A/N: Enjoy!

The second they stepped outside of the hospital, Yuugi paused and took a deep breath. He didn't even care that the old elevator had let them off in the parking garage and he was actually breathing in gas fumes and god knows what else, not fresh air. It was still completely different from the recycled air of the hospital and that was all he cared about. Noticing that Ryou was smiling at him, he tried to smile back. "Thanks for that," he said, knowing that he would never be able to put his gratitude into words. He didn't think he'd been crazy before he went into the asylum, but there was a good chance that place had driven him to that point.

"No problem," Ryou said, like they hadn't just technically broken the law. "I have to admit, I can't believe that actually worked. I thought for sure that we were going to get caught."

"Hey, my plans are awesome. They always work." Malik spun around to face them, continuing to walk backwards, a smug grin on his face.

"Oh really? Then why don't you explain that," said Seto.

The grin on Malik's face disappeared quickly when he turned back around and saw what Seto was pointing to. There were police cars out in front of the hospital. Several officers were milling around. Some were speaking to doctors, and Yuugi's heart sank when he noticed that one of those doctors was the woman he'd been assigned to. Had their absence been noticed already? He swallowed hard, not even realizing that he was squeezing Ryou's hand so tightly that Ryou winced a little. The thought of having to go back to the asylum was terrifying, and he honestly wasn't sure what he would do if that turned out to be the case.

"Uh oh," Jou said under his breath, already stripping off the white coat. He bundled it up and threw it under the nearest car, kicking it with his foot until it was no longer in sight. "That's the doctor that Malik and I took care of." He nodded to a tall man who was sitting on the edge of an ambulance. A couple of paramedics were hovering around him. The man looked very cross.

"Apparently you didn't do a very good job," Seto snapped, sounding like he was seconds way from really losing his temper. "For future reference, the next time you idiots decide to knock someone out and steal their identity you should make sure that the person actually stays out of the way."

"What do you mean, for future reference?" Ryou demanded.

At the same time, Jou said, "Look Kaiba, if it weren't for Yuugi you wouldn't even be here. It's only because he felt sorry for you that we even bothered to drag your sorry ass out of that room! So unless you want to go right back in, I suggest you start being a little nicer. Because I could easily walk over to one of those officers and tell them exactly who you are and what you're capable of."

The look Seto shot him could have set wood on fire, practically daring Jou to follow through on his threat. Before things could get too heated, Yuugi spoke up. "Alright you two, that's enough," he said as sternly as he could, trying to remember how Yami had talked when he wanted everyone else to listen to him. "You might not like each other, but right now your fighting is not helping the situation. We're going to have to work together unless we want to get caught, and I for one have no plans on going back into that place."

"Yuugi's right. We have to come up with a plan to get past the police," said Ryou, glancing at Malik. Yuugi knew exactly what he was thinking: this would be so much easier if Malik had the Rod. All Malik would have had to do was make everyone believe that no one was there and they would've been able to walk right on by. Simple and effective. If only it were that easy!

An uncomfortable moment of silence fell, broken only when Seto said, "I need a cell phone."

"What for?" Ryou asked, though he was already taking his phone out of his pocket and handing it over. Seto didn't bother to explain, just turned his back and punched in a number. A moment later he was muttering furiously into the phone. Yuugi didn't bother to wonder who he was talking to. It didn't seem like Seto was going to be that helpful. It would be up to the four of them to figure out what they were going to do.

"I don't suppose anyone knows how to hotwire a car," he said after a few seconds.

"Don't look at me," Ryou said, holding up his hands. "There was a lot that Bakura taught me whether I wanted to learn it or not, but that wasn't one of them."

"Who's Bakura?" Jou asked. "I thought that was your last name."

"Um," Ryou mumbled.

"Not now, Jou," Yuugi said, rubbing his head. He was growing tired, and he wasn't sure how long he would have before the adrenaline rush stopped combating the drugs in his system.

"Well I don't know how to hotwire a car, but I do have these." Malik reached into the pocket of the white coat he was still wearing and pulled out a set of keys. He shook them, and even Seto turned around at the tell-tale jangling sound. Hanging off of the keys was one of those little attachments to unlock the doors remotely. Malik grabbed it and hit the button. Somewhere behind them, they heard a beeping to indicate that it worked.

"Do it again," Ryou urged. He and Yuugi took one side while Malik and Jou checked the others. They found it first, a white SUV that looked like it had seen better days. Malik clicked the button again just to be sure and let out a crow of triumph when the headlights flashed. He called to the others and a few seconds later they were all standing in front of what might be their ticket out.

