Disclaimer: Nate, Threnody, Sonique, Jubilee, and Maddie belong to Marvel Comics, all other characters belong to Pioneer (except Marty and N, who are products of my own twisted mind).
Author's Note: This is the sequel to X-Man Muyo. Enjoy! If you haven't at least read the first story in the "New Kid" series, (which, conveniently enough, is called "The New Kid") part of this might seem weird. But it's not mandatory, and you'll still have fun.
... are thoughts.
X-Man Muyo 2: Yugi's Rules
"Time to wake up, Nate."
Nate slowly opened his eyes. "Washu, please, not again! I haven't slept at all since last night!"
"Tough. You promised you'd give me a decent sample. Either you get up now, or I'll have Ryoko wake you up."
Nate's eyes widened in something close to fear. Ryoko's method of waking him up was more draining than any of Washu's tests...at least, he assumed it was. She'd been trying to sleep with him ever since they met three months ago, and avoiding her hadn't gotten any easier. Kamidake and Azaka wouldn't guard his room anymore, not since Ryoko had nearly reduced them to toothpicks. Washu was no help, either; all she wanted was a DNA sample from him at any cost.
"Okay, you had your chance." Washu turned to the door and started to call Ryoko.
"NO! I'm up!" Nate quickly jumped in front of the small scientist. "See?! Wide awake and ready to...um...be sampled!"
Washu smiled. "Good boy. You know the drill."
Nate obediently held out his right arm, and Washu jammed a needle into his vein.
"Be sure to hold very still. Your DNA's very unstable, and any vibrations could ruin the sample."
Nate held his breath until she was done. "Can I ask why you need all these samples?"
"You can, but that doesn't mean I'll answer," Washu replied as she turned and walked away.
Holding in a grunt of frustration, Nate followed her through the spacious lab. "Well, I'd really appreciate it if you did, Washu."
"You know what you have to do," she said simply.
Nate rolled his eyes. "Little Washu, could you please grant my request?"
"Since you asked so nicely, sure!" Washu stopped by a tall, cylinder-shaped tank. "I'm trying to make a son. A brother for Ryoko, you might say, but more for me than anyone else."
"And you need my samples because...?" Nate pressed his hand against the tank.
"Because I've never met anyone with your psionic potential. Since I'm having so much trouble keeping your cells together, I'm hoping that they'll eventually use telekinesis to do it on their own."
"You're asking a lot from just cells," Nate responded, glancing at her.
"But they're your very exceptional cells," she reminded him. "I think they'll stay together as a means to survive and evolve."
"So, essentially, you're asking me to sleep with Ryoko."
"Huh?" Washu gave him a look. "What do you mean?"
"You're going to create this thing the same way you made her, but with my cells, right?"
"Yes, but the result will very different. It'll have your psionics, Ryoko's unique energy signature, the shape-shifting abilities of the masses, and a portion of my brain power...assuming it ever gets past the first stage, anyway." She smiled to herself. "Besides, if I asked you to sleep with someone, it certainly wouldn't be Ryoko."
"Oh, don't you start, too."
* * * * *
Sasami turned on the intercom to Washu's lab. "Nate! Washu! Breakfast is ready!"
There was the sound of an explosion from within, and a few seconds later, the intercom clicked on. "We'll be right out, Sasami. Nate just needs a moment to...compose himself."
Before it clicked off, Sasami thought she could hear someone shouting, "It burns! IT BURNS! PUT IT OUT!"
Minutes later, the door opened, and Washu stepped out. Nate followed, though he looked a bit...unusual. His clothes were charred and smoking, and his hair and skin were black with ash. Still, there was a peaceful look on his face.
"Nate, are you okay?" Sasami asked slowly.
"Yup!" Nate beamed.
Washu leaned over and whispered to Sasami. "New invention of mine. I call it the Bliss Beam. Causes the subject to be...really, really happy."
Sasami looked at Nate uncertainly. "But he looks...stupid?"
"Oh, he's a total idiot, for now. But he sure is happy!"
"Washu, how long will this last?"
"Oh, not long. Two, three weeks at the most."
Sasami took Nate's hand. "C'mon, let's get you some breakfast."
"Can I have cereal?" Nate asked, a hopeful look on his face.
"We'll see." Sasami dragged him towards the kitchen. "But afterwards, we have to get you some new clothes."
* * * * *
"They look so happy together. Like a little family." Yugi pressed her hand against the crystal ball. "I wish I had one."
"And you can have one, child," the woman behind her said in an assuring voice. "All you have to do is use your powers to create one."
"NO!" Yugi frowned. "The last time I did that, I got in trouble. Making my own family would be bad." She sighed wistfully and rubbed her fingers across the distorted image of Sasami's face. "Besides, I don't want another family. I want them. Here. With me."
"Then why don't you bring them all here?"
Yugi considered that. "Maybe. But what's in it for you?"
The woman smiled. "You're a smart one. I want to see an old friend again." She touched Nate's face on the globe. "Him."
"Okay. But I won't bring them here unless they can all be happy."
The woman chuckled. "I know just what to do."
* * * * *
Ryoko leaned forward. "So...you're telling me that Nate's an idiot."
"I wouldn't put it so crudely," Ayeka said. "He's...just not as smart as he used to be."
"PURPLE HAIR LADY!" Nate grabbed a lock of Ayeka's hair and rubbed it against his cheek. "Smooth and silky!"
"Nate, stop that!" Sasami grabbed his leg. "I told you not to go anywhere without me!"
Ayeka pulled her hair from his grasp.
"You were saying?" Ryoko asked with a smirk.
Ayeka glared at her. "Oh, shut up."
Ryoko vanished and appeared beside Nate, draping her arms around his neck. "So, Nate. Would you like to go somewhere more private...with me?"
Nate shook his head seriously. "Nope. I gotta do what Mama says."
"WHO?" Ayeka asked.
"Mama!" Nate picked up Sasami and hugged her. "She made me a really yummy breakfast!"
Sasami smiled weakly. "Nate, maybe we should get you some clothes now." She wrinkled her nose. "Right after you take a bath."
"Okay, Mama!" Nate agreed.
"Mind if I join you?" Ryoko asked seductively.
"Sorry, Big Mouth Lady. Only Mama can see my private parts."
"BIG MOUTH?!"
Ayeka covered her mouth in a failed attempt not to laugh. "Well, even in this state, he certainly is perceptive."
Sasami giggled. "Okay, Nate. Time to go. Say goodbye."
"Okay, Mama." Nate grabbed Ayeka and hugged her tightly. "Bye, Aunt Ayeka!" He gave her a very messy kiss on the cheek.
Ayeka frowned and wiped off her cheek. "Goodbye, Nate."
"Don't I get a kiss?" Ryoko asked.
"Nope. Only family gets those." Nate patted her head fondly. "Bye, Big Mouth!"
Ryoko bit her lip to keep from growling.
"Let's go, Nate." Sasami tugged on his hand. "We should get you out of those burned clothes and into something clean."
"Hey! She's gonna get to see him naked!" Ryoko cried as Nate and Sasami left the room.
"Sasami's very mature for her age. I'm sure she can deal with whatever she sees," Ayeka replied.
"But it's not fair! I should be the one!"
"Ryoko, you're being silly. Nate is not the pinnacle of Earthling manliness. He's only a boy."
"Yeah, well, I saw the look on your face when that boy grabbed your hair! You LIKED it!"
Ayeka blushed. "I don't know what you're talking about!"
"Yeah, right! How come everyone always falls for the cute guy I like?!"
"I am not falling for anyone! I am the first crown princess of Jurai, and-"
"You are slowly but surely falling in love with a mutant Earthling," Ryoko finished. "Face it, Ayeka. You loved to hate him before, and now you hate to love him, but you do. Funny how you don't realize that until he's a complete moron."
"RYOKO, I AM NOT IN LOVE WITH NATE!"
"You trying to convince me or yourself, princess? Either way, we both know the truth. And either way, he's still mine. Eventually."
Ayeka smirked. "Then why is Sasami bathing him as we speak?"
Ryoko frowned. "Shut up."
* * * * *
I will not look. I will not look. I will NOT look. Sasami nodded confidently and continued to soap Nate's back. Good. He's not making any sudden movements. So there's no chance of me accidently seeing anything.
"Mama, how come Big Mouth Lady's always trying to touch me?"
Sasami smiled. "It's because she likes you, Natey." Really, REALLY likes you.
"The way you like me?" Nate asked, turning his head slightly.
"Not quite," Sasami answered slowly, her face turning red. "She likes you in a different way. Lean back so I can do your hair."
Nate obeyed. "So you don't like me that way?"
Sasami hesitated. "Natey, I like you strictly in a Mama sort of way."
"Okay." Nate stopped asking questions, for the moment.
Sasami quickly finished washing his hair. "Okay, Natey. Stay here while I get a big towel for you."
"But the water's hot and it's making me all wrinkly!"
"Natey, do as I say." Sasami walked away from the bath and grabbed a towel from the stack. "Blue or green?"
"Green," replied a voice that was suspiciously a lot closer than the bath.
Sasami slowly turned around. Then her jaw dropped. And if it wasn't for the fact that Nate was even more impressive than she'd ever dreamed in her wildest fantasies, she would have fainted for sure. Instead, Sasami bit her lip and formed the words slowly in her mind before saying them. "Natey, what do you think you're doing?"
"I don't like being all wrinkly," he replied.
"Okay." Sasami carefully and quickly tied the towel around his waist, then threw another at his face. "I'll set out some clothes while you dry off."
"I wanna wear the purple and gold stuff!"
"Okay, okay. Just get dry first." Sasami quickly stepped out of the bathroom and closed the door behind her. She sighed and took a deep breath. Wow. He's really... Wow. She shook her head. Great. Now that I've seen it, I can't even tell anyone. Being Nate's mother is really starting to bug me.
* * * * *
Washu stared at the tiny cell formation inside the tank. "Hello there, my little one! I see you've grown a bit in the last few hours! At this rate, you'll be a whole person in a few months! Yes, you will!"
"Do you have to talk to it?" Ryoko asked, appearing behind her.
"I did the same with you. Not that it helped much." Washu placed her hand against the tank. "Besides, I want him to know his mother's voice."
