from the closet. He entered the bedroom, shaking his head as he observed Duke.

"You're going to catch cold like that," he said. "Especially with that wet hair." He spread the covers across Duke and the mattress. Duke did not so much as move in response.

David straightened, pushing up his wandering glasses. "And you're just as stubborn as you were years ago," he mused. "I still remember when you slipped and fell in the street and gave yourself one of the nastiest skinned hands I've ever seen. Any other kid your age would've been crying, even if just a little bit. But no, you said you were fine.

"You always had to be fine." He sighed. "Did you think it would make you a failure in your father's eyes if you weren't? Do you still think it?"

His voice lowered. "Your father's gone, Duke. And he set an unrealistic standard for you that no one should have had to follow. If only you could let it go. . . ."

But it seemed unlikely. Duke probably did not even realize he was doing what David could see he was doing. His many facades---the I'm fine's, the cocky teenager, the arrogant ladies' man---had become a safety net. He could hide in it and conceal the boy who really was not fine all the time, the teenager who was not cocky or arrogant, the lonely kid who pushed people away and did not know how to stop, and Heaven knew how many other sides to his personality. And what would he do if that net transformed into a vise?

Or broke entirely?

"You're going to be in big trouble one of these days, Dukey-boy," he said as he turned to go. "And I just hope you're not alone when the time comes."

****

Duke was not sure what it was that awakened him next, but at some indeterminable time later his eyes opened, staring at the wall across from the bed. For a moment his mind was in a confused fog, unable to process what had happened at any time prior to him climbing under the covers. Where was he? It did not seem like his own bed. And everything hurt, from his forehead to his right hand to his left leg.

Then it all came rushing back---the car bomb, the escape, David. . . .

That was it---he was laying in David's bed.

He rose up with a groan, sweeping his still-damp hair away from his face. He had thought, had hoped, had even prayed, that it was just a bad dream. But it was all real. In the space of a few short moments, his life had been drastically altered. And there was no turning back now. He knew what he would have to do.

He looked at the clock on the nightstand. It was after ten. Had David left yet? The house seemed quiet and empty, but David could be sleeping or reading. He would make sure he did not do anything to disturb Duke, if he at all could.

Then, suddenly, he was standing in the doorway. "So, you're awake," he greeted.

Duke looked over at him. "How do you do that?" he asked.

David shrugged. "You made front-page news," he said, walking into the room and holding out the local paper.

Duke frowned at it. Plastered across the thin sheet was a color picture of the aftermath of the explosion. Pieces of car and ash were in every direction. In the background, several people stared in horror.

Local Businessman Killed; Police Suspect Foul Play

"I like attention," Duke said, "but not this kind." On the one hand, he hoped the police would be led to the smuggling ring. But on the other hand, when there were those corrupt officers on the force who likely knew what had happened, they would try to make sure to get themselves placed in charge of the investigation. They would ensure that the truth was not learned by anyone. No, Duke could not depend on the police to be much help.

David studied him. "So what time is Ryuuji Otogi supposed to make his great entrance?" he asked.

Duke leaned back on the pillow. "As soon as news reaches Japan and he has time to fly out," he said. "I'll calculate the number of hours."

"There is a problem," David said. "How will you hide your battle wounds? It could look suspicious, especially when with a little imagination, someone could see how much you resemble the 'deceased.'"

A frown crossed Duke's features as he thought it over. "My right hand will be in a glove," he said. "I could probably brush my hair over my forehead. But there's not much I can do about my left leg, unless I can train myself to hide the limp. . . ."

"In a few hours?" David raised an eyebrow.

"I might be able to disguise it somewhat," Duke said. "But I'll come up with a cover story for it anyway, if anyone asks."

"And those earrings you wanted," David went on, staring at him. "Are you planning to pierce your ears yourself?!"

Duke shrugged. "It could also look suspicious if I went somewhere to have someone else do it and the wrong people saw me," he said. "I'll be okay."

David frowned. "What did you do two years ago?" he wanted to know.

"I went to some out-of-the-way place in Japan," Duke admitted. "But nobody was trying to blow me up then. And since I never used them after I got back to the States, they've closed up now." He fingered the one piercing still open in his left ear lobe. He had lost the earring he had kept there sometime during the explosion.

David shook his head. "You're a masochist," he said. "Do you know how dangerous it is to do home piercings?"

Duke smirked. "You do what you have to do," he said. Truthfully, he did not really want to run those risks either. But when the alternative was being tracked down via a piercing shop if his enemies grew suspicious, to him the risks of home piercings paled by comparison. He would be careful of the veins.

