I mean't to post this in the morning, but I had some priorities I had to deal with first. I'm not really good with describing a setting, just a head's up.

Also, WARNING: contains violence and blood (but if you've read this far I don't think it should be a problem :P )

Chapter 11: Round 1

Bakura escorted Marik and Rex to the arena and he made sure to stay as close to the Egyptian and as far away from the brunet as possible. Luckily, the short boy didn't try anything, but his lustful stares did make him feel quite uncomfortable. Pegasus was standing center stage and invited both competitors to join him. "Good luck," Bakura whispered in Marik's ear, "I'll be rooting for you!" The Egyptian smiled at the pale boy before making his way onto the stage where Rex awaited him impatiently, patting his foot on the ground with arms crossed over his chest.

One meter inside the perimeter of the arena was an upper stage about knee-length from the ground. Marik jumped up onto it and made his way strutting over to Rex, enjoying the jealousy in his dark orbs. The moment was simply too perfect for boasting, but the principal had to ruin his moment with yet another one of him lame speeches, "Hello again, Rex and Marik! Just a reminder for our audience that this is an elimination round and the winner will be determined when one of you either falls out of the ring (which was the whole point of having an upper stage), is unable to continue fighting, falls unconscious or gives up. With that said, killing is forbidden, but you are however, allowed to inflict each other a number of injuries. Now if you will both choose a weapon." Pegasus gestured to the load of weapons hanging on the board behind him. The two fighters looked them all over intently before deciding on one. Rex ended up choosing a black belt with long metal spikes and Marik went for a pair of twin daggers, a weapon he had mastered the use of long ago.

Pegasus continued his explanations as two staff members removed the board of weapons from the stage, "Now come and face each other," he instructed and the two fighters obeyed, "and shake hands!" The two remained still and silent, glaring into each other's eyes with anger and hate. They waited, hoping this part would be magically skipped over, but the principal insisted, "Go on then." He said and the two reluctantly grabbed the other's hand, each trying to squeeze it harder than the other. "Alright that's enough." The red suited man went on, "Now turn around and take ten steps away from each other. You may start whenever you hear the buzzer." With that, he retreated back to his seat and signaled a staff member through the tiny microphone on his collar to activate the force field. The small contraptions on each end of the arena suddenly lit up and sent an upward blue light that spread across to meet the other ends before turning invisible.

The students were amazed by the latest KaibaCorp technology, which made Seto very happy from where he was sitting. Atem noticed this too and would have teased him about it, but thought it best to instead let him dwell in what little happiness he had been given these past few days. He was sat next to the other tri-colored haired boy and couldn't help but smirk at the intensity of which Bakura stared at the blond Egyptian. "Psst, Yugi!" he whispered over to his neighbour, "Check out Bakura!" "What about him?" Yugi asked confused, trying to see what was up. "He's totally worried for Marik!" "It's normal to worry for someone about to get into a fight." He replied in the same confused tone. "It's more than that. Look a little closer, you'll see he has a thing for Marik." "Huh?!" Yugi exclaimed looking back at his friend. He was standing a few feet away, next to Nurse Cecilia by the entrance to the arena. His fists were clenched at his heart and the pale boy was biting his lower lip as he stared at the Egyptian with concern overwhelming his brown eyes. Yugi couldn't believe it, maybe Atem was on to something… "Hey, what are you two talking about?" Tea asked leaning closer to Yugi, but the boy slouched back into his seat and dismissed her, "Oh nothing!" he said with a nervous smile.

"Kick his butt Marik!" Bakura shouted through cupped hands with a small smile on his lips for encouragement. The tanned boy nodded, "I will!" This display of affection was beginning to make the dino-lover sick, how dare anyone try and steal his little toy away from him! And how dare his precious Snowflake refuse him for another! "Hey you!" he shouted over to Marik, raising his fist, "Stop flirting with my pet over there! He's mine you hear?!" This pissed off the Egyptian who glared menacingly at the other, "Better watch yourself Rex," he growled, "continue obsessing over Bakura like that and you'll make me angry. And believe me, you won't like me when I'm angry." "Fuck you! You're the one getting in our way!" Marik paused for a second before bursting into a fit of laughter, "Are you stupid?!" he grinned wiping away a tear, "I think you're confusing your fantasies with reality there, shorty!" "Oh shut up! You act all cocky and strong, but I know you're weaker than me! You just caught me off guard last time!" Marik threw his head back and laughed again, angering the sharp toothed boy even more. "If you think you can beat me, then how about we make a deal. The loser has to stay away from Snowflake!" Marik crossed his arms and shook his head. "No. I'm not fighting you over him."