"You're NOT his mother. Just like you're NOT my mother. Got it?"
"Wrong again, Ryoko. You have my cells inside you. Without them, you'd just be this," Washu said, holding up a MASS that was as big as her hand. "Without my brains, your brawn, and Nate's...skills, he'd be the same thing."
Ryoko poked the little creature in Washu's hand. "Washu, it's an IT, not a HE. Just like this thing."
Washu yanked the MASS away from her. "Don't call my baby an it! He's a boy, and your little brother!"
"I don't HAVE a family," Ryoko stated firmly. "Neither do you."
"How can you be so cruel to me, Ryoko? Without my desire to have a daughter, you wouldn't even exist!"
"Yeah, well, no one forced you to do it." Ryoko turned and flew away from the tank. "Anyway, it's just a bunch of cells. It can't even HEAR us."
Washu held the MASS up to the tank. "Well, you can sense him listening, can't you, little guy?"
The MASS squirmed in her hand and pressed against the tank.
"I knew you could! Now, what should I call him?"
The MASS flattened itself in her hand.
"Oh, you're a great help, Marty. You're supposed to be my smartest MASS."
Marty stared up at her with his tiny, beady eyes.
"Oh, never mind. I'll think of a name when I'm not in such a bad mood." Washu smiled at the cellular structure inside the tank. "Don't worry about Ryoko, sweetie. By the time you're strong enough to come out, you'll be ten times as powerful as she is. Then you can beat her up when she's mean to you."
Marty gave a loud squeal and bounced in her hand.
"You're right, Marty. I think he'll be perfect, too." Washu patted the tank affectionately. "Well, it's time for bed, honey. See you in the morning." She leaned over and kissed the tank.
Marty whined and began to squirm.
"Okay, I'll feed you now." Washu turned off the light and headed for her room. "But if you whiz on the carpet one more time, you'll be stuck in the feeding tank with your pals!"
As Washu closed the door behind her, the being in the tank twitched ever so slightly.
* * * * *
Sasami never realized how tiring motherhood was. At least, when you were Nate's mother. It was almost enough to keep her from ever having children. She'd always wanted to get closer to Nate, but not in this way.
"Mama, how come you look spacey?"
Sasami blinked. "Huh? Oh, sorry. Where was I?"
"You were telling me about Yugi."
"I was? What was I saying?"
Nate thought for a moment. "You said she was lonely."
"Well, she is. I wish she hadn't left in such a hurry. We were really good friends, while we were together."
"You miss her, Mama?"
"Yes, I do." Sasami sighed. "But you should go to bed now. Washu might need more samples tomorrow."
"Is that why I have to sleep in this room?"
"Yes, but also because you might change during the night, and we don't want anything bad happening to you."
"Oh." Nate sighed. "I got a bad feeling."
"You do?" Sasami asked. "What is it, Natey?"
"Somebody's...coming..." Nate slowly nodded off and began to snore.
Sasami watched him for a while. Soon enough, she was asleep as well.
Moments later, Yugi appeared, hovering over the bed. "Well, at least Sasami remembers me."
Her companion nodded. "You get her. I'll get Nate."
"What about Washu, Ryoko, and Ayeka?"
"We'll get them later. Right now, these two are our concern."
Yugi hopped to the floor and carefully gathered Sasami in her arms, using her telekinetics to help carry the larger girl. "I told you, Sasami," she whispered with a smile. "I told you we'd be together forever. Now, we will be. You, me, and your whole family."
* * * * *
Marty wasn't an average MASS. When he had been locked up with the others of his kind, he'd been the leader, and the only MASS to lead without his authority being challenged. Washu had recognized this and given him his own name, and a seat on her shoulder, something which was greatly desired among them. That was the only way a MASS ever got to leave the tank and see the rest of the lab.
He knew Washu followed a daily routine of experimenting, followed by more experimenting, and ended it all with a healthy round of experimenting. So when he woke up to find that the lights were still off and Washu was gone, he instantly knew that something was wrong.
Marty slowly dragged himself across the lab floor and over to the tank. The cell cluster had grown considerably during the night, but it still had no definite human shape. Marty crawled up the console that operated the tank and pressed the button which activated accelerated aging.
There was a quiet hiss as chemicals were injected into the tank. The cell cluster shuddered noticeably, then began to pulse.
Marty then dragged himself over to the MASS tank, which was much larger than the cell cluster's, and with good reason. A MASS needed plenty of room to move. Small, confined spaces made them feel threatened, and then they got very dangerous.
Marty pressed himself against the tank, watching as his brothers gathered on the other side. They could instantly sense what he was thinking, and began to form one giant MASS that took up most of the tank. With one great push, the huge MASS broke the tank, spilling water all over the floor.
Marty then joined his brothers, and once he had regained control of the MASS colony, he led them out of the lab, leaving the cell cluster to develop on its own.
* * * * *
"Nate, wake up!"
Nate slowly opened his eyes. "Huh? Who said that?"
"I did!"
Nate blinked and looked up to see Sasami standing next to the bed. "Sasami? What are you doing here?"
"What do you mean?" she asked. "I live here, too. The same as everyone else."
"Everyone...else?" Nate asked. "Who?"
"Morning, Natey!" Threnody said as she walked into the bedroom.
Nate's jaw dropped. "Threnody?!"
"Get up, you big lug! The girls made a big breakfast, and you're just gonna lay there and let it go unappreciated?"
"But...but..." Nate slowly stood up and walked over to her. "How did YOU get here?"
"I walked," she replied, cupping his face and giving him a quick kiss on the lips. "Are you gonna eat or not?"
Nate stared at her. "Okay...but I don't-"
Threnody and Sasami literally dragged him into the kitchen, where Nate was met with another surprise. Two more, to be exact.
"There you are, Nate!" Theresa Rourke, a.k.a. Sonique, held up a plate of pancakes. "I made these just for you."
"Terry?" Nate asked, his jaw dropping further than it had before.
"What? I swear I've cooked before! There's nothing wrong with them!"
"Sez you," a voice from the table replied. "Meantime, I'm pickin'what I HOPE is broccoli from my teeth."
Nate blinked and slowly turned. What is SHE doing here?
Jubilee's eyes met his, and she gave him a half-hearted wave. "Hey, Grey. Is there somethin' on my face, or are you tryin' to be obvious 'bout undressin' me with your eyes?"
This isn't happening. It can't! Threnody's gone, Terry's dead, and Jubilee's...I don't know what she is!
"Nate, are you okay?" Sasami asked. "You look a little pale."
Nate swallowed noisily. "Someone had better tell me something. Like right now."
"Tell you what?" Threnody asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"I want to know how all of you got here, and why I haven't fainted yet."
The girls gave each other puzzled looks.
Jubilee spoke up. "Nate, ya know we love ya, but I think I speak for all involved when I say, 'What the heck?'"
Nate sighed and sat down. "Never mind. I'll eat. Just don't surprise me anymore."
"Is breakfast ready yet?"
Nate looked down to see someone sitting next to him. Only he'd never seen her before, and while he was surprised, he wasn't shocked, as he had been the last few times. "You would be?" he asked as calmly as he could.
"Yugi," she replied sweetly. "And you're Nate, the guy with all the girlfriends."
"Yes, I'm the guy with all...the WHAT?!"
"Relax, Nate!" Sasami said, patting his hand. "Just eat, and we'll go over everything for you afterwards."
"No, I want to know EXACTLY how many girlfriends I have right now. That's something every guy with more than one should keep track of."
Yugi sighed. "Okay, fine. There's Threnody, Jubilee, Terry, Sasami, Ayeka, Ryoko, and Washu. That's seven in all."
"And nobody has a problem with that?" Nate asked.
The girls shook their heads.
"This just got scary."
"What's the problem, Natey?" Threnody asked. "Aren't you happy?"
"I would be, if this all weren't so..."
"What?" Sasami asked.
"Suspicious."
"The only one acting suspicious is you," Jubilee pointed out.
"Yeah, we don't have a problem sharing you," Terry added.
"But you SHOULD!" Nate sighed. "No woman in her right mind would EVER share her boyfriend with another woman. So something isn't right here. Besides, Sasami's way too young for me, and I'm pretty sure that's illegal, even in deep space."
"You worry too much," Yugi said, digging into a big bowl of cereal with a huge spoon. "Just relax, Nate."
"Well, what are YOU doing here?" he asked.
"She's my best friend," Sasami replied. "Don't you remember?"
"That'd be a no." Nate looked down at his plate. "This is really weird. Where are Washu, Ryoko, and Ayeka, anyway?"
Yugi smiled mysteriously. "I'm sure they're out having fun somewhere."
* * * * *
"This is all your fault, Washu!" Ryoko shouted.
"And how did you come to that brilliant conclusion?"
"If you hadn't drugged Nate, he could've sensed them coming and warned us!"
Washu rolled her eyes. "Ryoko, Yugi is one of the greatest psychic powerhouses I've ever come across. I doubt even Nate could've stopped her on his best day."
"Well, you made him an idiot, so we'll never know, will we?"
"Arguing isn't going to help anyone," Ayeka pointed out. "We have to find out what they've done with Nate and Sasami."
"And how do we do that?" Ryoko asked. "We're chained to a wall!"
"I have an idea," Washu said.
"Oh, right. That's what got us into this mess!"
Washu's eyes narrowed. "Be quiet!"
"YOU be quiet! I don't have to-"
"Ryoko, shut UP!" Washu hissed. "Someone's coming!"
The door slid open, and a tall woman with red hair and green eyes walked in. "I do hope you're all comfortable, since you'll be here for quite a while."
"What do you want with us?" Ayeka asked. "We don't even know you!"
"I could care less about you three," the woman replied. "It's Yugi that wants you here. I was only interested in Nate. However, since I've learned about this 'Power of Jurai,' I'm interested in that, too. Yugi tells me that all of you are connected to it, and I want to know how."
"You think we'll just talk?" Ryoko said with a sneer.
"No. Which is why I bought this." The woman held up a tray full of surgical tools. "The name is Madelyne Pryor, and as you're about to find out, I'll go to great lengths to get what I want. In other words, if you won't give me the Power of Jurai, I'll just have to take it." Her gaze landed on Ryoko. "And since you're so chatty, we'll start with you."
