A/N: I really really hope that this is NOT boring…things are heating up in this chapter…though I do have a warning of sorts. There will be violence and abuse. And it might make a few of you squirm because of the who-what-when-where-why-how factor.

Disclaimer: I do not own GX. And a big SANKYUU to Chaotic Blades and 2True for looking over this and advising me. Srsly, you do NOT want to see what I woulda done if they hadn't told me otherwise. XD

Chapter 4: Scars

Juudai stared out the window at the falling rain. It was such a dreary day. It fit his mood, he thought. In fact, since his last face-to-face encounter with Johan, the weather seemed to have taken a turn for the worse. It was as though the very heavens felt his depression. Sighing heavily, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and flipped it open, hoping with all his heart that he would have even one new message. He had not heard much from Johan for the few months that had elapsed, though, as of recent, it had become much worse. Johan had seemed so much more distant, so aloof. Truth be told, Juudai was beginning to wonder if Johan wanted to even keep in touch with him anymore. He always seemed upset or nervous when they talked, and never could talk for long. He never told Juudai what was wrong, either. No amount of consolation or assuring would bring it out of him.

Stirring his coffee absentmindedly, he wondered if Johan was all right. He had not heard from him for about a week. Or maybe it was longer. He was not sure anymore. Time seemed to melt together and drag on without Johan around. A heavy cloud seemed to be constantly hanging above him, and there was no way of getting rid of it. Part of him was drowning in anxiety, alerting that something was very wrong. On contrast, the other half of him told him it was fine. He tried to listen to his more "rational" half, but it was truly growing unbearable. He was on the verge of deciding to go to Denmark, and to Johan's house.

Standing, he dropped a tip for the waitress on the table, and headed for the door to pay and leave. He decided he would give Johan one more day. If he did not hear from the other in that time, then he would go check on him. He had connections. He could get to Denmark by the next night easily. Little did he know how wrong he was…

The room was dark and cold. In the distance was the sound of dripping water; at first it gave the impression that he was in a dungeon or a cave, but then he remembered it was only the leaky faucet. Grimacing, he shifted uncomfortably, only to have fiery hot pain shoot through his aching joints. It hurt every fiber of his being. And he was still cursing himself for being caught so easily. Just let his guard down for one minute…How was he to know his comrade was actually working against him? But he should have known, he scolded himself.

"Damn." The word echoed in the empty prison cell. Johan banged his fist against the wall, the chain binding his wrist clinking. He felt so stupid, so useless. He was no good for his country at all. He had failed them…

Hearing the outer door creaking as it opened, Johan tensed. He sent the newcomer an icy, defiant glare, as the other came closer, jingling a set of keys. His captor stepped up to the bars, and grabbed them, smirking and gazing upon Johan with cool blue eyes that spoke volumes of his indifference.

"It's about time for your daily interrogation. Will you speak today? Or shall you unkindly hold your tongue and be beaten again?" The man queried cruelly in Danish.

Johan refused to answer. He did not so much as even look at him. Instead, he fixed his stare on the wall in front of him, much rather wanting to look at that.

The man's expression morphed. His face hardened, his eyes all the colder. "Fine. Have it your way."

He unlocked the door and stepped slowly inside, his boots clunking against the floor and echoing. He stepped up to Johan and looked him in the eyes. Johan looked away, trying to remain dignified though he was terribly shamed. Seizing him by the chin, his captor forced him to make eye contact, his fingers digging painfully into the fragile skin.

"But," he whispered through his teeth, "you will sorely regret it." He slapped Johan's face away. The Gem Beast duelist let his neck go limp, his head lolling to the side from the impact. The man gave a short, unpleasant laugh at the sight of the red mark on his face.

Without another word, his captor unlocked the shackles from the wall. Before Johan could get a chance to run or fight, the man grabbed the ends of the chains and led him out into the hallway, kicking him to force him along.

"Not so high and mighty now, are you, rebel?" He sneered, jerking on the chains and nearly causing Johan to fall down. Then, as an added humiliation and pain, he swung the chains up in the air and slung them around Johan's throat, stopping suddenly to tug at them. "Go ahead. Cry for your people. Cry for Denmark. It all belongs to us now."

In response, Johan let out a small, strained choking noise. The chains dug into his neck, cutting off his airway as his captor pulled harder and harder, depriving him of air. The seconds ticked by dreadfully slow, until he saw purple spots in front of him and realized he was being asphyxiated. Unable to help it, he dropped to his knees, trembling vigorously and panting. He tried to claw at the chains around his throat, but the man stamped his foot on the chains connected to his wrists, holding his arms back.

"There's no need for that," He laughed harshly, "It's all of no use. Though, you should take comfort in knowing that I won't let you die. Yet. This is only a taste of what will come if you don't cooperate. Understand?"

Desperate for oxygen, Johan wearily nodded his head to the best of his ability. He felt dizzy. Any moment he could pass out.