Bakura felt his heart drop. Did he hear him right? Marik wasn't going to fight for him? He knew the chances of him returning his feelings were slim, he was probably even the type of guy to crush on every cute girl in school, but at least, he thought… he hoped, Marik would stand up for him… "I won't agree to those terms because I know you're not a man of your word Rex. Besides, it's up to Bakura and what he wants." Marik turned and winked at the white haired boy, satisfied when he saw the smile spread across his face and the blush highlighting his cheeks. "Just stop that! Just stop it!" Rex raged at the Egyptian before turning to the Principal, "What are you waiting for old man?! Start the duel already!" "Oh my mistake! Please forgive me, your conversation was just so interes-" "Shut the fuck up and press the fucking button already!" Pegasus pouted at this. He knew he was being insulted and despite his child-like behavior, he wasn't as oblivious to the situation as he let on. When his wife Cecelia reported that two boys were heavily beaten by two of the exchanged students, Pegasus had a good mind to send them back at Darkwing High, but the victims hadn't told the nurse the information needed to allow him to take matters into hands. With Bakura and Yugi only testifying to getting beaten, and nothing else, Pegasus could only assign Rex and Weevil a month's worth of detention, as well as banning them from the week's activities other than the tournament seeing as the victims requested they participate. So there he sat, listening to the conversation that, to many students seemed confusing, revealed the actual cause of one of the beatings.

Pegasus sighed and reluctantly pressed a button on the remote he was holding, and a loud buzzer echoed across the speakers. As soon as Rex heard the noise, he launched himself towards his adversary, growing extra sharp bones out of his forearms and biceps, as well as two more on each leg through the designated holes in his pants. Marik swiftly blocked his punches with his daggers and pushed him back leaving a small cut across the brunet's chest. "Why you!" he growled staring murderously at the spiky haired boy who stood tall with arms crossed and staring back with a maniacal grin. "Did you really think you were just going to walk up here and easily beat the crap out of me?" Marik threw his head back in a wild laugh, but once he brought it back down, he looked like an entirely different person. His pupils shrunk and were barely distinct anymore, veins pulsed alongside his chin and arms, but the most noticeable change was the shiny Eye of Wdjat that now decorated his forehead. "I don't even need these things to beat you!" he cried in a double-voice as he threw back the sharp weapons in his hand. "You little bitch!" Rex charged at the Egyptian once more, but the other easily caught both his fists in his hands, not flinching back as he did so. He brought his face down close to the brunet's with an evil grin, right before blasting him with an invisible force that propelled the light body many feet away.

The crowd who was once shocked and somewhat frightened by the tanned boy's sudden change, now cheered loudly for more action. Rex was humiliated. He couldn't stand having the audience, and especially Bakura, cheering against him! "Way to go Marik!" the white haired boy shouted above the crowd. "C-curse y-you!" Rex groaned shakily as he slowly lifted his aching body up from tiled floor. Those words, as so many others have the past day, triggered a sudden migraine in the Egyptian's head. Marik tugged roughly at his hair and groaned loudly trying to balance himself on his feet. His eyes were becoming blurry and his hearing was buzzing with an irritable high-pitched screech. "No, not again! Not now!" He pleaded with himself before falling to his knees and succumbing to yet another memory.

"Curse you! You're a monster! I know it was you, not me!" Marik was in a small dark room lit by candles. He had his arms pressed against the sink and stared angrily at his reflection with tears running down his eyes. "Well? Answer me!" This was odd. He could once again see through the eyes of his hikari, touch and hear everything he did, as well as feel his emotions as though they were his own. Marik felt his hikari betrayed at the moment, but unless he mentioned the cause of his pain, he would never know what happened. "Why won't you talk to me?! I know you're listening!" The Egyptian looked different somehow and his voice had a higher pitch to it, which led him to believe he was much younger, maybe ten? But how could that be? The farthest he could remember existing was when he awoke on that cold floor last September, but if this younger Marik felt his presence inside him, did that mean he had been dormant for years prior? "Stop ignoring me!" the small boy pressed, "It was you! You made me kill him! And you made me enjoy it! You're a monster! Why would you make me do it! Why did you want my father dead?!" At this the Egyptian crashed to the floor and held his head, sobbing. "Why? Why? Why? Why?" "He won't answer you Master Marik." A deep voice said from within the dark corner of the room. Marik hadn't noticed the man until he felt himself pulled into a warm embraced. "He will not bother you again." He assured the boy who looked up at him teary-eyed, "Are you sure?" "Yes Master Marik. My ability allows me to cast spirits and ghosts away, but since this one is connected to you, I didn't want to risk hurting you so I put him in a deep sleep. The tattoo on my face is proof that the seal has worked." "Thank you Odion."