* * * * *
Marty didn't really know what he was doing. Washu was still missing, and so were the other people that came down to the lab on a regular basis. His main priority was to find her. Only he wasn't really sure how to do that. He assumed that she hadn't left under her own power. She would have told him, or at least left a note somewhere, like next to the food supply. And that was another big thing. She hadn't left him a food supply, so Marty knew that something was wrong. Washu didn't forget things, and she always took good care of the MASS colony.
Still, they were getting hungry, and they didn't know if it was safe to eat human food. Of course, when they got hungry enough, Marty knew the colony would ignore his orders and eat just about anything. Fortunately, it never came to that.
One the sixth day of their new-found freedom, there was an explosion from the lab. Marty led the colony down to the ruined lab. As he'd hoped, it was creature Washu had been working on. It wasn't full grown yet, but it was about the size of the girl that Washu called 'Sasami.' Although it was definitely a boy. Marty hoped it would want to find Washu as much as he did.
The creature slowly crawled out of the mess, its small form still dripping with the green liquid from the tank.
Marty carefully approached the creature, not wanting to scare it.
The creature stood up, testing its new legs. It raised the arms, inspecting them closely. Then it ran a hand through its short, white hair. After a moment of silence, it walked out of the lab, with Marty and the MASS colony right behind it.
The creature walked straight to the bridge of the ship, programmed a route into the navigation system, and walked away. "Marty, keep an eye on things," it said. "I'm going to take my first shower and get dressed. Then we'll go find my mother."
* * * * *
Nate knew something was wrong. There was no way all the girls of his dreams should agree to share him. But then he realized something very important: Yugi was the only one that had little or no interest in him. Sure, she was nice to him when she did speak, which was rare, but most of her time was spent with Sasami. And since Yugi was the only one that didn't seem to be in love with him, Nate figured she was the normal one in the bunch. Therefore, she was the key to finding out what was wrong with this seemingly perfect world.
So one night after everyone was asleep, Nate slipped out of bed (stepping over Jubilee & Threnody to do so) and crept into the room Yugi & Sasami shared. Both girls appeared to be asleep. But as Nate came closer, Yugi opened her eyes.
"Y'know, Nate, usually if you're caught sneaking into a girl's room, it means you want something."
"We need to talk," he replied, glancing at Sasami, "but not here."
Yugi climbed out of bed. "Okay, but don't take too long. Sasami might wake up and get lonely." She led him into the living room. "What's so important it couldn't wait until morning?"
"This world," Nate said. "It's wrong. I can feel it."
Yugi arched an eyebrow. "You got me up in the middle of the night to give me your views on philosophy?"
"No, Yugi. This world isn't real, it can't be! You're the only that DOES make sense...but I don't even know who you are!"
"Well, you're sounding pretty crazy to me. Can I sleep now?"
"NO! Aren't you listening to me?!"
Yugi smiled mysteriously. "Not really. But you're cute when you're ranting."
"Stop that! There's too many girls in love with me already!"
She giggled, sounding even younger than she looked. "C'mere for a sec." Strangely enough, the look in Yugi's eyes was one that Nate would've expected from a grown woman, but it was no less effective.
"Why?" Nate asked suspiciously, even as he took a few steps toward her.
"Just cuz."
"Tell me why first."
Yugi narrowed her eyes a bit. "YOU got ME out of bed this late. You owe me."
"Fine." Nate squatted, almost putting himself at eye level with her. "What is it?"
Yugi cupped her hands to his ear, as if she was going to whisper something. If she did say anything, Nate never heard it. The next thing he knew, Yugi's lips found his.
Nate's first instinct was to pull away, but for some reason, that instinct faded as quickly as the kiss had been initiated. It was sweet and innocent, yet passionate and experienced at the same time. Any thoughts of resistance soon vanished, along with every other thought in Nate's head. The single thought he did have was focused on Yugi, and how he could prevent her from ending the kiss.
Though neither of them saw the figure lurking in the shadows, Yugi could easily sense her new associate's jealousy. Not that it bothered her in the least. In fact, it only made her more courageous. She smiled to herself and deepened the kiss, allowing Nate's arms to wrap around her small frame.
* * * * *
"What were you doing in there?!"
Yugi calmly stared up at her associate. "Honestly, Maddie. You're gonna give yourself a heart attack that way."
"YOU WERE KISSING HIM!"
"Only for 3.5 seconds. After that, it was all him."
"This was NOT part of the deal!"
"Neither was dissecting Sasami's friends," Yugi pointed out. "We agreed that I would keep everyone happy at any cost, and that's what I'm doing. Nate no longer has any complaints."
"You practically sucked his brain out through his lips!"
"I gave him some suggestions. It was totally innocent."
Maddie forced herself to calm down. "Yugi, I'm warning you. Nate is MINE. Are we clear on that?"
Yugi smiled impishly. "Tell me something, Maddie. Why is it when I searched Nate's thoughts for his dream girls, your face didn't pop up?"
Maddie's eyes narrowed. "That's none of your business!"
"Oh, but it is! I now know Nate better than you do, and I know what he wants. I'm just wondering how long it'll take you to figure out that it isn't you." Yugi grinned and skipped away, humming to herself.
Maddie growled under her breath. "Enjoy your little fantasy while it lasts, child. Once I have the Power of Jurai, you and your family will be history, and Nate will be all mine again."
* * * * *
Marty watched intently as the creature pulled three containers of ice cream from the freezer. "Sorry, guys," it said, "but this seems to be the only human food your systems can safely digest."
The MASS colony swarmed over the containers, devouring everything but the table.
Marty bounched on the creature's shoulder.
"I've been thinking about that, too. I've finally come up with a name for myself. What do you think of N?"
Marty replied with a puzzled squeak.
"I can't decide if it should stand for my primary genetic donor or a shortened version of infinity," it explained.
Marty squirmed.
"Hmm...the unknown variable? That sounds much better. Thanks, Marty." The newly-named N walked out of the kitchen, with the MASS colony following behind him.
Marty remained on N's shoulder, wondering just what his friend was thinking.
N walked to the ship's bridge and stared at the console. "How very primitive. There must be a better way to pilot the ship."
Instantly, a computer keypad appeared out of thin air. Strangely enough, it was connected to nothing, and it seemed to hover just beneath N's fingers.
N smiled as he began to type. "Mom, you're a true genius. I can't wait to meet you."
* * * * *
Ayeka somehow managed to keep from throwing up. "Washu...is she...?"
"No. Not if I can repair her, anyway." Washu kept her eyes trained on Ryoko's body, even as she typed rapidly on her keyboard.
"Can't you do anything about the smell?" Ayeka pleaded.
"Nope. As far as I can tell, Yugi controls everything on this planet...or ship...or whatever it is we're on. Ms. Slice & Dice is just along for the ride. Yugi must have promised her something, but what could Yugi possibly have that Madelyne Pryor wants?"
Ayeka's eyes widened. "Washu, we haven't seen Sasami since we were brought here. Do you think-"
"Not even a possibility. Yugi wouldn't let anyone harm Sasami. She's fine, wherever she is. I assume Nate is, too. Why do you ask?"
"I was just thinking. Pryor wants the Power of Jurai, and she'll most likely try someone from Jurai next. That could be me or Sasami."
"Or Yugi," Washu added. "Though she doesn't possess the 'official' Power of Jurai, she is infused with great powers given to her by Jurai's royal family. I'm willing to bet Pryor wouldn't know the difference, as long as she got her hands on some great power."
"You think she'll betray Yugi?"
"I'm positive she will. When is the question." Washu suddenly stopped typing. "That's strange. Someone's accessed my computer on the ship."
"What does that mean?" Ayeka asked.
"It means someone with my DNA is on the ship. It can't be Ryoko, so..." Washu trailed off, her eyes widening. "Oh, no! My baby's out!"
"Your WHAT?"
Washu was no longer listening. She typed rapidly at her keyboard. "I have to contact him and let him know we're here!"
The keyboard vanished, and Yugi appeared in front of Washu, a frown on her face.
"You're not trying to escape, are you?" she asked. "Cuz then I'd think you weren't happy here."
"We're not!" Ayeka shouted. "I want to see my sister!"
"Okay." Yugi waved her hand, and the wall behind them seemed to fall away. Through a glass-like substance, Ayeka & Washu could see Sasami & Nate sitting on a couch. They weren't moving, and their eyes were cloudy. "As you can see, they're a little busy right now, but they're perfectly fine."
"What have you done to them?" Ayeka asked.
"I made them happy," Yugi replied. "And if you two are willing to behave, you can join them. Otherwise, you can take your chances with Maddie, and she's not as nice as I am." Her gaze drifted to Ryoko. "But I guess you knew that already."
Washu frowned. "Yugi, why are you doing this?"
"That's for me to know and for you to wish you knew. Do you want to join them or not?"
"No. Ryoko's dying, Yugi. I'm the only one that can help her now. Is that your idea of happiness? Letting Sasami's friends die?"
Yugi paused. "What did Maddie do to her?"
"See for yourself."
Yugi stared at Washu for a long moment. "Do what you can. Call me if you need anything." With that, she faded from sight.
"It would appear she isn't as evil as we first thought," Ayeka said.
"She's not evil, Ayeka. She just goes about getting what she wants the wrong way. And since she's got the power to do it, she's used to getting her way. For now, all we can do is hope that Sasami or Nate can reach her."
* * * * *
As Yugi injected her psychic avatar back into her specially designed fantasy world, she was stopped by an unexpected firewall. This turned out to be a brick wall that was literally on fire. It didn't take Yugi long to realize who had put it there.
"Maddie, you're starting to annoy me."
The bricks moved and formed Maddie's face. "Yugi, I've come to warn you. I sense something incredibly powerful coming this way. It is dangerous for you to be here."
"It's MY world. How could it be dangerous to me? I made it!"
"Your physical body is vulernable while you're here, Yugi. Heed my words, or you will regret it."
"You just cut up one of Sasami's friends, and you think I'm gonna listen to you? I may look young, Maddie, but I'm not stupid." Yugi pushed through the firewall with little strain.
Maddie returned to her physical body. "As you wish, child. But you will regret this." She drew a knife out of her robe, wiping the blood on her dress. Then she went to find were Yugi had left her body.