Luckily for him, the chains went lax, and he was permitted the privilege of breathing again. Gulping air, he tried to recover so he could think clearly. He knew that part of the reason that this choking was done was so he would be more likely to tell. If his brain was deprived of oxygen, then he would not be able to make proper decisions. He would be more likely to talk. But he was not going to fall victim to that. He had to keep his mouth shut at all costs. The lives of his friends, family, and comrades were in his hands.

He was not allowed to catch his breath for long, though. Soon, he found he was being jerked to his feet, and forced towards the door at the end of the hall again. He felt as though he were a convict on death row. It was almost that way, it seemed. After all, he was a prisoner of political war. Anything could happen then, even if it was unethical. Ethics did not carry any precedence in war.

He stumbled over his feet as he was kicked again, only to be sharply yanked upwards by the chain. Coughing and sputtering, he fell against the metal door. The man smirked and shoved it open, causing Johan to fall across the threshold. Or, at least, he would have had the chain around his neck not been jerked up again. It hurt so badly he nearly passed out. In all honesty, he was surprised his neck had not been snapped from it. But that did not matter at the time. The only thing that mattered was keeping his mouth shut. Even survival took a back burner. He would gladly die to serve his country. If only…if only he could get the chance to tell his beloved goodbye. But he could not have that luxury. Not that he was going to let himself die if he could help it. But if he did, Juudai would just have to know about it through their connection. He figured that the brunet already knew he was in trouble. No, he knew that Juudai was aware of it.

Before he had a chance to think anymore, he was being shoved into a hard chair, the chains being wrapped several times around it before being fastened by padlocks. There were a couple of people around the room. There were always the same people, the same faces, the same uncaring expressions. But the one thing that did change was the amount of torment that was dealt to him every day. And Johan knew that this day was going to be worse. He automatically tensed, ready for the onslaught to begin.

"So, Johan Andersen," A man in a trench coat stepped forward slowly, whip in hand. As he talked, he slapped the butt of the whip in the palm of his hand, as though to remind Johan what his punishment for silence would be. "Are you going to tell us where the rebel base is? Or are you going to risk death? You've been eluding it lately. You just won't die."

Johan dared to keep his mouth shut. It was better to remain silent. If he said anything at all, he was most likely to get caught up in the heat of the moment and spill a bit of information. Anything he said could be used against him.

The whip-bearer leaned forward in his face, placing one hand on either armrest of the chair. The wood creaked in protest as he put all of his weight on it. His eyes searched Johan's for a moment, his jaw clenched. "Is this how it's going to be, Mr. Andersen? I suggest you talk now, or suffer the consequences. This is your last warning."

Once again, Johan kept his mouth shut. He only kept staring straight ahead in proud defiance. Nothing would get the information out of him.

For a moment, there was nothing but tense silence as everyone in the room stared at him expectedly. Nothing was said. No one moved. It was as though they were statues frozen in time. Johan dared not look at them. He knew that if he locked eyes with them, it would all be over. That would be incentive enough to crack the whip over his head. But, alas, averting his eyes had the same wretched effect.

There was the sound of angry hissing in the air, and the next second, fiery pain shot from the middle of his spine outwards, to all the branches of nerves. He set his jaw in order to refrain from screaming out in agony. The room seemed to spin around and tilt on one side. Everything grew a little darker.

"How about now, Mr. Andersen? Had enough already? You've been enduring this torment for a week now. When will you crack? Or will you be sent to your grave first?"

Another crack. The whip licked his cheek, leaving behind an angry red welt. It drew crimson from beyond the fragile surface in a small stream that dribbled down to his chin and stained his snowy white shirt. It was such horribly familiar pain. He felt the bile rising in his throat as he held back the urge to vomit. His stomach clenched in protest, lurching forward. But he swallowed it back, hard. He would hold fast to his dignity. Even though he was in agony, having been worn down and weakened, he kept his shoulders squared, and sat up high and proud.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk today? If you do, you'll be given some decent food. Wouldn't that be nice, eh?" The man coiled the whip, and held it fast in his hand, looking at it as though inspecting it.

No response. Johan would not cooperate. Not ever. Nothing they could do to him would make him talk.

"Well…in that case…You've had enough chances. It's time to pay."

Johan wanted to beg. He wanted to scream that he would tell them, just so long as they did not whip him again. But he did not. He kept sitting still, not letting himself so much as flinch. He would not let them see his weakness. He would not let them see that he was breaking inside. Really, he was ashamed of himself. How could his resolveleave so quickly? All the same, his punishment was not withheld. Within the next second, another lash was dealt to his broken body. He writhed inwardly as it stung down to the core. This time, he could not control the involuntary twitching.

And the worst part was…he knew this was only the beginning.

"Now you're upset," The man laughed softly, "But the difference is, there's nothing you can do at this point but endure it. It's your fault for choosing sides. You should have just been the mindless little citizen you were taught to be."

It was all Johan could do to hold his tongue at this. He bit down on the disobedient organ as a thousand snide retorts ran through his mind. They were soon forgotten, though, as the whip was brought violently down on his spine. His back arched in response to it, his head tilted back. Behind his tightly shut eyelids, he felt the hot tears welling. Even gritting his teeth could not hold them back. The dam was breaking a lot easier, it seemed.

