"Bakura!" I cried out in horror as I rushed to his side. "Oh my God, Bakura, what happened?!"
Bakura looked up at me, his tough brown eyes filled with pain.
"…I got into a little fight on the way here," he said with a grunt. "But I'll be alright, once I get it bandaged up."
"A little fight?"
I flinched at the blood that slipped out between Bakura's fingers as he tried to cover his wound.
"Help me get him inside," Marik ordered, look just as disturbed as I was.
He then led Bakura towards the boat, me being very close to Bakura's side. I felt like I was punched straight in the stomach as I kept glancing at his bloody arm. But I couldn't take my eyes off it, as I kept wondering how he got so injured. When we were back on the boat, Bakura took a seat on the couch.
"Roxanne, watch Bakura while I go get someone who can properly take care of his arm," Marik said. "Try to stop as much bleeding as you can."
My face paled.
"But, I uh…I'm not good at…"
Marik looked deeply into my eyes.
"Roxanne, this isn't the time to argue. And trust me, he will do better alone with you then with me."
"But Marik…"
Marik gave me one last solemn look, his tanned face paling a bit, before he stormed off. I groaned and got some paper towels from the bathroom, sitting down next to Bakura.
"Move your hand a bit so I can cover and absorb the blood," I said. "Marik will be back with some help soon."
Bakura nodded slowly and lifted his hand a bit so I could put a couple of paper towels over it. Keeping one hand on it, I wiped with the remaining paper towels any access blood off of his arm. I felt myself get nauseated a bit, so I leaned closer to him. Bakura kept his eyes on me. I glanced up at him.
"Y-you've got a lot of explaining to do!" I exclaimed angrily. "What in Ra's name did you do to get so injured like this?!"
"Like I said before, I got into a bit of a fight, and the guy just conveniently had a knife for a weapon."
Bakura smirked a bit.
"Though, if I keep getting attention like this from you, then I may have to get myself injured more often..."
I narrowed my eyes but said nothing in reply. Bakura chuckled.
There was a bit of an awkward silence as I continued to put pressure on Bakura's arm. I could feel my face turning paler as the blood started to get on my hands.
I hope Marik will be back soon. I'm not sure how much longer I can take this...
Trying to distract myself, I looked up at Bakura. He had his head back against the couch, his eyes closed as the ends of his white hair were stained with blood. He had a small smile on his face, as if he was enjoying the moment.
What kind of pleasure could he find in a time like this?!
Just as I thought I was going to lose it, Rishid showed up carrying with him a first aid kit. I quickly got out of the way and Rishid took my place. Bakura gave a look of alarm at first but said nothing.
"Is he going to be okay, Rishid?" I asked, weariness in my voice.
"He'll need proper medical attention, but he should be fine," Rishid answered.
"Do you need me to do anything?"
"No, I've got it all taken care of, Roxanne."
Nodding in reply, I quickly made my way to the restroom to get rid of the blood left on my hands. I stayed in the bathroom for awhile, as my stomach was still a bit unsettled. I leaned against the door and closed my eyes, listening to the events that were happening outside.
"Is everything taken care of, Rishid?" I heard Marik's voice say as he entered the room.
"Yes, Master Marik," Rishid replied. "He will need to be taken to a hospital, though. Shall I take him for you?"
"No you won't!" Bakura shouted. "I will not be going anywhere, especially by the order of you people!"
There was a long pause.
"Rishid, would you please excuse us?" Marik asked politely, though there was clear irritation in his voice.
Rishid must have made a silent reply for the next thing I heard was his footsteps as he left the boat. There was another silence and I could picture Marik and Bakura glaring at each other.
"Have you gotten all the necessary information on Yugi and his friends?" Marik finally asked.
"I did. Yugi, along with Kaiba, have gotten all of their locater cards and are heading for the finals," Bakura answered coldly. "I assume you're heading there as well?"
"Of course. Rishid already got me my locater cards. He will be going into the finals as well, pretending to be me while I go in under the name of Namu."
Bakura laughed softly.
"You lust for revenge, yet you are too cowardly to fight the Pharaoh face to face?"
There was stiff silence.
"I wouldn't be the one making the taunts, if I were you," Marik threatened in a low voice. "You're the one injured, remember?"
"Yes, but at least I can still fight my own battles."
"...You really like to test one's limit, don't you? Don't forget, I have the Millennium Rod...and Roxanne."
Bakura growled in reply.
"By the way," Marik continued, amused slightly by Bakura's anger, "do you have six locater cards as well?"
"I do, as I guessed you wanted me at the semi finals as another distraction beside your pet."
"Don't you dare call my brother that!"
"Oh, so you enslave your brother as well, you pathetic low life bastard?"
I heard Marik's footsteps stomp towards Bakura. Opening my eyes, I quickly came out of the bathroom. Marik looked like he was about to punch Bakura before he heard me open the door. The furious look on his face faded away as he turned to face me, as did Bakura.