* * * * *
Nate woke up to find Sasami and Yugi asleep in his arms. That was no big surprise; he'd gotten used to finding girls (fully clothed, thankfully) lying all over him. He was fortunate today, as these two were the smallest, and therefore reduced the number of limbs he had to restore feeling to in order to move. Today it was only his left arm and right hand.
Sasami groaned and opened her eyes as he shifted beneath her. "Nate?"
"Go back to sleep, Sasami. It's still early." Nate untangled his arm from Yugi's grasp and slipped from the bed, nearly tripping over something cold and round on the floor. He looked down, only to see a creature that looked very familiar.
"What is it?" Sasami asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
"I think it's a MASS, but how did it get here?" Nate picked up the squishy creature carefully.
Sasami tilted her head slightly. "That's funny. I thought Washu kept them all in a tank?"
"She does. Which means I was right about this world. Something is wrong."
Yugi suddenly woke up. "Are you still on that?" she asked.
"If I'm crazy, explain this," Nate replied, holding the MASS in front of her face.
Yugi examined it for about two seconds. "It's why you shouldn't mix mud and plutonium. Can I sleep now?"
"No." He grabbed Yugi and tucked her under his arm. "Something tells me we should leave. Right now."
"Shouldn't we get the other girls first?" Sasami asked.
Nate was about to answer when there was a scream from the kitchen. He and Sasami traded worried glances, then ran into the kitchen. They arrived just in time to see Threnody exploding into a million tiny particles, all of which quickly faded away.
Threnody's attacker was about Sasami's size. It had no distinguishing features, save that it appeared to be made of pure, white light.
"I don't know what you are," Nate said slowly, "but you're gonna pay for that."
The light's voice was surpisingly reassuring. "Don't worry, Nate. I did not harm her. As you are slowly beginning to see, this world is not real. I am here to prove that. The first step was to get rid of the distractions--the girls--which blinded you from the truth."
Nate instantly stepped in front of Sasami.
"Sasami is real here, Nate. So are Yugi and yourself. But everything else is nothing more than a child's fantasy world. Although it was a very gifted child, and a skillfully designed fantasy, it is still false."
Their surroundings slowly faded to nothingness, and they were standing in black, empty space. The talking light was now reduced an echoing voice.
"This is all that remains of your so-called fantasy world."
"NO!" Yugi shouted, pulling herself from Nate's grasp. "It was mine! Bring it back!"
A worried look appeared on Sasami's face. "Yugi...what did you do?"
"We were happy!" Yugi insisted, her anger becoming even more obvious. "You had no right to take it from me!"
"You had no right to trick Nate and Sasami," the voice replied. "True happiness can not be realized by lying to someone. If you truly wanted them to be happy, you should have been honest."
"GO AWAY!" Yugi screamed, tugging at her hair. "I'm still in control! Leave me alone!"
"I can't do that, Yugi. It is obvious that you need help, and I am here to help before you do harm to yourself, or more harm to those you claim to care about."
Yugi opened her mouth to speak, but before she could make a sound, she shattered into many pieces, just like Threnody had earlier.
"YUGI!" Sasami screamed.
"We must hurry," the voice said. "Clear your minds, and I will return you to your bodies. Hopefully, we can save Yugi before it is too late."
* * * * *
Maddie smiled and raised the bloody knife a second time. "I said you would regret your decision, child. Now do you believe me?"
Even if Yugi had wanted to speak, she couldn't. It was hard enough trying to breathe with an extra hole in her neck. Then there was the blood that kept pooling up in her throat.
Maddie came closer. "Don't resist. Just give up and I might kill you quickly."
Being pulled forcefully from her world had greatly weakened Yugi, and with her last ounce of strength, she constructed an invisible shield around herself. While it couldn't keep out very much, it would stop the knife from causing further damage.
Maddie frowned and began a psychic assault on the girl. You will be defeated, child. Your fate has been sealed.
"Seal this, witch!"
Maddie spun around, only get one of Ryoko's energy blasts at point-blank range. She stumbled back and tripped over Yugi's shield, falling to the ground.
Ryoko grunted and clutched her injured ribs, leaning on Washu's shoulder for support. "More where that came from, too."
"No, Ryoko," Washu said quietly. "Save your strength. Let the others handle this."
At the mention of "others," Maddie scrambled to her feet, only to find that she was surrounded. Nate and Sasami had returned to their physical bodies somehow, and Ayeka and the other prisoners had gotten loose.
"It's over, Maddie," Nate said. "This time, I'm making sure you can't cause anymore trouble for me or anyone else."
Maddie sneered at him. "You didn't have the guts then, and you don't have them now. Your emotions make you weak. They've always made you weak. That's why I'm stronger than you!"
Nate smirked. "If emotions make me so weak, why are you the one that teamed up with Yugi just to get me back?"
Maddie's eyes widened, and she turned her gaze on Yugi. "YOU TOLD HIM?!"
Yugi coughed weakly and somehow managed to smile, although it was hard to tell from all the blood leaking from her mouth. "Nope. You just did."
Maddie screeched and made a final lunge at Yugi. She was knocked back by an unseen force, and crumpled to the ground. Before she could move, something huge and brown slammed down, crushing her body beneath it.
Washu was the first to recognize the brown thing. "Guys, how did you get out of your tank?"
The MASS colony broke down to their individual forms and crowded around Washu & Ryoko, hopping up and down with excitement.
Ryoko made a face. "I hate those things."
"Well, they're about to save your life. If I can get you back to the lab fast enough, anyway." Washu suddenly noticed Maddie's broken body. "Rough way to go, though."
"She deserved it," a strange voice said.
Nate was the first to sense the being, but Washu was the first to spot the boy standing over the corpse. His green eyes locked on hers, and though no words were traded right away, they both just knew.
"Um...who are you?" Sasami asked.
"That can wait." The boy approached Yugi and placed a hand on her shield. "I'm sorry I had to take your world away, Yugi."
"Never did trust Maddie completely," Yugi muttered, coughing up more blood.
"Don't speak. Just relax. You're safe now."
Yugi's shield flickered, then faded. She groaned and collapsed into his arms, and her eyes rolled up into her head.
The boy carefully gathered Yugi's limp body in his arms. "Sorry I took so long," he apologized to the others. "I didn't know I'd have to piece together a rescue mission less than an hour after my birth."
Ryoko's eyes narrowed, and she suppressed a growl building in her throat.
Washu grinned up at her. "You can feel it, too, can't you?"
Even in her weak state, Ryoko gripped Washu's shoulder tightly as she leaned down to whisper in her ear. "If he calls me his big sister once, I'm killing both of you in your sleep."
* * * * *
Two weeks later, Yugi woke up in the infirmary. She sat up, only to come nose-to-nose with the person that had destroyed her fantasy world. Then again, he was also the person that saved her life and killed Maddie indirectly. So Yugi hadn't made up her mind how she felt about him just yet.
"You okay?" he asked quietly.
Yugi nodded slowly.
"You don't trust me, do you?"
Yugi shook her head.
"Fair enough. My name's N."
Yugi stared at him blankly.
"So...is there anything I could do to get on your good side?"
"You can tell me that you don't notice the huge scar on my neck."
"Okay, I don't. But I'd like to point out that there is no scar."
"See, that's good! I almost believe you."
N smiled. "No, Yugi. There is no scar. I healed you."
Yugi blinked. "Huh?"
"Okay, I had SOME instruction given to me, but the power that healed you was mine. I had plenty to spare."
"You're stronger than me, aren't you?"
N tilted his head thoughtfully. "Probably."
"You're going to rub that in my face, aren't you?"
N couldn't resist smiling. "Definitely."
Yugi sighed. "Well, at least you're not trying to punish me."
"This is your punishment. I'm not going to leave your side for the next three weeks."
She frowned. "Why?"
"I'm determined that I'm going to make you like me."
"Fat chance, pal."
"You called me pal. That's a step."
Yugi suddenly felt very scared. "Get away from me."
"Can't do that." N grinned at her, making him all the more eerie. "We've got a lot in common. We're both test tube babies."
Yugi backed away from him. "Go away."
N scooted closer. "We're both really powerful psychics."
Yugi's fear was obvious. "Get out!"
"We're both going to stay young forever." He reached out and took her hand in his own.
For some reason, Yugi couldn't pull her hand away. "Stop that!"
"And most importantly?" N raised her hand to his lips. "We both want me to kiss you."
"NATE! SASAMI! HELP!" Yugi shrieked, finally getting her senses back. She leaped away from N and ran out of the room, screaming all the while.
N grinned and followed her at leisurely pace. "This is going to be fun."
* * * * *
Washu looked up at Nate and smiled. "I promise it won't hurt this time."
Nate glared at her from where he was strapped down. "Don't make empty promises, Washu."
"Okay, fine. You might pass out from the pain."
"Wonderful."
Washu's smile only grew wider. "Sasami, make sure he doesn't try to escape."
Nate waited until Washu walked away. "I want to thank you, Sasami."
"For what, Nate?"
"Not taking advantage of me while I was all...blissed up."
Sasami's eyes widened. "You remember everything?"
Nate nodded. "Vividly."
"Oh."
"Yeah. Sorry about that. I guess I have this thing about water."
"Uh huh." Sasami's cheeks turned a slight shade of red. "I guess we're even now?"
"Not really. You only saw me naked once, but I was INSIDE your body. We'll never be equal as far as I'm concerned."
"What if I saw you naked again?"
Nate paused, a wary look on his face. "You say that like it's going to happen again."
"Well, except for those shorts, you're naked now."
"You wouldn't DARE."
"Of course not! But I can't promise Washu wouldn't. She's braver than I am."
"So why didn't you take advantage of me? I mean, I know you have feelings for me."
Sasami gave him a weird look. "Nate, I have feelings for YOU, not the...blissed up version. Besides, you kept calling me Mama and making me feel guilty. Do you know how hard it was to be your mother?"
"Since I've never had one? No."
"You never had a mother?" Sasami asked.
"Nope. Maybe that's why women are drawn to me. They can sense that I've never had a mother's love, so they want to take care of me."
"You really believe that?"
Nate shrugged. "It would explain why Washu's always running tests on me. At least, I think it would."
"Maybe it's what's in shorts that she likes so much," Sasami suggested with a grin.
"You're never gonna stop teasing me about that, are you?"