David half-turned. "Well, I already got everything you asked for," he reported. "I decided to go early enough that I hopefully wouldn't be recognized by any screwy reporters." He sighed. "And I'll have to go in to the Black Crown. I'm already late. . . ."

Duke frowned again. "Yeah, you'd better get in there." He pulled the quilt back, only realizing now that he had been sleeping on top of the covers and that David had brought a second comforter so he would actually be underneath one. "What are you going to use as an excuse for being late?"

"Who knows." David looked back to him. "I don't think they'd believe that I was grieving."

Duke snorted. "Tell them you were up late because of the police questioning you," he suggested.

Now David smirked. "A brilliant idea," he said. "Nothing that wouldn't be expected from the great Duke Devlin."

"If they'll believe it," Duke said.

"No reason not to," David said. "I'll probably only be telling the assistant manager anyway, if I tell anyone." He gave Duke a curious look. "When will the lawyer be coming to read the will?"

"Tomorrow, probably," Duke said as he pushed himself off the bed. "I left instructions that I didn't want it to wait any longer than necessary."

David nodded. "I should get going now," he said. "Will you be alright here alone for the day?"

"Fine," Duke said. "I'll spend the time reading up on my 'death' . . . and piercing my ears."

David shuddered. "I'm glad I won't be here to see that." He started to walk up the hall, then stopped. "Oh, and Yugi Muto and his friends will likely be coming by to investigate your death themselves," he said. "What should I do if that happens?"

"Try to keep them from investigating as much as possible without it looking like you've got something to hide," Duke said. His voice hardened. "I don't want them involved. Is that clear?"

David nodded again. "I'll do what I can, Duke, but you know how persistent they are. They won't give this one up easily."

Duke looked away. "They have no idea what they'd be getting into," he said. "And I don't want them to find out."

"Okay." David passed back into the living room, Duke moving slowly behind him. "I left the stuff in that chair," he pointed out. "Feel free to get something to eat whenever you're hungry."

"Thanks." Duke watched as David went on to the front door. "Oh, and I'll probably pop in when you won't expect it," he said. "Most likely towards evening." He ducked away from the door, not wanting to be seen by anyone outside.

"Just be careful." David looked back to Duke. "The last thing you need is any more trouble."

"I don't need you to tell me that," Duke sighed. "Believe me, I know."

****

David frowned as he steered through the overcast streets of Domino City several moments later. Save for several people out raking up hoardes of leaves, and some kids jumping in a leaf-pile, most people were not out on this nippy fall morning. But his mind was not on that anyway.

He had to admit, he was worried about his old friend. Duke's plan was highly risky. Of course, he already knew that, but he was bound and determined to go through with it anyway. And if he was found out. . . . David gripped the steering wheel tighter. His enemies would make sure not to make any mistakes another time.

He almost felt like hitting his head on the steering wheel when he pulled up at the Black Crown. Just as he had predicted, Yugi and four of his friends were standing outside the front doors. One of them was yelling to be allowed inside.

This would not go well. He was certain of that.

He parked and alighted, making his way over to them. "The store isn't open today," he said, feigning a lack of knowledge at what they wanted.

All sets of eyes turned to him. "We realize that," Yugi Muto said, his voice quiet and somber.

The blond guy---Joey, wasn't it?---glowered. "We came here to get some answers!" he declared, slamming his fist into his palm. "You worked for Duke, right? Well, we're here to find out why he was murdered!"

David walked past them to the doors. Several lights were on inside. The assistant manager was waiting for him at the counter, looking concerned as to what should be done about this in Duke's absence.

"I want to know too," David said. "But the police are looking into it, aren't they? You shouldn't get involved."

"Hey!" a brunet---probably Tristan---yelled. "Duke was our friend. We're already involved."

"That's right!" a brown-haired girl nodded.

"Please!" a girl he recognized as Serenity exclaimed, hurrying over to him at the doors. "You knew Duke. If you can tell us anything about why someone would have done this . . ."

"I worked for him," David cut her off. "I wasn't his friend. He didn't confide in me." He unlocked one of the doors, pulling it aside enough to slip through. "Now, I'm sorry, but it's going to be hectic today. I'll have to ask all of you to leave."

Tristan gritted his teeth. "Have you been taking courtesy lessons from Kaiba?!" he burst out.

"You probably don't even care that he's gone!" Joey chimed in. "Now you get to take this place over, right?!"

David paused. "No," he said. "Mr. Devlin named a successor, and it isn't me."

