CHAPTER 12: When Desperation Becomes Madness!

The day of the competition arrived and Garth wanted Yuri to watch him take his place and perform, despite whether Yuri wanted to or not. Yuri still had his doubts about Garth being able to compete well enough to have a chance.

"He'll tire himself out before he can finish the routine," Yuri tried to tell his captors. "You have to be physically prepared for the jumps and know your limits. Trust me, Garth is not prepared for this and it will only lead to disaster for him."

"So you claim," Wong frowned, ignoring his warnings. "Comfortable?"

Yuri gave him a glare as he was being tied to a chair. They were in one of the upstairs rooms and Timothy was plugging in a TV for the three of them to watch the competition.

"It's no joke!" Yuri insisted again. "It takes years of practice to become a champion ice skater. You can't master it all in one day, it's impossible for anyone!"

"Has Garth ever mentioned to you about his idol?" Wong asked him, giving the ropes a final tug.

"I know he was an ice skater and that he was what made Garth interested in skating," Yuri frowned, not enjoying how the tight ropes secured him.

Wong smiled and ruffled Yuri's hair.

"And you think he's not aware of the fact of him never competing before? He's been practicing ice skating for years as well, Yuri. He knows the risks. It may be a bit...different than what you do. But I can guarantee you, Garth knows what he's doing."

Timothy turned on the TV and the announcers began their talk about the competing skaters what they expected of each. Wong leaned close to Yuri's ear, his hot breath making the skater cringe.

"Now watch and learn, Yuri. You're about to see Garth on a whole new level."

Kenjirou Minami was feeling fidgety as he heard the excited crowds. He was one of the competitors and had competed in the last competition in Las Vegas. He wouldn't have made it here without fierce determination. He was really hoping to impress Yuri Katsuki this time around.

He noticed Yuri Plisetsky nearby doing his warm-ups and ran up.

"Hi, Yuri! I guess you're first up, right?"

The Russian glanced in his direction, but said nothing.

"Well, good luck! I'm sure you'll do great!"

"I'm going to do better than just great," Yuri finally spoke up. "I'm taking home that gold medal, just like I did last year!"

"I'm going to do better this year, too!" Minami smiled with a fist pump. "Maybe I'll win the gold!"

Yuri snickered at that remark. He had his doubts. "Right, flash it around like the most amazing skater you are."

"You think I will have a chance?!"

Yuri rolled his eyes and tried to continue his warm-ups, but he noticed Minami watching him with that goofy smile of his.

"Was there something you wanted?"

"Oh, sorry!" Minami apologized with a bow after realizing he had been staring. "By the way, do you know where Yuri is? I want to wish him luck."

Plisetsky growled at the mention of the Japanese skater. He didn't like the idea of Minami hanging around him even more, though, and pointed down the hallway.

"His dressing room is over there. I saw Victor head over there a few minutes ago."

"Thanks!" Minami squealed with delight as he ran off to find his idol. Yuri shook his head and went back to his warm-ups. That kid was so annoying.

Minami found Yuri's dressing room and his heart pounded hard in his chest. Will Yuri wish him luck? Will he be good enough to make Yuri proud of him? He inhaled deeply and knocked.

Garth opened the door and saw Minami standing there with sparkling eyes.

"Oh, Minami. Hello. Was there something you need?"

Minami felt as his his lungs will burst from excitement and he wrapped his arms around Yuri in a tight hug. Garth stood there in shock, and even Minami was surprised he had gone so far as to hug him without warning.

"I wanted to wish you luck, Yuri! And to let you know that...I'll make you proud!"

Garth stared at the adolescent for a minute before removing the younger skater's hands from around his waist.

"Uh-huh...thanks. The same goes for you, I guess."

Minami wanted to say something more, but Garth closed the door before he could get another word out. Minami's smile faded. Sure, Yuri was a little shy when it came to his fans, but he almost sounded as if he didn't care about Minami's words of encouragement. He stood there for a long moment before feeling a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and saw Victor smiling at him.

"Hello, Minami! Good to see you again! Have you come to wish Yuri luck?"

"I did..." Minami nodded sadly. "But Yuri didn't seem as if he cared."

Victor could see the look of disappointment on the younger skater's face and somehow felt the same. He bent down a bit so he could met Minami's eyes.

"I wouldn't worry too much about it. Yuri was practicing really hard yesterday and probably is a little tired. I'm sure he's nervous, too. He'll be in a better mood once the competition's over."

Minami nodded, but he wasn't so sure.

"I better get ready. I'm going on after Plisetsky," then he walked away, still looking bummed.

"Good luck!" Victor called with a wave, but he wasn't sure if Minami was paying attention.

Victor sighed. He had to get to the bottom of why his fiance was acting so strange lately. He opened the door and saw Garth in his costume for the performance.

"Yuri, we need to talk."

"About what?" Garth frowned. Victor walked over and stood beside him.

"I saw Minami outside. He seemed pretty disappointed that you didn't say anything encourage back to him."

Garth said nothing as he continued getting ready. Victor frowned, but continued.

"I know you may be nervous, but you also know that doesn't give you the excuse to shut others out."

"I'm not nervous, Victor. Besides, Minami needs to be more concerned about himself than others. He's here to win like everyone else, not to dote and distract himself."