"Not if I can help it."
Nate sighed. "I was afraid of that."
The End.
Author's Note: This is the sequel to X-Man Muyo. Enjoy! If you haven't at least read the first story in the "New Kid" series, (which, conveniently enough, is called "The New Kid") part of this might seem weird. But it's not mandatory, and you'll still have fun.
... are thoughts.
X-Man Muyo 2: Yugi's Rules
"Time to wake up, Nate."
Nate slowly opened his eyes. "Washu, please, not again! I haven't slept at all since last night!"
"Tough. You promised you'd give me a decent sample. Either you get up now, or I'll have Ryoko wake you up."
Nate's eyes widened in something close to fear. Ryoko's method of waking him up was more draining than any of Washu's tests...at least, he assumed it was. She'd been trying to sleep with him ever since they met three months ago, and avoiding her hadn't gotten any easier. Kamidake and Azaka wouldn't guard his room anymore, not since Ryoko had nearly reduced them to toothpicks. Washu was no help, either; all she wanted was a DNA sample from him at any cost.
"Okay, you had your chance." Washu turned to the door and started to call Ryoko.
"NO! I'm up!" Nate quickly jumped in front of the small scientist. "See?! Wide awake and ready to...um...be sampled!"
Washu smiled. "Good boy. You know the drill."
Nate obediently held out his right arm, and Washu jammed a needle into his vein.
"Be sure to hold very still. Your DNA's very unstable, and any vibrations could ruin the sample."
Nate held his breath until she was done. "Can I ask why you need all these samples?"
"You can, but that doesn't mean I'll answer," Washu replied as she turned and walked away.
Holding in a grunt of frustration, Nate followed her through the spacious lab. "Well, I'd really appreciate it if you did, Washu."
"You know what you have to do," she said simply.
Nate rolled his eyes. "Little Washu, could you please grant my request?"
"Since you asked so nicely, sure!" Washu stopped by a tall, cylinder-shaped tank. "I'm trying to make a son. A brother for Ryoko, you might say, but more for me than anyone else."
"And you need my samples because...?" Nate pressed his hand against the tank.
"Because I've never met anyone with your psionic potential. Since I'm having so much trouble keeping your cells together, I'm hoping that they'll eventually use telekinesis to do it on their own."
"You're asking a lot from just cells," Nate responded, glancing at her.
"But they're your very exceptional cells," she reminded him. "I think they'll stay together as a means to survive and evolve."
"So, essentially, you're asking me to sleep with Ryoko."
"Huh?" Washu gave him a look. "What do you mean?"
"You're going to create this thing the same way you made her, but with my cells, right?"
"Yes, but the result will very different. It'll have your psionics, Ryoko's unique energy signature, the shape-shifting abilities of the masses, and a portion of my brain power...assuming it ever gets past the first stage, anyway." She smiled to herself. "Besides, if I asked you to sleep with someone, it certainly wouldn't be Ryoko."
"Oh, don't you start, too."
* * * * *
Sasami turned on the intercom to Washu's lab. "Nate! Washu! Breakfast is ready!"
There was the sound of an explosion from within, and a few seconds later, the intercom clicked on. "We'll be right out, Sasami. Nate just needs a moment to...compose himself."
Before it clicked off, Sasami thought she could hear someone shouting, "It burns! IT BURNS! PUT IT OUT!"
Minutes later, the door opened, and Washu stepped out. Nate followed, though he looked a bit...unusual. His clothes were charred and smoking, and his hair and skin were black with ash. Still, there was a peaceful look on his face.
"Nate, are you okay?" Sasami asked slowly.
"Yup!" Nate beamed.
Washu leaned over and whispered to Sasami. "New invention of mine. I call it the Bliss Beam. Causes the subject to be...really, really happy."
Sasami looked at Nate uncertainly. "But he looks...stupid?"
"Oh, he's a total idiot, for now. But he sure is happy!"
"Washu, how long will this last?"
"Oh, not long. Two, three weeks at the most."
Sasami took Nate's hand. "C'mon, let's get you some breakfast."
"Can I have cereal?" Nate asked, a hopeful look on his face.
"We'll see." Sasami dragged him towards the kitchen. "But afterwards, we have to get you some new clothes."
* * * * *
"They look so happy together. Like a little family." Yugi pressed her hand against the crystal ball. "I wish I had one."
"And you can have one, child," the woman behind her said in an assuring voice. "All you have to do is use your powers to create one."
"NO!" Yugi frowned. "The last time I did that, I got in trouble. Making my own family would be bad." She sighed wistfully and rubbed her fingers across the distorted image of Sasami's face. "Besides, I don't want another family. I want them. Here. With me."
"Then why don't you bring them all here?"
Yugi considered that. "Maybe. But what's in it for you?"
The woman smiled. "You're a smart one. I want to see an old friend again." She touched Nate's face on the globe. "Him."
"Okay. But I won't bring them here unless they can all be happy."
The woman chuckled. "I know just what to do."
* * * * *
Ryoko leaned forward. "So...you're telling me that Nate's an idiot."
"I wouldn't put it so crudely," Ayeka said. "He's...just not as smart as he used to be."
"PURPLE HAIR LADY!" Nate grabbed a lock of Ayeka's hair and rubbed it against his cheek. "Smooth and silky!"
"Nate, stop that!" Sasami grabbed his leg. "I told you not to go anywhere without me!"
Ayeka pulled her hair from his grasp.
"You were saying?" Ryoko asked with a smirk.
Ayeka glared at her. "Oh, shut up."
Ryoko vanished and appeared beside Nate, draping her arms around his neck. "So, Nate. Would you like to go somewhere more private...with me?"
Nate shook his head seriously. "Nope. I gotta do what Mama says."
"WHO?" Ayeka asked.
"Mama!" Nate picked up Sasami and hugged her. "She made me a really yummy breakfast!"
Sasami smiled weakly. "Nate, maybe we should get you some clothes now." She wrinkled her nose. "Right after you take a bath."
"Okay, Mama!" Nate agreed.
"Mind if I join you?" Ryoko asked seductively.
"Sorry, Big Mouth Lady. Only Mama can see my private parts."
"BIG MOUTH?!"
Ayeka covered her mouth in a failed attempt not to laugh. "Well, even in this state, he certainly is perceptive."
Sasami giggled. "Okay, Nate. Time to go. Say goodbye."
"Okay, Mama." Nate grabbed Ayeka and hugged her tightly. "Bye, Aunt Ayeka!" He gave her a very messy kiss on the cheek.
Ayeka frowned and wiped off her cheek. "Goodbye, Nate."
"Don't I get a kiss?" Ryoko asked.
"Nope. Only family gets those." Nate patted her head fondly. "Bye, Big Mouth!"
Ryoko bit her lip to keep from growling.
"Let's go, Nate." Sasami tugged on his hand. "We should get you out of those burned clothes and into something clean."
"Hey! She's gonna get to see him naked!" Ryoko cried as Nate and Sasami left the room.
"Sasami's very mature for her age. I'm sure she can deal with whatever she sees," Ayeka replied.
"But it's not fair! I should be the one!"
"Ryoko, you're being silly. Nate is not the pinnacle of Earthling manliness. He's only a boy."
"Yeah, well, I saw the look on your face when that boy grabbed your hair! You LIKED it!"
Ayeka blushed. "I don't know what you're talking about!"
"Yeah, right! How come everyone always falls for the cute guy I like?!"
"I am not falling for anyone! I am the first crown princess of Jurai, and-"
"You are slowly but surely falling in love with a mutant Earthling," Ryoko finished. "Face it, Ayeka. You loved to hate him before, and now you hate to love him, but you do. Funny how you don't realize that until he's a complete moron."
"RYOKO, I AM NOT IN LOVE WITH NATE!"
"You trying to convince me or yourself, princess? Either way, we both know the truth. And either way, he's still mine. Eventually."
Ayeka smirked. "Then why is Sasami bathing him as we speak?"
Ryoko frowned. "Shut up."
* * * * *
I will not look. I will not look. I will NOT look. Sasami nodded confidently and continued to soap Nate's back. Good. He's not making any sudden movements. So there's no chance of me accidently seeing anything.
"Mama, how come Big Mouth Lady's always trying to touch me?"
Sasami smiled. "It's because she likes you, Natey." Really, REALLY likes you.
"The way you like me?" Nate asked, turning his head slightly.
"Not quite," Sasami answered slowly, her face turning red. "She likes you in a different way. Lean back so I can do your hair."
Nate obeyed. "So you don't like me that way?"
Sasami hesitated. "Natey, I like you strictly in a Mama sort of way."
"Okay." Nate stopped asking questions, for the moment.
Sasami quickly finished washing his hair. "Okay, Natey. Stay here while I get a big towel for you."
"But the water's hot and it's making me all wrinkly!"
"Natey, do as I say." Sasami walked away from the bath and grabbed a towel from the stack. "Blue or green?"
"Green," replied a voice that was suspiciously a lot closer than the bath.
Sasami slowly turned around. Then her jaw dropped. And if it wasn't for the fact that Nate was even more impressive than she'd ever dreamed in her wildest fantasies, she would have fainted for sure. Instead, Sasami bit her lip and formed the words slowly in her mind before saying them. "Natey, what do you think you're doing?"
"I don't like being all wrinkly," he replied.
"Okay." Sasami carefully and quickly tied the towel around his waist, then threw another at his face. "I'll set out some clothes while you dry off."
"I wanna wear the purple and gold stuff!"
"Okay, okay. Just get dry first." Sasami quickly stepped out of the bathroom and closed the door behind her. She sighed and took a deep breath. Wow. He's really... Wow. She shook her head. Great. Now that I've seen it, I can't even tell anyone. Being Nate's mother is really starting to bug me.
* * * * *
Washu stared at the tiny cell formation inside the tank. "Hello there, my little one! I see you've grown a bit in the last few hours! At this rate, you'll be a whole person in a few months! Yes, you will!"
"Do you have to talk to it?" Ryoko asked, appearing behind her.
"I did the same with you. Not that it helped much." Washu placed her hand against the tank. "Besides, I want him to know his mother's voice."
"You're NOT his mother. Just like you're NOT my mother. Got it?"
