Yamiko, I swear on all that's holy, unholy and just plain human that this is not Yaoi. I'm glad you enjoyed it so far though. Hopefully the quality has not dipped that much. (My other fics are way better ::shameless plug::)
Summary:After the Duellist Kingdom, they thought everything would calm down, would get back to normal. But that's a vain dream, especially when someone's decided having a Millennium Item renders you a target...
Rating: ... Might be some mild swearing, subtle innuendo, and a bit of gore. That's pretty much it. Isn't that pretty much the rating for ALL my stories?
Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue, don't steal. Please don't flame either. Comments accepted though!
Random Fact: The lyrics at the start of each chapter are from the Linkin Park album (::worships Linkin Park. Especially Chester. Then slaps self and gets back to normal. Yeah "normal".::) No prizes for guessing which. They were only supposed to go for the Interludes, but still...
Chapter One: Crossroads
I remember what they taught to me
Remember condescending talk for who I ought to be
Remember listening to all of that and this again
So I pretended up a person who was fittin' in
And now you think this person really is me and I'm
(Trying to bend the truth)
"You're asking a lot Yugi. Kaibaland's duelling arenas are booked solid for the next three months!" Mokuba explained. After he spoke though, a smirk spread across his face, proving more than anything his relation to Seto. "But I guess we do owe you big time..."
The short blonde girl pushed through. "So what are we waiting for? Let's get this duel on the road!"
Mokuba looked at the strange blonde girl with a mixture of "Oh my god" and "Er...", before leading them to the duel arena that - even as they went - was being expertly vacated.
Seto Kaiba walked calmly out of his private elevator. It was Monday, and usually when he had a meeting at this time, he would be in his school uniform. But as he wasn't going to school until tomorrow, he was wearing his casual clothes - black today.
Another difference between this meeting and others, was that he wasn't in any hurry. Normally, he would be stalking down these corridors without even looking at the view. But today, he felt like keeping his prey sweating slightly.
He leaned his head against the window that made up the wall of this corridor, watching the city below, watching the ant-like people scurrying below. It wasn't something he did often - the people were ants to him, and even less deserving of his attention.
For some reason though, his eyes drifted up to look at the sky. Clouds were gathering, weaving into a thick black mat above the city. The blue eyed boy's hands clenched into fists.
'Something's not right here...' a voice whispered in the back of his head. 'Something's wrong... Something bad's going to happen...'
He shook his head furiously. That wasn't like him - he'd obviously been more affected by the Duellist Kingdom than he thought if was starting to have "premonitions" over something as simple as a storm brewing. But he still he turned his back on the hulking black mass with a shudder.
Kaiba checked his watch. Five minutes late for something he'd described as an "emergency meeting". If they weren't worried by now...
Jamming one hand into his pocket, Kaiba sauntered into the meeting room.
Téa blinked. "Is it just me, or did she put on a completely different personality?" she asked, watching the now-slightly-more-serious Rebecca.
Sapphire eyes moved slowly over the assembled board-members. Only about half were present - the rest had evidently been more sensible and fled. The remainder eyed him nervously as he moved towards the head at the table, with the - admittedly weak - sun at his back. It was a position that was to his advantage on sunny days - he could see everything while everyone else had to squint at him. Today though, he didn't need the sun to hide him. His face was a perfect icy mask, but that would soon be cracking away...
Kaiba slammed his briefcase onto the table, enjoying the way some of the more nervous men jumped and twitched. He clicked it open and pulled out a wad of paper.
"As you 'gentlemen' -" Was that the faintest hint of mocking scorn on that last word? "- should know, we are taking over Industrial Illusions. And, having gone through Pegasus' computer files -" There was a definite snarl in his voice on Pegasus' name, and more twitches around the room. "- I've discovered that he's much better at keeping records than the people in this room." His eyes moved over them again. "What's the phrase? 'A verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's written on.'" He peeled off the first stapled pack and tossed it down on the table. Again another spasm of flinches and twitches at the sound. The one closest to him started to edge away. "Pegasus was obviously a firm believer in this."