Little Marik snuggled into his brother's arms and thought back on the event that happened hours earlier, which allowed the yami to remember as well. Ishizu had taken her younger brother outside to test out his new ability. This was all so new to him and he needed to learn how to control it before he could cause any more accidental damage to the sacred scrolls and documents they kept hidden inside the house. Their father Hank, however, never allowed them to set foot outside, saying it was taboo and the Gods would not forgive them for it. Absorbed by their desire to learn of Marik's new-found power, Ishizu and her little brother disobeyed their father and snuck out unnoticed during the night, but as they returned before dawn, the young boy heard a deafening scream coming from inside the house and recognised it as his older brother's. He rushed in blindly with Ishizu on his tail and found the old man whipping the bleeding servant on the floor. "Stop it!" he cried and the man lowered his arm and turned to face his two children in the doorway. "Well, well, look who decided to return! Since you have disrespected the Gods, it is up to me to cleanse you of your sins!" It was at that moment that Marik felt the good side of him being sealed away deep inside of him, allowing him to fill up with the rage and strength needed to accomplish the unthinkable. The young one ran for the drawer and withdrew a small blade. He caught the end of the whip that lashed at his arm and pulled its owner forward on the floor before launching himself onto the old man and stabbing him multiple times in the back. His senses soon returned to him and Marik pulled away petrified of the corpse lying in the pool of blood. How? How could he have done it? Either he had pushed his good nature away somewhere inside of him, or some other part of him dragged it away, like an evil spirit! Young Marik hadn't the slightest idea, but preferred the latter as he refused to believe himself capable of wrongdoing. Could this be the consequence Ishizu had told him about? "Sister help me! There's something inside of me and it made me do it! I'm so scared please help me!" The small and confused boy sobbed as he watched his sibling stare down at him petrified. Frightened by the repercussions that his actions might entail, Marik ran back into his room to hide under the safety of his covers.

Buzzing, that's all the Egyptian could hear once the flashback finished and he was brought back to reality. The audience's cries mixed in with the screeching sound until it was finally tuned out. Marik could feel again, and boy was he in pain! He lied on his back with his cheek numb and stomach soar. No doubt had Rex hit him a couple of times before he zoned out, and in those few seconds, managed to push his anger over the top. Yes, Marik was pissed beyond belief. Not only did he have to remember another memory, but the timing for it was completely inappropriate! Those things hurt you know! Not only that, but it left him even more confused about his past and how he came to be and Rex would be the one to pay for it.

"What's the matter blondie? Have you given up already?!" The brunet stood a foot away from the kneeling Egyptian. He had slapped him across de face and kicked him in the stomach, but the husky man refused to tumble backwards, even in his unconscious state. Marik gasped when he felt a sharp twinge in his stomach and looked down at the forming red pool across his black tank top. His eyes widened in fright at the other who returned his glare with a grin as he pulled his arm back quickly, the outer bone sticking out of his forearm covered with the Egyptian's blood. He burst into a fit of laughter and watched as his opponent crouched over, coughing out blood while his little Snowflake watched helplessly as his love interest was battered and beaten. Now he would finally see that he was worthy of him and not the lame defeated Egyptian at his feet. "I asked you a question you little brat!" Rex removed his spiky belt and lashed it at the Egyptian's face like a whip, to which he other finally fell back against the floor with blood streaming from his cheek. Marik stopped moving.