A moment later, he felt the warm fluid leaving his body. Apparently, some of the old wounds had been reopened, and were bleeding profusely. He cringed as it trickled down his back at an alarming rate, pooling in the seat of the chair. Really, it felt and looked like a lot more than it was. Yet, even with this knowledge, just peering through half-shut eyes at it made Johan want to burst into tears. He was so tired of looking at his own blood. He was so tired of watching himself being torn open and exposed to the world. He felt naked for the first time in his life. And there was no stopping it. He was not in control of this. This pain…was new to him. True, he had been living in hell for months, then, unable to tell a soul about it. He felt so isolated, like he was on a desert island, left to die. No one was capable of saving him.

A scream was caught in his throat and pushed down along with the bile. His entire being quaked with effort; he was barely able to handle it. The lash bit him again and again and again…It was monotonous. Every time, he was hit a little bit harder, bringing him closer and closer to his limit. He jolted with every blow, words of retaliation choked down by sheer determination. His breaths grew shallower, more ragged; it was more painful with each sharp intake. Gasping as another particularly harsh blow was dealt to him, Johan felt as though he could breathe no longer. He felt a terrible tightness in his chest, indicating that hyperventilation was about to set in. Feeling himself blacking out as purple dots clouded his vision, he tried desperately to control himself. But at this point, the man was no longer holding back. He was whipping with all his might, and quickly too. Crack after crack after horrible crack. Johan's self control broke. He could hold it in no longer, the name that was catching in his throat, the name that he clung to in order to stay strong. It left him, just as he felt that the person had abandoned him, though it was really the other way around.

"Juudai!"

The moment the word had escaped his lips, he knew it was all over. He crumbled. The tears flowed freely down his cheeks, and he felt shame no more. He felt nothing but the most primal of instincts, and the need to escape. He was aware of nothing but the hot pain from the whip, the cracking, and the gasps that left his lips as he screamed the name of the one he loved.

"Juudai! Juudai! Juudai!" He cried with each sting of the whip. It was all he had to hold onto, to preserve his very sanity.

He gripped the chains in his fists, digging his nails into them, breaking them and bending them so they drew blood. Wild thrashing was the next step, as his body convulsed in response to the agony. He jolted every which way, his head snapped back and forth as he screamed and tried to wriggle free of his bonds. He heard the faint laughter and mocking of those surrounding him, and felt some deep forlorn sorrow bubbling up inside of him and washing over him. He almost even felt hopeless. In fact, he was rather reverting, it seemed. His need for comfort was great; he would have sought it from anyone that was willing to give it. He felt almost as a small child might…so helpless…so weak…so frail. But the need…the need for a lover's touch took precedence over everything. He needed Juudai with every fiber of his being. Juudai was the only one that could help him to the fullest, to heal him. But there was no way he would ever see the brunet again. If only he could get the chance to talk to him just one more time, to hear his soothing voice just once more…

Another scream of Juudai's name ripped from his throat, shaking him back to his senses. His tormentors seemed to be having great fun with this display. He noticed that they were all laughing and sending threatening gestures. The whip continued to reign upon him for awhile, and Johan failed to take notice of anything else in that time. That was, until another man stepped forward bearing a whip as well.

"Ok, we've had enough of this," He grumbled, cracking his whip, "We're going to get this answer out of you and now."

For one brief wonderful moment, there was no pain and there was no sound. He only panted and leaned back in the seat, his head dropping from one side to the next, barely conscious. The whipping temporarily ceased, but he knew that it would not be for long. He knew that the next time the whip was cracked, it would be much worse. It would be not one, but two of them. He was certain that day would be his death.

Both whips were raised and brought down simultaneously on his heated skin. He cried out in pain, screaming Juudai's name over and over as the red-hot agony coursed through his veins. Tears streamed down his cheeks, mingling with the blood and stinging his wounds. Unable to help it, he watched in horror as the very blood from his broken body splattered onto the whitewashed walls behind and to the side of him. And the occupants of the room seemed very pleased.

"He's not going to tell us anything, so just kill him!" Someone shouted.

"Yes, kill him! Kill him!" Another encouraged.

"This will show the rebels! We'll torture him and mutilate him beyond recognition, then string him up in the capital!"

To be hated…it was the most unpleasant feeling in the world. The shame…the resentment…the humiliation…it was almost too much. But worst than the hatred was…the indifference. The crimes against humanity. It was almost too hard to believe that these same people that were tormenting him so cruelly and laughing at his pains also had families at home. Children. Wives. Loved ones. How could they go to sleep at night knowing that they had not only injured him, but those connected with him as well as their own families? How could they do this knowing that he was just like them under the surface?

