Shadu: Dun' own Yu-Gi-Oh! Nothing there has changed.

[Okay, maybe I was a little rough with my friends. But I didn't want to talk about it. They could never know. They would never find out if I never told them, or so I thought.]

Joey left school that afternoon before Yugi, or anyone else, got a chance to talk to him. Joey just walked along the familiar streets holding his arm and thinking about what he had done. Why had he killed his father?

"Yo! Joey!" Tristan's voice rang out over the streets.

Joey groaned and cursed under his breath. He had forgotten that Tristan knew his route home by heart. Joey didn't slow to let Tristan catch up with him. Joey was actually hoping that Tristan didn't catch up with him. But he did.

"Joey, what's wrong with you?" Tristan asked.

"Nothing," Joey stated.

"I wouldn't call that nothing," Tristan skillfully countered, pointing at Joey's elbow.

"That was a freak accident," Joey defended.

"Freak accidents don't cause you to walk in class during third hour," Tristan stated pointedly. "Unless it were a car crash," he added.

"Fine, I slept in really late and had problems finding my way," Joey growled.

"One, even though you sleep late, your father gets you up in time for second hour, at the latest, and also, you never loose your way," Tristan nodded his head.

"Tristan, just drop it!" Joey comanded, his eyes getting a red hue to them all of a sudden.

"Alright, okay, just don't get so touchy, I'm just trying to help," Tristan held up his hands.

But then Joey stopped. A thought had just occurred to him. He couldn't go home. That would be suicide. He would either be killed by those who live in the apartments, like they were trying to do this morning, or the police would come and get him. The neighbors hadn't seen exactly what had happened, but just like Joey did, they too had made the connection.

"Joey, what's wrong?" Tristan asked.

"I, uh, just remembered that I needed to pick up something from the store on my way home," Joey fibbed.

"Oh, okay, well, I need to get home A.S.A.P., catch ya," Tristan stated.

And with that, he left. Joey watched him go. He hated to lie like that, especially to Tristan, but he knew that he had to do it. Joey then turned around and took the long rode to the west side of town.

(Kame Game Shop)

Yugi lay on his bed staring at the poster on his ceiling(1). Yami could sense his uneasiness. Coming out of the Puzzle and standing in front of Yugi in his translusive form, he watched Yugi a little before speaking.

"What is it little one?" Yami asked.

"Huh? Oh, Yami, it's about Joey," Yugi stated.

"Go on," Yami replied, beckoning for Yugi to continue.

"He came to school really late today, and he had this bloody bangage on his arm," Yugi told him. "He said nothing about what happened, and when we tried to find out, he blew up in our faces."

"Hmmmm," was the only replied that Yugi was greeted with.

"I'm really worried about him," Yugi openly admitted. "I sensed something coming from him today."

"Yes, I sensed it too; it was almost like a dark presense," Yami nodded in agreement. "I fear that Joey might be in trouble."

Yugi said nothing, but he knew that Yami was right. Something was wrong, and something was out to get Joey.

(Joey's present location)

He collasped on the ground to catch his breath. His arm was really hurting now, but there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn't go to a hospital; they would probably be keeping an eye out for him. Then he cursed his rotten luck. He had forgotten something very important at his home. No, it wasn't his deck. No, it wasn't a picture of Serenity. He already had all of those. Well, at the time he wasn't thinking he needed it. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized his need for it.

"Why me?" the asked himself quietly.

Then, standing up, he put his pack in a hidden location, and ran back towards his apartment, even though he knew almost for certain what awaited him there was death.

(1) Don't laugh, I actually put posters on my ceiling. I, uh, kind of ran out of wall space.