"I-I did it! I won! Ah ha! You there, start the countdown!" The designated man, Roland, brought his mic up to his mouth and began to count, "One… Two… Three…" "No Marik, get up! You can't let him win!" Bakura shouted over to the blond, but received no response. "Four… Five… Six…" Yugi tugged nervously at his neighbor's arm, "Atem, what happened to Marik? Why isn't he fighting back?" "Don't worry Yugi, Marik likes to play around, he'll be fine." He tried to sound reassuring, but he too felt the same concerns his friend did. It was unusual for the Egyptian to suddenly black out during a fight and he feared this time he wouldn't be able to recover… "Seven… Eight… Nine…" Rex was overflown with joy! This was it! His moment of redemption! He wanted to gloat, to rub it in his opponent's face so he strutted over to the Egyptian and muttered to him, "As soon as I'm declared the winner, I'm going to go get my victory kiss from Snowflake!" "Te-" A muscular bronze arm shot up and wrapped its long delicate fingers around the exposed neck. Rex tried to pull away from the other's grip, but the angry Egyptian held him in place. In his futile struggle for air, he noticed Marik's pupil were reduced, veins popped from his chin and arms, and the glowing eye reappeared on his forehead. The crowds gasped from the sudden movement and watched with anticipation the still figures down on the stage.

Marik was out of it. His body didn't respond to his wishes, that is, until he heard Rex whisper into his ear. His words struck a nerve, a nerve that allowed him to regain his senses and awaken his ability once more. He had sworn to Bakura, the only connection he had to his past, that he wouldn't let Rex touch him, and he would be damned if he let the insolent little twerp have his way with his friend when he knew he had the strength to stop him. Fury, rage, hate, Marik felt it all. He gently propelled himself upwards and threw the small brunet a foot away where he floated in the air, trapped in the Egyptian's telekinesis. Rex had been careless, he realised that now. His rival was no doubt pretending to be asleep just to get him close to him. His mind ability only worked at a certain distance and on still objects… He was done from the minute the tanned hand wrapped itself around his throat, but refused to give in and kicked and batted at the air. Marik would have laughed at his futile attempt at freedom had he not been so tired. His body was too weak to properly move on its own so he would have to depend on the power of his mind instead. He stood there, body limp and barely standing with his head hung low, visualising all the pain he was about to inflict upon his opponent.

The two daggers he had previously thrown away suddenly wobbled away from the floor and up into the air where one moved next to Marik's head, and the other shot past Rex. The brunet couldn't help but smirk at the other's clumsiness, "Ha! Ha! Ha! You missed you fo-" Rex gasped when the sharp metallic blade pierced his lower back. He was wrong. Marik had planned this and was just toying with him, reveling in his pain as he had done previously. Now he knew, bound and with no way of escaping, the Egyptian was going to torture him. Rex grimaced and began to shake, he felt something he hadn't felt in years… scared, and he was right to be; his reflection was short-lived as his pain suddenly increased tenfold! The second dagger shot right into his shoulder while the other was removed abruptly and pierced his foot. This went on for a while. Rex was continuously stabbed in his legs, chest, stomach, and shoulders and scratched just as many times across the face. When the twin blades dropped to the floor, Rex thought Marik might have finally passed out, but he was sorely mistaken and in fact, the real torture was just about to begin… Rex could feel his forearm being pulled backwards against his will. He tried to fight it, but it was inevitable. The bone broke out of his elbow, then came the second and both shoulders popped out of their sockets. Rex cried in agony, but Marik ignored him and continued his ministrations. Next came the legs which were snapped forward and the knee-breaking, bone-shattering sound echoed in the silent room as many teenagers gasped, cried or even puked at the sight of the blood spurting across the stage. Marik felt merciless, drawn by his over protectiveness of Bakura, he twisted the sharp toothed boy's ankles and wrists before dropping the broken body on the cold hard floor.

A whistle was blown and something about the winner being decided was exclaimed through the speakers, though Marik hardly heard it, feeling woozy from his ability leaving him. He stumbled backwards before falling into the empty space behind him and waited to make contact with the square tiles, but he instead found himself caressed by warm arms that laid him down gently. "You won Marik." The soft happy voice was all too familiar. The Egyptian tried to open his eyes, but moaned as he was too tired to even accomplish the simple task. He felt Bakura lifting him up bridal style and placing him on a bed of some kind, no doubt a stretcher. Had it been anyone one else, he would have probably thrown a fit, but he found comfort in the idea of the beautiful boy taking care of him and let himself be swept off his feet, before being led into the medic room.

Few notes for Rex: His ability is based off of Kimimaro from Naruto, and I had absolutely no clue what weapon to give for this scene, considering he uses his ability as a weapon... sorry if a spiky belt is lame, but at least I got him to use it once! :P

As for Marik, we're slowly finding more about his past! Oooooh! That's exciting, I mean even I'm still figuring stuff out as I'm writing! :)

I know I've said this before, but I will try to upload the next chapter before or on Christmas since I'm still on the draft.

Please review, that would be great! :)