Rebecca scooped up her card and slammed it back down, face up. "Up from the depths comes the creepy and oh-so-loveable Shadow Ghoul in attack mode!"
"In the pack there, it shows quite clearly all the details of the deals between you all and him. Transcripts of your conversations. Details of the deals. Everything."
A sheet of paper slithered on top, the signatures of every man in the room clearly apparent. Kaiba didn't look at it, didn't say anything about it, but he didn't have to. They all understood.
He scowled. Another mask. He flicked between them so fast that very few people even realised what they were. "I could have you all arrested for planning murder and kidnapping. Most of you are guilty of embezzlement." Another pack slapped on top of the others.
There was a mutter from one of the men at the back. "Pegasus' idea for the disposal. Nothing to do with us."
Kaiba smacked his fists down onto the table. "Guilty by association at least! And I have records to show that it was YOU who requested to have us removed!" It was almost funny to see them shrinking away from him, like naughty children before an angry parent. Men twice his age, completely terrified of him. It almost made him smile, but that would have been the wrong mask for this situation. And that just wouldn't do at all.
"One hundred... two hundred... three - " Joey started, counting on his fingers.
"Eleven hundred." Téa growled, resisting the temptation to thump him.
His voice dropped to a hiss. "You. Are. All. FIRED. If I see any of you anywhere near here I will arrange for it to be impossible for you to do anything for a long time. I've also arranged for the money you stole to be removed from your bank accounts. With added interest of course." The small smirk let them know the size of the interest: safe to say that 100 was probably accurate. "If that's all gentlemen, I would urge you to leave quickly, before security gets here and throws you out."
A few men rose to their feet, slowly, looking nervously at the man opposite Kaiba. Ozomashii. A trouble causer and general pain in the backside at best. There weren't words to describe what he was at worst. Not clean ones at least. He reclined in his seat as though he was the one in charge, not Kaiba.
'Well. That's going to change. NOW.' Kaiba growled mentally. "That applies to you as well."
"I think not. The rest of you, sit down." He was a large man - tall and broad. "Built like a rhino with the same personality" as one of his (ex) employees had described him. A dangerous man. But Kaiba had been reasonably certain that he could take him. Now though, he wasn't so sure. The ones at Ozomashii's sides sat down quickly. The ones already behind him fled. Witnesses weren't in high demand here.
He reached out one fleshy hand for the papers, and they were quickly passed down to him. He didn't even glance at them before he started to tear them up. Once they nothing more than confetti, he lobbed them all at Kaiba. The brown haired teen watched it with the air of a patient parent watching a mildly irritating child. "Was there a purpose to that? Apart from showing your immature side." He looked up at the man's hooked nose and tiny black eyes. "Because immature actions don't hide the fact that you're well on your way to your third century."
Immature? Yes. Unnecessary? True.
Deeply amusing? Hell yes.
Kaiba smirked. "I take it you would rather security escorted you away? Or perhaps the police?" He reached out for the intercom button. "I can arrange that if that's what you really want - "
Ozomashii rose. "If you really believe they will take the word of a fifteen year old upstart over that of a respected member of the community such as myself, then you really are out of your mind." He always said words fully, rather than use a contractive. It was supposed to make him sound "upper-class." In Kaiba's opinion, it made him sound like an idiot.
Idiots were usually completely beneath his interest. In Ozomashii's case, he'd make an exception.
"And just what makes you think they won't believe me? I'm not a fool; I know better than to keep only one copy of anything important. As far as I know, the police are already in possession of two copies."
Those little eyes - he was tempted to compare them to crab's eyes - widened oh-so- slightly.
'That's right old man. You thought I was a little kid for you to lead around. You always did. Well, guess what: You were wrong. Not that it's much of a surprise.'
Ozomashii heaved his bulk around the table, heading purposely towards him. "Of course. The writings of a one-eyed madman and a teenager focused entirely on his little games. How could I think that I had anything going for me?" His eyes drifted up and scoured the ceiling. "I can't see any camera's in here Kaiba. That might have been a mistake."
