A/N: Another chapter, if anyone cares.
Disclaimer: I started out with nothing, and I still have most of it.
I just have to say before we go any further that this fic was inspired heavily by the webcomic 9th Elsewhere which ROCKS but does not get the attention it deserves and which you can read at . I just want to say that although Azreal is very similar to Eiji, I created Azreal BEFORE I read the comic, though she wasn't a muse. Lira, however,(You'll meet him later!) is pretty closly modelled on Dorian... Kinda like getting all Dorian's bad qualitys, exagerrating them, and making them into anew character. And now that I've got that off my chest, I don'tfeel so guilty and I can get on with the chapter...
Chapter Six: Foiled by a Letterbox
"I'm just going to remind you I'm against this."
"I know."
"And every thing it stands for."
"I know."
"This plan was doomed from the start, so don't blame me when it inevitably fails."
"I won't! Just get on with it, already!"
"I mean, I've seen Wheeler come up with better plans then this…"
"Got any better ideas, Mr Hotshot?"
"As it happens, no. I just want to see how badly this fails."
"Then stop yakking and get on with it!"
"Yeah, great, just one problem. They're not here yet."
"Sure?"
"Yes I'm… How do you do that?"
"Do what, Seto?"
"Know exactly when they're going to turn the corner."
"I'm physic."
"If you're physic, then I'm a f-"
"Shh! Here they are! Go, now, quickly!"
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Yugi chewed his fingernails miserably. It was strange; he'd never chewed them before Azreal turned up on his doorstep… Oh, the unsolved mysteries of the world. He glanced out the window again. He'd never been all that patient, and now he just felt he was waiting for his death. They all were, but he knew the others wouldn't see the noose till it was tightened around their necks.
Now, there was some happy imagery.
What were they waiting for? Azreal, naturally. They had all agreed to meet at Yugi's (again) and go to the park. They had deliberately told Téa and Ryou a later time to everyone else, just in the hope that they would end up walking together. That laid the way for Azreal to do… whatever she was planning. Yugi's stomach churned at the possibilities.
Duke and Mai had claimed to be the back-up. When Ryou and Téa turned up, they would all head for the park. And try to leave Ryou and Téa alone together, locked in a toilet or somewhere equally romantic. Just as long as it wasn't a janitor's shed. Yugi shuddered, remembering how he'd spent most of Valentine's day locked in one with Seto Kaiba. Now there was something he didn't want to repeat… (A/N: See 'Something in the Air') This train of thought took him a full circle till he was back to Duke and Mai again.
Speaking of whom… where were they?
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Téa walked up the road towards Yugi's, looking out for any signs of her friends. Joey and Tristan would come up the main road from the school, Mai and Duke lived on the other side of town so they'd probably cut through the park (Why they didn't just meet them there was quite beyond her) and Ryou would presumably come from one of the side-roads from his apartment block.
Things were almost back to normal with Ryou. Téa supposed Mai must've talked to him, because they both seemed to be pretending that stupid letter was never sent. As it was, when Ryou turned out from an alley on the left on his bike, she was actually quite pleased to see him.
"Ryou!" She yelled "Wait up!" Ryou glanced over his shoulder, saw her, and stopped. As she approached, he smiled. A friendly, 'Morning!' kind of smile, not a 'Oh my god you're so hot but I have to pretend not to notice because it'll offend you what will I do?' smile. Téa sighed in relief. Defiantly back to normal.
They began to walk the last hundred metres or so, Ryou wheeling his bike along beside him. There was very little point in conversation except greetings- they'd be at Yugi's in less then two minutes- so neither of them bothered, just walked and thought.
They turned a corner, just as they had almost every day of their lives. But this was different. They turned, then someone, tall and dressed in black, ran past, snagging Ryou's Millennium Ring and snapping the cord from round his neck as he went. Ryou made an instinctive grab at the Ring as it left his neck, but then just stood and watched as the guy ran off with it.