But only, Yuugi thought, if they used it right. He shared a look with Ryou and said, "Ryou will drive. The rest of us will hide in the back."

"I'm not getting into that car with one of you idiots in the driver's seat," said Seto.

"You don't have a choice. You can't drive. The whole point is to get us out of here without being noticed, and I can guarantee someone out there is going to notice if you're the one driving. You're Kaiba Seto. Everyone knows who you are, especially now," Yuugi said reasonably, ignoring the way Seto's expression darkened at the mention of the newspapers. "The same goes for me. Jou and Malik are the ones who knocked that doctor out, so it's better if Ryou is the only one up front. If we can't all fit in the back, Malik can duck down on the floor."

"Do you even know how to drive?" Jou asked sceptically.

"Yes," Ryou lied. He had a basic idea, though he'd only been behind the wheel a handful of times. That had been back when he was just a kid and his mother had taken him and Amane to visit Osamu while he was on a dig. Sometimes the crew would take Ryou out in the desert in a jeep and let him handle the wheel. They got a kick out of how excited he'd get. He took the keys slowly. It couldn't be that different.

"Just take your time, but not too slow," Yuugi said under his breath, opening the back door. "There's a chance that the doctor will recognize his vehicle."

"Great." The driver's seat looked even more daunting now. Hesitantly, Ryou climbed in and closed the door. He put his seatbelt on and started the car before realizing he couldn't see anything out the mirrors: they were all adjusted to someone who was much taller. But the controls must have been electronic and he couldn't figure out how to change them.

"Let's go," Jou hissed from the back. "This is uncomfortable."

"We're all in?" Ryou glanced over his shoulder just to check. Seto, Yuugi and Jou were all strapped in. Jou and Seto had bent forward, leaving Yuugi sitting up – he was the only one short enough and far enough away from the tinted window that no one would be able to see him.

"Go for it," Yuugi said with an encouraging smile, not envying Ryou one bit. He held onto the seatbelt, wishing that it strapped across his chest, as Ryou gingerly eased his foot down on the accelerator. Fortunately the car had been backed in, and Ryou was able to drive straight out. He turned the wheel carefully and gave it a little more gas. All of them held their breaths as the car rolled down the ramp and out into the daylight.

A few people were looking at the car, Yuugi could tell. But because they were coming from the area where only doctors and nurses parked, it didn't seem like anyone was too interested. At least, not until one of the doctors turned around and stared straight at them. Yuugi was too far away to be able to see his face, but he could definitely see the man turning towards the nearest officer. Ryou must have been watching, too – not entirely comforting considering he was supposed to be focusing on the road – because he floored it. The car lurched forward and horns blared as they shot into traffic.

"Slow down!" Seto barked, sitting up quickly. "Turn right up ahead – no, not yet, there. Yes! Turn right here! With your turn signal!" His voice jumped into a pitch that sounded much too high for him, something that Jou probably would've teased him for had he not been clinging to the door with an iron grip as Ryou jerked the wheel sharply, sending the truck skidding across two lanes of traffic.

"So this is how I'm going to die," Malik mused, trying and failing to sound calm. "Strange, Nee-san always thought that it would be something substantially more dangerous than this."

"I'm not sure anything could be more dangerous than this," Seto forced out through gritted teeth. "Turn left and pull over!"

Ryou did as commanded, shoving his foot down on the brake so quickly that the SUV lurched to a stop that snapped them all forward. For a long moment, no one moved or breathed. Yuugi only took a deep breath when he became aware of the burning need to. He gasped once and straightened up, his stomach aching from where the seatbelt had stopped him from flying through the windshield. He glanced at Ryou, noting how tightly he was clinging to the steering wheel, and decided that in terms of escape plans, that probably hadn't been the most well-thought out idea.

"Well," Malik said after several seconds, "we're still alive."

Seto snorted and threw his door open, exiting the car with a muttered comment that was probably best left unrepeated. "You people are idiots," he said scornfully, and this time it was easily audible. "I can't believe I willingly went along with your scheme. You could've gotten us all killed or caught. As it is, the police probably know exactly where we are. All they'd have to do is question the motorists that you nearly killed and they'd have a clear path right to us!"

"I don't make it a practice to drive often," Ryou snapped, fumbling to unsnap his belt. "Excuse me for not having my license yet!"

"Seto, where are you going?" Yuugi said at the same time.

