Chapter 6: Twisted System

If Yuugi's seven-year dedication to solving the Millennium Puzzle proved anything, it was that he was patient enough to wait for solutions. He'd spent three unsuccessful weeks trying to convince Yami to talk to Angel before the answer fell in his lap.

Or, more accurately, arrived in the mail.

"Look at this snobby invite he cooked up!" Joey shook the blue cardstock as if threatening it. "Even the ink smells like money!"

"Yeah, it's like Kaiba's rich or something," Tristan drawled.

"Hey,"—Anzu held up a hand—"I'm just glad Kaiba's invitation was actually polite. Unlike Pegasus."

"What, not a fan of blackmail?" Tristan shook his head. "Typical."

Even Yuugi managed a laugh at that. It helped that Duelist Kingdom felt further away than ever now that he had a real tournament to look forward to.

"Is it by invitation only?" Ryou asked. "I'd heard a rumor it would be open to the public."

Tristan snorted. "Elitist Kaiba? I'm pretty sure he doesn't even let anyone buy KaibaCorp merchandise without an invitation."

Yuugi shook his head. "Seto's not elitist. He built an amusement park last year that's only open to orphans and underprivileged kids. He funds it completely out of pocket."

"Only open to certain people?" Tristan turned his palms out. "My point stands."

"I'm with Tristan," Joey said. "Rich-boy tries to look good for the press, that's all."

"I don't think he even likes the press," Yuugi mumbled, but he didn't push the argument. He knew Seto was a sore spot for Joey in particular. "Anyway, didn't you get an invitation, Joey?"

"I ain't got squat!" Joey tossed the invitation on the table and plopped down on the couch next to Tristan. "I checked the mail right before I came over."

"I'm sure it's simply delayed," Ryou said. "Kaiba wouldn't invite the winner of Duelist Kingdom and not the runner-up."

"Yet again," Tristan said, raising his eyebrows, "I return to the 'elitist' idea. You're not getting an invite, man, and it has nothing to do with skill; Kaiba doesn't like you."

"Yeah, well, Rich-boy can stuff it. I'll enter his tourney whether he wants me to or not." Joey grinned. "Anyway, I got an announcement of my own."

"I knew something was up." Anzu pointed at him. "You were way too nice to that guy who almost bowled us over on the sidewalk."

Yuugi had an idea of what was coming, but he waited to be sure.

Joey opened his mouth but didn't speak, letting the silence draw out.

Tristan elbowed him in the side. "Spit it out, man!"

Joey snickered, then spread his arms dramatically. "My sister's comin' to Domino!"

It was what Yuugi had hoped to hear. He leapt to his feet to give Joey a high five. Anzu gave him a hug. Joey beamed through it all.

"Congrats, man!" Tristan slapped him on the shoulder. "I know you've been waiting for this ever since March."

"You made it possible," Joey said, eyes fierce on Yuugi. "I know I said it a bunch, but there ain't enough thank-yous in the world."

Yuugi's whole face burned. "You earned it, Joey, and I was never in the tournament for the prize money anyway."

"When's her surgery?" Anzu asked.

"Next Saturday. She's got one more treatment this weekend, and then she and my mom are flying in next Friday. Mom's staying with my grandparents through recovery."

As Joey spoke, Yuugi spotted movement in the other room. He excused himself quickly, darting into the game shop just as Angel was about to slip out.

"Wait!" he said. "Can I ask a favor?"

She turned, hand on the door. "Need something from the store?"

"Nope." He smiled. "What are your plans Friday?"

"Friday—isn't that your tournament announcement?"

"I was thinking it could also be the day Yami gets a tour of Domino City from someone really confident and capable."

"You're referring to yourself?" The corner of her mouth quirked up. She glanced at the doorway to the entertainment room. "Why me? Any of your friends can see him when he's not a spirit."

"It's because you can see him when he is," Yuugi said.

She considered for a moment longer before nodding. "Friday at South Bridge Park. 10:00 AM."

Yuugi shot both hands in the airs like fireworks. "You're incredible! Thank you!"

After a passing smile, she was out the door.

Yuugi floated back to the entertainment room, grinning ear to ear. Any puzzle could be solved if he just had enough patience to wait for the solution.

"I am hurt!" Tristan declared just as he re-entered the room. "How many fights have I saved your hide in? How many times have I cleaned graffiti with you in detention? Yet you would deny me the right to meet your cute sister?"

"I'm denyin' because you think she's cute before you even seen her." Joey puffed up his chest. "As big brother, it's my job to sit in the hospital room with the shotgun an' make sure no one flirts with Serenity 'til she's eighteen."

Tristan trapped Joey in a headlock. "What if I just sneak in while you're gone?"

"I'll put a warning shot in your crotch," Joey growled. He squirmed around in Tristan's grip, wrestling back.