As the tears threatened to fall again, he heard the faint, but familiar, call of his beloved duel monster spirit, Ruby. He peered through glazed over emerald eyes at the little creature crawling up to his lap, and rubbing against his hand as though to encourage him to keep fighting. Even though he was in more pain than he had ever been in his life, he smiled. His family had not abandoned him this whole time. They had been there with him through the most difficult of situations, and they would not leave him yet. He just did not know why it had taken Ruby so long this time to come to his aid. As he sat there, he noticed the forms of his other Gem Beasts began to materialize, all urging him to hold on. He knew then he could hang on. He did not know why they had been gone before, why it had seemed as though they would not come back, but he was grateful they were there then. Perhaps it was just that they had been feeling anxious and trying to think of a way to get him out of this mess. And as Ruby hopped on his shoulder, unnoticed by those around her, Johan felt a tiny bit of comfort washing over him. His creatures still cared about him very much. All the same, he knew that his days were numbered. Already, it seemed as though he would not live to see the next day.

He turned his attention away from Ruby when his captors strangely stopped whipping him. They talked amongst themselves for a few minutes, then turned back towards Johan. The leader stepped forward and grabbed Johan's head, snapping it up and forcing him to look into his steely gray eyes. Johan looked down. He could keep himself from having to see, but he could not prevent the words that came out of the other's mouth.

"Now, listen, you have been of little use to us. It's obvious no matter what we put you through, you're not going to tell us anything. We can't waste much more time on a hardheaded fool like you. So, let's make this a little more real, shall we? You have twenty-four hours to change your mind and come clean. If you do not tell us what we want to know within that time frame, then you shall be killed. Understand?"

Johan refused to respond. He did not show any emotion. But deep inside, he was being torn to shreds. He was scared; who wouldn't be? Part of him wanted to cry at the thought. He did not want to die. But it did not look as though he had much of a choice. At least…he was doing the right thing.

Ruby rubbed against his cheek, as though to console him. He glanced over at the little duel spirit, whose ears were drooping in sadness. At that point, he really felt like he could cry all over again. Just seeing how upset she was…he just wished he could hold her and let it all out. But, no, he had no choice. He had to remain strong on the outside. At least to make up for the vulnerability he had displayed earlier.

The leader leaned closer in his face, searching for any weakness. Finally, he smirked cruelly, and offered, "You may make one last phone call to a loved one before you are put back in your cell for the night. This will be your last chance to talk to someone familiar, so make a good choice." Looking satisfied, he stepped back, and gestured for the others to unbind Johan from his chair.

As he shakily stood, it became clear in his mind what he had to do. There was no doubt who he had to contact. There was no doubt who he was going to call. Finally, he had hope, and a plan. Although he was almost fainting and he was dripping in blood, he gathered the strength to move towards the door. Survival. Although he was surprised at the offer, if he really did get the chance, he was not going to turn it down.

It was late afternoon. Juudai sighed heavily as he leaned over the stove, frying himself up some eggs. He was feeling a little down, and a little lonely. Hane Kuriboh floated nearby, watching him intently with a worried gaze. The duel spirit sensed something was wrong, just as Juudai did. Even Yubel had made mention of it earlier in the day. At the moment, neither of them was speaking simply because Juudai just wanted to be left alone to think about his plans. But he could feel her presence, and knew she was just as worried as he was.

Presently, the phone rang, causing him to jump a little. He looked in dismay at the egg yolk that had dropped onto the countertop. Sighing, he wiped it up with a dishrag before picking the nearby phone up off its hook and answering it.

"Hello?"

There was a long pause, causing Juudai to wonder if it was a telemarketer. Frowning, he waited, and was answered by silence.

Just as he was about to hang up, he heard the person on the other end swallow hard, and what sounded like a muffled sob. "Juudai…"

His heart skipped a beat. He heard absolute agony in that voice. That voice he adored so much… "Johan…What's wrong?" He leaned against the counter, gripping it hard, his hand shaking.

"I…" Johan paused, as though uncertain of himself. He seemed to be at a complete loss for words. "I need you…I need you more than you could imagine. I've really done it this time."

"What happened? What's wrong?" Juudai repeated, his heart practically jumping out of his chest. He licked his lips nervously.

A long, heavy sigh. "Juudai…" Johan seemed to be struggling to keep himself composed. Juudai knew he was in tears just by the strained sound of his voice. "Please help me. I…don't care…how you get over here…just do…please."

"Ok, I'm coming. Just tell me where you are." Juudai agreed, pulling his apron over his head and dropping it on the countertop.

"Well…uh…I'm in Denmark…of course…the borders are kind of closed…"

"Closed?" Juudai scowled, "Well, I'll get in somehow. I can promise you. Tell me again where you are."

"I don't know," Johan whispered, his voice shaking, "I really don't know. I just know…that I'm stuck…I'm sort of a prisoner…"

"A prisoner?!" Juudai almost started freaking out just at this piece of information. "Then how are you telling me these things?"

"They let me make a phone call," Johan explained, "And they don't know Japanese. Oh, and one more thing…"

"What more could there be?" Juudai groaned.

"…Twenty-four hours from now…" Johan broke off, almost unable to continue. He took a few deep breaths, then went on, his voice wavering, "…I'll…be dead."

"WHAT?!" Juudai dropped the frying pan he was holding, letting it clatter to the floor. He could have sworn that his heart really did stop at hearing this. It was only moments later that he began to breathe again, and that he fully realized what he had to do. "Johan…No…Please tell me you're kidding…Please don't…I can't…What the hell…" He was just incapable of coherent speech.