"Where does it look like?" Seto said, rolling his eyes. "Away from you. I have work to do and it doesn't include playing around with you."

"But you're going to get into more trouble!" Quickly, Yuugi unbuckled his belt and slid across the seat until he could hop down to the ground. His legs felt weak, like they didn't want to support his weight after the unexpected excitement and days of drugs and little other sustenance. He leaned heavily against the car and looked up at Seto imploringly. "Please don't go. You don't understand, someone is purposely targeting us. If you go by off yourself, you're going to make yourself an even easier target. It's better if we stay together."

"And just who do you think is targeting us?" Seto asked mockingly, his tone more than making it clear that he thought Yuugi was stupid. He actually stopped, though, as though he waiting for an answer. The problem was, Yuugi didn't have one.

He hesitated and glanced at Malik and Ryou. Truth be told, he couldn't have begun to even guess who it was. The list of people who hated Mutou Yuugi, Bakura Ryou and Malik Ishtar was extremely long, and it could have been any one of them. The list tripled when he thought about all of Seto's enemies - there was a chance, albeit a small one, that Seto might have been the real target and the rest of them had just been caught up in the waves. After all, Seto wasn't doing too well without Yami's interference.

His prolonged silence seemed to be enough of an answer for Seto. Without bothering to say another word he turned on his heel and started to walk away. Yuugi wanted to stop him, but he knew better than that. Unlike the last time he'd grabbed Seto's arm to stop him from leaving, this time it wouldn't work out so well. Now that he no longer thought he needed their help Seto wouldn't want to have anything to do with them unless he had to. It wasn't that hard to guess where he was going, either. Mokuba was probably waiting for his brother.

"That's gratitude for you," Jou said sourly, folding his arms and glaring after Seto. "That guy is such a jerk, I don't know why you insisted on breaking him out too. You should've left him there."

"We're probably going to need his help, Jou," Yuugi said wearily. Even if he did have the tendency to be a jerk, Seto was a formidable ally. Not just because of his money and connections, but because he refused to give up no matter how bad the situation was. Once he put his mind to something, he made it happen. Plus, he had already admitted that he had some knowledge of the old world. That alone would make it worthwhile in Yuugi's book.

"With what, exactly? I have to say, I don't understand what's going on here Yuugi. Who are these guys? How do you know them?" Jou turned a suspicious look on Ryou and Malik. "They say they're your friends, but you've never mentioned them before. And why would someone be targeting you for anything? Are you in some kind of trouble?" He looked like he was about two seconds from trying to solve the issue with his fists and Yuugi stepped forward hurriedly.

"Ryou and Malik are my friends. I know you don't recognize them, but believe me when I say that you can trust them," he said, holding his hands up soothingly. There was no way to express just how deeply Yuugi's trust in them ran. Ryou was loyal to a fault, and Malik had done some awful things in his time and not all of them had been under his yami's influence, that was true, but he had more than proven himself as far as Yuugi was concerned. They were all in this together.

Jou didn't look convinced. "I want to know what's going on."

"And I'll tell you, but not here." Yuugi glanced around, highly aware that Seto had a point. They were standing in a parking lot and it might not take the police too long to track them down. "We have to go somewhere else. Not the game shop, that's the first place they'll look for me.

"We can go back to my hotel room," said Ryou, sounding less than enthusiastic about the idea. "Come on, it's not too far from here."

Yuugi stepped back to let Malik and Ryou go ahead, then fell in beside Jou. He could tell that his friend was bursting with curiosity, unsurprisingly. He really hadn't intended to drag Jou into this, but it seemed like no matter what world they were in he still ended up needing his best friend at his side. He smiled a little. "Would you believe me if I said that an ancient Egyptian pharaoh once lived in my head?"

"That's not funny."

"It's not a joke. I'm being serious. I called him Mou hitori no boku and I miss him more than I ever thought possible." He swallowed, throat aching just from talking about Yami, and went on, "He lived centuries ago and died trying to seal way an evil realm. He was trapped in a Puzzle. When I solved it, I freed him. We shared a body until -"

"Until he left," Jou said slowly. They all stopped walking to stare at him.

"Jou?" Yuugi said, hardly daring to hope.

"I... Last night, well, actually for the last couple of weeks I've been having some weird dreams. Most of it doesn't make sense and I didn't pay much attention to it. I figured that's all they were, just dreams, that maybe all of the stuff you'd been saying was getting to me, but..." Jou looked around at them, his eyes wide with bewilderment. "Wait, are you saying that was all real?"

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