Fieren: Well, I don't really have anything to say regarding anything this time around. I suppose I'll spare you my mindless blabbering and just give you the chapter,

Chapter 10: A Deal Forged on the Water

Doppler was walking the streets, a dirty brown briefcase in his left hand and his right hand jammed into his pocket. Sweat poured down his brow and made his face appear to glisten in the afternoon light. As he stopped at a red light, his cell phone suddenly rang. He pulled it from his pocket and looked at it. On the display was a text message: Meet at the sushi place across the street, my associate is there. Doppler looked up from his phone and at the Sushi Place. Sitting in the front window was a beautiful woman with long red hair, pulled into a tight ponytail in the back. She wore a set of stylish sunglasses and a smart business suit. She gave a tight smile and a slight wave at Doppler from the Sushi Place. That was who he was meeting, unless this woman was coming on to him, but that never happened. Doppler had always come off as sort of a geek, and he wasn't very appealing. Doppler sighed and made his way across the street and entered the sushi place. Behind the countertop, several men were cutting up fish and wrapping them, while people who had ordered were waiting. Four tables were full, men and women talking, laughing, and eating. Doppler's attention however was riveted on the red-haired woman. From the outside, he'd never been able to get a good look at her, but now he could see that she was very beautiful. He slowly walked over and sat next to her.

"Nice to meet you, Dr. Benjamin Doppler." She extended her right hand to him, he took it and gave it a weak shake.

"Pardon me if I seem a little odd today, I'm feeling a little ill." Doppler said.

"I understand." She nodded.

"Let's hear this deal."

"Right down to business I see. I like that." She smiled. "You received a call earlier today from someone you couldn't identify, correct?" Doppler nodded. "That was a taste of how we do things. Other than little meetings like these, you never met us. Am I clear?" Doppler nodded again. "Good. We have propositioned you because of your technological expertise, and because of your connections in Kaiba Corp. We want you to spy for us."

Doppler considered this for a moment. "Corporate Espionage then is it?"

"Exactly."

"In what intervals will these meetings be?"

"There won't be a set time, we will get a hold of you and let you know."

"That seems unprofessional."

"Maybe, but we don't want your activities to look like clockwork. Just like any other day, Benjamin."

"I understand. What should I look into first?"

"The new solidification program Kaiba Corp is working on."

"VR Solidification?" The woman nodded. "You're in luck, I am heading that particular project. I already know everything about it, for the most part."

"Not now, we need to talk payment. For every piece of information you bring us, my superiors will pay you one million dollars, U.S." She said.

Doppler was native to Canada, not the U.S. But even still, that was a lot of money. "I'll do it."

The woman smiled. "Excellent, in roughly a week or so, we will meet again, next time in a more quiet atmosphere. I look forward to the information you'll bring." She stood, and gracefully walked away, leaving Doppler staring after her.

-----

Yuugi made his way down the street considering what Kaiba told him. A team tournament. He would be there, along with Yuuhi, once Yuugi told him, three others, and Yuugi himself. Who would Yuugi ask? Kaiba had already made his point when he recommended Jounouchi not be there. Perhaps Mai? She enjoyed duelling, so this would be a good idea for her. Perhaps Ryou and Malik also? They were both good. Yuugi would talk to Malik when the met at the harbor, which wouldn't be very long, since Yuugi was close to the harbor.

-Yuugi?- Yami asked.

-Hmmm?- Yuugi replied.

-Is Malik really trustworthy now?- Yami didn't trust him.

-You should have faith in those in your service, Yami. Look at me, for once the advice is coming from me to you.- Yuugi laughed.

Yami chuckled himself, and then became silent when they saw Malik walking towards them. He was wearing his usual jewellery, khaki pants and a black t-shirt. He sun-bleached hair was playing in the wind. He gave a slight wave as he jogged the rest of the way to them.

"Hello, Yuugi. I'd like to talk to the Pharaoh." Malik got to the point.

"Okay, but first, how would you like to compete in a team tournament?" Yuugi asked.

"For Magic and Wizards?" Malik asked, and Yuugi nodded. "Sounds like fun."

Yuuhi smiled and then Yami came out. "Hello, Malik." Yami said.