"I believe it was at your request to my step-father, after your wife was shown the security tape of that secretary." Kaiba agreed.
Ozomashii growled furiously, nostrils widening. Kaiba's mind - detached as always - was starting to hint at unfavourable comparisons to bulls.
"I would like to find out exactly how you prevented the scandal from making the newspapers," he continued, drifting behind his own chair and leaning against it's back. "I imagine it must have set you back quite a bit - especially after your wife went to the police and accused you of wife beating."
A vein was pulsing in the man's forehead, and a tic was developing under his eye. The other executives were sidling out of the room. They knew where their interests lay, and they knew what Ozomashii was like when he was roused. And Kaiba was rousing him deliberately. It was all part of his plan. His strategy.
"I imagine you'll have to employ similar tricks to escape this time as well," he said quietly. "Because I'll ruin you. I will rip your business to shreds and have you run out of town like the dog you are."
"Over my dead BODY!" the older man screamed, lunging forwards.
Yugi drew a card.
Kaiba shoved the chair forwards, catching the man in the stomach and sending him sprawling.
He stared at it sadly, violet eyes disappointed.
Ozomashii bellowed like the wild bull he'd been compared to, throwing the chair away from him and lunging again. Kaiba's foot snapped up, and Ozomashii nearly bit his own tongue in two on his way back to the floor. Instantly, Kaiba was on him, knee in the small of his back, arm twisted up behind him. The black haired man bellowed and scrabbled at the floor with his free hand. The brunette risked letting go with one hand and digging his fingernails into the back of his captives hand.
He placed the card back on the pile, and left his hand there.
"Just because you can't see the cameras doesn't mean they're not there. I keep them in the woodwork so I can catch people like you in the act. The police have already got your associates."
Ozomashii snarled and strained against his captor. Kaiba smashed his head against the floor. The door slid open, and a tall red-haired man ushered in the police.
Seeing the business man already pinned, he mock-pouted. Good grief. "I see you didn't need any help after all. Shame." The pout vanished into a demonic grin. "I wouldn't have minded beating hell out of him."
Ozomashii raised his head, blood pouring from his broken nose and bitten tongue. "In your dreams Takkai. You couldn't beat a child."
"Neither could you apparently." An apologetic grin was directed at Kaiba as Takkai stepped back to let the police through. "No offence boss."
Kaiba relinquished his grip and stepped away, letting the police cuff the man. "Don't push your luck Takkai. I've already halved your salary since you came."
At that moment, Ozomashii reared up, breaking free of the police men and hurling himself straight at Kaiba.
"I surrender."
Kaiba stumbled back, trying to get out of the landing range, but Ozomashii's bulk gave him an advantage and Kaiba found himself hit in the stomach by a human freight train, heading irreversibly for the wall-to-wall windows.
Or at least, that's what the plan had been.
Takkai made himself useful for what was possibly the first time in his working career. The tall man darted forwards and seized Kaiba's trench coat, twisting the enemies around and wrenching the boy free.
Ozomashii kept going, crashing through the plate glass windows. Luckily for him, there was a balcony to catch him. Unluckily, it cushioned his fall with shards of glass.
Takkai let go of Kaiba's trench coat, stepping back. The blue eyed boy shot a glance at Takkai; the older man was turning white, his green eyes widening.
"Do we have to call an ambulance?" Kaiba asked. "Or is all that blood just from minor wounds?" Of course, it could be taken as 'Can't we just let him bleed to death?' But Kaiba wouldn't even think something like that.
Yeah right.
Takkai gave him a disgusted look as the police started calling for an ambulance and collecting the limp body. "You are sick, boss."
Kaiba grinned icily. "You'd be surprised. For all the blood you get from cutting your wrists, you rarely do much damage."
His sadistic side enjoyed the faint trace of green in his rescuer's face, and noted the way the older man rubbed at his wrists.
