The Game of Life
By: Rogue Fox
Part Nine... One At A Time
*+*+*Seto*+*+*
As much as I hated to admit it, Machiko had us exactly where she wanted us. She had Jou and Mai. God only knew what she was doing to them. We figured she would probably come after us all in ones and twos. And that conclusion brought us all to the main living room in the mansion. Yugi's grandpa was sleeping in a well-protected room nearby. We figured no one was safe. Thank goodness Ryou's father was on one of his trips, and Mai's mother was staying with her parents. As for Jou's dad, no one could find him and we were hardly surprised. Anzu's mother was out of town as well on a business trip, and Honda's parents didn't know about any of it.
" If I ever get my hands on that little bitch, I swear..." Himeko muttered to herself. I tried to get comfortable on one of the air mattresses that we had set out on the ground. We were all sleeping together in the living room. It was hardly the first time we had done it, even though Bakura had never been with us, but it never got any more comfortable.
" Himeko, kick me one more time, and I'll break both your legs." Yami growled.
" Can you guys please shut up?" Honda begged.
" I hate you, Ryou." Bakura muttered under his breath. " Dumb kid's already asleep."
" Whoever is hitting the back of the couch, please stop it." Yugi, who had curled up on the couch, pleaded. Finally, we all seemed to fall silent. I listened to Yuki next to me, as everyone else stopped shifting fell asleep. I could tell by the rate of Yuki's breath that she was not asleep. I was glad she had chosen to sleep nearer to me than Honda. I know I must sound really jealous, and I'll be the first to admit that I was. Terribly so. The idea of Honda hugging her and taking care of her infuriated me. I had no clue why, though.
" Yuki, are you okay?" I asked, keeping my voice at a whisper.
" Do I look okay?" she asked in return. I smiled softly and reached out to touch her. My fingers found her hair and began toying with a silken lock of it.
" I don't know. I can't really see you." I told her. I felt her smile and heard her chuckle softly. My thumb grazed her cheek and I felt the wetness of tears.
" I feel so guilty. This is all my fault. If I hadn't-" Yuki started, but I pushed a finger to her lips.
" Shh." I whispered. " If you want to start talking like that, you might as well say that it's Yami and Himeko and Bakura's fault. But if none of that stuff had happened, then you and Yugi and Ryou wouldn't be here today. The world would be lacking three great people. And I wouldn't have a best friend. So don't you think it's better things happened the way they did?" I asked. Yuki nodded a little.
" But why do so many people have to be hurt?" she asked. " Why do Jou and Mai have to be hurt? Why do you and everyone else have to suffer?"
" I don't think anyone can answer those questions. The only way to know is to do our best and beat Machiko." I told her. She snuggled close to me, and despite the fact that I was missing the presence of one of my best friends, I felt like it might be okay. At least, I hoped it would.
*+*+Honda*+*+*
I woke up in the middle of the night, half-way rolled off the air mattress I had all to myself. Lucky me. Especially since Yuki was curled up with Kaiba. If the day hadn't left me so exhausted, I would've had something to say about that. I sat up, looked around, then slammed my head face first into the pillow. I wouldn't have ever admitted it, but I was scared. Jou and Mai were some of the toughest people I knew. And now they were gone. And then I remembered when I looked at Yuki at Mai's apartment, how she looked so scared and guilty. Somewhere nearby, somebody shifted and sat up. I lifted my head to see who. Anzu, who had been sleeping in the second couch opposite to Yugi. She stood up and walked toward the kitchen, her bare feet padding on the marble floor. I decided to follow her.
" Hi." I said shortly as I walked into the kitchen.
" Oh!" Anzu cried, startled. " Honda, you scared me!" she said, in a loud whisper.
" Sorry." I said, with no conviction. We were all scared. A little shock like that should be nothing.
" What are you doing awake?" Anzu asked.
" Making sure nobody kidnaps you." I answered. Anzu smiled up at me.
" Who'd be stupid enough to try to get past Kentaro, and the human guards, and the computer alarm system, and the surveillance system? I think this is the safest place we could be." She said.
" So long as we don't go outside." I said darkly.
