Broken Bodies Everywhere

**

The Guardian duel monsters talked long into the night over how they were going to get Joey and Marik together. Considering both boys' personalities were something on the extreme- not to mention stubborn- side, it was decided some extreme measures were to be taken. Yami and Bakura had left the Shadow Realm hours ago, as the former tomb robber had other ideas for the evening's amusements, and he'd all but dragged the Pharaoh home.

"So! That's the plan," Shiroi announced. "Not much of a plan, but it'll do. Everyone know what to do?"

Ruby's dragon claws clicked on the polished tile as she drummed her fingers. "And you're certain Joey will not get hurt? Any sign that harm will come to him and I'm calling off this ridiculous plot of yours."

Shiroi raised an eyebrow at her. "You've never cared if other people get hurt before…"

"Things can change in 5,000 years," Ruby said coolly. "I am a Guardian now, and Joey Wheeler's well-being is my highest concern." She grinned at the Blue Eyes. "I just don't care if you get hurt."

Hansha rolled his eyes and looked over to Obelisk. "You understand your part, then?"

Obelisk had curled up in a corner and fallen asleep. Ruby glowered, taking on her human-form so she could kick Obelisk in the side.

"Wake up, you fool," she hissed at him. "Marik's future is being decided here, and you have a job to do."

Obelisk yipped as he was jolted awake, blinking at Ruby with wide, watery eyes. All at once he broke into a fit of sobs, bawling and pounding on the floor in a full tantrum. Ruby huffed in annoyance, turning away.

"Just make sure he gets his part right; it's important," she ordered Shiroi and Hansha. Ruby called up a swirl of Shadow Realm energies, stepping into the portal and disappearing.

**

Ishizu was really getting sick of watching her brother pace around the house. Honestly, you'd think he actually cared about Joey, the way he was acting. Whatever Joey had said to him must have really crushed Marik's ego.  Marik just couldn't seem to sit still anymore; he wandered in and out of the rooms, grumbling to himself.

"Stupid Joey…" Marik grumbled, kicking the table leg as he walked past it. "You'd think he'd have just a little more faith in a person. It wasn't anything personal when I took over his mind that one time. I bring dinner and try to be polite for once in my life, he could at least give me a chance!"

"What are you mumbling about this time?" Ishizu demanded. "Would you just forget Joey? You don't care about him, and he obviously doesn't care about you, so why are you wasting your time?"

"Since when did you become such an expert on what I think and feel?" Marik sneered at her. He stomped into the living room and grabbed his coat off the floor.

"Where are you going?" Ishizu demanded as he opened the front door.

"You have the Millennium Necklace; why do you even bother asking?" he snapped back, walking outside into the gray drizzly afternoon and slamming the door behind him.

Ishizu sighed. Really, she'd prefer to have him just tell her where he was going, rather than having to magically pry into his life. But if that was the way he preferred it, so be it.

Light glinted off Ishizu's Millennium Necklace as she checked her brother's future. It only took a moment, and she was smiling faintly as the glimmer died down and the room came back into focus around her.

"See you in a few days then, Marik," she commented lightly to the silence.

**

Marik was feeling especially cranky that day. It seemed like all he could think about anymore was Joey. And the more he thought about how Joey had thrown him out of his home the other day, the more aggravated he became.

It couldn't be that he was actually starting to like Joey, could it? He was just a means to an end; a way of obtaining the Millennium Puzzle, and maybe someone to have a little fun with along the way. Marik should be thinking about his next move, not about that weird hurt feeling he'd gotten when Joey rejected him.

Finally he'd decided he needed to get out of the house, away from his thoughts of Joey. Marik clutched the Millennium Rod in his hand, trying to think of just the right spot to cause chaos that night.

It would be easy to say he was so distracted that he didn't notice the gang of thugs that kept an eye on him from the alleyways. But no, he saw them; he just didn't care. Why should he? He had the protection of a Millennium Item.

So he didn't bother to even try and look frightened when the thugs snuck out of the hiding places to surround him. He briefly considered making them all his mind-slaves immediately, then decided to at least see what they wanted first. He wasn't in any hurry.

"That's a real pretty gold stick you got there," announced one, which Marik assumed to be the leader, since he looked marginally less stupid than the rest of them. "Must be worth plenty. Maybe you'd better hand it over to us for safe keeping."

"Maybe you ought to go to hell," Marik replied with a slightly sadistic smile. Or maybe he'd send them to the Shadow Realm instead of Hell. That would be amusing, wouldn't it?

The leader's eyes widened a little bit, and there was a silence as he tried to think of a clever retort to that. Coming up with nothing, he growled and pointed at Marik, ordering the rest of the gang, "Get him!"