Anzu rolled her eyes, and Yuugi shrugged sheepishly. While the other two boys twisted themselves into impossible, pretzel-like positions, Ryou stood and stretched his arms over his head.

"Shall I set the table, then?" the albino asked, holding up his Dark Master binder.

"I can help!" Yuugi said.

"I forgot my dice at home." Anzu checked her phone carelessly. "But I'll just use Tristan's since he doesn't want to play anyway."

"WHAT?" Tristan cried, choking at the same time. "Fine, I surrender!"

"Say it twice!" Joey crowed.

"I surrender!"

Yuugi laughed. As he helped Ryou pull the table into the center of the room and arrange the campaign pieces, he focused on his mental link.

/Joey's sister is having her eye surgery next week,/ he said. /The tournament winnings were able to pay for it all./

/I'm glad,/ Yami replied, warmth in his tone. He'd been happier since the tournament invitation had arrived the day before.

Yuugi couldn't wait to see how he would be feeling after Friday.


When Joey got home, he checked the mail for the third time that day, but the tournament invitation didn't magically appear. He should have known better than to hope, but it still boiled his blood.

He paused outside the apartment door, listening for any noise from inside. All sounded quiet, so he slipped the key from his pocket and turned it in the lock—only to realize his dad had left it unlocked. Again. It was almost a good thing the man had already sold anything they ever had worth stealing.

Joey flipped the living room light on, though it barely illuminated the dingy apartment. He'd been needing to replace two of the bulbs for over a month, but he wasn't so sure he wanted a better view of the place. He picked his way around the scattered, empty beer bottles, wrinkling his nose at a new spill under the folding table; he'd have to clean that up quickly, but he had something more important to take care of first.

He tugged the two envelopes that had come in the mail from his back pocket and unfolded them, tossing them on the table between a bunch of cards and a crusty bowl. The new power bill had come in, along with an over-limit fee on one of his dad's credit cards.

Joey ducked into the kitchen and forced open a half-broken drawer. He pushed aside the random cooking utensils, feeling around the back until his fingers hit the hidden cash box. Nowhere in the house was really a safe place to hide money, but his dad raided Joey's room for cash most, so the kitchen was at least better than that. And it wasn't like the man was going to cook anything in the next century.

Joey peeled the required bills from his stash before replacing the box in its hiding place. Despite being paper, the money felt heavy.

When Yuugi had chosen not to claim the Duelist Kingdom prize money and it passed to Joey in second place, Joey had told his friend that Serenity's operation and treatment cost the full $30,000. In truth, Joey had pocketed nearly $7,000 extra. His dad hadn't even tried to hold down a job in the new year, so without the Duelist Kingdom money, they would have been evicted shortly after the tournament.

Obviously, he could have told Yuugi the truth, and Yuugi still would have given him the money. But then he would have worried, too. It was the worry Joey lied to avoid. As if he'd ever put more on Yuugi's plate than the guy had to deal with already.

But Joey had a worry of his own—it had only been five months since the tournament, yet his stash was more than half spent. He couldn't afford to cover everything until he graduated, not without his dad helping at all.

At least, not without winning another tournament.

The details of Rich-boy's tourney were yet to be announced, but it had to include a cash prize. There was no way Rich-boy could resist flashing his money around. This time, it wouldn't come down to Yuugi passing on the prize; this time, Joey would win it himself, fair and square.

The phone rang just as Joey was filling out the return envelope on the second bill. His throat tightened. Probably one of his dad's "friends" again, calling him out to spend more money and drink more booze.

He lifted the phone from its cradle and waited in silence.

"Hello?" said a timid voice.

A grin split Joey's face wide open. "Serenity!"

"Joey!" She sighed in obvious relief. "I called earlier, but no one answered."

Joey straightened up, phone in one hand, receiver in the other. He moved away from the table to peer out the window, but there was no sign of his dad, so he could afford to talk.

"Sorry, I was out with the gang," he said. "But hey, I kicked a big gargoyle's butt and saved Anzu, so there's that."

His sister giggled. "I wish I could play with you."

"Who says you can't? We could make a character while you're here. Everyone's pumped to meet'cha anyway."

"Really? Can I be a gnome?"

"You can be whatever you wanna be. An' we'll kick all the gargoyle's butts together."

"I can't wait!"

"Hey, you know what else is happenin' while you're here?" Joey puffed his chest out even though she couldn't see. "A shiny new Duel Monsters tournament."

"Really?!" Serenity squealed. "I'll get to see you compete?"

Joey couldn't help a laugh. His whole face burned, but it was a proud burn. After Duelist Kingdom, Serenity had said over and over how much she wished she could have seen him duel.

"Count on it," he said.

"I wish I was there already."

"You an' me both, sis."

"Mom keeps asking me how I feel every two seconds. It's making me even more nervous about everything."