"Then maybe he's the one who did it!" Joey said.

"I doubt it. He's currently in Japan," David said in a flat tone. He passed through the opening and then moved to shut and lock the doors again. "I really need to get to work."

"Yeah, yeah, work. That's all you guys ever care about," Joey growled. "You wouldn't even have that cushy job if it wasn't for Duke!"

"I'm quite aware of that," David said. Not giving them the chance to say more, he turned the deadbolt to lock the doors.

The assistant manager, still watching from the counter, sighed. "They've been out there since I got in," he said. "That blond guy in front was banging on the doors, screaming to be let inside."

"I'm glad you refused," David said. "I doubt we'll be opening today." He frowned. "Have the police been here again, Jared?"

Jared nodded. "They showed up this morning, but I told them I didn't think they'd learn anything more than they did last night," he said. "And they didn't." His countenance saddened. "Can you really believe Mr. Devlin's . . ."

David averted his gaze. ". . . The police wanted to know if I had any idea who could have done it," he said. He was a terrible actor. Would he really be able to do this and make it look convincing?

Jared perked up. "Did you?" he asked pleadingly.

"No idea at all," David said. "I didn't even know he was . . . gone until they came." He stared down the hall to the back room. "Are you the only one here?"

"No," Jared said. "André and Rich are in the back, taking care of a shipment."

Instantly David was interested. Rich was one of the employees Duke had listed as being involved in the smuggling ring. He would need to be quietly observed for a while. It could look suspicious if the first thing David did after Duke's demise was try to get into the ring himself.

"Mr. Tanaka . . ."

David looked back as Jared spoke. The assistant manager was worried, twisting his tie in his hands. Despite Duke telling him that they did not need to be that formal, Jared had always insisted on wearing a tie to work. Usually they were very unique and eclectic designs, too; David had never seen Jared sport any solid color ties. Today it was the Tasmanian Devil.

"What's going to happen now?" Jared wanted to know. "I heard you mentioning something about Mr. Devlin having a successor."

"That's right," David said. "I've been trying to contact him, but without any luck. He's always been hard to get hold of. Hopefully he'll just hear the news and come here."

"Do you think he'll keep us on?" Jared said.

"I guess we'll have to wait and see," David said. "I'm not going to lose any sleep over it." He walked towards the back room. "I don't remember knowing that a shipment was scheduled to come in today."

"It was early," Jared explained. "It's the one that was supposed to come two days from now."

"I see." David pushed open the door leading to the storage room. "How are you two doing back here?" he asked as he stepped inside.

Both André and Rich jumped a mile. Then André frowned. "It feels wrong to even be here, with Mr. Devlin gone," he said. He straightened, brushing packing peanuts off of his hands.

Rich continued pawing through the box, finally pulling out several new editions of Risk. "He'd want this place to keep going," he said.

David nodded. "That's right," he said. "So keep it up." Nothing seemed suspicious back here, at least not offhand. He turned to go back through the still-open door. But instead of exiting, he slipped behind a shelf as the door clicked closed. André and Rich, already involved with the box again, did not notice.

They also did not speak of anything that would indicate something illegal was taking place. It was possible that André was not involved at all, in which case of course Rich would not bring it up around him. There was also the possibility that they were both in on the matter, however, which was the reason David had decided to spy on them for a while. But it was not long before he returned to the main room, unable to discern anything questionable.

Jared was still leaning on the counter. "You were in there a long time, sir," he said. "Is everything okay back there?"

David nodded. "I was just leaving when I remembered I was going to check on some of the inventory," he bluffed. "Between now and the next shipment would be a good time to take a complete inventory. And it might make a good impression on Mr. Devlin's successor."

Jared blinked. "I guess it has been a while since we've taken inventory," he said.

"It's been too hectic around here lately," David said. "Mr. Devlin was just saying a couple of nights ago that we needed to slow down and take inventory before the holiday rush."

"We'd better do it then," Jared agreed.

"And since we won't be opening, today would be a good time to start," David said.

There was another reason he wanted to have inventory taken. If there was anything in the latest shipment that should not be there, he wanted to find it. And if anyone seemed suspicious about it, such as those supposed to be involved, David would confront them about it and tell them he wanted in on the deal.

He just had to hope it would work.

He would feel a lot better about things once Duke arrived and the responsibility for the deception was not entirely on his, David's, shoulders. Especially since Duke was a master of deception. But in another way, he would worry more.

I hope you know what you're doing, Duke, he thought to himself. Or we're both sunk.