A/N: A Kiryu chapter. Not only do we get Kiryu and Divine, we also get some Kiryu back story, which is always good since we never really got much of that in the series, leaving me free to make it up. And I love doing that. And thankies for even more lovely reviews. You guys are great.

Divine watched Kiryu intently. He'd almost killed him that night. It was actually just a mix of luck and strength that had let him survive. After being blasted off the balcony, luck had allowed him to get hold of the rails of the balcony below. It had a almost dislocated his shoulders and he was in pain even now, but he'd managed to pull himself up and found Kiryu passed out on the floor of his office.

So, to stop it happening again, he'd had him put back under sedation as he had when the boy had firs arrived. The evens of the night before played across his mind over and over. How had he misjudged Kiryu so badly? Thing had been working exactly to plan. He'd pushed Kiryu to the point where he let his pride go and that was when he rewarded him. It always worked. And yet Kiryu had gone from seemingly broken to a savage beast in a few seconds. Divine sighed. He needed to focus and really think this over. He must have missed a sign, some sort of warning, or something that should have told him he was going about it wrong or was pushing him too far.

Aki wasn't helping. For the past five days she'd been acting strangely. Whenever he could be bothered to ask what was wrong she said it was nothing. Divine already knew. Whenever he mentioned Yusei she'd start to blush, not a lot but Divine noticed everything. He had to or he couldn't control such dangerous people. Aki had a crush on Yusei. That was something he'd have to sort as well. But for now, Kiryu was his priority. What had he missed?

"Divine," came Aki's voice. He turned and she smiled, a tray in her hands. "You haven't eaten today. This is very unlike you, Divine. What's wrong?"

"I read him wrong," Divine muttered.

"Not everyone is predictable," she said and Divine noticed that little blush again. Was she thinking about Yusei now? "You are wonderful at judging how people are going to react, but not everyone can be predicted."

"I'm never wrong, Aki," he snapped. "I know he should have reacted how I thought if I'd seen everything. I must have missed something, Aki."

"Divine…"

"Perhaps I miscalculated just how seriously he was traumatised in his childhood," he said. "Perhaps he just needs to get used to contact again."

"How are you going to do that?" she asked.

"I want you to spend time with him, Aki, since you want to help," he said. He stood up and pulled a syringe from a case as Aki frowned. "I have someone sedate him for reasons of safety."

"You mean too little or someone misjudges how much pain he's in and he'll weak up and tear the place apart?"

"Something like that."

"I can't believe he tried to kill you."

"Anyway, I waking him up will be fine. If the dose is too high, he simply gets a bit of energy."

It took a few minutes for Kiryu to wake up, but when he did he was on his feet instantly, watching them both. Aki sighed and walked out to find something else to do but Divine stopped her, pulling her in to whisper in her ear.

"Be nice to him."

"But Divine-"

"He's an abused child, Aki, who's afraid to be touched or even near anyone and he hides that in his aggression. Be nice, spend time with him, get to know him, flirt a little."

"Divine-"

"Aki, do you trust me or not?"

"Yes Divine."

He smiled. Two birds with one stone. He could get Kiryu used to being around with people and Aki could, if he'd worked this right, would get her mind off that Yusei and maybe even onto Kiryu. Everything was going to work out perfectly. He shut them in and watched from the monitor outside

"How long have I been out?" Kiryu asked quietly.

"Five days," Aki replied. "Divine kept you sedated. You did try to kill him."

"Not specifically, it was just a side effect of hurting him," he grumbled, sitting back on the bed. "What does he want you to do in here with me anyway?"

"He wants you to stop being so awkward."

"He started it."

"You sound like a child."

"You made out with Yusei, didn't you?"

Aki's eyes widened and Kiryu smirked as her fingers touched her lips. If she tried hard enough, she could still imagine the feeling of Yusei's lips and the taste and touch and every little detail of those few wonderful minutes.

"You're blushing," Kiryu warned.

"Shut up," Aki hissed. "Divine will be watching on the monitor."