"Please hurry," Johan whispered, swallowing hard, "Please. I know you will be able to find me. You'll know where I am. You can sense my presence; I know you can. Please help me out. I know you can do it. If anyone you can. I'm just…so…over my head. I thought I could handle it but I was so wrong. You'll know the whole story if you just please come get me. Please. I'm begging you." He was beginning to get frantic.

Juudai nodded although Johan could not see. "Don't worry. Shush. I'll come get you." He was trying to sound confident, as though he had everything under control, in order to calm Johan down. But deep inside, he was not so sure of himself.

"Ok, but just in case you don't make it," Johan's voice sounded more panicked, and it was obvious he was losing control. He sounded as though he were fighting to keep from sobbing into the phone. "I love you…I love you so much…More than anything else in the world. And I want you to at least be able to be proud of me for dying instead of ashamed of me for doing something to save my own life. So please…promise me you won't get too torn up if I do die. Please promise me you'll think good of me, and that you'll move on. Please. I love you. I don't want to hurt you. Ever. And I'm so sorry I was cold to you. But you will know why…one way or the other. Just know that I do love you. I really do."

"Johan, you're not going to die. Trust me. I'm going to come get you," Juudai assured him, hurrying into the other room to gather a few things as he held the phone with his shoulder, "And I love you too, Ok? That's why I'm going to forget about our little troubles and put those behind us, Ok? Everything's all right, everything will be all right, and you're going to live. You're not going to die. I'm going to come help you. Ok?" He rushed about the room, grabbing things off shelves and cramming them into his suitcase.

"Ok," Johan sighed heavily, "Just please hurry."

"I am, I am. Don't worry. I'll find you in a snap. I just am going to have to call Manjoume to bust me through the border. He has connections. He can help me get to you, Ok?" Juudai threw the suitcase down the stairs.

"Ok," Johan paused, as there were angry voices in the background. Then, he said, "I have to go. I'm sorry. Please hurry. I love you."

Juudai felt sick in the pit of his stomach. Part of him was really worried that this was the last time he would ever talk to Johan. "Ok, take care of yourself, now. I love you, too. Hang in there."

"Bye." Johan hung up before Juudai had a chance to answer him.

Letting the phone slip from his hand and hit the floor, Juudai leaned against the wall, holding his forehead in his hands. He sunk down to the floor, shaking all over, trying to compose himself. "Oh my God…"

After a moment of rethinking the situation and putting together a new plan of what he was going to do, he took a deep breath, picked up the phone and dialed Manjoume's number. He was not going to let Johan die. He was determined. There was no way that he was letting Dark World ever happen again. And once this fiasco was over, he was never going to let Johan out of his sight again. At that point, more than ever, he was determined to get Johan to marry him. The closer they were, the safer Johan was. And that was all that mattered to him.

"You mean to tell me…You made me go through all that shit to rescue Johan just to tell me you don't know where the hell he is?!" Manjoume stared at Juudai in both disbelief and disgust. "You really are desperate, aren't you?"

Juudai frowned and shifted in his seat. He refused to answer Manjoume, only propped his chin in his hand and stared out the window of Manjoume's private jet.

"Are you even thinking about what you're doing?" Manjoume snapped, "Don't you know there's a huge war going on right now and in about five minutes we're going to land right smack in the MIDDLE of it? And why the hell did you ask me to fly you out HERE instead of the capital? It's so dangerous! Don't you even know what—"

"He's here, Manjoume," Juudai finally replied, folding his hands in front of his mouth, deep in thought, "I can feel him."

Taking a deep breath, Manjoume sat back in his seat. "I don't know how you do it…"

Juudai was silent. He buckled his seat belt as they began to land, and sighed heavily. Closing his eyes, he concentrated. Yes, Johan was nearby. He could feel that he was in pain and scared. Sighing again to calm his own nerves, he reached over in the seat next to his and grasped his duel disk, his hand shaking. It was time. It was time to go in and save Johan. He knew it would not be easy.

As soon as the plane came to a stop, Juudai leapt out of his seat. "Let's go, Manjoume!"

"Right." Manjoume jumped up as well, and followed Juudai off the plane.

Juudai broke into a run once his feet hit the pavement. It was difficult for Manjoume to keep up with him because he was fueled by pure adrenaline. The more that Juudai thought about what might be happening to Johan at the moment, the worse he felt. He charged right towards the guards at the front gate, not caring that they did have guns. In fact, that was the last thing on his mind. Adrenaline surged faster through him as soon as he saw them aiming at him, causing him to run faster. They would have shot him, had Manjoume not had a gun as well. And he shot first. Juudai hardly knew what had happened. All he knew was that they were not a threat anymore, and that he was out of danger for the moment. He ran past the gate, leaving Manjoume behind to pick up the keys.

He stopped when he came to a building. Looking both ways and seeing no one around, he tried to open the door. It was locked. Cursing, he started to pull a card out of his holster to conjure a duel monster to break it down for him. However, at that moment, Manjoume came up, swinging a set of keys around his finger and smirking.

"Looking for these?"