"Wrong again, Ryoko. You have my cells inside you. Without them, you'd just be this," Washu said, holding up a MASS that was as big as her hand. "Without my brains, your brawn, and Nate's...skills, he'd be the same thing."
Ryoko poked the little creature in Washu's hand. "Washu, it's an IT, not a HE. Just like this thing."
Washu yanked the MASS away from her. "Don't call my baby an it! He's a boy, and your little brother!"
"I don't HAVE a family," Ryoko stated firmly. "Neither do you."
"How can you be so cruel to me, Ryoko? Without my desire to have a daughter, you wouldn't even exist!"
"Yeah, well, no one forced you to do it." Ryoko turned and flew away from the tank. "Anyway, it's just a bunch of cells. It can't even HEAR us."
Washu held the MASS up to the tank. "Well, you can sense him listening, can't you, little guy?"
The MASS squirmed in her hand and pressed against the tank.
"I knew you could! Now, what should I call him?"
The MASS flattened itself in her hand.
"Oh, you're a great help, Marty. You're supposed to be my smartest MASS."
Marty stared up at her with his tiny, beady eyes.
"Oh, never mind. I'll think of a name when I'm not in such a bad mood." Washu smiled at the cellular structure inside the tank. "Don't worry about Ryoko, sweetie. By the time you're strong enough to come out, you'll be ten times as powerful as she is. Then you can beat her up when she's mean to you."
Marty gave a loud squeal and bounced in her hand.
"You're right, Marty. I think he'll be perfect, too." Washu patted the tank affectionately. "Well, it's time for bed, honey. See you in the morning." She leaned over and kissed the tank.
Marty whined and began to squirm.
"Okay, I'll feed you now." Washu turned off the light and headed for her room. "But if you whiz on the carpet one more time, you'll be stuck in the feeding tank with your pals!"
As Washu closed the door behind her, the being in the tank twitched ever so slightly.
* * * * *
Sasami never realized how tiring motherhood was. At least, when you were Nate's mother. It was almost enough to keep her from ever having children. She'd always wanted to get closer to Nate, but not in this way.
"Mama, how come you look spacey?"
Sasami blinked. "Huh? Oh, sorry. Where was I?"
"You were telling me about Yugi."
"I was? What was I saying?"
Nate thought for a moment. "You said she was lonely."
"Well, she is. I wish she hadn't left in such a hurry. We were really good friends, while we were together."
"You miss her, Mama?"
"Yes, I do." Sasami sighed. "But you should go to bed now. Washu might need more samples tomorrow."
"Is that why I have to sleep in this room?"
"Yes, but also because you might change during the night, and we don't want anything bad happening to you."
"Oh." Nate sighed. "I got a bad feeling."
"You do?" Sasami asked. "What is it, Natey?"
"Somebody's...coming..." Nate slowly nodded off and began to snore.
Sasami watched him for a while. Soon enough, she was asleep as well.
Moments later, Yugi appeared, hovering over the bed. "Well, at least Sasami remembers me."
Her companion nodded. "You get her. I'll get Nate."
"What about Washu, Ryoko, and Ayeka?"
"We'll get them later. Right now, these two are our concern."
Yugi hopped to the floor and carefully gathered Sasami in her arms, using her telekinetics to help carry the larger girl. "I told you, Sasami," she whispered with a smile. "I told you we'd be together forever. Now, we will be. You, me, and your whole family."
* * * * *
Marty wasn't an average MASS. When he had been locked up with the others of his kind, he'd been the leader, and the only MASS to lead without his authority being challenged. Washu had recognized this and given him his own name, and a seat on her shoulder, something which was greatly desired among them. That was the only way a MASS ever got to leave the tank and see the rest of the lab.
He knew Washu followed a daily routine of experimenting, followed by more experimenting, and ended it all with a healthy round of experimenting. So when he woke up to find that the lights were still off and Washu was gone, he instantly knew that something was wrong.
Marty slowly dragged himself across the lab floor and over to the tank. The cell cluster had grown considerably during the night, but it still had no definite human shape. Marty crawled up the console that operated the tank and pressed the button which activated accelerated aging.
There was a quiet hiss as chemicals were injected into the tank. The cell cluster shuddered noticeably, then began to pulse.
Marty then dragged himself over to the MASS tank, which was much larger than the cell cluster's, and with good reason. A MASS needed plenty of room to move. Small, confined spaces made them feel threatened, and then they got very dangerous.
Marty pressed himself against the tank, watching as his brothers gathered on the other side. They could instantly sense what he was thinking, and began to form one giant MASS that took up most of the tank. With one great push, the huge MASS broke the tank, spilling water all over the floor.
Marty then joined his brothers, and once he had regained control of the MASS colony, he led them out of the lab, leaving the cell cluster to develop on its own.
* * * * *
"Nate, wake up!"
Nate slowly opened his eyes. "Huh? Who said that?"
"I did!"
Nate blinked and looked up to see Sasami standing next to the bed. "Sasami? What are you doing here?"
"What do you mean?" she asked. "I live here, too. The same as everyone else."
"Everyone...else?" Nate asked. "Who?"
"Morning, Natey!" Threnody said as she walked into the bedroom.
Nate's jaw dropped. "Threnody?!"
"Get up, you big lug! The girls made a big breakfast, and you're just gonna lay there and let it go unappreciated?"
"But...but..." Nate slowly stood up and walked over to her. "How did YOU get here?"
"I walked," she replied, cupping his face and giving him a quick kiss on the lips. "Are you gonna eat or not?"
Nate stared at her. "Okay...but I don't-"
Threnody and Sasami literally dragged him into the kitchen, where Nate was met with another surprise. Two more, to be exact.
"There you are, Nate!" Theresa Rourke, a.k.a. Sonique, held up a plate of pancakes. "I made these just for you."
"Terry?" Nate asked, his jaw dropping further than it had before.
"What? I swear I've cooked before! There's nothing wrong with them!"
"Sez you," a voice from the table replied. "Meantime, I'm pickin'what I HOPE is broccoli from my teeth."
Nate blinked and slowly turned. What is SHE doing here?
Jubilee's eyes met his, and she gave him a half-hearted wave. "Hey, Grey. Is there somethin' on my face, or are you tryin' to be obvious 'bout undressin' me with your eyes?"
This isn't happening. It can't! Threnody's gone, Terry's dead, and Jubilee's...I don't know what she is!
"Nate, are you okay?" Sasami asked. "You look a little pale."
Nate swallowed noisily. "Someone had better tell me something. Like right now."
"Tell you what?" Threnody asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"I want to know how all of you got here, and why I haven't fainted yet."
The girls gave each other puzzled looks.
Jubilee spoke up. "Nate, ya know we love ya, but I think I speak for all involved when I say, 'What the heck?'"
Nate sighed and sat down. "Never mind. I'll eat. Just don't surprise me anymore."
"Is breakfast ready yet?"
Nate looked down to see someone sitting next to him. Only he'd never seen her before, and while he was surprised, he wasn't shocked, as he had been the last few times. "You would be?" he asked as calmly as he could.
"Yugi," she replied sweetly. "And you're Nate, the guy with all the girlfriends."
"Yes, I'm the guy with all...the WHAT?!"
"Relax, Nate!" Sasami said, patting his hand. "Just eat, and we'll go over everything for you afterwards."
"No, I want to know EXACTLY how many girlfriends I have right now. That's something every guy with more than one should keep track of."
Yugi sighed. "Okay, fine. There's Threnody, Jubilee, Terry, Sasami, Ayeka, Ryoko, and Washu. That's seven in all."
"And nobody has a problem with that?" Nate asked.
The girls shook their heads.
"This just got scary."
"What's the problem, Natey?" Threnody asked. "Aren't you happy?"
"I would be, if this all weren't so..."
"What?" Sasami asked.
"Suspicious."
"The only one acting suspicious is you," Jubilee pointed out.
"Yeah, we don't have a problem sharing you," Terry added.
"But you SHOULD!" Nate sighed. "No woman in her right mind would EVER share her boyfriend with another woman. So something isn't right here. Besides, Sasami's way too young for me, and I'm pretty sure that's illegal, even in deep space."
"You worry too much," Yugi said, digging into a big bowl of cereal with a huge spoon. "Just relax, Nate."
"Well, what are YOU doing here?" he asked.
"She's my best friend," Sasami replied. "Don't you remember?"
"That'd be a no." Nate looked down at his plate. "This is really weird. Where are Washu, Ryoko, and Ayeka, anyway?"
Yugi smiled mysteriously. "I'm sure they're out having fun somewhere."
* * * * *
"This is all your fault, Washu!" Ryoko shouted.
"And how did you come to that brilliant conclusion?"
"If you hadn't drugged Nate, he could've sensed them coming and warned us!"
Washu rolled her eyes. "Ryoko, Yugi is one of the greatest psychic powerhouses I've ever come across. I doubt even Nate could've stopped her on his best day."
"Well, you made him an idiot, so we'll never know, will we?"
"Arguing isn't going to help anyone," Ayeka pointed out. "We have to find out what they've done with Nate and Sasami."
"And how do we do that?" Ryoko asked. "We're chained to a wall!"
"I have an idea," Washu said.
"Oh, right. That's what got us into this mess!"
Washu's eyes narrowed. "Be quiet!"
"YOU be quiet! I don't have to-"
"Ryoko, shut UP!" Washu hissed. "Someone's coming!"
The door slid open, and a tall woman with red hair and green eyes walked in. "I do hope you're all comfortable, since you'll be here for quite a while."
"What do you want with us?" Ayeka asked. "We don't even know you!"
"I could care less about you three," the woman replied. "It's Yugi that wants you here. I was only interested in Nate. However, since I've learned about this 'Power of Jurai,' I'm interested in that, too. Yugi tells me that all of you are connected to it, and I want to know how."
"You think we'll just talk?" Ryoko said with a sneer.
"No. Which is why I bought this." The woman held up a tray full of surgical tools. "The name is Madelyne Pryor, and as you're about to find out, I'll go to great lengths to get what I want. In other words, if you won't give me the Power of Jurai, I'll just have to take it." Her gaze landed on Ryoko. "And since you're so chatty, we'll start with you."
