QoH: ^_^ ive been getting comments about the "Naraku" char, and I thought I might clear up a bit of misunderstanding. while its true i got the name from the evil arch-villain of Inu-Yasha, these two are very different. heck, about the only things they have in common are their names and the fact that theyre bad guys. to be honest, i only named my character this because it happens to be rather fitting of a gangster leader. I checked it out on a few different Japanese dictionary sites and found out it meant *ahem* the h-word (^_^() aw, so sue me, my mom pounded it into my head since i was tiny that i couldnt swear. synonyms seem to be ok tho. weird huh?), hades, eternity, and (strangely enough) a theatre basement lol dont know where they came up with that last one, but whatever lol :D im so happy you all like my ficcy so much! over 200 reviews! *sniffles* im just honored…. ^____^ newho, please read on and tell me whatcha think!
Chapter 19: To The RescueJoey glared defiantly at his opponent, a rather beefy sort with fists the size of bricks, as they circled each other. I wouldn't wanna get hit by those things. Lucky for me, he looks like he's got the IQ of old meatloaf. The goon took a swing at him while he was thinking, but he managed to do a little hop-and-skip and avoided him, barely. He glanced quickly at his friends to see how they were faring as he returned the favor, catching the henchman squarely on the cheek with a dizzying right hook and saw DJ pull a strange-looking maneuver on a guy that seemed like a human wall. Nevertheless, that bouncing kick thing of his worked, whatever it was, as it had snapped up to the thug's chin and sent him sailing onto his back, where he remained unmoving. I'll hafta ask him about that one.
Tristan noticed the move and wondered about it as well, even as DJ bodily tackled his next one. Guess it's something American. Whoops. He spun around to get away from his own adversary and delivered a kidney punch to his side. Unfortunately, this seemed to anger the guy more than anything as he retaliated by twisting around, burying his elbow in Tristan's abdomen. Ugh… He backed up defensively and scowled, his breath uneven. This is taking way to long. I'm too distracted, worrying about Yugi. What could've happened to him?? He's already in the hospital, for crying out loud!
He sensed someone closing in fast behind him and he snapped his hand up over his shoulder in a karate chop. Not bothering to look behind him at the gangster on the ground whining about his broken nose, he eyed the one who'd hit him before. How do I take him down? That blow I gave him didn't even seem to faze him. Well, I hope I figure it out before I get my head bashed in. He didn't have much time to think any more than that, since the guy charged him, his legs pounding over the short distance like sledgehammers. Wait, that's it! Tristan ducked down quickly, putting his hands on the concrete to steady himself and shot out with a low kick to the knee, effectively halting the oncoming disaster as the goon howled in pain and keeled over backward, clutching his suddenly abnormally twisted joint.
The punks still standing closed ranks, uncertain in the face of those they'd thought would be easy prey, who now stood over their downed comrades. DJ looked over his shoulder at Joey and Tristan, then back at their enemies with a crazy-looking grin, a gleam in all their eyes that plainly said they'd better run if they valued their respective skins. Not even stopping to pick up the ones who'd fallen, all four streaked out the factory door, each showing off their best five-minute mile.
There was a group sigh of relief out of all three as they relaxed out of their fighting stances. Joey stretched his arm, his shoulder having taken a glancing blow from the first idiot he'd faced, "Man, am I glad that's over!"
"You aren't kidding." Tristan muttered, rubbing at his stomach, "I don't think I'll be able to breath straight for a week."
DJ shrugged as he retrieved his gun from the bag and tucked it away, turning back to smile at him, "That was a nice move, though, with the knee thing."
He smiled a little and straightened his jacket a little self-consciously, "Nah, I just remembered that one of a big guy's weak points is their legs, specifically the joints. It was nothing like what you did."
"Yeah, what da heck was that, anyway?" Joey raised his brows curiously as he dumped the rest of the weapons in a fairly well rusted, but still operating, trash compactor.