"I think I'll amend that. You are beyond sick boss."
Kaiba smirked and collected his briefcase. "Just go Takkai, before you say something to get you into trouble. I'll arrange for someone to clear up this mess and make excuses to your secretary."
Takkai grinned and sprinted away. It was the closest either would get to a thank you. Well, that and his salary going back to it's normal rate.
Kaiba ordered someone to get the cleaners and a glazier into the boardroom, then calmly walked out.
He hadn't really spoken to Mokuba for a couple of days. He'd better go let his little brother know he was still alive.
And he'd probably be better off not mentioning this little incident...
Téa had been humming as she came to work. After Yugi's duel and the others chuckling over the foolishness of adults, she'd made the appropriate goodbyes and gone to Burger-palooza. As she got changed and reported for duty in her ridiculously small uniform, she had to muse on the pang she'd felt in her chest she'd got when Yugi had handed the Ties Of Friendship card to Rebecca. It had only be a tiny one, just a little sting, but it had been there.
It wasn't entirely unfamiliar, Téa wasn't that naive, but she'd rarely felt it in connection to Yugi. Especially when it came to ten year olds. It was more the feeling she got when someone got a part she'd trained for at ballet class, or someone getting a better mark than she had in school. A little green eyed monster rearing up and sinking it's fangs into her heart.
'My god,' Téa thought as she started swabbing the tables left from the morning shift (surprisingly, there were very few customers this afternoon). 'I'm jealous!'
She was so busy reaching this amazing conclusion, so wrapped up in giggling at her own idiocy, that she completely missed the figure who - deliberately! - walked into her.
"Hey! Watch out!" the brunette squawked, stumbling back.
"You watch out! You sure got a lot o' attitude for someone waitin' tables!" a familiar voice drawled.
"Joey?" Téa gaped, looking her friend up and down. In the - she glanced at the clock on the wall - hour she'd been at work, Joey had apparently been home and got changed, and he'd brought...
"Why are you carrying a suitcase?" she asked, staring at the green hold-all resting innocently against Joey's feet. The blond looked sheepish and rubbed at his head.
"That's kinda what I wanted to talk to you about," he said, quieter than he usually would have. Téa was instantly on alert.
"What've you done Joey?" she demanded. "Am I going to have the police come in here looking for you?"
"Wha - no!" Joey looked shocked, and the blue-eyed girl felt a little bubble of motherly sympathy for him.
"Sit there," she ordered, pointing at an isolated booth. "Don't move until I get back. We'll talk then."
When she returned, she was brandishing a huge ice-cream sundae and some coke. Usually the sight of his favourite dessert would have brought out a huge grin and exaggerated praise of Téa as a fantastic mom. Today, he just looked up from the table - he'd had his head rested against his folded arms - and gave her a tired smile.
"What's wrong?" she asked, stopping in front of the table. "What's happened?"
Joey took the tray from her and grinned reassuringly. "Nothing's wrong Tay. I'm just gonna miss you s'all."
"Going to miss me? Why?" Téa slid into the seat opposite, keeping a tight grip on her hemline as she did so. When she found the pervert who had designed these uniforms...
Joey picked at the ice cream, the started to spoon little bits of it into his mouth. Another sign that something was wrong.
"I'm just gonna miss having you around. It won't be the same having you to pick up after me." He didn't look at her, instead studying the table with the intense focus that usually only came when he was trying to figure out how to spell something. "Did I ever say thanks for that? Cause I appreciate it. It means a lot to me, having you around."
"Joey?" There was a sick feeling in her throat. "Just say it. You're not usually - "
"I'm leaving."
" - like this, so just spit it - " Téa's rant came to a halt and she openly gaped at her friend. "Leaving?" she repeated weakly. "Why?"
"I'm going to see Serenity," he said quietly, still not meeting her eyes. "I won't be back for a couple of months. I'll call you all though. I just wanna be there for my little sister you know?"
Téa was moving before she realised, and found herself wedging into Joey's seat, wrapping her arms around him. Joey seemed as surprised as she was, but let his arm drape around her, and he tugged her into a one armed hug.