Juudai smiled weakly. "Thanks." He took the keys and unlocked the door. At least they had gotten in quietly. But it was only the beginning. The hard part was right ahead of them…

"Juudai, it's four in the morning," Manjoume whispered as they went around the building for the fifteenth time, "We'd better find him soon or risk never finding him."

Nodding, Juudai crouched down by a wall and frowned. He placed his ear against it and listened. Suddenly, his eyes widened. "Johan's nearby!" He hissed, "We have to get on the other side of this wall!"

They inspected the wall for a moment, unable to find an entrance. At first. That was when Juudai spotted what looked like a small crack in the plaster. Upon further inspection, he saw that it was too straight and uniform to be a crack. There was a door there, disguised to look like part of the wall. Quickly, he waved Manjoume over. The two glanced at each other, then leaned against the door, trying to force it open. A few more thrusts and it budged enough for them to slip by.

Once his eyes adjusted to the dim light, Juudai found that they were in some sort of a prison chamber. There were cells on each side of the wall. Most of them were empty. In fact, all of them seemed empty. Slowly, Juudai stepped out into the corridor, and looked around. It was so dark that at first he did not see him. It was only when he heard the clinking of chains that he was directed towards the right cell, and saw Johan.

His heart caught in his throat, and thankfully, so did his words. He managed to swallow them back and keep quiet, as he heard muffled voices from another nearby room. Quietly, carefully, he snuck over to the cell. Manjoume followed him, snagging the keys he found on the wall.

Wordlessly, Juudai took the keys and unlocked the door as quietly as possible. Johan lifted his head slightly at the soft noise, and bit back a gasp. Lifting a finger to his lips, Juudai motioned for Johan to be quiet. The other nodded, watching as Juudai slipped into the cell, bringing the keys with him. Manjoume stood outside, keeping watch. Looking into Johan's eyes momentarily, Juudai felt a wave of remorse wash over him. How could he have let Johan get into such a mess? Why had he been unable to help him? Why…had he not done anything about his initial gut feeling? Guilt filled his entire being. He took Johan's cheek in his palm and fondled it, though he recoiled when the other winced in pain.

"Johan…" He whispered, gently touching the other's hair.

Looking up with forlorn emerald eyes, Johan smiled weakly. "Juudai…you didn't…forget me." His voice sounded tired, strained. It took a lot of effort to speak. And even though it was quiet, Juudai could still tell that he sounded breathless.

"Of course I didn't." Juudai replied, turning his attention back to the task at hand, and unlocking Johan from his bonds.

Immediately, Johan fell from the wall and into Juudai's open arms. He had to bite back a scream when he felt the sudden pressure on his wounds. Thankfully, he managed to muffle it into silence. He tried to stand, but his legs buckled under his weight. He was too weak and tired to even so much as hold himself up. And with good reason too. He had been through a lot.

Having little time to wait for the other to compose himself, Juudai scooped him up in his arms and carried him bridal style out of the cell. Manjoume quickly closed the door and locked it again, before placing the keys back on the nail he had found them on. They had nearly gotten back to the door when the lights above flickered on, and there were angry voices. A group of people surrounded the three of them, suddenly, and they were all armed.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" The leader of Johan's captors stepped forward, his eyes icy and his mouth drawn in a taunt line. "Oh, I didn't expect you to do this, Mr. Andersen. How could you call for help like that?" His words, of course, were sarcastic.

Johan looked away, tightening his grip around Juudai's neck. Just seeing that man again sent a shiver down his spine. Despite himself, he began to tremble in fear.

"Did you really think we wouldn't be expecting this at all?" The leader continued, his tone still even and calm as he approached them slowly, "Did you really think that we would let you make such a phone call with no strings attached? No, we were waiting to see if you would call your rebel headquarters to come get you out of trouble. Is that where these two are from?"

Still, Johan refused to answer. He would not look at the man.

Juudai felt anger boiling inside of him. Not because he knew what the man was saying. Even though Johan had taught him small phrases in Danish, he still had a lot to learn, and did not really know what was going on. All he knew was that these people were scaring Johan, and they had hurt him. He could tell by the look of pure terror in the other's deep green eyes. Instinctively, he held the Gem Beast duelist closer, trying to protect him from more harm.

"Johan," He whispered, "What's going on?"

A beat. Johan slowly lifted his eyes to Juudai's, looking defeated. "I cannot say at the moment."

"Are you going to keep playing the silent game with us, Mr. Andersen?" The man continued, stopping within a few feet of them, "Because if you do, then…" He paused a moment, clenching his jaw, his features hardening in anger. "Then we have no choice!" He finally finished his thought, only it was screamed.

Johan jumped at the sudden outburst. He could not help but glance up, and when he did, he found himself staring down the barrel of a pistol. His mouth went dry, his eyes widening in shock.

"You're going to die, you pathetic rebel bastard." The man seethed through his teeth, his hand shaking as he placed his finger on the trigger, "And you'll be so sorry you betrayed us all."