* * * * *
Marty didn't really know what he was doing. Washu was still missing, and so were the other people that came down to the lab on a regular basis. His main priority was to find her. Only he wasn't really sure how to do that. He assumed that she hadn't left under her own power. She would have told him, or at least left a note somewhere, like next to the food supply. And that was another big thing. She hadn't left him a food supply, so Marty knew that something was wrong. Washu didn't forget things, and she always took good care of the MASS colony.
Still, they were getting hungry, and they didn't know if it was safe to eat human food. Of course, when they got hungry enough, Marty knew the colony would ignore his orders and eat just about anything. Fortunately, it never came to that.
One the sixth day of their new-found freedom, there was an explosion from the lab. Marty led the colony down to the ruined lab. As he'd hoped, it was creature Washu had been working on. It wasn't full grown yet, but it was about the size of the girl that Washu called 'Sasami.' Although it was definitely a boy. Marty hoped it would want to find Washu as much as he did.
The creature slowly crawled out of the mess, its small form still dripping with the green liquid from the tank.
Marty carefully approached the creature, not wanting to scare it.
The creature stood up, testing its new legs. It raised the arms, inspecting them closely. Then it ran a hand through its short, white hair. After a moment of silence, it walked out of the lab, with Marty and the MASS colony right behind it.
The creature walked straight to the bridge of the ship, programmed a route into the navigation system, and walked away. "Marty, keep an eye on things," it said. "I'm going to take my first shower and get dressed. Then we'll go find my mother."
* * * * *
Nate knew something was wrong. There was no way all the girls of his dreams should agree to share him. But then he realized something very important: Yugi was the only one that had little or no interest in him. Sure, she was nice to him when she did speak, which was rare, but most of her time was spent with Sasami. And since Yugi was the only one that didn't seem to be in love with him, Nate figured she was the normal one in the bunch. Therefore, she was the key to finding out what was wrong with this seemingly perfect world.
So one night after everyone was asleep, Nate slipped out of bed (stepping over Jubilee & Threnody to do so) and crept into the room Yugi & Sasami shared. Both girls appeared to be asleep. But as Nate came closer, Yugi opened her eyes.
"Y'know, Nate, usually if you're caught sneaking into a girl's room, it means you want something."
"We need to talk," he replied, glancing at Sasami, "but not here."
Yugi climbed out of bed. "Okay, but don't take too long. Sasami might wake up and get lonely." She led him into the living room. "What's so important it couldn't wait until morning?"
"This world," Nate said. "It's wrong. I can feel it."
Yugi arched an eyebrow. "You got me up in the middle of the night to give me your views on philosophy?"
"No, Yugi. This world isn't real, it can't be! You're the only that DOES make sense...but I don't even know who you are!"
"Well, you're sounding pretty crazy to me. Can I sleep now?"
"NO! Aren't you listening to me?!"
Yugi smiled mysteriously. "Not really. But you're cute when you're ranting."
"Stop that! There's too many girls in love with me already!"
She giggled, sounding even younger than she looked. "C'mere for a sec." Strangely enough, the look in Yugi's eyes was one that Nate would've expected from a grown woman, but it was no less effective.
"Why?" Nate asked suspiciously, even as he took a few steps toward her.
"Just cuz."
"Tell me why first."
Yugi narrowed her eyes a bit. "YOU got ME out of bed this late. You owe me."
"Fine." Nate squatted, almost putting himself at eye level with her. "What is it?"
Yugi cupped her hands to his ear, as if she was going to whisper something. If she did say anything, Nate never heard it. The next thing he knew, Yugi's lips found his.
Nate's first instinct was to pull away, but for some reason, that instinct faded as quickly as the kiss had been initiated. It was sweet and innocent, yet passionate and experienced at the same time. Any thoughts of resistance soon vanished, along with every other thought in Nate's head. The single thought he did have was focused on Yugi, and how he could prevent her from ending the kiss.
Though neither of them saw the figure lurking in the shadows, Yugi could easily sense her new associate's jealousy. Not that it bothered her in the least. In fact, it only made her more courageous. She smiled to herself and deepened the kiss, allowing Nate's arms to wrap around her small frame.
* * * * *
"What were you doing in there?!"
Yugi calmly stared up at her associate. "Honestly, Maddie. You're gonna give yourself a heart attack that way."
"YOU WERE KISSING HIM!"
"Only for 3.5 seconds. After that, it was all him."
"This was NOT part of the deal!"
"Neither was dissecting Sasami's friends," Yugi pointed out. "We agreed that I would keep everyone happy at any cost, and that's what I'm doing. Nate no longer has any complaints."
"You practically sucked his brain out through his lips!"
"I gave him some suggestions. It was totally innocent."
Maddie forced herself to calm down. "Yugi, I'm warning you. Nate is MINE. Are we clear on that?"
Yugi smiled impishly. "Tell me something, Maddie. Why is it when I searched Nate's thoughts for his dream girls, your face didn't pop up?"
Maddie's eyes narrowed. "That's none of your business!"
"Oh, but it is! I now know Nate better than you do, and I know what he wants. I'm just wondering how long it'll take you to figure out that it isn't you." Yugi grinned and skipped away, humming to herself.
Maddie growled under her breath. "Enjoy your little fantasy while it lasts, child. Once I have the Power of Jurai, you and your family will be history, and Nate will be all mine again."
* * * * *
Marty watched intently as the creature pulled three containers of ice cream from the freezer. "Sorry, guys," it said, "but this seems to be the only human food your systems can safely digest."
The MASS colony swarmed over the containers, devouring everything but the table.
Marty bounched on the creature's shoulder.
"I've been thinking about that, too. I've finally come up with a name for myself. What do you think of N?"
Marty replied with a puzzled squeak.
"I can't decide if it should stand for my primary genetic donor or a shortened version of infinity," it explained.
Marty squirmed.
"Hmm...the unknown variable? That sounds much better. Thanks, Marty." The newly-named N walked out of the kitchen, with the MASS colony following behind him.
Marty remained on N's shoulder, wondering just what his friend was thinking.
N walked to the ship's bridge and stared at the console. "How very primitive. There must be a better way to pilot the ship."
Instantly, a computer keypad appeared out of thin air. Strangely enough, it was connected to nothing, and it seemed to hover just beneath N's fingers.
N smiled as he began to type. "Mom, you're a true genius. I can't wait to meet you."
* * * * *
Ayeka somehow managed to keep from throwing up. "Washu...is she...?"
"No. Not if I can repair her, anyway." Washu kept her eyes trained on Ryoko's body, even as she typed rapidly on her keyboard.
"Can't you do anything about the smell?" Ayeka pleaded.
"Nope. As far as I can tell, Yugi controls everything on this planet...or ship...or whatever it is we're on. Ms. Slice & Dice is just along for the ride. Yugi must have promised her something, but what could Yugi possibly have that Madelyne Pryor wants?"
Ayeka's eyes widened. "Washu, we haven't seen Sasami since we were brought here. Do you think-"
"Not even a possibility. Yugi wouldn't let anyone harm Sasami. She's fine, wherever she is. I assume Nate is, too. Why do you ask?"
"I was just thinking. Pryor wants the Power of Jurai, and she'll most likely try someone from Jurai next. That could be me or Sasami."
"Or Yugi," Washu added. "Though she doesn't possess the 'official' Power of Jurai, she is infused with great powers given to her by Jurai's royal family. I'm willing to bet Pryor wouldn't know the difference, as long as she got her hands on some great power."
"You think she'll betray Yugi?"
"I'm positive she will. When is the question." Washu suddenly stopped typing. "That's strange. Someone's accessed my computer on the ship."
"What does that mean?" Ayeka asked.
"It means someone with my DNA is on the ship. It can't be Ryoko, so..." Washu trailed off, her eyes widening. "Oh, no! My baby's out!"
"Your WHAT?"
Washu was no longer listening. She typed rapidly at her keyboard. "I have to contact him and let him know we're here!"
The keyboard vanished, and Yugi appeared in front of Washu, a frown on her face.
"You're not trying to escape, are you?" she asked. "Cuz then I'd think you weren't happy here."
"We're not!" Ayeka shouted. "I want to see my sister!"
"Okay." Yugi waved her hand, and the wall behind them seemed to fall away. Through a glass-like substance, Ayeka & Washu could see Sasami & Nate sitting on a couch. They weren't moving, and their eyes were cloudy. "As you can see, they're a little busy right now, but they're perfectly fine."
"What have you done to them?" Ayeka asked.
"I made them happy," Yugi replied. "And if you two are willing to behave, you can join them. Otherwise, you can take your chances with Maddie, and she's not as nice as I am." Her gaze drifted to Ryoko. "But I guess you knew that already."
Washu frowned. "Yugi, why are you doing this?"
"That's for me to know and for you to wish you knew. Do you want to join them or not?"
"No. Ryoko's dying, Yugi. I'm the only one that can help her now. Is that your idea of happiness? Letting Sasami's friends die?"
Yugi paused. "What did Maddie do to her?"
"See for yourself."
Yugi stared at Washu for a long moment. "Do what you can. Call me if you need anything." With that, she faded from sight.
"It would appear she isn't as evil as we first thought," Ayeka said.
"She's not evil, Ayeka. She just goes about getting what she wants the wrong way. And since she's got the power to do it, she's used to getting her way. For now, all we can do is hope that Sasami or Nate can reach her."
* * * * *
As Yugi injected her psychic avatar back into her specially designed fantasy world, she was stopped by an unexpected firewall. This turned out to be a brick wall that was literally on fire. It didn't take Yugi long to realize who had put it there.
"Maddie, you're starting to annoy me."
The bricks moved and formed Maddie's face. "Yugi, I've come to warn you. I sense something incredibly powerful coming this way. It is dangerous for you to be here."
"It's MY world. How could it be dangerous to me? I made it!"
"Your physical body is vulernable while you're here, Yugi. Heed my words, or you will regret it."
"You just cut up one of Sasami's friends, and you think I'm gonna listen to you? I may look young, Maddie, but I'm not stupid." Yugi pushed through the firewall with little strain.
Maddie returned to her physical body. "As you wish, child. But you will regret this." She drew a knife out of her robe, wiping the blood on her dress. Then she went to find were Yugi had left her body.
