-Wild Aces-
"Are you sure that you'regoing to be all right? That is your eighth shot of whiskey," Ryou asked, slightly worried about the amount of liquor Bakura was consuming.
"Don't worry about it, Ryou. I'm capable of drinking till the cows come home and not get a bit tipsy," Bakura stated proudly while winking at Ryou before taking another shot.
"If you say so," Ryou sighed,shaking his head, not sure if Bakura was either telling the truth, being conceited, or in his own crude way trying to impress him. If it was the latter of the option, all Bakura had to do was smile and that made Ryou's day anyways... oh well, beggars can't be choosers, now can they?
"Eh, by the way, Ryou, what was it about my wrist guard that caught your attention?" Bakura asked, running his fingers across the cool leather strap while looking over at his younger companion.
Blinking, Ryou was a bit puzzled at the question, momentarily forgetting about their earlier encounter and him asking about the little familiar accessory. "Um, well yesterday my friend came across a horse that was carrying an injured rider. The rider had a leather wrist guard as well, but his had gold stitching of a Spade with an 'A' in the center of it."
Nearly choking on his drink, Bakura coughed and mentally smiled at the feeling of Ryou patting him on the back and asking if he was okay. Gulping down some air, he decided to get down to actually finding out what happened to Yami. "By chance, did this rider have red eyes, and a mass of spiky tri-color hair?"
"Yeah, he did have spiky tri-color hair, he actually reminded me a lot of my friend Yugi, but as for the eyes, well he was unconscious when I tended to him, so I don't know his eye color." Ryou shrugged while looking at Bakura to notice him looking a bit concerned over the matter. "Why do you ask?"
"A friend of mine by the name of Yami went missing the day before yesterday, and this feller sounds a lot like him," Bakura sighed, running a finger across the rim of one of his shot glasses.
"Oh, well I don't know what this rider's name is either. All I know is that he was shot…"
"SHOT! Is he all right?" Bakura cried out in surprise at the thought of his buddy being hurt or even worse.
Jumping off his stool in surprise, Ryou waved his hands in an attempt to calm Bakura down. "Relax, he'll live! The bullet went clean through, he was lucky it didn't hit anything important. The most I can tell is that he is going to be sore for a few days and bit weak from the blood loss. He also had a hit to the head but the Doc says that he thinks there's nothing to worry about," Ryou smiled, hoping that cheered up the other.
Sighing in relief, Bakura slumped over the bar; letting his tense muscles slowly relax themselves. "I guess having that thick skull comes in handy sometimes," he chuckled to himself while the bartender poured him another shot.
Ryou smiled, seeing that Bakura wasn't as tense as he was. "Afterwards, if you like, I can take you back to the infirmary and you can see this rider, who I think by the looks of things is your missing friend. I left Yugi to take care of him."
Nodding, Bakura decided that was a good idea, since he needed a few more drinks before he was back to his relaxed self.
"There you are, Whitey!"
Spitting out his drink, Bakura groaned before feeling a swift smack to the back. Coughing and trying to regain his lost breath, he quickly turned around to glare at his other companion. "Dammit, Marik! Don'tcall me that!
Chuckling lightly, Ryou took in the familiar appearance of the blond rider that he had noticed the other day. Seeing Bakura giving him a mock glare at his laughing, he shrugged lightly. "Sorry, I couldn't help it, the look on your face was priceless."
Marik smirked as he noticed Ryou and the sidelong looks that Bakura was giving the other. "Aww, Lookey here, it seems ol' Whitey has a little crush…" he teased before quickly dodging the punch thrown at him from Bakura.
"Keep it up bastard and you'll end up with a bunk full of rattlers," Bakura snapped, glaring at the other while Marik continued to laugh while taking a seat a few stools away from Bakura and ordering himself a drink.
Feeling slightly worried about Bakura's threat, Ryou shuddered at the thought of having a bed full of rattle snakes. "You wouldn't seriously do that to him… would you?" he asked while swallowing the lump in his throat.
Glancing at Ryou, Bakura offered him a small smirk. "Don't worry about it Ryou, I'm sure Marik wouldn't hurt the snakes, that much."
"It's not the snakes I'm worried about," Ryou shook his head lightly.
"Well ain't he a caring lil feller," Marik cooed,chuckling at the glare he was receiving from Bakura.