"Don't worry." Joey's hand tightened around the phone at the mention of his mom, but he kept his voice light. "My little gnome sis is gonna kick this gargoyle surgery into next week. After this, you'll be seein' better than ever."

"You really think so?"

"Whole-soul swear it."

"I wish I had—"

The apartment door slammed against the wall. Startled, Joey's fingers slipped on the phone, and it hit the carpet with a thump. Beer bottles clattered as his dad kicked them aside to enter the apartment.

"Wha's this mess, boy?"

Joey yanked the phone up by its cord.

"Is that Dad?" Serenity's voice just barely reached him from the receiver before he hung up.

"Hey!" his dad barked. A bottle smacked against the point of Joey's shoulder before dropping to the floor with the others. "Look at your mess."

"My mess," Joey muttered without moving his teeth. His shoulder ached.

His dad closed the door with more force than he'd used to open it. His burly form filled the entryway, his alcohol-diluted pupils boring into Joey from sunken eyes.

And Joey suddenly realized the bills were still sitting on the table in plain view.

He'd gotten carried away on the phone.

He'd gotten stupid.

"I'll clean it up," he said, trying to keep his voice calm.

His dad grunted something unintelligible and kicked at another empty bottle. It spun on the carpet like the Time Wizard's roulette, coming to a stop with the mouth pointed at Joey.

". . . 's the phone?" His dad swayed unevenly, flexing his hand, which probably felt useless without a bottle in it.

"No one."

Despite being drunk to the point of falling over, his dad stepped forward and landed a hard slap directly across Joey's ear. Joey flinched back.

"Think I'm stupid?"

"No, sir." Joey kept his eyes down.

"I ain't."

"There's gyudon in the fridge," Joey said, hoping to distract the man.

"Shut up." And then Joey's heart stopped as his dad said, "Wha's this?"

His dad lifted the two envelopes from the table. Joey hadn't finished sealing the second one yet; the money inside it was plain as day.

His dad's eyes smoldered. "Hidin' money, Joey?"

Whenever his dad managed to remember his name, Joey was in for a real beating.

Still, he never learned. "It's for bills."

His dad's fist caught him right in the chest. Joey stumbled back, coughing.

Over the years, he and his dad had worked out a system. His dad had learned that open-handed strikes left no lasting mark, so he saved slaps for the boy's head and face while delivering anything heavy to Joey's arms, chest, or back. Joey, in turn, filled his wardrobe with jackets to wear whenever he wasn't in his school uniform.

For a long time, he'd never bothered hiding the bruises because he was always getting into fights that would explain the marks away. After Yuugi turned Tristan and him around, though, it had become necessary. Even Tristan didn't know; in their gang-fight days, he used to make jibes about Joey going off for fights on his own and leaving Tristan out of the fun. Joey never bothered to correct him. It wouldn't do any good.

"Told you I ain't stupid," his dad snarled. "Only one of us payin' bills in this house."

It was always like this—his dad talking like he'd clipped sentences from a responsible businessman magazine even though he was so wasted he couldn't even get an interview anymore, much less a job.

Because he was still an idiot, Joey opened his mouth, but his dad saw it coming and backhanded him across the jaw. Joey stumbled again.

"None of yer attitude!" his dad snapped. He seized the money from the open envelope, shoving it in his pocket. Then he tore the first envelope open and emptied its contents as well.

Joey grimaced, nails biting into his palms. For a fleeting moment, he imagined how freeing it would be to tell somebody. Maybe he could live in the game shop with Yuugi or in a spare bedroom at Tristan's.

But he knew reality. Reality was if he told anyone, his friends would get help because they were good people. Cops would go after his dad, which would mean his mom and Serenity would get dragged into the whole mess as well. He couldn't do that to his sister. Even in a best-case scenario, his dad would go to jail while Joey was sent to his mom. America. Even though he'd get to see Serenity every day, he'd never see his friends again.

Joey wasn't about to sacrifice his real family for the sake of comfort.

His dad grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and punched him in the stomach. While Joey wheezed for breath, his dad searched his pockets. When he didn't find so much as a coin, he shoved Joey to the ground, kicking him in the ribs with finality.

"Just remember who keeps you fed and alive, boy," he said, heading for the door again now that he had more to spend.

"I do," Joey huffed. That one got him another kick, but he didn't care. His dad was more worried about getting back to the casino than he was about teaching Joey his place. That would change after the money ran out again, but for now, the door slammed, leaving Joey alone once more.

He exhaled in a long breath, straightened his shoulders, and slowly climbed back to his feet. The remains of the bills were scattered on the table. Nothing some scotch tape couldn't fix. As he gathered up the paper, the phone loomed in the corner of his vision.

"Sorry, Serenity," he muttered, face burning.

He headed for the kitchen again.