"Don't start being mushy and stuff," he warned. "Or I'll start crying and it won't be pretty."
It was true; when she looked up his hazel eyes were glittering suspiciously. He met her eyes for a moment, then looked away and started fumbling in a pocket. After a moment, he came up with a piece of paper. Téa accepted it, then squinted for long moments, trying to translate it.
"That's my mom's phone number," he told her, pointing. "That's her address. And that's the hospital address where me 'n' S'renity are gonna be spending the next couple of weeks."
He sighed and looked away. "I'm gonna miss you Téa."
"I'm going to miss you too," Téa promised, leaning against Joey's chest. She rubbed at her eyes with the back of her hand, and hugged him harder. "So you'd better call!"
"I will, I will."
"How are you getting there?"
"I'm taking a train. Tristan's dropping me off at the station."
"Does he - "
"I told him a few days ago," He was avoiding Téa's gaze again. "I wanted to tell you last because I knew you wouldn't laugh at me if I did start cryin'."
Her only reply was to affectionately stroke his hair. She was... honoured, she supposed, that he would trust her that much. And surprised that he'd managed to act so normal all this time...
"Hey, Téa?" he asked. "I'm not trying to be nasty or anything, but what time is it?"
The girl craned her head around to look at the clock, then remembered she was wearing a watch and looked at that instead.
"Half past."
"Uh-oh!" Joey gulped down the rest of his ice-cream and then shooed her out of the booth so he could get up. "I'm meeting Tristan in ten!" He scooped Téa up in a bone crushing hug, then ruffled her hair affectionately. "I'll see you kay? I'll call you."
What can you say when one of your best friends is up and leaving for eight weeks or more? Goodbye's too final...
"See you Joey," Téa agreed, hugging him back before letting him gather up his bag and go. To her surprise, there were tears trickling down her cheeks as she waved from the shop door, and Joey's face was sparkling as well as he waved back.
Goodbye's too final. So don't say goodbye.
Téa got back to work.
"All right you!" Rebecca snarled at her captive. "This place is smaller than most of the arena's I've been to and I still can't find the ice cream place!"
Mokuba edged away, mentally praying for someone to come and save him.
"You're supposed to be in charge of this place! Where's the ice cream stall?"
Mokuba was still creeping away. "Why don't you ask someone else?"
Rebecca's smile turned coy and she snuggled her teddy up under her chin. "Because you've been so helpful up to now, and I thought you might want to carry on being so sweet..."
Mokuba kept on backing away... Until his escape route was blocked by what felt like two legs. The eleven year old looked up, and nearly cheered when he saw who it was.
"SETO!" he whooped, grabbing his brother's hand. "Come on bro, let's go somewhere else,"
Seto followed the tug, a bemused and tired look on his face. "I thought you might want some ice cream or something...?"
"Ice cream?"
Before Mokuba could react, there was a small blonde and pink... thing clamped onto his other arm.
"Could you show me where the ice cream is? I've been looking all over and I still can't find it..."
Rebecca looked up at his big brother, giving him puppy eyes, and Mokuba was strongly tempted to poke her eyes out. That was his trick!
"She's just following us around big brother. Can't we go to the park?" Mokuba started on his own puppy eyes, specially designed to get whatever he wanted out of his big brother.
Seto was looking a little dazed now, but his mind seemed to connect the tugging on his hand with Mokuba wanting to get out of here, so he shrugged and went with it.
Rebecca was not to deterred though. "They have ice cream at the park, don't they?" she demanded, still managing to look cute.
Seto, a sucker for puppy eyes despite prolonged exposure to Mokuba, nodded.
"Whee!" Rebecca whooped, letting go of Mokuba's arm to swing her teddy bear around. "You hear that teddy? They're going to show us where the ice cream stall in the park is!"
"No we're not," Mokuba muttered, and set off at a run, Seto following, and a suddenly-realising-and-therefore-annoyed Rebecca chasing after them both.