"Pharaoh." Malik nodded. "The Dark Jackals are here in town."

"I know. I have encountered some of them." Yami replied, his mind falling back to the green-haired man who was killed by his cohorts.

"They are also closer than you think now. They have a ship in this harbor. I saw it as I was walking here. It's the one down there with all the Jackal emblems plastered all over it. Discretion is a foreign concept to them it would seem." Malik pointed.

"Indeed. They're after my Puzzle."

"I know. I don't know why they'd want it, unless they were going for what I wanted. Your power. They do possess all three of the God monsters right now. If they get the Puzzle, it's over, but only if they know your secret, and they might need one of us for that." Malik replied.

Their conversation was cut short when they saw a Triad walking towards them.

"Crap." Malik said through gritted teeth. "Pharaoh, go that way, I'll go this way." Malik made gestures with his head to tell the directions.

Yami turned and took off in the direction Malik gestured. "We'll meet somewhere more friendly next time." Yami called back.

Malik nodded and took off as well.

-----

While they had been out, Ryou and Yuuhi ran into Anzu, Honda and Otogi. Now, the five of them were seated in a booth at the back of a Karaoke Bar. There was a middle-aged looking man up on stage, singing very horribly as the words appeared on a projector. Yuuhi was laughing hysterically along with Honda at the man. When he had been booed off stage, Yuuhi and Honda turned back to their three friends.

"You know, they don't really have Karaoke Bars in North America or Europe." Yuuhi said.

"They don't? You been around, man." Honda said, giving Yuuhi a slap on the back.

"Maybe, but it wasn't exactly a picnic. After my parents divorced eight years ago, my Dad hauled me around the world escaping debt collectors and the like. Wasn't fun. He got beat up a lot, and then when he got tired of caring for me, he gave custody of me over to Mom." Yuuhi explained.

"Why did they divorce anyway?" Anzu asked.

"Dad thought that Mom cheated on him." Yuuhi said simply.

"Why would he think that?" Otogi asked, while he handled one of his trademark dice.

"I guess it was because I don't look much like him, or Mom for that matter. We got one of those blood tests done, and it proved that I was actually his but I don't think he ever quite believed it." Yuuhi finished.

"Are we gonna order anything?" Honda asked.

Anzu glared at Honda. "Way to ruin the mood you oaf!" She kicked him underneath the table. Honda let out a high-pitched yelp and began hugging his shin to his torso/

"That's not everything though. Something else happened, that neither of my parents would tell me about, but from the strange looks they got in their eyes, I could tell it was about me. Yuugi might be able to tell you." Yuuhi leaned his chin against him palm and rested his elbow on the table. He had a distant, sad look in his eyes.

"I think I'll have a medium pizza…" Honda said as he scratched his chin. Anzu delivered another swift and furious kick to his bruised shin. Honda yelped again.

Yuuhi stood and gave a half-hearted farewell as he trotted out the door, hands in his pockets. The sidewalks were teeming with life, much like an ant colony and Yuuhi hardly noticed as he weaved in and out of the crowd. He turned with a start when he felt a hand on his arm. Yuuhi turned and found himself looking into the troubled eyes of Anzu.

"You don't think much of us as friends do you?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" Yuuhi asked, taking back his arm.

"You lied to us in there, about that other reason, the one your parents never told you about."

"What of it? It's a bad memory I didn't want to dig up, you're not thinking much of me by asking me to talk about it." Yuuhi said, a touch of anger hitting his voice.

"You didn't have to lie though." Anzu said, turning her head down a little. She had realized what Yuuhi said was true.

"Maybe I didn't." Yuuhi said, turning away.

"Wanna go back in?" Anzu asked.

"Not really." Yuuhi looked down at his brunette friend. "How about we go do something? Just the two of us?"

"You mean like, a date?" Anzu asked.

"No, not a date, just two friends doing something." Yuuhi smiled. "No karaoke though, just about every person is horrible at it."

"How about DDR?" Anzu asked.

"They have that in America you know. I met this guy once in Canada, name was Ian… something or other, man he was good at it."

Together, the two sauntered off down the street, weaving together through traffic.