"I'm warning you…"
"Oh Ryou, there you are! I must say I am surprised that you are here of all places."
Hearing the familiar voice, Ryou turned and smiled at seeing his friend. "Ha-ha Malik, very funny."
Bakura and Marik both turned to see the new figure walking toward Ryou. Hearing a soft approving whistle, Bakura quickly turned to find Marik giving Malik a look over with approval. "Seems I'm not the only one that has a little crush, eh there partner?"
"Don't you start with me, or I will toss manure in your boots," Marik hissed out with a glare before turning to look back at his look-a-like.
Malik smiled as he reached Ryou and turned to lock eyes with dark violet, instantly recognizing the rider from other day, "So Ryou, care to introduce me to your friends?"
"Oh of course," Ryou smiled while motioning his hand toward Bakura. "Malik, this is Bakura and the blond across from him is Marik."
Nodding his head, Malik offered a smile to Bakura as he continued on before coming to a stop beside Marik. "So your name's Marik."
"That'd be me, the one and only," Marik boasted proudly.
"Which is a blessing, if there was another Marik running around, we'd all be doomed," Bakura muttered out before taking another drink.
Shooting Bakura a dirty look, Marik snorted before turning his attention back to Malik to find him smiling and ordering him a drink for himself, "Ah, whiskey or beer?"
"Whiskey, what else is there?" Malik smirked as the bartender placed a roll of shot glass in front of Malik and filled them up.
Seeing the roll of glasses both Bakura and Marik blinked in surprise as Malik took to drinking them to the point to put them both to shame.
"He comes here all the time and drinks," Ryou shook his head while chuckling at the shocked look on the two's faces.
"Yup, this one here is my lil hell-cat," Marik teased and smiled as he brought up on of his shot glasses and Malik did the same as well before they tapped the glasses together in cheers of agreement.
"Oh great, a little Marik," Bakura shook his head before looking back at Ryou and groaned. "Just take me to Yami and let him shoot me now."
"Yami? Ya mean ya found him already? Dammit, Whitey you must be part blood hound, eh?" Marik joked lightly.
"Call me Whitey one more time, and so help me Marik I'm going to…"
"Hey, Yami's the rider that Yugi is with right now," Malik smiled as Marik turned to look back at him with wide eyes. "He and Yugi seem to be getting along pretty well."
"Oh, so he's awake now?" Ryou asked with a smile.
"Yup, and I patched up his shirt and stuff for him and took it over to them already," Malik smiled.
"Hold up, I'm lost."
"No surprise there, you were never found."
"Shut up, Bakura," Marik snapped while looking over at Malik. "What happened to Yami anyways?"
"He was shot?"
"What?" Marik was shocked as he looked over at Bakura to see him nod. "I'll be damned."
"Yup, I noticed Phantom when I rode in this morning and Ryou told me about finding a rider that was shot that fit Yami's description," Bakura explained whilegetting up off his stool and paying the barkeep. "And since I've had my drink, Ryou is going to take me over there to see him."
"Watch out if ya go over there, I got Yugi a bit riled up," Malik smirked, turning to find Ryou's eyebrows knitted in confusion. "I told him that I could tell that he had a crush."
Shaking his head, Ryou sighed. "Thanks for the heads up then," he smiled before Bakura ushered for him to lead the way. Nodding, he and Bakura left the saloon and headed to the infirmary.
"If ya want, I can take ya over there later to see you're friend," Malik offered, noticing Marik watching his friend leave.
Turning back around to Malik, Marik smiled and nodded. "Sounds good to me, so what do you want to do?" he asked with a sly smirk.
"Hmm, how about I challenge you to a Drink-Off," Malik smirked with a playfully wink.
"I'll be damned, a hellcat after my own heart," Marik chuckled swinging an arm across Malik's shoulders before smirking at the other with mirth gleaming in his eyes. "Let the challenge begin!"
Joey sighed as he leaned back in the office chair while carefully propping his boots on top of the desk. Pushing down the rim of his hat, he decided that with the sheriff out of town and with Tristan pulling Bank detail that he would just sit back and relax.
There had been a lot on his mind since the town had been robbed, not to mention having the sheriff breathing down his neck and having that old manager of the bank flogging him like some wet hen. All his thoughts had been revolving around a certain rider with sapphire eyes.