"Is everything okay?" I asked, pretending I didn't overhear anything.
"Yes, everything is fine. Perfect, a matter of fact."
Marik smiled to himself.
"Roxanne, are you fit enough to come with me to the Battle City semi finals? I need to be heading there soon, if I want to meet up with Little Yugi."
"So you can use me to get close to them and then stab them later in the back?" I questioned suspiciously.
"No. All I want is the Pharaoh, and you know that," Marik said, moving closer to me. "Besides, I just want you to come along with me, as a friend."
I blushed at the look Marik was giving me as he came closer. I smiled, a million things going through my mind.
"I'm ready to go whenever you are."
Marik smiled in reply. Bakura growled, standing up.
"Bakura, you need to rest!" I exclaimed, moving past Marik to get to him. "You are in no shape to be moving around!"
"It doesn't matter, I'm in the finals," Bakura replied with a grunt. "I'll just go there with you."
"But my motorcycle can only carry two, remember?" Marik objected. "And Roxanne's right. You look horrible. Don't worry, I'll make sure my Rare Hunters see that you arrive on time."
Bakura sneered, rage burning in his eyes. He and Marik glared at each other, looking as if they were about to get at each others' throats.
"Uh…I have an idea!"
I quickly stepped in between them.
"Why don't we all go down together?" I suggested, trying to sound natural. "I mean, we have a few hours before we have to be at the stadium. Why can't we just take a nice walk and just see the sights?"
Both Marik and Bakura glared at each other and then looked down at me. I moved my gaze back between them, mostly at Marik, trying to look cheerful and ease the tension.
"…That sounds like a good idea," Marik finally said. "Since I spent most of my time with you, I haven't had the opportunity to see the city."
"…Whatever," Bakura added snappishly.
I smiled. "Great, then let's go!"
Near downtown Domino City, Marik, Bakura, and I walked side by side through the town. Both Bakura and Marik walked very close to me, both of them glaring at each other. I tried to make a conversation between the three of us but they didn't seem that interested in talking.
"So, Bakura," I mentioned causally. "What kind of deck did you use for Battle City?"
"An Occult Deck," Bakura replied with a twisted smile. "And a mighty powerful one at that. But…you probably know that, don't you?"
I gave an uneasy laugh.
"Yeah…I do. And it is a really freaky one. Especially with Dark Necrofear…"
Bakura smirked.
"Does Necrofear frighten you?"
"I…well, I wouldn't say I'm frightened of her, but more like…uh…"
I couldn't come up with a reply without showing my uneasiness. I wasn't really afraid of Dark Necrofear, but she still freaked me out. Who wouldn't be, with that creepy broken doll of hers?
Bakura's smile grew as he put his good arm around me.
"Don't worry, Roxanne. Dark Necrofear won't come after you."
That's because Yami Marik will.
Marik made a small coughing noise.
"Is there something wrong, Marik?" I asked concerned.
"Oh, nothing," Marik said with a reassuring smile, "just had something stuck in my throat."
He turned towards a nearby park.
"Why don't we go through that park?" he suggested. "There will be less people around and it will be a lot quieter."
"Oh…okay."
Marik, while walking a bit faster than Bakura and I, followed him to the park. Bakura didn't seem to like the idea, as he kept his arm around me, but he didn't say anything. I could also tell that he was getting tired, as there was a faint weary look in his eyes. I slowed down my pace.
"Do you want to rest for a moment?" I asked gingerly.
Bakura shook his head. "No, I'm fine."
"But you look tired, and we have been walking for awhile now."
"I said I'm fine, Roxanne."
Bakura took a step away from me and tried to quicken his pace. But not taking no for an answer, I sighed heavily and took his hand. Bakura blinked but did nothing to resist as I made him sit down on one of the park benches.
"You do realize I know you better than that, right?" I said in a slight playful tone. "I can tell you when you are not feeling good. Now, rest as long as you want and I'll get you anything you need it."
Bakura smiled as I rambled on.
"Half the time you sound like an overprotected mother," he commented. "I'm beginning to wonder if I should start saying, 'yes mother,' every time you lecture me."
I blushed slightly.
"Well…I just don't want you to get hurt or be in pain. It's already dangerous for you and Ryo having the Millennium Ring."
I paused for a moment.
"And speaking of Ryo, how is he doing? I haven't talked to him since the Black Crown incident."
Bakura avoided eye contact, tensing up a bit.
"He's fine," he said. "He was a little shaken up when you were in that coma, but he's been doing well."
I gave a sad look.
"Oh, he must be worried about me. Can I talked to him for a minute?"
"No."
Bakura met my gaze.
"My injured arm would affect him worse than it already does for me. It's just best that I stay in control so he doesn't feel the intense pain as much."
I gave a surprised look. "Well, if you put it that way..."