-----

Yami looked back and cursed in Egyptian when he saw the Triad hot on his heels. He rounded a corner and dug into his pocket and pulled the Millennium Rod. Yami skidded to a stop and turned to face his followers. They rounded the corner and slowed down when they saw the spiky-haired Pharaoh had stopped. They grimly advanced as they drew their knives from their sleeves. The Pharaoh pointed the rod at the first and using it, entered his mind, and turned him on his followers. Through his captors body, Yami wrestled with the two others, making them drop their knives, which he quickly collected using his new body. With one, he stabbed through a hood, pinning a man to the ground, the other one was given a hit to the stomach. Yami then made the man club himself and then released him and continued running. As Yami rounded a corner, he smacked into Malik.

"It appears that our two paths crossed." Yami smirked.

"So it would seem." The tanned young man smirked. Together the two rose from the ground and continued running.

After what seemed like forever, the two stopped and sat on a bench, catching their breath. Malik looked down and saw his former Millennium Item clutched in Yami's hand.

"It's good to know my Rod helped you." Malik heaved hoarsely.

"It was a great help." Yami heaved back. "They wanted to duel before."

"Perhaps they realized it was time to stop fooling around and start coming out you with lethal force." Malik said as he pulled out a cell phone. "I'm going to call Rishid and have him pick us up, we can talk about this with Isis at the hotel." As Malik began punching in the numbers, Mai's car skidded to a stop. In the passenger seat, sat Jounouchi.

"Hey, Yuugi, what's up?" Jounouchi and Mai asked in unison.

"They're even better." Malik said.

"Definitely." Yami said. "Could you give us a ride, Mai?"

"Where to?" She asked.

"Anywhere but here." Malik said.

"Yuugi, have you seen my new place yet?" Yami nodded. "Mai and me were headin' there anyway, why doncha guys come with us?" Jounouchi asked, leaning across Mai's lap to talk.

"I'd love to see your new home, Jou." Yami said as he and Malik climbed into the back seat.

Mai revved the engine and took off down the street.

-----

Bakura was walking down the street, heading towards the harbor, where his Millennium Ring pointed to two of the Millennium Items, he held it up and looked down again, the spikes on the Ring pointed off in another direction. Bakura gritted his teeth and let the Ring go, as he was turning, his eyes landed on a Triad, battered and bruised. Now would be a good time to find out who had attacked him before. He strode over to the Triad and grabbed one by the neck.

"Where is your leader?" Bakura demanded icily.

The Triad was clearly too tired out to fight the Egyptian thief and quietly asked him to follow. They didn't walk very far. Just down the walkway, about thirty yards, was a ship with jackals emblazoned on the hull. They led Bakura up the gangplank, and he then stood face-to-tattooed-face with a man with a Jackal tattooed on his cheek.

"Who are you?" Bakura demanded.

"Who are you?" The tattooed man countered.

"I can see this is going somewhere, so I'll be brief, what are you doing in this city?"

"We are here to take an item much like the one you wear around your neck."

"The Millennium Puzzle? Get in line, fool." Bakura spat.

"You have but one item, our leader has two." The raven-haired man said smugly.

"You're mistaken, I also have two." Two Millennium Items, in the possession of their leader. That got gears grinding in Bakura's head. "However, if your leader will give me his Millennium Items, I will get him the Puzzle. Yuugi knows of you, he won't suspect me." A lie of course. Yuugi and the Pharaoh were constantly on guard for him.

"How do I know you'll deliver?"

"I'm a collector, I'll gladly hand over one Millennium Item if I know it'll get me two more." Bakura grinned.

"I shall ask my Master, my name is Laevenne, and yours?"

"Bakura Ryou." Bakura chuckled and leaned against the railing on the side of the ship as Laevenne went inside. Four Millennium Items, and then stealing the Puzzle from these fools would be simple.

End of Chapter 10

Next Chapter: Things you can expect to see next chapter!!!! Bakura does stuff, EVIL! Yuuhi and Anzu play DDR, exciting! Honda realizes girls don't like him and kills himself, extreme! Yuugi asks Mai to compete and tells Jou he can't, righteous! Seto does stuff, huzzah! Will any of this actually happen? Read the next chapter and find out!

Fieren: R&R!!!