Marik held up the Millennium Rod as they all rushed him. He'd make them his mind-slaves, then he'd make them grovel. He could feel the magic of the Millennium Item rising as it always did, but then…

…nothing happened.

He had barely a moment to register that something was wrong before the first fist hit his face. A punch in the gut made him double over in pain, and someone shoved him so he sprawled on the ground.

What the-? He gripped the Millennium Rod so tightly his knuckles were white, willing the item to work, begging it to enslave them so they'd quit it. But the Millennium Item was a cold, lifeless piece of metal in his hands.

He squeezed his eyes closed as half a dozen people kicked and pounded on him, refusing to relinquish the Millennium Rod to them. So long he'd relied on the Item for protection and power, and now that it didn't work, he had no idea what to do…

**

Joey whistled to himself as he walked home. The day really hadn't turned out all that badly. He felt a lot better after talking with Yugi, and maybe the little guy was right. Maybe he should give Marik another chance.

He'd planned to talk to Marik tomorrow, but he found himself pausing on a street corner, considering going right when he'd normally turn left to go home. Joey tried to shake off the feeling, but for some reason it was persistent. And who was he to deny gut urges? With a shrug, he turned right, casually walking toward Marik's house.  

Ishizu didn't look surprised when she opened the door to find Joey on her doorstep. "I'm sorry, Marik's not here right now," she said before Joey could speak. She pointed down the street. "He went that way."

Joey blinked at her. "Er, thanks." He started off in the direction she'd pointed.

"Better hurry!" Ishizu cheerfully called after him.

He paused, looking back at her and blinked. Ishizu smiled sweetly at him, stepping back inside and closing the door. Joey blinked, an odd sense of urgency rising up in him. Not even stopping to wonder what that meant, he started to run.

Joey could hear the fighting long before he could see it. A group of six or seven guys were surrounding something on the ground, laughing and taunting and kicking it. Joey slowed as he got nearer, trying to figure out what it was they were beating on.

His eyes narrowed as he caught glimpses of pale blonde hair, and the gleam of a golden Millennium Item in one of the thugs' hands. Joey glowered, grabbing a fist sized rock off the ground and throwing it as hard as he could.

The one he'd aimed at shrieked as the rock caught him on the back, toppling onto one of the other guys so they ended up in a sort of heap. The gang of thugs turned around the face Joey. Joey was severely outnumbered, and it really didn't look like Marik would be of any help. This had the potential for being a really ugly fight, and the odds were not in favor of Joey winning it.

The leader shot Joey a glare, then shook his head. "C'mon boys," he shouted to his gang, gesturing with the Millennium Rod for them to follow him. They ran away, the two fallen members scrambling up to follow. Joey blinked as he watched them scatter, having not expected that.

"Cowards!" he yelled after them. They didn't even look back.

Joey ran up to where Marik was sprawled on the ground. He was a bit cut up, and was going to be bruised black and blue by the morning, but none of the injuries looked serious.

Marik opened an eye, peering up and his savior in confusion. "Joey?"

"Man, what'd you do to piss them off?" Joey asked, carefully scooping Marik up in his arms to carry him, trying not to hurt him in the process.

"They… wanted the Millennium Rod…" Marik managed. His eyes widened. "Where is it?! Did you see if they got it?"

"Yeah, they got it," Joey said, walking back toward his house, still carrying Marik.

"Put me down! I have to get it back!" Marik said a little frantically, struggling in Joey's hold.

"Would you quit it? They're long gone by now! And you don't need that damn gold stick anyway. You're gonna hurt yourself more if you keep thrashin' like that."    

Marik stilled, mostly because it hurt too much to keep up the struggling. He was sore all over, even his pride stung. "You don't understand…" he whispered a little brokenly. "I do need it…"

Joey rolled his eyes. "Well I suggest you get used to living without it; it'll probably be melted down and sold off by the morning."

Marik looked up at him with wide, horrified eyes. "You're not serious!"

"I suggest you quit worrying about it and try to rest," Joey advised. "You'll have quite a collection of ugly bruises in a few hours."

Marik fell silent, just letting Joey carry him. In truth he wasn't certain he'd be able to walk, and his pride had already suffered the fatal blow, so there wasn't much use in feeling indignant about the helpless position he was in.

"Where are we going?" Marik finally asked, looking around. This wasn't the way to his house…

"My place," Joey said.

"My home is closer," Marik pointed out.

"Yeah, but I wanna keep an eye on you for a few days," Joey replied. "Make sure you don't do anything stupid like go after those thugs that took your Millennium Rod."

Marik sighed. What a day this was turning out to be.