BlackRose: Wow…this is longer than I thought it would be.  It's beginning to come to a close though.  Not that many chapters left.  How many, I cannot say, exactly.  Anyways-

Bakura: -.- Just get on with the damn chapter. 

BlackRose:  -.-  Rude.  I'm getting t-

Bakura: Malik? 

Malik: On with the chappie! 

+blah+   =Bakura to Yami

//blah//    =Yami to Bakura

 Duke pressed a hand to his stomach gingerly.

"I think the bleeding finally stopped." 

"It's about time."  It seemed that Duke was leaning more and more on Kaiba as they walked; Yami's pace a steady monotone.  Duke looked at the former pharaoh uneasily, wincing as he saw how empty Yami's eyes looked. 

I can't even imagine what he's feeling right now.  If Yugi is really…gone…I wonder what'll happen to Yami.    

"Needless to say, we'll have to get you to a hospital once we get out of here."  Kaiba tugged Duke out of his thoughts. 

"I don't need to go to the hospital!" 

"Devlin, you have a freakin' hole in your stomach!" 

"I don't care.  If I can manage now, then I'll be able to manage at home!" 

"You need medical attention!" 

"I do not!" 

"Yes you do!" 

"Do not!" 

"Do t-no…I am NOT going to stoop to that level of immaturity.  You're going and that's final." 

"You can't make me." 

"Stop being so childish. You can barely stand!" 

"But I'm standing."

"I'm taking you there as soon as we can get the hell out of here." 

"No your not.  Because I'm going straight home after this." 

"If you don't pass out first.  What do you have against hospitals, anyways?" 

"I just don't like them, okay?!" 

"Calm down.  It was just a question."   There was silence for a few moments until Duke spoke up again, shivering slightly.

"Why is it so cold in here?" 

"Perhaps the Players are trying to kill us from hypothermia." 

"Players?" 

"Never mind." 

"I just remembered something.  Where the hell's Mokuba?" 

"He went to a friends house instead of coming to the reception.  Thank God for that."  The relief was very evident in his voice. 

"Something's coming."  Duke and Kaiba looked at Yami, worried from the monotone of his voice.  Duke opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again as he received a look from Kaiba.  There was no need to speak, as all three heard feet dragging across the carpeted floor.  Several pairs of feet.  There was a flash of lightning from one of the windows, lighting up the room momentarily, giving the occupants full view of the feet's owners.  Three people were slowly walking towards them, the figures all too familiar.  One was short with tri-colored hair, a dagger sticking up from his back, his face horribly contorted with anger.  Another, taller than the first, with unruly blonde hair and brown eyes, head cocked to the side in an unnatural angle.  His face too was filled with rage.  The third familiar figure a female with short brown hair and blue eyes, her entrails crawling out of her stomach, wiggling like so many worms.  Clumps of damp earth clung to her figure.  Yami let out a strangled cry. 

"Yugi…"  He began to walk towards him, but was stopped as Kaiba caught his arm. 

"That's not Yugi, Yami." 

"It is him, can't you see?!" 

"Yami, it's just a trick!  Now come on!" 

Yami dug in his heels, refusing to be moved. 

"It's him!  I have to go to him!  Let me go!" 

"Yami, it's not him!  Yugi is DEAD!"  He tugged again, but it was no use.  Yami wouldn't be pulled away.   He pulled sharply, out of Kaiba's grasp, frantic to get to his hikari.  

"Fine then, you want proof?  WELL HERE'S YOUR GODDAMN PROOF!"  Kaiba pulled out the small silver gun and took aim, pulling the trigger once, sending a bullet into Yugi's head.  It exploded in a shower of gore, raining down on the six of them.  The body didn't fall, however, just continued to walk, oblivious to the fact that its head had been blown into fragments. Yami stood stock still, his eyes wide. 

"Yami, COME ON!  WE HAVE TO GO!" It was Duke this time that tugged Yami away with his free arm.  The three started running from their undead friends.  Kaiba stopped and turned abruptly. 

"Sorry mutt," he whispered before taking aim and shooting him in the legs, taking off again as Joey's body fell.  He took off again, after Duke and Yami, who was having one helluva time trying to help Duke move as fast as he could.  Kaiba sighed and scooped Duke up in his arms.  Yami was at his side as they raced down the hall. 

"Door…where the hell's a door…" Yami muttered.  They turned a corner, Yami in the lead, which wasn't exactly beneficial as he crashed into something.  Or someone, to be more precise.

"Shit, would you watch where your going?!" a sharp voice snapped.  Kaiba blinked. 

"Bakura?" 

"No…it's the Tooth Fairy.  Who the hell else would it be?"  Kaiba scowled and set Duke back down carefully.  Tristan opened his mouth to question that, when he noticed the large bloodstain on the coat wrapped around Duke's torso. 

"Duke, you okay man?" 