"Oh, just something I learned from watching wrestling. It's the trademark maneuver of Shawn Michaels, called 'Sweet Chin Music.' I've been itching to try it out," their new friend's grin widened even more as he nodded at his unconscious foe, "It's exceptionally effective against people bigger than you, if you're flexible enough." The other two laughed and hurried out the door into the dazzling sunlight, running down the street at break-neck speed toward the hospital.
A horn blared behind them and they jumped hastily out of the way as a dark blue convertible whizzed by them, then with tires screeching in offended protest, came to a shuddering right-angle halt a few yards away. The blonde driver waved to them and called, "Hey, hop in, guys!"
Joey grinned sheepishly at DJ as they walked up to the car, "Ah… that's my girlfriend, Mai Valentine. She really drives better than it looks, honest."
Tristan snorted and thumped his friend on the back with a grin, "Don't believe him, man. He's just trying to score brownies points with her."
Mai smirked at him as they all climbed in, "You might want to want to try that sometime. We both know I can drop kick you into next month." Joey howled in laughter from shotgun as Tristan grimaced and slouched back in the seat behind her as she gave the classic a-girl's-gotta-protect-herself-somehow shrug and tilted her head inquiringly at the stranger, "And you are…?"
"DJ Rodriguez," he grinned and leaned forward to shake her hand before settling back and buckling up firmly as the others did the same. Just in case… "I've heard a lot about you. It's pleasure to finally meet you. So, what are you doing on this side of town? This doesn't look like your type of neighborhood."
"I was just checking out a small dueling tournament over at the arena when I got the weirdest feeling that I should get to the hospital as soon as humanly possible," she explained as she revved the engine and executed a sharp turn back in the direction she'd been going, "I don't like this place much, but it makes for a great shortcut. It shaves ten minutes off the more 'reputable' route."
"You got it too, Mai?" Joey turned to her, his brows furrowed in concern, "We're not sure what's goin' on, but we think Yugi's in some kinda trouble."
She nodded, her gaze intent on the road ahead of them, which passed in a blur of rather dreary gray, gradually brightening as they emerged into better territory. "That's what I thought to, since Yugi and Serenity are the only two people that I know in there right now. With his condition being much worse than your sister's, I figured maybe he'd taken a turn for the worse."
"I don't know." Tristan shook his head, glancing to his left, "It felt more… emotional than physical to me, I guess."
"We'll find out here in a second, either way," DJ ran a hand through his thick black hair in a nervous gesture and nodded off the right, where the huge white building was fast approaching.
Skidding into the parking lot, they stopped crossways in the fairly large space near the door. Mai shut off the engine as the rest scrambled out of the car on somewhat wobbly legs. She stuffed the keys in her purse and slung it over her shoulder, "Now all we have to do is pray that we don't get caught running in here." With that, the four broke into a sprint that would have probably set records if it had been timed.
By some miracle, despite the odd looks they received from various staff, no one stopped them. On the eighth floor, they slowed down to a brisk walk so they wouldn't disturb the other patients and get tossed out on their collective ear. When they reached Yugi's room, the knocked quietly, just in case he was asleep. Hearing no reply, DJ pushed the door open and they crowded in the doorway to look in at a room in shambles.
"What in da holy heck happened here?" Joey wondered in a hushed tone, his eyes wide as they took in the covers torn from the bed and strewn across the floor.
"Dunno…" Tristan muttered as they crept slowly inside, stepping carefully over a smashed vase of spring flowers, "Looks like somebody ransacked the place."
"Who would want to rob someone in a hospital room, for goodness sake?" Mai asked uneasily and shuddered, noting the crushed blossoms and the water spreading sluggishly around them. There's that odd feeling again. Like that's symbolic of something.
DJ went to the small nightstand and very carefully put Yugi's things back in the open drawer, including a book that had been ripped viciously in half down the spine. Oh, man. Who'd do something like this? He turned to look for more damage and froze, staring through the door to the private bathroom. "Guys…" The others looked up from their assorted clean-up tasks and joined him, where their eyes nearly fell out of their heads.