I was a bit shocked on how sharp Bakura's response was. Was the pain in his arm making him cranky or something? It probably was, as he usually was in a bad mood.
Looking around the park, I noticed that Marik wasn't with us.
"Hey, Bakura, I'm going to get Marik real quick," I mentioned. "He must have kept going when we stopped. I'll be right back."
"Wait, Roxanne."
Bakura stood up just as I was about to walk away. I looked back at him, waiting for him to speak. Bakura stared at me, looking as if he wanted to say something, but yet the words couldn't come out. I smiled at him.
"Don't worry, I'll be back shortly. Marik shouldn't be that far ahead. I promise I won't leave you."
Bakura's eyes widened as I made him sit back down again. I told him to relax and gave one last friendly smile before I went off to search for Marik.
I walked down a small dirt path, thick trees all around me. There weren't very many people out, and the few people who were seemed to be desperate duelists. I tried to avoid them, having my duel disk hidden from view.
Finally, I saw Marik leaning against a small tree, looking out to a small lake. I stared at him for a moment, admiring how handsome he looked with the setting sun. Marik saw me from the corner of his eye.
"...What?"
I blinked, slightly embarrassed.
"Oh, sorry. I was just…admiring the sunset."
I leaned on the tree next to him. Marik raised his eyebrow a bit at how tensed I was.
"Is Bakura doing alright?" he asked awkwardly, trying to start a conversation.
"Yeah, I just think he's tired. Though, he won't admit it."
I sighed heavily.
"I'm really worried about him. I think his arm is hurting him more than he will let on. I will honestly admit I don't want him to go to the semi finals. With Yugi and Kaiba having the Obelisk and Slifer… I don't want to take the chance of him getting severely hurt."
I stared off into the distance, thinking that maybe I should take his place in the finals. He wouldn't have to face the Pharaoh in that duel, where he would face the wrath of Slifer. Would things be better, if I was in the semi finals? Would Bakura, or Marik, allow it?
"…You really care for the spirit, don't you?"
I blinked, giving Marik a puzzled look.
"What do you mean?"
Marik avoided eye contact.
"You've been all over him since he arrived with that injured arm. You never left his side and you are still concerned about his safety. Even to the point to take his place in Battle City, when you know of all the dangers that will be there."
"Well, he's one of my closest friends," I replied sincerely. "Bakura…has been through a lot in his life. He's a lot like you, actually. He believes the Pharaoh has done him wrong too. He really needs a friend, someone to be at his side no matter what. I want to ease his suffering, make life better for him."
I stopped talking as I noticed that Marik's face darkened, his eyes filled with emotion.
"Wait…" I said, studying him carefully. "Are you jealous?"
Marik blushed and turned to me.
"What? How could you accuse me of such a thing?! What do I have to be jealous about?" he exclaimed defensively.
I smiled playfully and giggled. Marik's blush grew and I knew I was getting to him. He then rubbed his head and sighed. Though he smiled after a few seconds.
"However, I wouldn't tease me if I were you, Roxanne."
I raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, and why's that?"
Marik smirked and gave an evil chuckle.
Suddenly, he put his arm around my waist and drew me very close to him. I yelped. Marik put his face very close to mine, staring deeply into my eyes. My heart skipped a beat. Moving his free hand behind him, I saw Marik pluck a small, golden flower from a nearby bush. Pulling back my hair from my face, he put the flower behind my ear. He then leaned very close to me, making my face grow hot.
"You really need to start pulling your hair back," Marik whispered very softly in my ear, "and stop hiding your beautiful face all the time."
His lips tickled my ear. He laughed slightly and stepped a back a bit, putting his fingers under my chin.
"I think I've made my point," Marik said with a seductive smirk.
I nodded in reply, for it was the only thing I could do. Reluctantly, Marik stepped away.
"Come, we need to fetch Bakura and head to the finals," he said. "It's starting to get late."
"…Yeah…"
Silently, we walked back to the bench Bakura was sitting at. Bakura saw us coming and his eyes widened a bit when he saw me.
"Roxanne, are you alright?" he asked concerned. "Your face is all red."
Oh great…
My blush grew and I avoided eye contact. Bakura noticed the flower in my hair and immediately turned to Marik. Marik smirked.
"She's perfectly fine, Bakura. Come on, we need to hurry to the finals."
Marik brushed his arm against mine, making me blush even more if that was even possible, and lead the way. I slowly followed behind him, Bakura walking right next to me.
"Roxanne, did he do anything to you?" Bakura asked, almost sounding like an order.
"I…well…I…"
I stuttered, the moment replaying in my mind.
"I…don't really want to talk right now, Bakura."
Bakura stared at me for a moment before he gave a death glare towards Marik's direction, but if Marik saw it, I couldn't tell.
The rest of the walk was in complete silence, until we finally arrived at the Domino Stadium.
