I'm ba-ack! Sorry it took me so freakin' long for me to update. I'm not gonna have much time to update alot since school has started. I hope this chapter was worth the long-ass wait. (Again, I'm sorry about that) Well, enjoy...

Chapter 8: New Suspicions

8:00 pm: on the blimp (Joey's room)

Joey & Rose laid in Joey's bed holding eachother. Neither of them said a word for awhile, until Joey decided that he should say something. "Rose..." he began. Rose looked up at him to see what he was going to say. "...let's not fight like that again. I hate it when you get so pissed at me like that."

Rose smiled. "Same here." She put her head back down on his chest as her smile suddenly disappeared. "I love you, Joey... &...I couldn't bear it if I'd lost you."

"Lose me?" Joey slowly sat up & looked at Rose with concern. "Rose, who said you would ever lose me?" He took her hands into his.

"It's just that if that Thing had gotten to you before you never knew how I felt...I would have to live with that guilt for the rest of my life. And I don't think I would be able to do that." She wanted to start crying but she successfully held back the tears & continued to talk. "That's why I came here, to your room. I had to let you know how much you mean to me."

"Rose...nothing's gonna happen to me, I promise. Why would you think something like that?"

"I don't know. I guess...the thought just crossed my mind &.... I really don't know."

Joey just stared at her for a moment. "Rose.... I think you're the one who worries too much, now."

Rose looked back up at Joey & smiled, realizing that he was right. "Yeah, I guess I am."

"But at least I know you care." He smiled back at her & kissed her as he gently ran his fingers through her dark hair. They slowly laid back down on the bed. They were then startled by some yelling & screaming coming from the other room.

"What the hell's goin' on in there?" Rose asked.

"I don't know."

They both quickly got up & got dressed. They knew something was very wrong & had to go see what was going on & if they could possibly help. Joey was dressed first & went over to the door & waited for Rose. She zipped up her jeans & went over to the door with Joey. Joey opened the door & they ran towards the front door where the screams were coming from. The screams stopped before they reached there. They saw Mai, Tea, Tristan, & Bakura on the floor in front of the front door, gasping for air like they were running or something. "What the hell happened to you guys?" Joey asked them.

"It was that Thing!!!" Tristan answered as he got up in a panic.

"That Thing!?! I thought we killed it!"

"We did, but this is another one." Tristan was very hysterical now. "We were running from it & it was snapping at our asses every inch of the way! Most of us made it back before it got us."

"Most of you? Who else was with you?"

They were all silent before Tea finally found the courage to answer. "Yugi & Duke."

"You mean they're...?"

"...Yeah."

"Oh no. Yug." he said quietly to himself. Now his best friend is dead, along with his sister. "How could this happen?" he thought to himself as he sat down, frustrated & angry. "Shit! What the hell were you doin' outside anyway!?!" He snapped at Tristan.

Tristan was hesitant at first but he eventually told him & Rose the whole story. How they decided to go search the shelter for something useful but found nothing & how Yugi & Duke were horribly killed. Rose had to sit down when she heard the whole story in detail. She buried her face in her hands. She wasn't crying. She was just so frustrated at how everything was going from bad to worse to almost unbearable in just one day. But then realized something. She looked back up, still thinking.

Joey noticed her expression. "Rose, what is it?"

"Nothing, just...thinking." She answered as she looked back down at the floor.

"About what?"

She stayed quiet for a moment, then she looked back up at Tristan. "Tristan, you said that this was another one, right?"

"Right." he answered, not sure where she was going with this.

"But the only one we found was the one that got Serenity...and we already killed that one, right?"

Mai was already getting impatient with her. "Is there a point to this, Rose?"

"I'm thinking it must've gotten to someone else besides Serenity before we got to it."

"You mean someone else is that Thing too?" Tea asked.

"It's possible...and as much as I hate to say it, but I think it may have been Mokuba that the first one got to before we got a chance to kill it."

"Mokuba?" Tea said. "Does that mean that Kaiba could be the Thing, too?"

"Yeah, more than likely."

"So, what are we gonna do?" Bakura asked.

"There's not much we can do. If there's any weapons on this blimp, Kaiba would be the only who knows where they are."

"So we're pretty much screwed, right?" Tristan asked.

Tea hit him on his head really hard. "Stop being so fucking negative!"

"I'm not being negative. Everyone else here is thinkin' it, I'm just sayin' it!"

They both stopped arguing & waited for someone else to say something. But know one did, nobody knew what to say. They all stayed quiet for awhile, unrtil Mai broke the awkward silence. "You sure did hit that right on the spot, Rose." She shot Rose a suspicious glare.

Rose glared right back at her, knowing that Mai already suspected her. "What are you saying, Mai?"

""Nothing. If what you're saying is true, then it's possible that you could be the Thing, too."

