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Chapter 10

Lucy's POV

This morning was one I just wanted to get over with so the afternoon would come. I became over-excited to a point where my mother kicked me out of the house and told me, "Walk around a bit. It will calm you down and get you to get used to the city more."

So here I am, somewhere between the Kaiba Corp. building and the middle of somewhere. I really should get a map. This is just like bad karma.

I remember these stores from last week when mom and I went shopping. I have some idea where I am, but it's almost noon and I have to be at the museum in an hour and I don't know where it is from here.

I had asked a few store clerks, but they didn't speak English, and I didn't speak Japanese, so we tried our best to understand each other. All I could really get out of them was their pointing in a certain direction, which I just tried to follow until I got lost and had to ask again. It got frustrating after a while, so I just tried to retrace my steps to get back to a place I knew…

But that didn't work out at all. Now I have absolutely no idea where I am! The homes are worn down. I can hear the creaking of the windows and doors of the worn-down buildings. The air is cold. It felt – and even looked – darker here.

Suddenly, a scraggly voice emerged from behind me, "Hey, girly, are ya lost?" I turned around to see a kid, about my age, in a greasy gray tank top and ripped jeans with black hair shrouding his sullen face. "Ya look like you got at the wrong side o' town." He held a cigarette to his mouth, pulled out a lighter, and lit it.

"Me?" I asked, though I don't know why I did, "No, do I look it?"

"You don't look like you're from around here, that's all."

"Look, I don't want any trouble—"

"And you're not gonna get any!" he interrupted. "The name's Jack."

"I'm Lucy," I said, a little shaken, "Pleasure." Well, I am so thankful for that. My ankle can't take any more running for a while.

"Well, Lucy, if you ain't lost, the hell are you doin' here? You new to this part o' town or somethin'?" his voice became muffled due to that cigarette, but he seemed clear enough to me.

His hands began to wander towards his backside, "No, I was just wondering around," I watched him closely, "looking for something…"

He was moving slowly. Was he trying to keep me off guard? Or was he trying to not scare me off?

"What was ya lookin' fo'?" He pulled out an opened package of candy from his pocket. He took some for himself, then offered the bag to me, "Want some? Still warm!"

"Um, no thank you. I just had lunch…" Well, at least he's no threat. "Actually, I was wondering…you know that museum that's on Mammoth Road in downtown Domino?"

"Nah, I don't go to museums," well, there's a surprise, "but I know where downtown D. is."

"Great! Mind pointing me in that direction?"

"I thought you said you wasn't lost?" he said with a grin. "You been lyin' Luce?" he chuckled, "Lyin' Luce. Get it?"

Well, since he's no threat, "Yeah, I'm sorry. This place just looks kind of sketchy—." The words came out of my mouth before I could stop them.

He didn't seem offended, "Ouch. Now you's a hurting Luce…" he looked around at the neighborhood, "Nyeh, this place is a dump anyway. Downtown's thataway." He said pointing back the road I came. "When you come to the shops on Silver Ave. take a right down the little alley to the left of Isis's Jewels. Keep going straight down there, and you'll end up somewhere downtown. It's my little shortcut," he said with a wink and turned and walked away, "Smell ya later, Lyin' Luce!"

"Thanks…?" This kid is weird. I believed him, though, but that's mainly because I have nowhere else to go. I might as well try it…

Hey, what do you know? I'm back at the shops! (Crazy kid was right!) Now I just have to find Isis's Jewels. There are so many different stores here, and all of the streets are busy. People are flooding in from every corner that my eye can see. It's almost impossible to see a single person's face. Lots of people are buying Duel Monsters cards. There must be another competition going on…

There it is! Isis's Jewels! The building is white with a green roof. Looking in the window, I saw a lot of stuff, besides jewelry. There are headbands and shoes and…wow! There are some fake pieces of jewelry that are pretty cute! But I'd have to come back later with mom…because I'm broke.

I turned down the alley Jack told me to. It's pretty dark down here. The sun was blocked out by the height of the buildings. I continued to walk straight, when I heard something to my left. "What do you know of Lucy?" That voice…it sounded like Bakura's. "Out with it!"

"The better question would be why do you care?" I don't know that voice.

I tried to get closer to them, closer to the sound. Who was Bakura talking to? Is this why he said he'd be late? I crept up closer, until I saw them. I almost walked into the open. I didn't want them to see me, so I ducked behind another building, hidden from their view, but close enough to hear what they were saying.

