Hero

Author's Note: This story contains boy/boy situations, so if you don't like that kind of stuff, don't read. It also contains spoilers for Yu-Gi-Oh GX. So if you don't want to know ahead of time what's going to happen in the anime, don't read. Otherwise, enjoy the story and R&R.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to or of the Yu-Gi-Oh Series.

…

Chapter 3: Righteousness

The rain poured without end over the desolate land, turning dirt to mud and soaking from head to toe the boy who intended to pay his respects to the recently departed. Each droplet that contacted his pale skin brought him more pain. His sad sapphire eyes, moist with tears, refused to leave the rounded tombstone of his father.

"Edo." An umbrella hovered over him. "This hardship…It was fate's doing."

"Fate?" He did not understand. "Who are you?"

The newcomer was not much older than himself, clad in black. Tears escaped from his eyes as well. "I am Saiou Takuma. There is a talent lurking within you, an exalted purpose, and through these hard times, I will be your guide…" His frown became a smile.

…

Edo awoke to distant moans, Judai's scent invading his nose once more. The memory of the darkest day in his life lingered briefly, but disappeared completely from his thoughts the second another wail flew past his ears. There he was, shaking off a nightmare, only to be thrown into another.

"Come on, Edo! I'm starving!" Judai's voice came from the other side of the door. "Just let me grab some crackers at least! They're under the covers."

The professional duelist winced, springing up off the bed. "That pig." The crushed remnants of the snacks were swept away in annoyance.

"Please…" Judai resorted to a more polite approach, hoping that the other would fall for his ploy. To his delight, Edo opened the door, albeit in frustration.

"Take it back. It's a dump anyways."

The brunette stuck out his tongue, crawled into the room, and immediately stuffed his face with as many salted crumbs as he could find that were left on the mattress.

"Barnyard animal." Edo shook his head in disbelief.

"So…good!" Judai was in bliss.

"I'm leaving. It was a mistake to come here."

"No, wait!" The older one glued himself to the other's leg. "Don't go yet!"

Edo squirmed uncomfortably in his grasp. "Get off of me!"

"No, no, no! Never!" he whined.

"What possible reason could you have for wanting to keep me here?" He did not relent in his efforts to pry the boy from his leg.

"It's not often we get to see each other," he replied hoarsely, his throat dry from the food he had just ingested.

Edo froze. Judai's grip loosened.

"W-What did you say?"

"I said it's not often we get to see each other." he whispered.

Edo freed himself from Judai's clutches. "Go fetch that pipsqueak of yours. He's actually willing to play your homo-games."

The brunette sat up, somewhat offended by the remark. "That's not why I want you to stay. Besides, Sho would kill me if-"

"Then why do you want me to stay?" the silver-haired duelist demanded, all too happy to skip the details of their relationship, for he did not want to hear the obscenities that came about during their lovemaking.

"You shouldn't listen to Saiou," Judai blurted.

"He's my manager," Edo pointed out. "It's his job to-"

Now it was Judai's turn to interrupt. "He's using you!"

"He is not. This is my destiny and my destiny alone! Only I have the pure force of will to control it! Not you, not Saiou…Only I, Edo Phoenix, has the power to do so!"

Smack.

Edo fingered his cheek hesitantly, applying pressure lightly to the area in which the older teen's fist had struck. The punch had left a bruise, not terribly obvious, but still more or less disfiguring, at least to Edo, who cherished the sense of perfection that came with his untouched visage.

Judai was panting heavily, his teeth bared. He expected retaliation from the youth, but opted to take the impending punishment with stern defiance.

"Moron." Edo removed his hand from the red mark on his face, a single tear slipping from his chin.

"E-Edo…" The brunette, caught off guard by the show of sensitivity, regretted his action. "I-I didn't mean to-"

Smack.

Edo's fist collided with his jaw.

Judai could not believe what had just happened. "Y-You hit me!"

"Well aren't you a genius?" the other chuckled.

Instead of fighting back, Judai repositioned himself on the bedside. He sighed and opened a bag of chips, his mouth at work again.

"So I can leave?"

"I didn't say that." The boy purposely made crunching noises. "Come on, I'm just worried about you. Like I said before, Saiou's using you, yet you choose to look the other way. Heck, if I can figure that out, it should be a cinch for you."

Edo stared at the floor, assessing the situation. "I know that, but there's no other option. Working with him, it's the only chance I have for finding my father's killer."

The teen reached into the cupboard behind him, removing his duelling deck. "There's always a better way, Edo. This guy, whoever he is, has the one card that no one else in the world possesses. He may have killed your father, and I totally feel for you…He took everything from you…But you can't go through life fostering a grudge."

"You could never understand what I've been through Judai," he began. "Revenge is all I have left."

"That's not true. You have your D-Heroes. They were there with you since the beginning. Your father entrusted you with them so you could do good, but Saiou is up to something. You can't trust him."

Edo presented his own deck to Judai. "The D-Heroes…They are supposed to be the protectors of justice."

"Justice is blind Edo. Sometimes heroes do things that may seem right to them, but those things are not always honourable. But in the end, it's really up to us to make the decision. Everybody has the potential to be a hero within them, but it takes real guts to use that potential wisely."

"Makes sense, I'll give you that."

"Then you'll be more careful?" Judai finished the last of his chips.

"I'm more careful than you. Does that count?"

The brunette snickered, returning Edo's deck. "Okay wise guy, you can go, but can I ask you one more question?"

"What's that?"

"How 'bout a goodnight kiss? Right here." He pointed at his forehead.

"No, I don't think so. Don't want to upset Shrimpy," Edo feigned a laugh.

"Aww…You're no fun." He narrowed his gaze and scooted closer to the other duelist, capturing him underneath both arms.

The door flung open to reveal a sweating blue-haired boy with glasses. He gaped in horror at the sight before him. Edo smirked. Judai gawked.

"Speak of the devil."

"Oh shit."