" Well, you won't have worry about me, then. I'm staying right inside." Anzu told me as I poured us both a glass of water. I handed her one and we both drank deeply. " Hey, Honda?" Anzu asked quietly.
" Yeah?" I answered, thinking about going back to bed.
" Are you scared?" Anzu asked me. I looked at her and smiled.
" What's to be scared of?" I asked. Anzu smiled up at me, thankful, I think, that I didn't say yes. Thankful for once that I didn't tell her the whole truth. Yes, I was scared. I was terrified. But I wasn't going to let anyone but me see that.
" I guess you're right." Anzu said, nodding. " Do you ever, you know, feel like if Yugi hadn't solved that stupid puzzle, none of this would be happening?" she asked.
" Sometimes. But then I tell myself it's not Yugi's fault, or Ryou's, or Yuki's. They can't help what they were meant to do anymore than we can help the fact that we were meant to help them." I said, looking distantly out the window. " So, yeah. Sometimes I get angry at them. Sometimes I wish they hadn't dragged me into this. But then again, who am I to argue with fate?"
" Thanks, Honda." Anzu said after a moment.
" For what?" I asked.
" For making me feel better." She explained.
" You're welcome, I guess." I said, shrugging. Normally, I wouldn't have been so callous about it, but I was tired. Anzu left the room, saying she was going to the bathroom and then back to bed. I stayed in the kitchen for a little while. " Who was strong enough to take you, Jou?" I wondered out loud. And as I spoke, the clouds rolled away from the full moon and the light poured down of the backyard of the Kaiba Mansion. " Oh, God..." I murmured. There, lying face down on the grass, was Jou's unmistakable form. I forgot everything we had agreed on. I forgot every precaution about going outside I had been given. All I cared about was getting to my best friend. I threw open the door and ran out to him, dropping to my knees beside him. The grass was wet with dew, but I didn't care. " Jou! Jou! Wake up! Damn it, get up!" I yelled. No movement, no answer. I rolled him over so that he was face up. " Jou, you big lug, wake up!" I cried, feeling for his pulse. As I did that, something hard hit me over the back of the head. Then, I knew nothing else.
*+*+*Yugi*+*+*
" Yugi! Yugi, wake up!" someone kept screaming. I rolled over and buried my head in my pillow, pulling the blankets over my head. " Damn it, Yugi! Wake up!" the person screamed. I moaned and rolled again- right off the couch.
" Ow!" I cried as my head hit hard floor. The rest of me, however, fell on something warm and soft.
" Who the hell?" Yami asked, batting me off of him with a dismissive motion of his arm. It was a little insulting that he could just bat me off, when it took all my strength to move him. And that insult was what woke me up entire.
" Yugi!" Anzu's voice kept screaming.
" Damn it, girl! Shut up!" Bakura barked.
" You shut up!" Ryou cried, rolling over angrily.
" Everybody shut up!" Kaiba moaned. Yuki made a muffled noise and cuddled closer to Kaiba.
" I will not shut up!" Anzu bellowed. " Honda's missing!" I sat straight up. Unfortunately, Himeko and Yami, who were sleeping on the air mattress I had fallen next to, sat up as well. And Yami tried to stand up.
" YAMI! THAT'S MY LEG!" I screamed. Yami fell on his butt, trying to get off of me and tripping over the blankets he had previously been sleeping under.
" Oh, Ra..." Himeko moaned.
" Who's missing?" Ryou asked, sitting up. Bakura almost hit him upside the head, then remembered himself when Himeko gave him a glare.
" Honda is!" Anzu cried, exasperated.
" Please no..." Yuki murmured, hiding her face in her hands.
" Yami, you weigh a ton!" I cried, rubbing my leg where he had stepped on it.
" Well, if you had the common sense to move..." Yami said, purposely trailing his voice off as he moved.
" How was I supposed to know you were gonna try to crush me to death with your big feet?!" I shrilled back.
" Will you two please concentrate?" Himeko asked loudly. Yami and I shut up.
" Honda and I were talking in the kitchen, and I left because I had to go to the bathroom. The next thing I know, I heard him yell something and then the door slammed open. By the time I got there, the door was hanging open, and Honda was gone." Anzu told us. We were all somewhat awake by now. Ryou and I are hard sleepers, and it takes a while for us to wake up. We were both yawning and rubbing our eyes, despite the situation.