"This isn't just about Minami, Yuri. I'm talking about us, as well. I feel as if you haven't been yourself since we left America. You've also been avoiding me." Victor held Garth's hand and squeezed it. "Please, tell me. Have I done something to upset you?"

Garth looked up at Victor, his expression unmoving. He pulled his hand away.

"It's nothing like that, Victor."

"Then what?!" Victor asked, his voice starting to raise. "Because I can't help but feel as if there is something going on with you, and you don't want to tell me what it is."

"Do I have to tell you every little thing that bugs me?"

"You do when you shut out others!"

"Listen, Victor! No one told you to come along with me on these trips around the world! No one asked you to come to Hasetsu in the first place!" Garth yelled.

Victor stood there in shock and the room fell quiet.

"You don't mean that.."

Garth turned away, unable to answer. Victor waited for him to say something, but he didn't. He nodded and turned to the door.

"Fine. If you don't want me here to support you, you've could have at least told me. I'll leave the light on for you in the hotel room. Good luck."

He waited for Yuri to say something again, but the younger skater didn't. Victor left the room and tears swelled in his eyes. He'll go back to the hotel and watch the competition there. Yuri wanted to do this on his own, it seemed. Somehow, that realization was almost unbearable for Victor to accept. Tears threatened to spill, but he forced them back as he turned and left the hallway.

Garth finished getting ready and made his way towards the rink to join the remaining skaters. There was one skater he had in mind to target and that was JJ. If he was ever going to have a shot at winning this, he'll have to get the Canadian out of the way.

JJ was watching Minami's performance in the break room and noticed Garth walk in. He flashed his famous smile at the skater.

"Hey, Katsuki! You missed Pliskey's performance. He's come a long way."

"I'm sure he has," Garth nodded, although the look on his face showed he could care less.

"You're still so confidant that you'll come out on top?"

"I'm not assuming, JJ. I know," Garth frowned as he glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. They stood side by side, almost glaring each other down.

"I'm looking forward to it. You're next up after Phichit," JJ smiled again. "I'll be the last performing tonight." He looked around in confusion. "Where's Victor?"

"He couldn't stay. Something came up and he had to leave," Garth told him. JJ noticed the Japanese man clinching his fist tightly.

"That's surprising, he never leaves your side, usually. Did you two have a fight?"

"Why are you so concerned, JJ?" Garth growled. JJ felt a shiver run down his spine as Garth met eyes with him. He oddly felt afraid, but did his best to keep his fear in check.

"No reason, Yuri. I just thought Victor would be with you."

"He's not."

"Okay...good luck out there?"

Garth said nothing and it made JJ even more concerned. The Canadian figured Yuri wanted to be alone and began walking out the room.

"Hey, JJ," Garth called as he turned to look at him. "There was one more thing I needed to speak to you about."

JJ stopped and turned to face him. He wasn't sure what Yuri wanted and a knot in his stomach made him get the feeling that it wasn't good. "Yes, what is it?"

Garth walked over and place a hand on JJ.

"It's very important. Could you close the door? It's a secret I haven't told anyone...not even Victor."

JJ was confused, but he did as Garth asked. The funny feeling in his stomach was stronger now as he turned to see Garth approach. The man leaned close to JJ with an evil smile.

"Good. Now no one will see what I'm about to do."

Minami's heart was still racing from his performance, but he had to know if Yuri had seen him! Everyone had been so impressed and he even got a high score!

He ran back to Yuri's dressing room and knocked on the door repeatedly. There was no answer. He must already be preparing for his performance. Minami ran back down the hall towards the rink, but someone screaming caught his attention. It wasn't very loud, but Minami noticed it. It sounded like it came from the break room.

The door was closed, but there was something going on inside the room. Minami gulped and opened the door. He saw JJ on the floor, bloody and holding his leg. He looked to be in great pain. And then there was Garth, standing over him with a pleased smile. Minami gasped and covered his mouth to keep from screaming.

Garth turned his head and saw Minami standing in the doorway. His smiled faded into a disapproving frown. He was holding a bloody chair leg and tossed it away.

"You foolish idiot. Why did you come back here?" Garth glared at him.

"I...I wanted to see you...Yuri," Minami stammered, but he had difficulty getting the words out. "I made a high score...and I was hoping you saw me...thought that maybe...you would be proud."

Garth sighed and shook his head. He was really hoping no one would see him. He walked over to Minami, who was frozen stiff. A pathetic squeak came from his throat when he felt Garth grab his arm.

"Don't be alarmed," Garth said in a calming tone. He noticed how frightened Minami looked and pet his hair. "I'm not going to kill you. No, I have a far more fitting punishment for you."

"You're not Yuri, are you?" Minami asked, still feeling frightened. "Who are you really? Where is Yuri?"

He whimpered as Garth's grip tightened. He struggled to free his arm and Garth covered his mouth to prevent him from screaming.

"You'll see Yuri...eventually. But first I have to make sure you're in a safe place and not wondering around to tell everyone my secret."

He dragged the young skater out the room and found a secluded closet. He locked Minami inside and a greedy smile slithered across his face.

"He may not be as famous as Katsuki, but I could still get a pretty penny for him. Garth, why didn't you think of this before? Imagine if you had all the skaters within your grasp. You could have everything you've ever wanted!"

He left the hallway before anyone else could see him. "Put on a show, Garth! Your road to fame and glory depend on it!"