"So, if I've noticed you can bet he has. I'll bet you do this little blush every time you talk about him," he laughed.

"How did you know?" she sighed.

"Yusei and I were tortured side by side by our teacher," he said, waving his hand as if it was nothing. "I learnt how to see the signs. We learnt a lot about each other, that's how we became friends and how I brought him into the group with Jack and Crow."

"It was that bad?"

Kiryu suddenly seemed to notice that he was talking about his past and glared at her. She smiled and sat with him on the bed. Kiryu turned away and she sighed. She didn't really know how to flirt. Her first kiss had been that once in the alley with Yusei. How was she supposed to make him feel comfortable when she didn't feel comfortable either? If what she thought had happened to him was correct, he was obviously going to be used to this sort of thing, and not at all happy with being pushed into anything. How was she supposed to make him feel like he could relax around her?

"Yusei… was he always so…forceful?" she asked carefully. Kiryu gave her a questioning glance. "He was rough and powerful and cruel."

"No. No Yusei was always sweet and caring and soft. So stupidly soft. Put everyone else before him. If his friends needed him, he was there," Kiryu replied. "I guess things have finally got too much for him."

"What about you? What did they get too much for you?" she said.

"A long time again," he said. "Dad was such an ass. He made it really hard."

Aki nodded and gently placed her hand on his, but Kiryu instantly snatched it away. She'd known it was a long shot, but Divine needed her to do this, so he had to. He was always right about this sort of thing. Then suddenly things started to happen quicker than Aki could really follow. Kiryu moved at lightning speed, knocking her deck and duel disk away out of her reach and pinning her to the bed. He leant down to whisper in her ear.

"I will kill you to get to Divine," he told her. "You're his pawn and that makes you my enemy. I will ruin you."

"You said you didn't hate him," she whispered.

"I didn't," he replied. "But he cross the line between a fun challenge and a target for my wrath when he touched me like that."

"What? Divine would never do that!" she cried.

"If you want her to live, Divine, I suggest you get in here," Kiryu called.

The door opened and Divine entered, glaring at the pair. Kiryu glared back, ignoring Aki's struggling. He went for his duel disk and Kiryu laughed.

"You really want me to kill her, Divine?" he chuckled. "You know I could snap her deck right here and now." Divine growled. Kiryu knew Aki was important. But he wasn't going to make a mistake like last time. "Put it down, Divine."

Divine put his duel disk down and watched Kiryu carefully. He wasn't going to make this mistake again. He analysed every second of Kiryu's movements and reactions. He wasn't going to miss anything this time.

"What do you want, Kiryu?" Divine asked.

"I want you to leave me alone," Kiryu growled. "And I want to leave. You've done enough to me."

"Kiryu," Aki snapped. "What are you doing? You can't leave. You're like me, we need each other."

"I wasn't ever like you," he hissed. "I was normal. Yes I was a little unstable and yes I was in a hospital but I wasn't a monster. He made me that."

"If you want to leave, Kiryu, feel free to," Divine said gently. "You're no monster, but you are an invaluable asset. If you want to leave, I won't stop you."

Kiryu growled and bolted instantly. Divine had been expecting that. He wasn't going to misjudge his interactions with Kiryu again. After spending so long trying to figure out what had gone wrong, he was certain he could get control of him properly this time. He caught Kiryu's wrists as he tried to escape. He was stronger than Kiryu, even if Kiryu was agile, vicious and skilled. The boy growled and struggled against him.

"Stop struggled," he said firmly. Kiryu didn't listen and didn't stop struggling. Divine sighed seeing that fear enter his eyes again. "Kiryu, relax, deep breaths and stop struggling."

"Let go!" Kiryu snarled.

"Divine, maybe you should let him go," Aki said quietly, watching the pair. "I think he really doesn't want to be here."

Divine cast her a cold glance but couldn't take his attention from Kiryu for too long, he'd already seen how that could end. Kiryu really was pushing his patience and his ability to cope with troublemakers. He just needed to get him to stop fighting first.