" The door was open?" Kaiba demanded of Anzu, his right arm wrapped around Yuki, who was still holding her face in her hands.
" Yeah, it was." Anzu said, wrapping her arms around herself. I took one of her hands on mine and gave it a comforting squeeze.
" Damn it." Kaiba muttered, picking up the living room phone and dialing quickly. He left Yuki alone in the process, and Yami filled his place.
" This is all my fault." Yuki murmured. Yami, who I had seen be comforting a total of four times, made soothing noises and reassured her. So, now I had seen him be comforting five times. Kaiba hung up the phone and turned back to us.
" Security says that their man in that section of the yard isn't responding to their radios, and that they detected three intruders. They weren't able to stop them." He told us.
" The stories do say that vampires have superhuman strength." Ryou noted quietly.
" From this point on, we operate under the assumption that Machiko and her group are vampires." Yami said seriously.
" Great. And that changes our plans how?" Himeko asked irritably. Yami only shrugged.
" They've got Jou, Mai, and now Honda too." Anzu whimpered. I squeezed her hand again, and she smiled at me thankfully.
" They're going after the mortals first." Bakura noted.
" Path of least resistance?" I suggested.
" Question." Ryou said. " Are Yugi, Yuki, and I mortal, or what?"
" Or what." Himeko answered. " You guys are lights. Nobody's sure exactly where you fall, but you're not normal mortals."
" Okay, looks like Kaiba and Anzu are the only mortals left, then." Yami said. " We're gonna have to look after them."
" Tomorrow's Friday. We've got school." Anzu said.
" We all caught your stomach virus." Kaiba said. Himeko grinned and pretended to barf.
" Okay then. Who knows where we can get wooden stakes?" I asked. Everyone laughed, but the seriousness of the situation was still there.
*+*+*Yuki*+*+*
I felt terrible. I don't mean I felt like I was sick. It would have been better if I did, but I felt terrible in a different way. This whole thing with Machiko was tearing me apart. I felt so scared and guilty. Scared for the people I loved, and, selfishly, for myself. Guilty because I was scared for myself, because people I loved were suffering because Machiko wanted me. Next they would go after Anzu and Seto. I just couldn't bear the very thought.
I forced myself to sit up. Anzu was playing a card game with Yugi, who was undoubtedly winning. I had been laying on one of the couches, trying to muster up the motivation to do something, anything. Seto was upstairs in his study, and Ryou was with him. No one wanted to be alone. Yami, Himeko, and Bakura were sitting on the floor in front of the TV, watching some DVD. Bakura and Yami had both fallen asleep, so I figured it was a romantic movie, especially since Himeko was paying rapt attention. She always was, despite her rough and angry attitude, a sucker for romance.
" How are you feeling, Yuki?" Anzu asked. I looked at her. I didn't know how to respond. It was such a simple question. But the answer was beyond me. I shrugged. I had no other way to answer her.
" It'll be okay." Yugi assured me. That was easy for him to say. There wasn't a maniac after his blood. Well, that wasn't quite fair of me to think. Machiko probably wouldn't stop at mortals. She'd take all my friends in ones and twos until I was all that was left. She wanted me to suffer by making my friends suffer. I pulled my knees to my chest and laid my head on them. I stayed in this position for a long time, listening to the movie Himeko was watching (I finally decided it was Moulin Rouge, just the kind of movie my darker side would love) and to Yugi and Anzu talking. Finally, the phone rang. Everything froze. Bakura, who was sleeping with his head on Himeko's shoulder, was jarred awake when she jerked away to turn off the movie, and Yami was kicked to wakefulness when she tripped over him. Everyone held perfectly still, and Ryou and Seto appeared at the top of the stairs. I reached behind me, sitting up fully, picked the cordless up off its hanger, pressed the button, took a deep breath, and put it to my ear.
" Hello?" I said tentatively, trying to keep my voice from shaking.