Today was going to be soooo long.
She'd finished with the tables, had repeated that the "Cute Blond Guy" was just a friend twenty times, and was now definitely ready for her break. If she had to sweet- talk another irritating moron she would probably start throwing things.
Téa stepped away from the kitchen doors, hoping to escape, only to have a tray thrust into her hands and orders to take it to the "blonde tarty thing at table six."
Growling, Téa obeyed, not even looking at the "tarty thing" in question. Therefore she was completely surprised when she was suddenly addressed with a
"Hey Hon. Not gonna say hello to little ol' me?"
"Mai?" Téa gaped again. She stood there doing an impression of a goldfish while Mai delicately tucked in to her burger and milkshake, then blurted out the first thing that came to her head.
"They're calling you a blonde tarty thing and Joey's left town."
Mai had started to smile at the insult, but that vanished when Joey's name cropped up.
"What do you mean left?" she demanded, the burger dropping from her fingers. Mai apparently didn't notice because her hand didn't move.
"He's gone seeing his little sister - I told you about her, remember?"
She hadn't done it on purpose, but Téa had been sick of Mai just trashing her friends over and over and decided to fill her in on the fact that there was more to them than she thought.
"He won't be back for a couple of months at least."
Mai's wide violet eyes were still fixed on the brunette. Her hand was still in the air, and Téa finally reached over and pushed it down.
"You're joking." Mai protested weakly. "Seriously? Two months?"
Téa nodded. "Didn't he tell you?"
"I haven't heard from Joey since Duellist Kingdom," the duellist whispered. "I kept meaning to call him but I forgot." Mai ran her hands through her hair, still looking a little lost. "I think I'll take my bill now hon."
Téa nodded, but when she collected it, something strange seemed to click inside her head.
She looked at the chicken scratching that was Joey's writing. She looked at the bill. She looked at the pencil in her hand.
An evil grin spread across her face, and Téa got to work.
Mai was completely shell shocked. She'd wanted to talk to Joey for a while, but she hadn't had the opportunity. Now she had the time and the urge, and she couldn't get at him!
Did Téa know that Mai hadn't been playing with Téa's phone? Did she know that Mai had been acquiring the blond's phone number? If she did, perhaps she could tell her why, because Mai hadn't a clue.
She accepted the bill, made the appropriate goodbyes - or at least she thought so, she hadn't been paying attention.
She wasn't even paying attention when she got to counter and the girl asked how much she was going to pay. How would Mai know, she hadn't looked at the -
Mai stopped and stared. Then she spun and blew the blue eyed girl a kiss, threw the money down on the counter and sprinted out of the shop.
Téa knew how to make a girl's day.
And having Joey's new phone number and his address were guaranteed to do that.
"SETO!"
"Mokuba? What's wrong?"
"On the news - "
"Oh God..."
"Who was that guy? Why did they say he attacked you?"
"Mokuba."
"Seto - "
"Mokuba."
"What?"
"What did I do this afternoon?"
"Took me for ice cream. And left your laptop at home."
"If he had attacked me, do you think I would have done that?"
"Yes. Trying to wriggle out of telling me."
"And they call me cynical?"
"Hey it's not funny! Wha - Seto put me down!"
"..."
"What's that - Seto is that the pool? Put me down! Now! Don't throw me in! Help!"
"Let go of my coat!"
Yugi sat by his bedroom window, staring at the sky. It had been bright and sunny that morning, but somehow it had gone to the other end of the spectrum and turned into the darkest, most brooding hulk of a storm he could remember.
Yugi liked storms usually.
::Yugi? What's wrong?::
::Grandpa's not come back yet. He didn't take a coat did he?::
::Professor Hawkins has a car. A red one.::
Yugi chuckled. ::You notice the most random things sometimes.::
::It is not random.:: Yami protested. ::You are worried about your grandfather coming home in the rain. His friend has a car. He will probably get a lift.::
Yugi smiled, leaning against the glass. ::All right, all right, I bow to your superior knowledge of my grandpa's friend.::
::Are you teasing me?::
::Me? Never.::
He could hear Yami snort at that, but it was good natured.