Yugi was slumped against the wall, looking for all the world like he'd come down with a severe case of some terrible disease as a not-quite see-through spirit bent worriedly over him.
"You gotta be Yami." DJ addressed the astral form kneeling beside an obviously unconscious Yugi.
Hearing his name, the ex-pharaoh turned his gaze reluctantly to the group standing outside the door, his fingers lightly brushing a disheveled golden lock from his partner's forehead, "Yes."
Mai looked between the two as they all came forward, gathering around with expressions of horrified fascination, "How?"
"I lent myself a small amount of physical substance so I could help him." Yami explained quietly, his gaze once more on Yugi, "It took tremendous power to do so, but I had no choice. Someone had to, if only to hold his hair back as he retched until he lost awareness." he bit off, his jaw tightening.
"Why, exactly…" Joey growled slowly, literally shaking in his attempt to control himself, "is it that my best friend looks like the human equivalent of bad pistachio dessert…?" (A/N: not a pretty sight. trust me)
He went back to his usual out-of-body form, relieved that they were there at last, as he'd been sustaining himself on sheer force of will for some time, "Much has occurred since you were here last."
Tristan's mouth twitched in a dry smile, "That's either the biggest understatement in history, or you're avoiding the question."
"There is a lady present," was the apparition's terse reply with a quick glance at Mai.
She shook her head and adjusted Yugi's body into a more comfortable position, so that he wouldn't have a crick in his neck when he woke up, at least, "Don't spare all the sordid details just for me. We should all know precisely what's going on."
Yami sighed and closed his eyes, "If that is your wish, I shall tell you. Be warned, however, that this may cause homicidal desires against certain parties."
"Who?" Joey demanded, getting quite impatient with all the beating around the bush.
"Tea Gardener and the detestable rogue known as Naraku." Amid exponentially growing expressions of disbelief, disgust and, eventually, all-consuming fury, he explained everything he'd witnessed since Dr. Tamahome had left. How strange. It feels like so long ago, yet it has only been a mere half hour.
When he finished the tale, there was a violent clamoring in which several death threats and questions of parentage could be discerned, as well as enough graphic language to make an entire fleet of old-world pirates turn scarlet in mortification. The spirit waited a few minutes for them to settle down, but when they didn't, he re-entered his hikari's body and took control, bellowing as only a former Egyptian royal can, "Enough!"
They turned to gaze at him, awe-struck and blinking. Tristan straightened and pulled his fist out of the wall, "What?"
Yami stood up slowly, mindful of the injuries Yugi had received, both old and new, "I know you want nothing more than to carve their black hearts from their chests right now, as do I, but there is more to this story."
DJ stared at him incredulously and gestured at their surroundings, "How could it possibly get worse than all this?"
Yami strode past them to the bedside table and pulled open the drawer where seemingly insignificant scraps of paper rested next to the torn novel. Using a bit of magic, he pieced the note back together and handed it to Joey, "This is how."
The others drew together and read over his shoulder, all four pairs of eyes widening by each line.
~~~~
How long has it been, little Yugi? Are you feeling well? I highly doubt it, and you probably don't even know half of what I do about your situation. But enough of these pleasantries.
I should probably thank you for handing me such an excellent opportunity to get what I want. Confused? Of course you are. Allow me to clarify matters for you. I've stolen away your beloved Serenity, and you'll have to come find us and duel for her soul. Oh, don't worry, I haven't sent her to the Shadow Realm yet. I have such wonderful plans for her, and I simply can't bear to waste them.
Your friends are all welcome to come, naturally. I eagerly await the look on Joey Wheeler's face when he sees what has become of his baby sister, almost as much as I look forward to defeating you. As for where we are, I will give you one clue. It shouldn't be too hard for "the King of Games." Your future awaits you at the site of a long forgotten crime by the sacred river.
~~~~
"WHAT?!?!" Joey exploded, gripping the paper tightly in his fists as he scowled at it, as though the short letter itself was responsible for everything, "When did this happen?!"