"I'll live.  Where the hell did you two come from?" 

"Well, we were walking when the pointy things on Bakura's ring started pointing straight, so we followed it's direction and bumped into you guys.  It must have been because of the puzzle."

"Well no shit Sherlock," Bakura snapped.  Something was up.  Yami hadn't spoken a word yet. 

"Something the matter Pharaoh?"  Yami looked up at him.  Bakura's eyes widened.  Yami's eyes looked so…haunted.  It wasn't like the Pharaoh to get this scared.  It must have been something else.  The first thing that came to mind was Yugi.  Bakura used the piece of the Puzzle he had tainted to mentally ask,

+Something happened to Yugi, didn't it?+   Yami's eyes widened.

//How did you know?//

+It's evident in your eyes.  Did he…+

//Yes.// 

 Bakura inwardly grimaced.  He may have disliked Yami, but the feeling of having half of your soul ripped away from you was never pleasant.  He should know.  He was brought back from his thoughts as Tristan's hand waved in from of his face. 

"Hello?  Is anyone home?" 

"What?!"  he snapped.

"I just wanted to know if you were okay.  Your eyes started to get all freaky."

"I'm fine," he growled. 

"Okay, sheesh, I was just asking."  

"Shit, c'mon, we gotta run," Kaiba said suddenly.  He scooped Duke up again. 

"Er…hey, wait!  What are we running from?" Tristan asked.  Bakura tapped his shoulder and pointed. 

"Them."  The three zombie versions of their friends had finally caught up with them. 

"Joey!" 

"Don't stop running, fool!  That's not him!"  Bakura gave Tristan a hard shove to keep him running. 

"Kaiba, there's a door that leads to the dining room up here!  Follow me!" he panted, running up ahead of the CEO.  He stopped at a large oak door and tugged the handle, throwing the door open.  The other four ran in, Tristan slamming the door shut behind him.  There was silence as the five of them struggled to catch their breath.  Duke's head snapped up suddenly. 

"What about the others?" 

"Well, needless to say, Joey and Yugi are dead.  I'm not sure about the other two," Tristan answered. 

"Ryou's still alive.  I would have felt it if he died." 

"Thank God," Duke breathed. 

"We have to find a way out of here," Kaiba said. 

"Yeah, after we find Ryou and Malik." 

"What would the point be in looking for either of them?  We can look at dawn.  Hopefully the house will be back to normal then." 

"WHAT?!" Bakura and Duke cried out in unison.

"We can't leave them to fend for themselves until dawn!!"

"NO FUCKING WAY IN BLOODY HELL AM I LEAVING WITHOUT MY HIKARI!!"

"We don't have a choice!  If you haven't noticed, everything in here keeps changing!  And I don't know if you've noticed, but there are things out there that are trying to freakin' kill us!" 

"Which is why we look now, then get the hell out once we find them!"  Duke protested.

"I'm not going to spend the rest of the night in this madhouse!"  Bakura's eyes darkened.  He picked Kaiba up by his collar and thrust him against the wall. 

"You may not give a shit about anyone else here, and that's fine with me, but you will NOT tell ME to LEAVE MY HIKARI HERE TO DIE!"   Kaiba's eyes narrowed. 

"Do NOT speak to me like that, tomb robber."

"I will speak to you however the hell I damn well please!  Now, we aren't leaving until we find my hikari and Malik, do you understand? Or shall I repeat it in Egyptian for you?" 

Kaiba felt something snap inside him.  He brought his fist back quite suddenly and punched Bakura in the jaw.  The surprised spirit dropped him and held his jaw. 

"Oh, you will pay for that, you little bastard!"  Just as he was about to act, hands clasped onto his arms and held him back. 

"Don't do it, tomb robber.  We don't need anymore deaths." 

"I swear to Ra, I'll fucking do it.  I'll send his arrogant ass to the Shadow Realm!" 

"Don't!  We need as many people alive as we can get!  Calm down and think, for once!  Think about Ryou!  We still need to keep one hikari alive, at least."  Yami said the last part in a whisper, his violet eyes watering slightly, making Bakura feel incredibly uncomfortable.  He sighed. 

"Fine.  But one more stunt like that, and even you won't be able to stop me."  Yami gave him a small smile. 

"Thank you.  Now, why don't we go and look for Malik and Ryou?"  

BlackRose: Okie…That chappies done.  Like I said, this fic is coming to a close.  Not many chapters left.  Hm…need to work on the gore factor.  Oh well.  Hopefully, next chapter will have more gore in it. 

Bakura: I hope so.  It needs more bloodshed.  Like I should have punched Kaiba back and broken his neck. 

BlackRose:  -.-  Yeah, then I'd have my neck broken by all of the Kaiba-fans.  Although I am going to be mauled by all of the Yami fans for what happens to him later on.    

Malik:  *grins evilly*  I can't wait for that.  READ AND REVIEW!