"Um… Shouldn't we go after him?" Téa asked uncertainly. Ryou shrugged.
"Believe me, he's welcome to it. C'mon, let's get to Yugi's!" So that's what they did. It occurred to Ryou that it was strange someone would take the Ring but ignore his bike. Oh well. Probably another Physco after the Millennium Items. He'd have to give Yugi a head's up later. But in the meantime, he was just going to enjoy the sunshine and try to forget about the events of the last few days.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
"I don't believe it…That plan was foolproof!"
"Then why did it fail?"
"Hey, I said it was foolproof, not Kaiba-proof."
"You are NOT blaming this one on me, Azreal!"
"No, as it happens, I'm not. I blame Téa."
"Right. And how'd you figure that one out?"
"She gave false evidence."
"False evidence… Well, I'm sure that makes sense in your twisted logic…"
"Sure does! See, every time someone slash something goes missing slash is stolen, Téa tries to get it back, does she not?"
"You ask that like you think I both know and care."
"Fine, fine. All I'm saying is, how was I supposed to know that she wouldn't this time?"
"Azreal, just tell me what to do with this thing."
"Shove it through Ryou's letterbox. Duh. You know, for a genius your not very-"
"Smart. I know. But speaking of smart, in case you hadn't noticed, this Ring is way too big for the slot!"
"Dammit. Foiled by a letterbox. Again."
"Azreal! Do something useful!"
"Okay, fine. Just hold on a minute…"
"Hurry up! I look ridiculous!"
"No you… um, well, maybe just a little. Think we'll scrap the black jumpsuits. But at least you finally got out of your dodgy trench coats, eh? And those weird armbelt things. I mean, why?"
"Azreal, my trenchcoats are- Look, can we get back to the task in hand?"
"Can't argue with that, can you?"
"Azreal!"
"It's alright! I have a plan!"
"Oh, and they've served us so well up to now."
"Seto! Alright, just drop the Ring and…"
"And what?"
"Run like hell!"
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
How had they ended up here? That was a rhetorical question, of course. Ryou knew that they had walked to the park with Yugi, Joey and Tristan, leaving his bike at the Game Shop. They had gone to look for Duke and Mai, eventually forced to split up to scour the park. He and Téa had found them in here, the little-used community locker room. Then Duke and Mai had disappeared. And when they tried to leave the room, it had been locked from the outside- it was every night by the faithful old park keeper- the only problem was, it was several hours early. It was still morning. And, until someone came along, they'd be stuck here. Him, and Téa. Worst case scenario- they'd be stuck there till the next day when the locker room was opened up. Him, and Téa.
You could see how this could get awkward.
"Ryou?" Téa yelled, shaking him from his thoughts. It was evidently not the first time she'd called, judging by the mixture of irritation and concern in her voice. He looked across the table at her.
They were both perched on a rickety table, Ryou at one end, Téa the other. The table was designed for use if all the lockers in the small storeroom were full. The lockers themselves lined the walls, like austere soldiers on parade. Or guarding them. There were no windows in the room, just a single, swinging lightbulb which, like everything else in the room, was dusty and broken. Hence, the only light came from chinks beneath and around the door, and even that wouldn't last long.
"Ryou! Are you even listening to me?" Téa, defiantly annoyed now, glared at him through the gloom.
"Um… Sorry… Pardon?" Téa sighed, but gamely repeated herself.
"I said that it was so dark." She said "I was just wondering what Duke and Mai were possibly doing in here." Ryou shrugged. It had never occurred to him. Téa continued slowly, thinking out loud. "I mean, you can't see a thing in here. Why would Mai and Duke want to be alone in here? We all know Joey and Mai like each other, but the only reason I can think of for anyone to come in here would be to make out, so-" Too late, she realised what she had said and covered her mouth, stifling a curse. They'd been in here almost two hours now, and even with the little conversation they'd had, they'd managed to avoid the subject. Now, that talking about that letter was, well, unavoidable.