"Calm down, man!" Tristan tackled him and held him back when he made an angry move toward the door, "Don't go off all half-cocked before we even know where she is!"
When he continued to struggle, Mai got in her boyfriend's face with a determined glare and poked him hard in the chest, "Listen up, Wheeler! We're all worried, angry and a dozen other things right now, but we need to think about this logically, OK? All you're going to do is get yourself lost if you storm off like that!"
She stared him down until he finally yielded with a helpless shrug, "Well, do ya blame me?"
"No," her eyes softened and she smiled slightly, backing up into a less aggressive stance, "I'd probably do the same thing if I were in your position. She's your little sister, after all."
"Yeah, but you guys got a point. We all gotta stay cool right now, huh?" he turned to Yami questioningly, "Any ideas on where he's run off to?"
"It's clear he's taken her to Egypt, but where I cannot say," he replied wearily and covered his eyes, the ashen quality to his face a testament to everything Yugi had been through of late. "It's really quite a large place."
"Hey…" Joey stepped forward in case he should fall or something, "ya gonna be ok, dude?"
"Eventually." Yami lowered his hand and clenched it in front of him in a familiar show of indomitable will that reassured his friends a little, "In the meantime, we must find Tea and 'boyfriend' before they can ruin even more lives."
"Who cares? They're probably off doing each other, anyway." Tristan snorted, sickened that he'd ever called her a friend.
"Hold on a second!" DJ exclaimed, getting surprised looks from the others, "I think I just figured something out, here. You said she threatened Yugi with a scalpel, correct?"
"Yes…?" the spirit said as Joey, Mai and Tristan looked at him curiously, wondering where he was going with this.
"I'd lay money on the idea that she had other plans for that thing to begin with. It didn't sound like she was intending on blowing him out of the water, well today, at least. But she had that knife with her for a reason…"
"What are you getting at?" Mai asked, a brow quirked thoughtfully as she sat down on the bed, "Are you saying she was out to kill somebody else, and just happened to get dragged into telling him now?"
"Think about it," he urged, more certain he was right by the moment, "The only reason that even got started was because Dr. Tamahome brought her in when she gave Yugi that note. She probably just didn't want Serenity to be found."
"So?" Joey blinked and leaned against the wall, "That only means she's a cold-hearted witch, don't it?"
"I have no doubt that Tea was happy she's gone, especially since your sister knew what she was up to from almost the beginning." Yami put in seriously, earning himself more shocked stares as he explained everything he and Serenity had talked about the day she'd come to the Game Shop. However, he went on before they had a chance to react, "She felt there was something wrong with her new 'friend' since the beginning but only put it together completely when she stumbled into overhearing a conversation between Tea and Naraku."
DJ nodded and took Yugi's letter from his pocket, holding it up, "It makes sense. He told me he'd been sensing something was wrong between her and Serenity for some time now. Incidentally, that's also where I got this idea of mine. Tea's house burned down a couple months ago, and her mom was seriously hurt, am I right?"
"She only woke up about a week ago, and is just starting to talk, or so I hear." Mai tilted her head and glanced at the wall that separated them from the next room, "I think she's a few doors down."
"I think she's the one Tea was really after," he said emphatically, gesturing in the same direction. "Why else would she be skulking around here with something like that?"
Tristan looked at him speculatively and crossed his arms, "You think that phone call Naraku got before was from her?"
Joey slammed his fist on the nightstand, glowering at the floor, "Of course it was from her! She probably had him and his flunkies set the fire in the first place when her mom found out about what she was doing! And now she wants to shut her up for good!"
"Then why are we standing around here like drooling idiots, then?" Mai bounded to her feet and raced out the door, the others following close behind.
QoH: will Mrs. Gardener be all right? Its been a while since tea and naraku left, after all…
ps: by the way, there were a couple cameos a few chapters back ^_^ did anybody spot them? hehe lets see how well you were paying attention… :D