" Miss Yuki, this is the security section." A gruff male voice told me. The security section for the mansion monitored pretty much everything lately. Nothing but the best for the Kaiba Mansion. I nearly melted from relief. Until his next words. " We have an incoming call for you. Should I turn on the recorder?"
" Um, yes." I whispered. Everyone around me was still as a bunch of statues. I listened to the click that signified the changing of lines. " Hello?" I asked.
" Hey, cutie. How's it going?" Machiko's voice greeted me. She sounded bubbly and happy. " Really, that's so interesting." She said before I could respond. " Anyway, I just wanted you to know that Honda guy is a total doll. And Jounouchi? He's a riot!" Machiko said. I clenched my fists.
" What have you done to them?" I asked calmly.
" Done? Nothing. Yet." Machiko answered.
" I want to talk to them." I demanded.
" Aren't you the needy one?" Machiko teased. I snarled into the phone.
" Let me talk to them." I repeated. I could see Himeko grinning. She was always telling me to be more assertive.
" Oh, fine. Ruin my fun." Machiko said. I heard shuffle noises and then a lot of yelling.
" Yuki?" Jou's voice was probably the most welcome thing I had ever heard.
" Jou! Are you okay?" I asked, so happy to hear him, I slipped from the couch to the ground. Seto looked too relieved to speak.
" I'm okay. They've got us tied up in chairs. Mai's a little cut up, but she'll be fine, and Honda's got a bump on the back of his head. And I think I might have sprained my arm. Yuki, you've got to do something! This girl is insane-" at that point, Machiko must have taken the phone away from Jou, because the next thing I heard was Machiko.
" Sorry, that was getting a little insulting." She said.
" Let me talk to Mai and Honda." I requested.
" Sorry, I think I've been nice enough for one day. You know what I want, cutie. I'm gonna get it." Machiko said, laughing as she hung up the phone. I held it to my ear until security came back on.
" We got that all recorded, Miss." The guy on the other end told me.
" Can you trace it?" I asked.
" Sorry. It's an unlisted number. Trace-resistant." I was told. I thanked him and hung up the phone. I told everyone else what Jou had told me.
" How did he sound?" Yami asked.
" His voice was dry and raspy, like he hadn't had enough to drink. Other than that, he just sounded like he was under a lot of stress." I answered.
" Did you hear any other distinguishing sounds?" Ryou asked.
" Nothing. Security's got it recorded, though. I wasn't really listening for anything but Jou or Machiko. Maybe I missed something." I said, shrugging.
" Let's hope you did." Seto said, turning toward the stairs. He stopped halfway there and turned back. " Well, who wants to come along?" he asked.
" I will." Himeko offered, jogging after him. We had already agreed not to go anywhere, even to the bathroom, alone. We went everywhere in pairs and trios.
It was about ten minutes later when everyone still downstairs heard glass shattering and screaming. I can tell you for a fact that we all set an unofficial world record for running up three flights of stairs to the security room. A total of twenty-three men work there. And they were all unconscious. A smoggy gas hung over the room. I've lived my life the daughter of a successful businessman, and best friend of the richest teenager in the world. I know sleeping gas when I smell it. And that stuff was sleeping gas. I had to haul Bakura back and slam the door closed.
" That's sleeping gas in there!" I cried, turning around and throwing open a panel. Thank God, I thought, that the ventilation controls are right near here. I flipped a switch and cranked the air in that room. It would be frigid when we went in, but that was a small price to pay to avoid the gas. A few minutes later, I opened the door experimentally. I was pleased with the blast of cold air that greeted me. I thanked Seto mentally for putting in a state of the art ventilation system. Then I stepped in and took a deep breath. " It's okay. It's all gone." I called back, shivering with the cold.
" Thank you, Yuki, for knowing your dangerous gases." Yugi muttered. The window overlooking the back of the mansion's estate was shattered entirely. There were three ropes that fell from above past the window. Shattered glass and two bricks lay on the ground near the window. A few feet from the central console in the middle of the room was the canister the gas must have come from. A few walls had scorch marks on them, and one had a hole burnt entirely through it, showing the next room.