"Kiryu, listen to me," he said, trying to be gentle. He'd learnt that being harsh on Kiryu wasn't going to get him very far. "Stand still and apologise to Aki and I will let you go."

Kiryu did as he was asked instantly and as he'd said he would, Divine released him. Divine pulled Aki away from him and pushed her out, both leaving him and locking the door.

"What's wrong with him, Divine?" Aki asked, watching the monitor as Kiryu tore his room apart. "What was that?"

"He doesn't like to be touched," Divine replied. "I believe you were right when you said he was very much abused. So he's going to take a lot of work to get through to. It'll hurt him and he'll get worked up a lot, but I will get through to him and help him."

He watched the monitor as Kiryu hid himself away in the blind spot once again, although he didn't know that Divine had installed a second hidden camera to cover the blind spot. He was curled up on the floor his blankets wrapped around him and tossed over his head. If he hadn't known there was actually a boy under there, it could have simply been a pile of blankets and sheets. He could get Kiryu to do as he was told just like Aki, he just wasn't sure how. It didn't seem his new approach was working either. What was he missing?

Kiryu curled up tighter under his sheets. He hated this place so much it was unbearable. He just wanted to get away from Divine and the whole of the Arcadia Movement. He hated how Divine used his past against him and he was letting him get away with it. Divine was just like his father- well, during his more lucid moments at least. That's where Kiryu had learnt to deal with people like that and learnt his behaviour. And perhaps most importantly, he'd learnt how to deceive people who saw everything. He closed his eyes and let his memories take him back. More than anything, he wanted his friends with him again. He missed them so much.

Kiryu was standing outside his mess off a home. The rain was washing over him. He stood out in the torrential downpour, letting it beat down upon him, the droplets so hard and face that it actually hurt. But he didn't really care. He wanted it to soak him and make him feel a little less dirty. And to hide his tears. He couldn't bear going inside to his dad. Whether he was drunk or not, it didn't really matter, he'd never understand. That black haired boy- Yusei- ran passed, pulling his hood up to keep from getting soaked. But he stopped seeing Kiryu.

"Are you ok?" he called over the sound of the pounding rain.

"I guess," he sighed.

"You'll catch a chill If you stay out for too long in this," he said. "Isn't this your house?"

"I don't want to go in," he admitted. It didn't matter. No one spoke to Yusei at school and Cook tortured him maybe more than he did Kiryu. Yusei went to leave but Kiryu didn't really feel like being alone that night. "You got any plans for tonight?"

"N-none," he stuttered.

"Wanna hang out?" Kiryu offered. "I get the feeling we're not too different."

"Really?" Yusei said, looking far too serious and untrusting for a thirteen year old. "You actually want to be around me?"

"You're not the only person Cook likes you know," he said bitterly. "Come on in." Yusei paused and Kiryu gave him a weak smile. "Look, I'm not going to beg, and don't expect me to be some sort of hero for you at school- Cook does enough to me as it is- but, if you want to hang around, I think we could both use the company of someone who understand us."

He headed inside, leaving the door open for Yusei, who did follow him inside. His father was already passed out on the coffee table. Kiryu sighed and slammed his foot into his side, knocking him from the table.

"I told him about Cook once," Kiryu told Yusei, who looked confused and worried. "He beat me and told me not to lie. He'd not long for this world anyway. The amount he drinks he'll be gone within two years." He glanced back at Yusei and gave him a slightly more confident smile. "Don't look so worried. I'm not like the kids at school who'll only talk to you to torture you. I could easily, but I think you're more useful as a friend. It's good to have someone who knows what you're going through." Yusei nodded and for the first time, Kriyu saw him smile. "And maybe I'll introduce you to Jack and Crow some time as well."

Kiryu actually smiled to himself. He'd been true to his word and had introduced Yusei to Jack and Crow. And it wasn't long before they actually spoke to him at school as well. He really needed them now more than ever.