::Do you think I should start making dinner?::
::Pizza?:: Yami asked hopefully. The spirit of the puzzle had acquired a great love of the dish from somewhere. The violet eyed boy was inclined to blame Joey and Tristan, but it wouldn't be fair.
::If you want.:: Yugi agreed. ::But you can't have the whole thing. We have to save some for Grandpa.::
::We could make two pizzas,:: Yami offered hopefully. ::One for us and one for him!:: The childlike way he was acting, as opposed to his usual seriousness, was kinda endearing.
::I don't think so Yami,:: Yugi said gently. ::I don't want to have to nurse a stomach ache because you had too much pizza.::
::I'll deal with it. If you get a stomach ache I'll take over and nurse it.::
Yugi laughed and started down the stairs. ::You're determined aren't you? You really want that pizza.::
::I do!:: Yami agreed. ::Please...::
And then, before he had the time to answer, Yami's voice roared through him -
::GET DOWN!::
Blood and gold and fear and screams and blood and fear and screams -
And falling.
Falling.
Screams.
Black lightning and silent thunder.
Screams.
Pain - in his mind and heart, not truly physical pain.
Screams.
Blood.
Silence.
They found Yugi when they got back, Rebecca snuggled sleepily into her grandfather's chest, slightly smeared with ice cream, Solomon and the professor engaged in a heated debate ("I could whip you back than Solomon and I could do it now!" "Of course Arthur, I'm shaking in my bandanna!").
Yugi was lying at the bottom of the stairs in a puddle of blood, his puzzle clutched tightly in one hand.
"Yugi!" Solomon roared, flinging himself forwards and grabbing at his grandson. Arthur Hawkins dumped his burden unceremoniously on the floor and reached for the phone. Just as his fingers closed on the handset, a soft voice muttered "I'm okay, I'm okay. Just fell down the stairs..."
The two old men glared down at Yugi, who grinned at them sheepishly. "I fell down the stairs. I am all right."
"Are you sure?"
"I still think I should call the hospital - "
"No, no, we - I am fine. Really. I was in a hurry - I wanted to make dinner. I must have tripped."
Yugi was smiling at them, and he sounded sincere enough, but Solomon knew his grandson. He could tell when Yugi wasn't telling the whole story, and now was one of those times.
"Where did the blood come from?"
Yugi blinked at them, sitting up. There seemed to be a lot more of him to raise today, but Solomon wasn't focused on that. As far as he could tell, there was no wound, no visible sign that any harm had come to Yugi. But there was something wrong with him all the same - something wrong with his voice, something harder in his eyes.
He was so engrossed in his musings that he completely missed the flash of light, and Arthur was reassuring a half-awake Rebecca. The only one who actually saw this light around Yugi's hands, the light that made all the red stains vanish, was Rebecca, and she just drifted back to sleep without another complaint.
"What blood?" Yugi asked.
Solomon pointed.
"There's nothing there Grandfather."
Solomon looked. There wasn't.
"But there was - "
Yugi's smile was a little strained. "I think... I think I will go to bed now Grandfather. Good night."
Yugi rose - again, there seemed to be much more of him to rise than there usually was - and tottered up the stairs. When he reached the top, he turned and waved, before vanishing into a bedroom.
"There was blood," Solomon muttered, turning to look at his friend. "Wasn't there?"
"I thought so," Arthur agreed, scooping up Rebecca and transferring her to the sofa. "But we're both getting older Solomon, we could have made a mistake..."
Solomon humphed, creaking his way to his feet.
"So tell me Solomon," Arthur ordered. "How have the years been treating you? We didn't really have much of an opportunity to talk while the young ones were around, did we?"
Solomon's gaze flickered between Arthur and Yugi's bedroom door, before he finally walked over to the armchair opposite and sat down.
"Arthur, you're not going to believe the month I've had..."