Ryou closed his eyes. He'd have to say something now. He cleared his throat. "Téa…I…I just don't like you that way. I just want to be friends… I'm sorry." Téa's response, if anything, was more surprising then her liking him in the first place.
"Ah, that's okay. I knew you'd see sense eventually. As for that letter… consider it shredded." Ryou blinked, confused.
"Excuse me?"
"That letter…The one you sent me." Téa repeated, wondering what was the matter. Then she realised what Ryou meant. "Not that I didn't like it, I mean, it was great but-"
"I didn't send you a letter." It was Téa's turn to be confused.
"Pardon?"
"I never sent you a letter." Ryou repeated. "This all started when you came into class that morning, when the others were sick off the pie. I never sent you a letter."
"But… Then who…I…" Téa was lost for words. Ryou, meanwhile, was starting to cotton on to what had happened.
"All this time I thought that…you…me…and so…Duke…"
The conversation continued in that fashion for a while, till they both reached a certain conclusion.
"Mai!" Téa screamed, "I'll kill you!"
"Duke!" Ryou yelled at the same time, before letting out a stream of angry English words. Téa blinked.
"What did you say?" Remembering he had company, Ryou went slightly red.
"Errm…Never mind." He was too polite to translate. Téa didn't bother to ask again.
"Ryou, they're trying to set us up!"
"I know! I mean, Duke and Joey convinced me that you… Well. But to set us up? Why!"
"I don't know…" She replied slowly "but confronting them won't work. They'll only stop for one thing."
"And what's that?"
"If they succeed." Ryou gawped at her. "Or, at least, if they think they succeed." She amended hastily, grinning slightly. Ryou couldn't help a wary smile to. He could see where this was going. It would either be fun or a disaster.
But what the hell. What did he have to lose?
o-o-o-o-o-o-
"Urrghmmph…"
"Huh. You're awake. And here was me thinking I'd got rid of you for the night."
"Nah, I only need two or three hours a night."
"You've been asleep for almost five, Azreal."
"I…Well, unlike you. What are you doing up at this hour?"
"Work. You take up too much time."
"My brain's too floppy to argue."
"Not a morning person?"
"I wouldn't call this morning. You need to get some sleep, Seto. No-one can just survive on caffeine."
"I can take care of myself."
"Seto…"
"What? Stop looking at me like that Azreal!"
"…"
"Anyway, I've never seen you sleep before. I assumed you didn't need to…"
"I don't usually sleep in the same room as my help."
"Then where do you sleep?" A shrug.
"In the Library, mostly. Working my way through that lovely Asimov collection of yours."
"Hmmph. So, do you usually materialise when you sleep?"
"I…"
"What, are you sick or something?"
"No! No, I'm not. Some humans snore or sleep-talk right? Well, I happen to sleep-materialise, okay!"
"Fine by me. What are you, hormonal?"
"…Just go to sleep Seto."
"I don't take orders from you. Besides, I have to get this finished tonight. It's called making a living."
"You're not exactly gonna go bankrupt if you leave it overnight, Seto!"
"That's what you think."
"If you carry on like this you'll just finish yourself off! And you and I might not care, but I have a feeling your brother would!"
"…Overreacting a little, aren't we?"
"Oh, Seto… It's not just the sleep… It's everything. You just never…Oh, I don't know. Please, just go to bed!"
"I will not."
"Look, I said, go to Sleep! …That's better. Now you can stop asking all those questions. There's silence in sleep. Silence…and a chance to keep my secrets."
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
A/N: Okay, another chapter done. Sorry for my pathetic spelling, I'm doing the A/Ns straight onto the site... And, errm, no sneak preview because I haven't written all of seven yet... ahem. So, go read 9th Elsewhere! Go read the fics in my favorites! Go do anything! Just go away!
And now, no more shameless plugging of 9th Elsewhere. Oh, if only it were avaliable in print... -Plug Plug-