'Seto- Ack, there I go again! Why in the hell can't I get him out of my mind?' he growled, crossing his arms across his chest while peeking out from under the brim of his hat to look out the window to notice Ryou and the guy that he had seen with Seto. Sighing, he turned his attention to the badge that was pinned on his shirt and glared at it, cursing at it for his current position.
Since the sheriff was out, He was left in charge, which really, really put a damper on his social life. Not that he really had any relationships intown or anything, but at the current state he wasn't allowed to leave the post unless Tristan came back and they switched shifts, so that really cut his plans on spending time with his friends and everything else.
Sighing, he turned his attention back to window to watch as Bakura and Ryou disappeared into the infirmary. "I bet Ryou's going to go and check on that one guy that Yugi found," he chuckled remembering the affectionate little looks that his shorter companion had been giving the wounded rider. 'Seems like me and my buddies are all suffering Love at first sight, I wouldn't doubt it if Malik has the same feelings toward that Marik feller either.'
Meanwhile in the upstairs of the infirmary…
"There," Yugi smiled, as he finished buttoning the last of the buttons on Yami's shirt, leaving the last four buttons undone since Yami asked him too. Seeing Yami wince lightly, he hoped that he hadn't hit the wound in anyway. "I didn't hurt you did I?"
Shaking his head, Yami sighed. "No, little one, your touch is far to gentle to cause me any pain," he smiled then chuckled lightly as a faint scarlet blush covered Yugi's face once again. 'Absolutely adorable.'
"You're becoming worse than Malik, you big tease," Yugi pouted,playfully punching Yami's uninjured shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Yugi," Yami smiled as he watched Yugi's pout dissolve into a perfect smile.
"Oh God, it's officially the end of the world, Yami is apologizing."
Hearing the new voice both Yugi and Yami turned to look in the doorway to see Ryou shaking his head and Bakura smirking while leaning against the door frame.
"Bakura!" Yami blinked in surprise at seeing his friend, and was happy to know that nothing had happened to the other.
Nodding at the mention of his name, Bakura smiled lightly before walking over to the bed side and looking down at his friend. He frowned as he noticed the bruise on the other's forehead and could only imagine what the gun wound looked like. "You look like hell."
"Really, that means I look as good as I feel," Yami rolled his eyes lightly before looking over at Yugi and Ryou to notice the slightly worried look that Yugi was giving him. "Don't worry, Yugi. I'm only playing."
Sighing, Yugi reluctantly nodded before excusing himself out of the room. "I'm going to go see if Grandpa needs anything, I'll see y'all later."
Before anyone could protest, Yugi had ran out of infirmary with amazing speed.
Shaking his head, Ryou took a seat near the window, letting Bakura and Yami have a moment. 'Yugi, why did you run off like that? It's not like you.'
"Glad to know you're still kicking," Yami sighed looking over at Bakura.
"What's this? You're actually glad that I'm alive?" Bakura teased while gasping dramatically.
"Bastard, you know exactly what I mean," Yami growled out,reaching up to gently message the bandaged bullet wound under his shirt. "I thought that Keith and Silver Mane would do you like they did me."
"Whoa, back it up!" Bakura shouted out in surprise while jumping out of his chair. "You mean to tell me that Peggy is… Silver Mane?"
"One in the same I'm afraid, and he is apparently out to kill us," Yami grimaced as a twinge of pain causedhim to stop rubbing the wound.
Ryou's eyes widened as he heard the mention of the name that he had seen on a lot of wanted posters. Turning to look at the others, he blinked lightly. "What would an outlaw like Silver Mane want to do with you?"
"It's a bit complicated," Bakura sighed with a shrug of his shoulders. "Guess this means that we'll really have to be on guard," shaking his head, he leaned down closer so that only Yami would be able to hear him. "What are we going to do?"
Shaking his head, Yami sighed. "Not sure, but I think that we should all probably stick together. Where are Marik and Seto, anyways?"
"Oh well, Marik is gonna be at the saloon for a while with Ryou's friend Malik," Bakura smiled before taking his seat once again. "As for Seto, well I'm sure he's at home taking care of Mokuba and enjoying a break away from us, although I'm surehe's worried about you as well."
"You mean you left him there with those bastards," Yami growled.
"I left him there with Marik, it's not my fault Marik left," Bakura huffed.