"Hey!" Joey went over & shoved Mai against the wall. "Don't you dare accuse her! How could you possibly think that she could be that Thing!?!"

"I'm just saying it's possible. I didn't accuse her of anything, you doofus. So get your fucking hands off of me!" She tried to push his arms away from her, but he only tightened his grip.

"That's bullshit, Mai & you know it. You wouldn't have said it if you weren't accusing her! So don't give me that crap!"

Mai stayed quiet. She knew he was right. There was no denying it. Joey finally let go of her & went to go sit down next to Rose.

"Joey, just calm down. Let her think whatever she wants." Rose said as she put her hand on his arm. Then, she turned to the other guys. "Everyone here suspects somebody & I guess they should. Any one of us could be that Thing, so I suggest we all watch our backs!"

They remained quiet, realizing that she was right.

Tristan then realized something different about Rose & Joey. "Wait a minute! Didn't you two kind of hate eachother before we left?"

"Let's just say we kissed & made up." Joey replied.

Tristan was eager to talk about something else beside the Thing so he pushed Joey to go into details. "Uh-huh. Are you sure that's all you two did, was kiss & make up?"

"That's really none of you're business, Tristan. Why the hell do you wanna know what we do behind closed doors, anyway?"

"I'm just trying to change the subject, here."

"And what makes you think I wanna talk about my sex-life with you guys?"

"Ah-HAH! I knew it!"

Joey finally gave up on him, realizing that he'll never win this argument. "Wait a minute!" He stood up & slowly started walking towards Tristan. "Why are you so eager to change the subject, Tristan? Are you afraid we're gonna find out your little secret?"

"What secret?"

"That you're the Thing!"

"What the hell, Joey!?!"

Joey finally reached him & backed Tristan into a corner. "I say we shoot him once or twice... just to make sure."

"What!?! Shoot me!?! Are you fucking crazy!?! The reason I wanted to change the subject was because we're starting to suspect everyone else & soon, we'll end up killing eachother whether we're that damn Thing or not! And if that happens, nobody will get out of here alive, if at all."

"Tristan's right, Joey." Rose came up behind him & pulled him away from Tristan. Tristan felt relieved that he wasn't pinned to the wall anymore. "If we all turn against eachother, we'll all end up dead. But if we stay calm & don't start going crazy, Joey, some of us might actually have a chance of getting out of here."

"So, what are you suggesting?" Tristan asked.

"Just to keep in mind that some of us are still human. But since some of us are that Thing, I suggest we all watch our own backs & not try to be any hero! We can't trust anyone now."

The awkward silence returned, but this time it seemed longer than before. They realized that everything Rose was saying was true. They discretely glared at every person in the room. They didn't know who to trust anymore. Didn't know who their friends were. But one thing was certain, they 'knew' Kaiba & Mokuba were the Thing & they had to do something about it. But what? They had no idea where the weapons could be at. Only Kaiba, maybe Mokuba, would know. But nobody dared to knock on their door. They saw what The Thing was capable of & didn't want to end up like Serenity, Duke, & Yugi. They had to come up with some sort of plan before they all end up dead or worse, an imitation that'll kill one of their friends who is still human. Before anyone had a chance to come up with anything, Kaiba came out of his room with Mokuba right behind him. Mokuba rubbed his sleepy eyes & Kaiba had dark circles under his eyes. Apparently, they just wake up from a nap.

"Jeez, Kaiba. You look like crap!" Tristan blurted out without even thinking. Mai elbowed him in the ribs really hard for being so stupid. "Damn! Why the fuck is everyone hitting me today?" he said to himself, as he rubbed his side where Mai just hit him.

Kaiba just glared at him when he stopped & stood in front of everyone. Everyone was nervous, scared to say anything. They weren't sure why, but they didn't wanna risk getting him mad if he was what they thought he was. The awkward silence remained in the room for a moment. Kaiba sensed they were hiding something. They all had a guilty look on their face. At least, that's what it looked like to him. "What are you guys up to?" he asked them.

"Uh, n...nothing!" Joey stuttered.

Joey was a really bad liar & Kaiba knew it. He looked at Joey for moment before asking again. "You guys are hiding something. What is it?"

This time, Rose decided to give him an answer. She didn't want to, but it was obvious that no one else had the courage to do it. She told him about the shelter, Yugi & Duke, and their theory about this Thing. Of course, she didn't tell him that they suspected him & Mokuba. She just told him everything he needed to hear & that was it. She wasn't sure if Kaiba believed her or not, but it really didn't matter. Kaiba just looked at her, then decided to believe her. At least for now...

So, was it worth the wait? I hope it was. Sorry it was so sappy at the beginning. Couldn't help it. (I'm a girl, what did you expect?) So, is Kaiba & Mokuba the Thing? Or is it someone else? Hmm... NEways, plz R&R & I will see you later!