" Well, first, they came down from the roof on the ropes, threw in the bricks to break the windows. Then they threw in the canister to put everyone to sleep. I'm guessing they had gas masks of some kind, because I think then they went in and grabbed Seto and Himeko." I had been talking calmly and smoothly, until I said the last part. Then I broke down. I sank to my knees, ignoring the glass.
" Looks like Himeko went down fighting." Yami noted, nodding to the scorch marks.
" But, Himeko isn't mortal! Even a vampire couldn't take her down!" Anzu protested.
" I hate to be the one to tell you this, girl," Bakura said, turning to her fully. " But just because Himeko isn't normal like you doesn't necessarily mean she's invincible. She's strong, one of the strongest, and I'll be the first to tell you so. But she's been beaten before, and she'll be beaten again. No one is invincible. I think Machiko is counting on that."
" They got Isis. In the name of Ra, this had got to stop!" Yami cried, slamming his hand on a computer console.
" Wait!" I cried, lurching to my feet and shoving Yami out of my way. I tapped furiously at the computer, until finally I got it to replay the surveillance of the security room during the time span from when Seto and Himeko came in until now. " Watch." I commanded, hitting the play button. We saw Seto enter the room, Himeko following him. They talked to the head of security, who was now snoozing at my feet, for a few minutes. After about five, another man handed Seto a tape. A few seconds later, the window shattered and the room clouded up. I turned the tape off. I had seen all I needed to.
" Damn. That means they got they tape of the phone call too. That was our evidence." Yugi muttered.
" I couldn't really care less, Yugi. They took my sister. I swear, I will make them pay." Yami growled.
" I'll help." Bakura volunteered. It was probably the first time I had ever seen them agree.
*+*+*Seto*+*+*
I was roughly yanked from unconsciousness when someone dropped me on what I assumed to be the floor. It was a hard wood floor, I can tell you that. Something was dropped beside me. I couldn't see. I tried opening my eyes, but I couldn't see any better than when they were closed. My next instinct was to try to move. I only succeeded in squirming a little like a worm, and discovering that I was bound with my hands behind my back and bound at the feet as well. I could tell now that I was more aware that I was also gagged. I still tried to speak, anyway.
" Mmmphh!" I managed. Okay, that wasn't working. I received a sharp kick in the gut for my efforts.
" Keep your mouth shut and stay still, and you'll get something to drink and eat later." I was told. I recognized the voice as Kimi's. I held still accordingly. I may be used to giving orders, but I also know how and when to take them.
" Not so rough with the merchandise. I like him best." Machiko's voice called from somewhere else. " You got problems, take 'em out on Himeko." I flailed angrily at this remark, and something nearby made similar noises to the ones I had made. I took it that the soft, warm thing I kept bumping into was Himeko, and she was flailing.
" Hey, Machiko. Why don't we just get Yuki and be done with it?" Aiko asked.
" That's no fun. I want her to suffer." Machiko said with a malicious laugh. I moved a little and nudged Himeko comfortingly. Then I began to feel about as best I could without attracting attention. I felt out someone's foot, and the foot nudged me back questioningly. I racked my brain for a way to communicate with this minimum contact. Then I got my break.
" Just leave her alone. She never did anything to you!" Jou's voice protested.
" You want us to put the gag back on?" Tori asked angrily. The foot I had contacted nudged me to the left. I moved in that direction until I found another foot.
" Kaiba, just stay with Himeko." Jou whispered.
" What'd you say?" Machiko called.
" Just thinking out loud." Jou said calmly. I obediently worked my way back to Himeko.
" We're gonna have to get chairs for Kaiba and Himeko. We can't just leave them on the floor." Aiko noted.
" Yeah, I guess." Machiko consented. " Hey, are Mai's cuts still fresh? I'm feeling pretty under the weather." I swear, I would have jumped out of my skin if I hadn't been bound.
" Yeah, they're still fresh." Kimi answered. Strangely, I heard no sounds of struggle from Honda, Jou, or even from Mai. Himeko and I were the only ones that seemed afraid, from what I could sense about my environment.
" Just stay still, you two." Jou said comfortingly. Himeko pushed herself against my back. I thought for a second she was Yuki, but remembered that she wasn't.
" You're going to be a good girl this time, aren't you, Mai? Here, I'll even take your gag off." Machiko said.