"Hey, leave me out of it!" Marik snapped as he entered the room to see the others. "Damn, Yami, you look like…"
"Hell? Yeah I'm aware of that, thanks to Bakura." Yami groaned.
"Well I was going to say shit, but since its already been covered, how ya feeling?" Marik chuckled at the glare he was receiving before walking over and taking a seat across from Yami.
Ryou, seeing that the three of them were giving glares to one another sighed while motioning for Malik to come with him so that the others could be alone and they could go and find what was wrong with Yugi.
Outside of the room, Malik blinked curiously. "What's wrong?"
"Yugi ran out and I'm a bit worried about him, besides I think the three of them want to talk in private," Ryou sighed while the two of them headed out.
"Marik has a wrist guard as well, his had silver stitching of a Diamond with an 'A' in the center of it," Malik sighed.
"Then they definitely know one another, and I bet that Seto person has one as well," Ryou smiled as they left the infirmary.
"Maybe, but what does it all mean?"
Back in the room, Marik shook his head lightly. "After Bakura left, Peggy and Keith left saying that they were going to go and search for Yami, so I would say that Seto and Mokuba are alone."
"Well that's a relief, but still yet, we are in trouble since they know where Seto lives," Yami growled,running his fingers over the golden studs decorating his black leather chaps.
"True and we all know that Seto wouldn't give that place up," Bakura sighed.
Yami nodded lightly. "However, I also know where Silver Mane's hideout is, that is unless they move it."
"Oh, so are you planning on going in there and causing mass mayhem?" Marik asked hopefully.
"Not yet," Yami groaned. "I doubt I could shoot properly right now."
"That's why ya have me there," Bakura said proudly. "You cause a distraction and I'll do the shooting."
"I like that idea, and besides I still have that dynamite under my pillow at the homestead," Marik smirked.
"You sleep with sticks of dynamite under your pillow?" Yami asked, raising a regal eyebrow.
"Yup, and let me say I have the best dreams."
"Let me guess, they're full of mayhem," Bakura asked dryly and sighed as Marik nodded with a smirk on his face. "Why doesn't that surprise me?"
"Look as much as I would love to go and give Silver Mane a piece of my mind, I think we should wait a bit longer until we can all get together and think of something," Yami reasoned.
"Um-hmm and this decision of yours has nothing to do with that little runt that was watching you does it?" Bakura asked with a smirk.
Growling, Yami shot Bakura an icy glare. "He ain't a runt, Bakura, he is a nice and caring little an…- guy that has done nothing but make my recovery comfortable." 'And I'm not ready to leave my little one just yet.'
"Oh alright, Yami, whatever ya like," Bakura smirked, not really minding about staying around in town since that meant that he would get to spend more time with Ryou.
"Oh so we're staying," Marik cheered, thinking about spending some time with his little hellcat and then getting back at Silver Mane. "But what about Seto?"
"Oh I wouldn't worry about Seto, I'm sure he'll be around here sooner or later," Bakura smiled.
"Seto, why are you bringing me into town with you?" Mokuba asked,looking aroundtown while loosening his grip around his brother's waist.
"I told ya, its because I don't want you there alone, especially since Pegasus and Keith left and I don't trust them right now and Bakura and Marik are here," Seto sighed, looking aroundtown as well and mentally hoping to run into a certain someone. 'I wonder where my little pup is.'
"Seto, look there's Phantom, Bandit, and Renegade," Mokuba pointed out to the familiar horses tied to a post in front of the infirmary.
Seto blinked at seeing the familiar black horse. "I wonder what they are all up to?" he asked before nudging his horse toward the other horses, just in time as the infirmary door opened and a boy that could have been mistaken as Yami's younger brother ran out and headed down the road. Shaking his head, he got off his horse and helped Mokuba off before tying his own horse to the post just as the door opened once again and two youths that looked a lot like Marik and Bakura rushed out.
Seeing the brunet, Ryou smiled lightly, "You must be Seto, right?" Seeing the nod he motioned to the room upstairs. "The rest of your friends are up there."
"Oh, well thanks, and if your looking for a little guy with spiky tri-color hair, he just ran down the road," Seto pointed out before the twonodded and ran in the direction their friend had went.
"Do you think Yami is all right?" Mokuba asked softly as he followed Seto toward the door.
"One way to find out, little brother," Seto sighed as the two of them entered the infirmary and headed up the stairs, eager to find out the fate of their missing friend.