Chapter 1: Looking for a Missing Friend
"Hey, Jounouchi," Honda called to the blonde, "You get that math problem the teach' gave us."
"Nani? Of course not," he answered, "I hardly got the last one she gave us."
It was mid-day as Anzu, Jounouchi, and Honda were at school in a typical day. With lunch break just beginning, they were in the hallway messing around, at least Honda and Jounouchi were.
"Huuu…" Anzu sighed walking.
"Huh? What's the matter Anzu?" Honda asked.
"It's Yugi. He's not here today, and it's not like him to miss school."
"Maybe he's sick," Jounouchi answer, "I can't blame him from what we've got to put up with here, but…"
"But what?"
"I don't know about this time. Today's the day we all go out after school for burgers. I don't think he'd miss that unless he was dying or something."
"You're right," Honda replied, "Anzu, could you call his house?"
"Here?" she questioned, "The school prohibits the use of cell phones on school grounds, even during lunch break!"
"Look, let's just find a lone corner of the school. Honda and I will keep watch for teachers or monitors."
Looking around, Jounouchi and Honda creped thought the hallways like amateur spies in the movies with Anzu just sighing and walking behind him. After getting alone, Anzu dialed Yugi's number.
"Moshi Moshi. Kame Game Store, this is Sugoroku Motou speaking," she heard Yugi's grandfather on the other side.
"Motou-sama…"
"Anzu? Is that you? Why are you calling me? Does Yugi want to talk to me?"
"Huh? You mean Yugi's not there?"
"No. Isn't he at school with you?"
"No. We haven't seen him all day."
"This is puzzling. Yugi would never skip school, but he left like he always does with his backpack."
"Anzu," Jounouchi said, "Is Yugi there?"
"No. He left to go to school, like always."
"Anzu," Sugoroku said, "I'm going to look for him. Thank you for telling me about this."
"I hope he's ok."
"If I know my grandson, he should be."
He hung up and Anzu pressed end on her cell phone.
"His grandfather is going to look for him," she said to the other two.
"Hmmm… I bet someone wanted the god cards he got from Battle City. The details of the duels were released last week," Honda guessed.
"Maybe," Jounouchi replied, "…I'm going to look for him."
"Nani?" Honda said.
"Jounouchi, the school will know you're gone," Anzu said.
"Oh well. Just tell them something came up…Tell them I had to see Sinzuka."
He ran off before the other could respond.
"Woah, he's really got a bad feeling if he's has to use Sinzuka to get out," Honda said surprised.
"Huuu," Anzu sighed, "He was just kidding, baka…"
Jounouchi jogged across another street as he looked at every place that Yugi would go to but came up empty handed. After two hours, he began to reach the business district and was still looking. Finally, he found himself at the Kame Game Store, which obviously had the closed sign, as Sugoroku was looking for his grandson. With all the jogging, he was getting tired so he began to walk as he searched. About a few blocks down from Yugi's home, Jounouchi found the bus stop where Yugi would wait for the bus to take him to the high school.
"Hmmm… Did he even come here after he left home?" he questioned as he walked on.
As he passed a nearby alley, the clouds began to clear up, and the sun's light hit Jounouchi's eye, which confused him as it was coming from the alley. He looked over towards the once dark passageway and saw a good-sized object that was reflecting the sun's light.
"That's odd," he thought, "No one must have noticed it because it was cloudy today."
He went towards the object in question to get a closer look. Horror took his face as he looked on the ground to see the Millennium Puzzle lying there.
"My God," he gasped, "Yugi would never be this negligent! Something's definitely wrong."
He picked up the Puzzle and saw the piece of paper under it. Scooping it up, he examined the folded up parchment and opened the paper up, seeing a message written on it.
To Sugoroku Motou:
Let me say this first. You call the police; the kid dies. You try to get the authorities; the kid dies. I know this punk has friends, and I want you to tell them he's gone for good. He ruined me and now I'm going to make sure he never sees them again. I just wanted you to know he was never safe… However, there is something I want that might make me let him go… His duel monsters deck. But then again, you don't know where he is, so I'll send some more instructions as they come to me… Got it! No damn media either, or I make sure he dies in agony.
Jounouchi crumpled the letter and yelled out to no one. He punched the walls and growled in anger. Minutes passed as he kicked some trash cans in anger. He tired himself out and slumped down, still gripping the paper.
"No. He can't be gone! He just can't! Why?! Damn bastard!"
"Where'd you take my friend!?" he shouted.
No one really noticed him as they took him for a street bum just making a crazy rant. Jounouchi got up and began to walk out of the alley.
"I better go the his home and wait for gramps…"
"Jounouchi…" he heard.
Stopping in his tracks, he turned around. It sounded like Yugi, but it was different. Cautiously, he went back into the alley and looked around.
"Jounouchi…"
Jounouchi looked towards the opening of the passageway and saw the other Yugi standing before him.