"Yeah right. You expect me to believe that?"
"It's true! I saved the boss from a homicidal business man!"
"You really think I'll believe you saved Mr Pegasus - "
"Kaiba. Remember, Industrial Illusions taken over? I work for Kaiba now. And isn't he just a bloody ray of sunshine..."
"Yeah, he is. Just like you!"
"Do you want a burger or not?"
"Go on then, seeing as it's you buying."
"Oh thanks! Little gold digger."
"Hark who's talking!"
"Uh-oh."
"What's wrong now?"
"You see that waitress, the one with the black hair?"
"Yeah..."
"You remember the girlfriend that said she'd break both my arms and tie them around my neck if she saw me again?"
"That's her?"
"That's her. You get the burgers, I'll see you when you get out."
"You can face down homicidal business men but you're scared of ex-girlfriends?"
"Blokes I can handle. Women are dangerous."
"Yeah, and I'm more dangerous than most."
"Trust me Hethe, you scare me more than most people, but I like my arms where they are. I'll see you later."
"What the - you can't just leave me - LIAM TAKKAI GET BACK HERE!"
She was mentally running through her routine for dance class while swabbing tables. She hadn't noticed that someone was hovering over her until she was done with one and about to move onto the next.
The someone was a girl, a couple of inches shorter, overly pale and overly skinny, watching Téa with dark green eyes. As soon as the girl realised she was being studied in return, she smiled, obviously waiting for Téa to say something.
"I know you," Téa said quietly, fumbling for a name to fit to this face.
"I should hope so, I was your friend for three years."
The voice was familiar and unfamiliar at the same time - one she knew but hadn't heard for a while. It was the same with the rest of the girl.
Téa studied the green eyes before her. She knew them. There was something so familiar about them. It was the eyes her mind was connecting up to faces and names.
When Téa had been a young little first year at high school, she'd gone around looking for other young little first years to befriend. The only one she'd actually remained friends with had been a girl named
"Heather?"
The smile widened.
"Heather Takkai?"
"Who else?" The red head swept a low, flamboyant bow, holding her burger box away from her as she did, then hugged the taller girl tightly.
"I almost didn't recognise you! Where have you been? I haven't seen you for ages!" Téa demanded, grabbing Heather's shoulders, staring at the almost-skeletal girl, her attention caught by the little crows feet at the corner of those evergreen eyes, at the carefully masked shadows beneath them. "What happened to you?"
Heather's expression didn't change, but it seemed to darken. Not physically, but something inside her was showing through her eyes. "Believe me Tay, there aren't words to describe the year I've had. Not clean ones at least. But you'll have to tell me about what you've been doing! I went back to school a week ago and you weren't there! You should have heard all the gossiping going on!" Heather grabbed Téa's arms. "We have so much to talk about!"
On that cue, a man threw the door open and bellowed Heather's name.
"Make with the movement all ready!" he snapped, eyes darting across the room to Misaki. Misaki used to be regional Karate champion. If he was one of her many ex's, he was wise to stay away.
"Brothers." Heather growled under her breath. "We're gonna have to postpone the discussion aren't we?"
"See you at school tomorrow?" Téa asked in an undertone, well aware of the staff nearby. Most of them liked her, but there were some who wouldn't hesitate to get her sacked...
"Ack, I forgot. Yeah, I'll see you then." Heather pulled a face, then hugged Téa once more. Once they separated, she turned, limping away from her.
Limping?
Téa's mind checked the verb and got the same answer. "Limping" fit.
"Bye Heather!"
"Bye Tay! See you tomorrow!"
Heather reached the door, and the red haired man draped his arm around her shoulders. But as they walked out onto the street, the girl stuck her head back in.
"Hey Téa, while I'm thinking about it? Is it true that you eloped with a guy named Tristan?"
"Is it true I WHAT!?"
Oh yes. Tomorrow's discussion was going to be so much fun...
If no one noticed, there is no problem. If you don't like the story, please don't flame. Constructive criticism/comments are welcomed with open arms though!