" I'm not your drinking faucet, blood-sucker." Mai said calmly. I heard a loud slapping sound.
" You forget who's got the power, Mai. You wouldn't want me to make all new cuts, now would you?" Machiko said. " Oh well. I'm sick of your blood anyway. It's pretty tasty, but it hasn't got the potency I need. Bring Kaiba over here. Honda, you're going to have to sit on the floor." I was promptly hauled into a chair, squirming and fighting to my best ability.
" Kaiba, it's easier if you just hold still." Mai called. At that moment, I felt my gag being removed.
" Like hell I'm going to hold still and let her suck my blood!" I cried. I felt something hard hit me on the head. I still couldn't see, but at least I was sitting up and I could talk. If my eyes had been open, though, I would have seen red. Fortunately, I didn't black out.
" It's not so bad, Kaiba." Aiko said, fastening me to the chair.
" How can you help a vampire?" I asked, thoroughly annoyed.
" I'm not a vampire. And I don't 'suck' blood, thank you." Machiko said, sounding about as annoyed as I felt. " I drain a little blood and drink it from a cup. And don't worry, I won't drain enough to hurt you. Just a little. It's not your blood I'm after. Consider yourselves appetizers. You're just keeping me alive until the main course." Machiko said. I felt someone rolling up my sleeve. I noticed for the first time that my jacket had been removed. I was wearing a button-up shirt underneath. Then, after making sure my arm was fastened securely to the chair, I felt someone slash across my upper arm three times. I bit my lip to keep from crying out. I grew a little light headed after a few minutes of being "drained." As Machiko promised, she didn't take much. But it was enough to make me woozy.
" This always makes me sick." Kimi said.
" You want immortality? Get used to it." Machiko growled.
" And how do you plan on becoming immortal?" Mai asked. I was too hazy in the head to focus on anything but the throbbing in my arm as it was bandaged.
" By drinking blood of someone with unconceivable power." Machiko answered. I guess she must have drank my blood (the thought still makes me shiver) because her next words were about that. " Wow! That's not bad, for a regular mortal! If I didn't know better, I'd say you had some abilities you've been keeping secret, Kaiba! Anyway, Mai, I'm already immortal. But my friends here wish to have the gift bestowed upon them. Once before were my people given such an opportunity. Unfortunately, it fades after a millennia or so. Because of that, I need Yuki. And as good as your blood is, Kaiba, I'm afraid I took more than I originally intended. And I'm still so thirsty. Get Himeko ready." Machiko ordered. I groaned, and just before I fell asleep, I begged for help. I didn't think anyone would answer my "prayer" but I hoped that maybe...
By: Rogue Fox
Part Nine... One At A Time
*+*+*Seto*+*+*
As much as I hated to admit it, Machiko had us exactly where she wanted us. She had Jou and Mai. God only knew what she was doing to them. We figured she would probably come after us all in ones and twos. And that conclusion brought us all to the main living room in the mansion. Yugi's grandpa was sleeping in a well-protected room nearby. We figured no one was safe. Thank goodness Ryou's father was on one of his trips, and Mai's mother was staying with her parents. As for Jou's dad, no one could find him and we were hardly surprised. Anzu's mother was out of town as well on a business trip, and Honda's parents didn't know about any of it.
" If I ever get my hands on that little bitch, I swear..." Himeko muttered to herself. I tried to get comfortable on one of the air mattresses that we had set out on the ground. We were all sleeping together in the living room. It was hardly the first time we had done it, even though Bakura had never been with us, but it never got any more comfortable.
" Himeko, kick me one more time, and I'll break both your legs." Yami growled.
" Can you guys please shut up?" Honda begged.
" I hate you, Ryou." Bakura muttered under his breath. " Dumb kid's already asleep."
" Whoever is hitting the back of the couch, please stop it." Yugi, who had curled up on the couch, pleaded. Finally, we all seemed to fall silent. I listened to Yuki next to me, as everyone else stopped shifting fell asleep. I could tell by the rate of Yuki's breath that she was not asleep. I was glad she had chosen to sleep nearer to me than Honda. I know I must sound really jealous, and I'll be the first to admit that I was. Terribly so. The idea of Honda hugging her and taking care of her infuriated me. I had no clue why, though.