Even though Johan had frozen up, it did not mean that he was done for. This threatening display was too much for Juudai. For a moment, he could do nothing but stare in shock at the man. Memories of Dark World came flashing back to him in a rush, overwhelming his senses. The adrenaline rushed again, choler and excitement and fear all mixing together in his blood. It hit him so hard that he barely had time to think.

"Just die…" The man started to pull the trigger.

"JUUDAI!" Johan screamed, grabbing onto his neck and clinging for dear life.

Everything seemed to have happened at once, but it was still going in slow motion for Juudai by the time that he snapped. What happened next took them all by surprise. It seemed as though Juudai defied time itself. His eyes morphed quickly from the gentle brown they were to the harsh, cold amber of Haou's eyes. He held onto Johan with one arm and reached out with the other. Before the shot could be fired, Juudai had wrested the gun from the other man so violently, it caused him to grasp his wrist, writhing in pain.

"I won't let this happen again!"

The leader glanced up from his wrist to find that he was the one looking down the very same barrel at the moment. He gasped a little, and turned pale. However, the other occupants of the building were not going to stand for this. They all aimed their weapons at Juudai, ready to shoot if he made a wrong move.

"Juudai, you got a plan?" Manjoume asked, backing up against him as a gun was pressed in his face. Juudai did not answer. So, Manjoume assumed he would have to follow the other's lead. He only kept a tight grip on his own gun and waited, watching out of the corner of his eye to see what Juudai might do.

There was a long period of silence; everything was tense. Juudai continued to aim at the leader, unmoving. The others continued to aim at Juudai and Manjoume. Everyone was sticking to their ground. It became apparent that something had to be done, and quickly. Any wrong move could set them off.

Juudai glanced into Johan's eyes, his own just as fiery as ever. As Johan realized what the brunet wanted him to do, his breath hitched in his throat. He knew he was going to have to let Juudai take the risk. And if it did not work the first time…But he was willing to take the chance. He trusted the other with all his heart.

Slowly, he clung tighter to Juudai and wrapped his legs around him as well for a better grip. It was difficult to hold himself up like that when he was so badly injured, but he would have to manage. Grunting a little from exertion, he winced as a sharp pain ran down his side, and told himself to hang on. He could almost hear Juudai telling him to hang on, as well. And that was all the encouragement he needed to keep going.

It looked as though Juudai was still supporting Johan's weight and would be unable to do anything. But, at this point, Johan was holding himself up by clinging to Juudai's body. This left the brunet free to move. And he took advantage of it. There was only a moment where nothing happened. But then, Juudai swung into action. And he was not slow about it either.

Quickly, gathering up the combined power of Haou, Yubel, and what he already possessed, he lunged, flipping the person diagonally behind him and knocking him to the ground. Around the same time, he seized the wrist of the person diagonally in front of him and flipped them over as well, knocking the gun out of his hand. He kicked the gun up as it flew into the air, and caught it in his other hand. Thankfully, Manjoume had seen this movement about to happen out of the corner of his eye, and had done something similar to the people surrounding him. They had been trained for this sort of thing so it was not too difficult. Still, they had to be careful, and Juudai used his dark powers to erect a sort of force field around them temporarily, so any stray shots would be deflected. He was not able to hold it up forever, but it was something he could do just long enough to gain the upper hand.

Johan's eyes widened a bit as the attackers leapt to their feet and tried to charge at them again. But Juudai was too quick for them. Without even batting an eye, he shot them, and they fell to the ground. Perhaps they had not been mortally injured, but at least they were immobilized. And even if they had been mortally wounded, Juudai did not care. All he could think about was saving Johan.

"We got to get out of here, NOW." Manjoume told him, kicking another one of the captors in the jaw, "We can't stick around and let you have revenge."

Juudai was too busy to respond. He knocked down one of the injured, who was trying to get up and seize him, and ran for the door. Manjoume followed him, covering him from behind. They rushed out into the hall before any of the men could emerge.

"Let's just hope that no one else is in here," Manjoume grumbled as they ran, "Otherwise, we're screwed."

"We're not screwed," Juudai panted, his eyes changing from Haou's golden ones to the double color of Yubel's, "We can get out of here. The entrance is just up ahead." He pointed towards the door.

"Good," Manjoume panted, "I just hope that there's no one else waiting for us with open arms out there."

They rushed through the doorway and out into the cold night air. The guards were just as they had left them, only, there was a pool of blood beneath each of them. Juudai paid no notice to them. However, Johan glanced at them, and was almost sick when he saw.

"Oh, God…" He gagged a little, trying to push down the wave of sickness that had suddenly washed over him. It felt strange to him since he had been in the war for awhile. He had encountered the injured, dying, and the dead for months. And yet it had never really bothered him after the first few times. Though, at this point, seeing it again…It had caught up to him. He thought he was going to be sick.

"Hang in there," Juudai panted, pushing himself harder to get to the plane in time. He gripped Johan closer to himself, dropping the guns on the pavement.