* * * * *
Nate woke up to find Sasami and Yugi asleep in his arms. That was no big surprise; he'd gotten used to finding girls (fully clothed, thankfully) lying all over him. He was fortunate today, as these two were the smallest, and therefore reduced the number of limbs he had to restore feeling to in order to move. Today it was only his left arm and right hand.
Sasami groaned and opened her eyes as he shifted beneath her. "Nate?"
"Go back to sleep, Sasami. It's still early." Nate untangled his arm from Yugi's grasp and slipped from the bed, nearly tripping over something cold and round on the floor. He looked down, only to see a creature that looked very familiar.
"What is it?" Sasami asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
"I think it's a MASS, but how did it get here?" Nate picked up the squishy creature carefully.
Sasami tilted her head slightly. "That's funny. I thought Washu kept them all in a tank?"
"She does. Which means I was right about this world. Something is wrong."
Yugi suddenly woke up. "Are you still on that?" she asked.
"If I'm crazy, explain this," Nate replied, holding the MASS in front of her face.
Yugi examined it for about two seconds. "It's why you shouldn't mix mud and plutonium. Can I sleep now?"
"No." He grabbed Yugi and tucked her under his arm. "Something tells me we should leave. Right now."
"Shouldn't we get the other girls first?" Sasami asked.
Nate was about to answer when there was a scream from the kitchen. He and Sasami traded worried glances, then ran into the kitchen. They arrived just in time to see Threnody exploding into a million tiny particles, all of which quickly faded away.
Threnody's attacker was about Sasami's size. It had no distinguishing features, save that it appeared to be made of pure, white light.
"I don't know what you are," Nate said slowly, "but you're gonna pay for that."
The light's voice was surpisingly reassuring. "Don't worry, Nate. I did not harm her. As you are slowly beginning to see, this world is not real. I am here to prove that. The first step was to get rid of the distractions--the girls--which blinded you from the truth."
Nate instantly stepped in front of Sasami.
"Sasami is real here, Nate. So are Yugi and yourself. But everything else is nothing more than a child's fantasy world. Although it was a very gifted child, and a skillfully designed fantasy, it is still false."
Their surroundings slowly faded to nothingness, and they were standing in black, empty space. The talking light was now reduced an echoing voice.
"This is all that remains of your so-called fantasy world."
"NO!" Yugi shouted, pulling herself from Nate's grasp. "It was mine! Bring it back!"
A worried look appeared on Sasami's face. "Yugi...what did you do?"
"We were happy!" Yugi insisted, her anger becoming even more obvious. "You had no right to take it from me!"
"You had no right to trick Nate and Sasami," the voice replied. "True happiness can not be realized by lying to someone. If you truly wanted them to be happy, you should have been honest."
"GO AWAY!" Yugi screamed, tugging at her hair. "I'm still in control! Leave me alone!"
"I can't do that, Yugi. It is obvious that you need help, and I am here to help before you do harm to yourself, or more harm to those you claim to care about."
Yugi opened her mouth to speak, but before she could make a sound, she shattered into many pieces, just like Threnody had earlier.
"YUGI!" Sasami screamed.
"We must hurry," the voice said. "Clear your minds, and I will return you to your bodies. Hopefully, we can save Yugi before it is too late."
* * * * *
Maddie smiled and raised the bloody knife a second time. "I said you would regret your decision, child. Now do you believe me?"
Even if Yugi had wanted to speak, she couldn't. It was hard enough trying to breathe with an extra hole in her neck. Then there was the blood that kept pooling up in her throat.
Maddie came closer. "Don't resist. Just give up and I might kill you quickly."
Being pulled forcefully from her world had greatly weakened Yugi, and with her last ounce of strength, she constructed an invisible shield around herself. While it couldn't keep out very much, it would stop the knife from causing further damage.
Maddie frowned and began a psychic assault on the girl. You will be defeated, child. Your fate has been sealed.
"Seal this, witch!"
Maddie spun around, only get one of Ryoko's energy blasts at point-blank range. She stumbled back and tripped over Yugi's shield, falling to the ground.
Ryoko grunted and clutched her injured ribs, leaning on Washu's shoulder for support. "More where that came from, too."
"No, Ryoko," Washu said quietly. "Save your strength. Let the others handle this."
At the mention of "others," Maddie scrambled to her feet, only to find that she was surrounded. Nate and Sasami had returned to their physical bodies somehow, and Ayeka and the other prisoners had gotten loose.
"It's over, Maddie," Nate said. "This time, I'm making sure you can't cause anymore trouble for me or anyone else."
Maddie sneered at him. "You didn't have the guts then, and you don't have them now. Your emotions make you weak. They've always made you weak. That's why I'm stronger than you!"
Nate smirked. "If emotions make me so weak, why are you the one that teamed up with Yugi just to get me back?"
Maddie's eyes widened, and she turned her gaze on Yugi. "YOU TOLD HIM?!"
Yugi coughed weakly and somehow managed to smile, although it was hard to tell from all the blood leaking from her mouth. "Nope. You just did."
Maddie screeched and made a final lunge at Yugi. She was knocked back by an unseen force, and crumpled to the ground. Before she could move, something huge and brown slammed down, crushing her body beneath it.
Washu was the first to recognize the brown thing. "Guys, how did you get out of your tank?"
The MASS colony broke down to their individual forms and crowded around Washu & Ryoko, hopping up and down with excitement.
Ryoko made a face. "I hate those things."
"Well, they're about to save your life. If I can get you back to the lab fast enough, anyway." Washu suddenly noticed Maddie's broken body. "Rough way to go, though."
"She deserved it," a strange voice said.
Nate was the first to sense the being, but Washu was the first to spot the boy standing over the corpse. His green eyes locked on hers, and though no words were traded right away, they both just knew.
"Um...who are you?" Sasami asked.
"That can wait." The boy approached Yugi and placed a hand on her shield. "I'm sorry I had to take your world away, Yugi."
"Never did trust Maddie completely," Yugi muttered, coughing up more blood.
"Don't speak. Just relax. You're safe now."
Yugi's shield flickered, then faded. She groaned and collapsed into his arms, and her eyes rolled up into her head.
The boy carefully gathered Yugi's limp body in his arms. "Sorry I took so long," he apologized to the others. "I didn't know I'd have to piece together a rescue mission less than an hour after my birth."
Ryoko's eyes narrowed, and she suppressed a growl building in her throat.
Washu grinned up at her. "You can feel it, too, can't you?"
Even in her weak state, Ryoko gripped Washu's shoulder tightly as she leaned down to whisper in her ear. "If he calls me his big sister once, I'm killing both of you in your sleep."
* * * * *
Two weeks later, Yugi woke up in the infirmary. She sat up, only to come nose-to-nose with the person that had destroyed her fantasy world. Then again, he was also the person that saved her life and killed Maddie indirectly. So Yugi hadn't made up her mind how she felt about him just yet.
"You okay?" he asked quietly.
Yugi nodded slowly.
"You don't trust me, do you?"
Yugi shook her head.
"Fair enough. My name's N."
Yugi stared at him blankly.
"So...is there anything I could do to get on your good side?"
"You can tell me that you don't notice the huge scar on my neck."
"Okay, I don't. But I'd like to point out that there is no scar."
"See, that's good! I almost believe you."
N smiled. "No, Yugi. There is no scar. I healed you."
Yugi blinked. "Huh?"
"Okay, I had SOME instruction given to me, but the power that healed you was mine. I had plenty to spare."
"You're stronger than me, aren't you?"
N tilted his head thoughtfully. "Probably."
"You're going to rub that in my face, aren't you?"
N couldn't resist smiling. "Definitely."
Yugi sighed. "Well, at least you're not trying to punish me."
"This is your punishment. I'm not going to leave your side for the next three weeks."
She frowned. "Why?"
"I'm determined that I'm going to make you like me."
"Fat chance, pal."
"You called me pal. That's a step."
Yugi suddenly felt very scared. "Get away from me."
"Can't do that." N grinned at her, making him all the more eerie. "We've got a lot in common. We're both test tube babies."
Yugi backed away from him. "Go away."
N scooted closer. "We're both really powerful psychics."
Yugi's fear was obvious. "Get out!"
"We're both going to stay young forever." He reached out and took her hand in his own.
For some reason, Yugi couldn't pull her hand away. "Stop that!"
"And most importantly?" N raised her hand to his lips. "We both want me to kiss you."
"NATE! SASAMI! HELP!" Yugi shrieked, finally getting her senses back. She leaped away from N and ran out of the room, screaming all the while.
N grinned and followed her at leisurely pace. "This is going to be fun."
* * * * *
Washu looked up at Nate and smiled. "I promise it won't hurt this time."
Nate glared at her from where he was strapped down. "Don't make empty promises, Washu."
"Okay, fine. You might pass out from the pain."
"Wonderful."
Washu's smile only grew wider. "Sasami, make sure he doesn't try to escape."
Nate waited until Washu walked away. "I want to thank you, Sasami."
"For what, Nate?"
"Not taking advantage of me while I was all...blissed up."
Sasami's eyes widened. "You remember everything?"
Nate nodded. "Vividly."
"Oh."
"Yeah. Sorry about that. I guess I have this thing about water."
"Uh huh." Sasami's cheeks turned a slight shade of red. "I guess we're even now?"
"Not really. You only saw me naked once, but I was INSIDE your body. We'll never be equal as far as I'm concerned."
"What if I saw you naked again?"
Nate paused, a wary look on his face. "You say that like it's going to happen again."
"Well, except for those shorts, you're naked now."
"You wouldn't DARE."
"Of course not! But I can't promise Washu wouldn't. She's braver than I am."
"So why didn't you take advantage of me? I mean, I know you have feelings for me."
Sasami gave him a weird look. "Nate, I have feelings for YOU, not the...blissed up version. Besides, you kept calling me Mama and making me feel guilty. Do you know how hard it was to be your mother?"
"Since I've never had one? No."
"You never had a mother?" Sasami asked.
"Nope. Maybe that's why women are drawn to me. They can sense that I've never had a mother's love, so they want to take care of me."
"You really believe that?"
Nate shrugged. "It would explain why Washu's always running tests on me. At least, I think it would."
"Maybe it's what's in shorts that she likes so much," Sasami suggested with a grin.
"You're never gonna stop teasing me about that, are you?"
"Not if I can help it."
Nate sighed. "I was afraid of that."
The End.