"I don't care!" Bakura was getting defensive, "I just don't understand why a guy like you would do something like that for a random person like—"

"What do you mean 'a guy like you'?"

"Oh, you know, guardian of the Millennium objects, rides a preposterous motorcycle, dresses like he's trying to get into some girl's pants…" Bakura sounded smug. I could feel the tension growing between the two.

"Is that all you wanted to do?" the boy shouted, "You called me here to ask a question with an obvious answer and you insult me?"

"If the answer is so damn obvious, then why don't you just tell me?" the power in his agitation spit out those words like knives.

"Another obvious answer: I didn't think I'd have to!"

"Enough of this! Get off of that ridiculous motorcycle and tell me!"

"But I like the motorcycle!" the boy protested.

"Marik…!"

Whoa, wait, Marik? The Marik? The one that I saw on TV last night? The Marik I've wanted to talk to since I saw him on TV? The Marik who saved me…?

"Didn't you say you have a date with the girl? Better run along, kitty-cat."

"I'm not a kitty!"

"Why are you so fluffy, then?" Marik teased as he dismounted his motorcycle (at least that's what it sounded like).

Bakura heaved out a heavy sigh, "Marik, enough with these games, I don't have the time. What exactly do you mean? How is it obvious?" I was actually astounded by how calm he became. Perhaps he had more control of his anger than I gave him credit for. "Do you know who she is?"

And just like that, I knew things were starting to get serious. "Are you asking me that question, or are you asking yourself that question?"

Bakura's POV

Marik shot me a look, "Are you asking me that question, or are you asking yourself that question?" I hate the way he looks at me. I hate the way he dresses. Nobody should be seen in public with an outfit like that (unless it's on the corner of a street at nighttime offering to give lonely men some company for a price).

Also, every time he answered my question with another I felt my blood boil. I should look at my watch to see what time it is…It's 12:50. Shit. I really am gonna be late. "I'm asking you that question, seeing as how it came out of my mouth and was directed at you. Now, I'll ask again, and I'll do it slowly since you didn't seem to comprehend it the first time: do you know Lucy?"

"Not personally, no," finally an answer, "but I do know her from somewhere."

Oh, for the love of…! "Can't you give me a straight answer?"

"You know her from somewhere else too, don't you, Bakura?"

What is he talking about? I don't know her from anywhere…no…wait…I have felt something. She seemed familiar since I first saw her, but I could never place my thoughts on a correct target. Do I know her? I turned back to Marik, "I met the girl at school. I was told to show her around, and I did. We are supposed to be going to the museum today, and we are. In fact," I glanced at my watch again, 12:57, "she should be waiting there now." If I do know her, then Marik shouldn't know…although I get a feeling that he already does.

"Oh, that's so cute!" Marik exclaimed, "You two have a date!"

"First of all, it is not a date that I will be involved in. Ryou, my host, will be escorting her with a couple friends of theirs. Secondly, I'm only attending so I can spy on the pharaoh and his host. I'm sure you've heard of Yugi Moto? Thirdly, Marik, you never answered my question."

"Haven't I?" he asked. "I'm quite sure I did."

"Alright, then go into more detail on the second part. Where do you know her from?" At that moment, I looked over to my right, and I turned cold.

Lucy… Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the shadow of a girl with long brown hair that slipped itself free from behind the corner of the building. She's here. How long has she been there? How much has she heard? Oh, damn…she can't know about me. No...

"I know her from history, Bakura, all of the carvings on the walls in Egypt that involve you depict her as well. She is part of your history, also part of the pharaoh's. I'm quite surprised you don't remember her. You two had a sort of kismet about you. I wonder if you remember her name—"

"No time left to chat, Marik, though that sounds interesting. You can take your fairy tale nonsense and shove it up your ass. I have a museum to go to." I quickly turned and walked away as fast as I could without seeming suspicious. Lucy shouldn't know I saw her. Marik tried to call me back, but I didn't stop. There was nothing else that he could say that wouldn't make Lucy even more suspicious than she probably already was. I slipped my hands into my pockets, and I set off.

I had to stop Marik before he said something I would regret later. How did she find us? I specifically chose this alley since it's virtually abandoned…how could she have gotten here? Perhaps I will get some answers when we get to the museum…both of us will, assuming she will be suspicious about what she heard...if she heard anything important, that is.