Any other time, Juudai would have cared to see people hurt, enemy or not. But at that moment, he was more concerned about Johan. The instinctive rush he felt, the need to protect his beloved, was just too much for him to really notice much else. He was just grateful that Johan was alive. Just to be able to hold him in his arms, to feel his warm, heavy weight and knowing that he had succeeded in keeping him from death was such a great burden off his shoulders. However grateful he was, though, he was soon reminded of the close call that Johan had had, when they got into the lighted interior of the plane, that was. The moment he saw the bruises and cuts and wounds on Johan's face and neck, and on his body in the places where his shirt was torn, Juudai felt as though someone had hit him in the stomach with a brick wall. He could only collapse in his seat, though he refused to let Johan go.

"This…is…all my fault…" He murmured, looking down at Johan in shock.

Johan glanced up at him, then shook his head. "How could it be?" He said softly, almost inaudibly, "You didn't know…"

A few silent moments ticked by as the plane took off, leaving Johan's prison far below them. Juudai only sat there, holding Johan close as the shock settled in. He glanced over at Manjoume, who got the silent message.

"I think…I'll go check on the pilot," He muttered, getting up and slipping into the cockpit. That gave Juudai and Johan a moment of their own.

Juudai glanced down, locking his eyes with Johan's. They stared into each others' eyes for a few seconds, overwhelmed by emotion. Then, unable to help himself, Juudai leaned down and pressed his lips to Johan's in a firm kiss. The other's eyes widened a little in surprise. Juudai had never kissed him like that. But he did not really blame him after what they had been through.

"Johan," Juudai panted, breaking away from the kiss for a moment to hold him close, "You do not know how scared I was. Do not ever do that to me again. In fact, I'm going to make sure that never ever happens to you again. I'm so sorry…"

Before Johan could reply, Juudai leaned down and captured his lips in another kiss. This one lasted longer than any of their kisses had. Juudai lingered in it, pressing his mouth closer and closer, as though he just could not get enough. After a moment, Johan recovered from the surprise and returned the pressure. He was just as glad to see Juudai. And he was not going to turn this down. He needed the comfort after what he had gone through.

Juudai pulled away again to speak, burying his face in Johan's hair. "I can't let this happen to you again. That's why…I want you…to live with me. Promise me you'll live with me."

"Juudai…" Johan glanced up at him as he mulled over this. He was just in so much shock. How could he make such a decision at a time like this? "I did lose everything…" It was true. His captors had burned his house and all his possessions, except for the clothes on his back and his cards. Thankfully he had hidden those away in his clothes and they had not taken them from him.

"Then move in with me," Juudai pressed, looking pained, "Please. I can't stand the thought of this ever happening again." Once more, he pressed his lips to Johan's. "I love you."

Feeling too tired and weak to argue, Johan nodded and agreed. "Fine. I'll move in with you. Just for awhile. Just until I can get back on my feet."

Juudai did not feel like arguing with Johan either, so he decided that they could discuss it in more detail later. Besides, Johan looked as though he might pass out any minute. His health was more of an issue at the moment. Juudai decided that as soon as they landed, he would take the other man to a hospital where he could get fixed up. He was not bleeding or anything, but he was injured badly. Maybe not enough to be life threatening, as he had survived it thus far, but enough to have to be tended to.

Laying his head on Juudai's shoulder, Johan sighed heavily and closed his eyes. He was so tired. Everything he had been through in the past months just caught up with him. It felt as though he had not had a moment's peace. And finally he was in his lover's arms, going someplace safe. Yes, he felt bad for having practically run with his tail between his legs but what else could he do? He had done all he could do for his country for the moment. Maybe once he recovered he and Juudai could go back and do something. But for the time being, he needed rest. He would do no one good if he was so worn down and weak. He was also very hungry, but the need for sleep took precedence. So, he tucked his head under Juudai's chin and began to drift off.

Juudai held him close, kissing him every so often on the top of the head as he started to go to sleep. He was worried that Johan might not wake up, though he knew he most likely would. Still, he was going to keep a close eye on him. He had come too close to losing him. As he watched the other sleep, Manjoume came back to his seat and glanced over at Juudai, though neither made an effort to talk. Exhaustion was taking its toll on them, too. They had been up all night thus far. Whereas Manjoume would be able to rest, Juudai would have to stay awake in order to watch over Johan. He could only sleep when they arrived safely. But for the time being, he had to keep himself awake with thoughts and plans of the future. He knew that they were not out of danger yet. That had been too easy. That would not be the end of the matter.

All the same, Juudai hoped that they could get some peace for awhile, maybe. And along the way, he hoped to coax Johan to move with him, and marry him. It was getting to that point. And there was no telling what else the future had in store for them. The only thing they could do was prepare themselves as best as they could by strengthening their bond, and waiting. Time itself would tell what was required. But for then, they could rest. And hopefully, things would get better.

A/N: O.o Aaaaaannnd my realism scale drops about 20 points. -.- Sorry. It's a bit rushed. I don't want to overemphasize this part of the story. Why? Because I don't want to. D: This story isn't supposed to be fully focused on this aspect of it. I'm building up, ne! I'm just sorry I got lazy with this chapter. DX But I like it so shuddup! D8 Lol jk. Tell me yer thoughts. I just…have reasons for having it done the way it is. Yyyy? You will see. C: