The next day played out in much the same manner, though Jou surprised the brothers with an extra-large pizza from a local parlor for dinner.

"Hey, you've been feedin' my endless stomach for a few days now; 'bout time I returned the favor!"

To which neither of the Kaiba siblings protested. The fresh pie was much appreciated, and dinner was over fairly quickly with no dishes to clean. Seto had drifted off not long after Jou polished off the last slice of pepperoni. Meanwhile, Mokuba had excused himself, saying he needed to grab something from one of the local shops. This left Jou to look after the 'Sleeping Beauty' all by himself. The blonde glanced over the still heavily-bruised teen and let out a 'huff' of boredom. It wasn't much fun, looking after someone who couldn't even carry a conversation. Jou glanced thoughtfully at the deeply-unconscious teen, the wheels of boredom churning out some devilish ideas. 'Hmm... I wonder how mad he'd be if I Sharpie'd somethin' on his face-' The mischievous blonde smirked as some ideas came to mind. 'I could draw somethin' really crude- like a-'

*BZZZZ! BZZZZ! BZZZZ!*

Jou nearly yelped as his cell phone began buzzing against the tattered table. "Ack!" He quickly grasped the shaking device, not eager to see Seto's reaction to being awoken during his daily 'recovery' time.

"Yo, who's this? Oh, hey Mokuba; what's up? Yer big bro's still snoozing like a baby; so I figured I'd let him rest while-" But Jou was surprised when he realized that the voice on the other end was barely holding back a sob. "Eh-? Mokuba? What's wrong? Where are you?!"

"I-I'm at the Neotaro Gaming Shop on Inari Avenue- c-can you come get me? I need help!"

"I'm on my way!" Jou quickly hung up the mobile device. But in his haste, he failed to put the phone back in his pocket. Instead, he simply dropped the device on the battered end table, where it sat, well within the sleeping techie's reach...

It wasn't hard to find the Neotaro Gaming Shop- it was pretty famous among the younger crowd as being the go-to spot for anything collectible. However, the countless signs plastered on the front door only supported the place's other main claim of repute. The store's owner was said to be a very distrusting old hag who hated children- and judging by the front entrance, those rumors were true. Jou warily glanced over the overlapping signs.

'No Loitering- By Order of Domino Police!'

'Shoplifters Will Be Prosecuted!'

'We Arrest Vandals!'

'Skateboards, Wheeled-Shoes, and Rollerblades ALL Prohibited!'

'No Spray Paint, Canister String, or Chalk Allowed On This Property!'

'Yeesh, talk about a paranoid shopkeeper!' Jou shook his head as he reached for the aging door handle. 'I've seen juvenile detention halls with more invitin' entrances! Guess the rumors are true 'bout her hating anythin' to do with kids.' His right hand paused just before touching the worn brass knob.

'She sure picked the wrong profession to go into, then- but Mokuba's always so polite, and well-behaved. Why on Earth would she have gone off on him?' Bewildered, Jou finally opened the shop door and rapped his knuckles against the wooden door frame. "Yo! Anybody here?" He figured whatever was going on had to be a case of mistaken identity; or some other easily-corrected gaff.

"Jou?!" A scared voice called to him from behind a display of strategic board games.

"Mokuba?" A few aisles over, the front register of the small shop came into Jou's view. His hopes of a swift resolution plummeted when he saw that the aging proprietor was holding Mokuba's right wrist in a death-grip.

The wrinkled merchant sneered at the newest entrant, her eyes glimmering with malice. "Ha! So you're the big brother, eh?! Took your sweet time in getting here, didn't you?! Well it doesn't matter- I caught this miserable crook trying to steal from my stock!" She gestured pointedly towards a single booster pack of trading cards resting on the counter. "Filthy little whelp thought he could just slip right past the register and I wouldn't notice! Well, I'm not blind yet, stupid brat!" She nearly spat in the terrified boy's face as he squirmed uncomfortably.

Jou decided not to correct the furious crone, and instead turned to look into his 'brother's' face. One look into his wide, hazel-grey eyes was enough for Jou to know that Mokuba was guilty as charged.

Taking in a deep breath, the elder teen decided it was time for a show of force. He inhaled deeply, puffing up his chest while also drawing back his shoulders. The effect made him look even taller and far larger. Jou's demeanor also changed, and he loudly rounded on the crabby shopkeeper. "So hold on- you're accusin' my little brother of theft?!" He glared at the shriveled old fusspot, making full use of his height and tone. "That's a very serious accusation!" The owner tried to interrupt, but he steamed-rolled right over her voice with his own. "Has he ever taken anything before? Did he make it clear he had no intention to pay? How do you know he wasn't still shopping? Why on Earth would anyone try to steal a single card pack?!" Jou's rapid-fire questions seemed to catch the old crone off guard, and she stuttered for a moment before responding.

"He's no good! They're all bad; these modern, rotten vermin! He's a thieving little urchin, and he needs to be punished for it!"

"And you're a biased old witch, attacking random kids for allegedly stealin' from you! I'd heard rumors of this shop being run by a nasty hag, but I was hopin' they were exaggerated! Apparently not!"

"He has no money!" She pointed rudely at the boy's face, ignoring the tears now flowing from his eyes. A faint whimper escaped his lips as she tugged harshly on his arm. "You're not a customer if you don't have money!"

But Jou only raised his volume to a nearly-deafening level. "He's been talking non-stop about the latest card craze, and I specifically gave him enough cash to purchase one item– it seems in his excitement over finally getting his first pack, he forgot to hand it to you. A youthful mistake, but certainly no excuse for child abuse!" He pointed angrily at Mokuba's now reddening wrist.

The business woman noticed this, and hastily let go of the smaller arm. Still, she gave the raven-haired tween a nasty look before stubbornly repeating, "he said he doesn't have any money!"

"Do you really think my brother would walk into a storefront without any sort of payment?! Now you're accusing him of being a thief AND a fool?!" Jou then glanced downwards and spoke more kindly towards the terrified boy. "I saw what you did when I gave it to you earlier- you folded it in half and put it in your right pocket, remember?"

Too nervous to speak, Mokuba quietly reached one trembling hand into his front-most uniform pocket. He blinked in confusion as he pulled out a perfectly folded note.

Somehow, Jou had managed to slip a large bill inside the youth's front pocket without either of the others noticing. After a quick nod from the blonde, Mokuba placed the bill on the counter while Jou grabbed the booster pack.

"Keep the change- we won't be back." And he firmly marched out the door, guiding Mokuba with one hand on his back. The shopkeeper made some protesting noises, but they were ignored by the pair as they stepped back outside.

The elderly store owner let a disapproving huff, but decided the potential risk to her business wasn't worth the hassle. She didn't need to fuel those horrid rumors over some possible misunderstanding, and it was hard to enough to prove things since the shop's CCTV system went on the fritz. 'I must get that wretchedly expensive device fixed- tch- that last repairman was so touchy; walking out just because I called him a 'lazy, over-charging b*stard!' A bunch of crooks, that's what they all are!"

Meanwhile, the 'brotherly' pair made their way up the street together. As soon as they were over a block away, Jou rounded on the still-sniffling tween. "Mokuba, just what was that about?" His tone was calm, but eerily flat.

Mokuba managed to quell his sobs as he stuttered: "u-um, all the kids at school are p-playing this new card game that just came out... it's really fun, but you have to buy the cards first..." He tried explaining to his rowan-eyed rescuer.

Jou sighed, his face growing slightly softer, though his voice was still full of disapproval. "Mokuba, yer big brother has done everythin' short of sellin' his own kidneys on the black market to keep you two together. How d'ya think he'd feel if you got thrown into juvie over a three-dollar pack of trading cards?!"

The black-haired youth sniffled again. "I-I just wanted to be part of the group... I never get to fit in."

Those words seemed to reach the towering blonde, and for a moment neither outcast spoke. Then Jou

sighed and knelt downwards; one ripped, denim-covered knee resting on the concrete. "Look, I know it's hard not growin' up with everything'- believe me, I get it. But a few pieces of cardboard ain't worth throwing your future away, an' I'm disappointed that you didn't think 'bout that first. You're a bright kid, an' you know your brother expects better of ya." He tilted his head thoughtfully and faintly smiled. "Matter of fact, so do I."

"I know..." Dejected, Mokuba wiped his hazel-grey eyes on the back of his uniform sleeve. "Are you gonna tell him?"

"That depends. Did'ja learn your lesson?" Mokuba nodded frantically, and Jou finally broke out in a grin. "Then I don' see a need to- BUT!" He added sharply, raising one hand in promise. "If you EVER pull a stunt like this again- EVER!- I'll tell him EVERYTHING- got it?"

Mokuba's face was more serious as he nodded only once. "Got it!"

The small game shop faded in the distance as the unusual duo made their way back towards the apartment. They mostly marched in silence, but Mokuba spoke up just one block away from 'home.'

"Um, Jou? Could I have the booster pack back?"

"Hmm..." The blonde seemed to be mulling over the options as he remembered the small purchase lying in his front pocket. "I think that'd be alright- but not today. This is more importan' than you think, and I wanna make sure you understand that your consequences have actions."

"Er, don't you mean the reverse?"

"..." The non-native teen groaned as he realized he'd messed up the popular saying. "Wise guy."

"Better than a dumb guy!"

Jou chuckled and glanced around. "Right- then let's get you home to the other wise guy before that crazy old bat comes after us."

Mokuba made a face as he thought back on the angry shopkeep. "All the other kids all call her 'The Crone' because she's like a wicked witch!"

Jou let out a disdainful snort. "Well, if she's right and half the other kids are stealing from her; I doubt she's going to start handing out free lollipops and puppies!"

"Oh!" Mokuba glanced hopefully up at the lanky mechanic. "That reminds me! How's Auto been?"

The rowan-eyed high schooler grinned. "He's doin' just fine- Uncle's been taking him home at night. He says it's to help 'potty train' him more, but I think he really likes the pup. The other day I even saw him buyin' this super-plush doggy bed- an' it was waaay too small for Uncle to use himself! So ya just know he's bein' spoiled rotten!" Jou winked and the pair shared another laugh as they made their way back to the apartment.

Little did they know that the day's troubles were far from over...