" Yuki, are you okay?" I asked, keeping my voice at a whisper.
" Do I look okay?" she asked in return. I smiled softly and reached out to touch her. My fingers found her hair and began toying with a silken lock of it.
" I don't know. I can't really see you." I told her. I felt her smile and heard her chuckle softly. My thumb grazed her cheek and I felt the wetness of tears.
" I feel so guilty. This is all my fault. If I hadn't-" Yuki started, but I pushed a finger to her lips.
" Shh." I whispered. " If you want to start talking like that, you might as well say that it's Yami and Himeko and Bakura's fault. But if none of that stuff had happened, then you and Yugi and Ryou wouldn't be here today. The world would be lacking three great people. And I wouldn't have a best friend. So don't you think it's better things happened the way they did?" I asked. Yuki nodded a little.
" But why do so many people have to be hurt?" she asked. " Why do Jou and Mai have to be hurt? Why do you and everyone else have to suffer?"
" I don't think anyone can answer those questions. The only way to know is to do our best and beat Machiko." I told her. She snuggled close to me, and despite the fact that I was missing the presence of one of my best friends, I felt like it might be okay. At least, I hoped it would.
*+*+Honda*+*+*
I woke up in the middle of the night, half-way rolled off the air mattress I had all to myself. Lucky me. Especially since Yuki was curled up with Kaiba. If the day hadn't left me so exhausted, I would've had something to say about that. I sat up, looked around, then slammed my head face first into the pillow. I wouldn't have ever admitted it, but I was scared. Jou and Mai were some of the toughest people I knew. And now they were gone. And then I remembered when I looked at Yuki at Mai's apartment, how she looked so scared and guilty. Somewhere nearby, somebody shifted and sat up. I lifted my head to see who. Anzu, who had been sleeping in the second couch opposite to Yugi. She stood up and walked toward the kitchen, her bare feet padding on the marble floor. I decided to follow her.
" Hi." I said shortly as I walked into the kitchen.
" Oh!" Anzu cried, startled. " Honda, you scared me!" she said, in a loud whisper.
" Sorry." I said, with no conviction. We were all scared. A little shock like that should be nothing.
" What are you doing awake?" Anzu asked.
" Making sure nobody kidnaps you." I answered. Anzu smiled up at me.
" Who'd be stupid enough to try to get past Kentaro, and the human guards, and the computer alarm system, and the surveillance system? I think this is the safest place we could be." She said.
" So long as we don't go outside." I said darkly.
" Well, you won't have worry about me, then. I'm staying right inside." Anzu told me as I poured us both a glass of water. I handed her one and we both drank deeply. " Hey, Honda?" Anzu asked quietly.
" Yeah?" I answered, thinking about going back to bed.
" Are you scared?" Anzu asked me. I looked at her and smiled.
" What's to be scared of?" I asked. Anzu smiled up at me, thankful, I think, that I didn't say yes. Thankful for once that I didn't tell her the whole truth. Yes, I was scared. I was terrified. But I wasn't going to let anyone but me see that.
" I guess you're right." Anzu said, nodding. " Do you ever, you know, feel like if Yugi hadn't solved that stupid puzzle, none of this would be happening?" she asked.
" Sometimes. But then I tell myself it's not Yugi's fault, or Ryou's, or Yuki's. They can't help what they were meant to do anymore than we can help the fact that we were meant to help them." I said, looking distantly out the window. " So, yeah. Sometimes I get angry at them. Sometimes I wish they hadn't dragged me into this. But then again, who am I to argue with fate?"
" Thanks, Honda." Anzu said after a moment.
" For what?" I asked.
" For making me feel better." She explained.
" You're welcome, I guess." I said, shrugging. Normally, I wouldn't have been so callous about it, but I was tired. Anzu left the room, saying she was going to the bathroom and then back to bed. I stayed in the kitchen for a little while. " Who was strong enough to take you, Jou?" I wondered out loud. And as I spoke, the clouds rolled away from the full moon and the light poured down of the backyard of the Kaiba Mansion. " Oh, God..." I murmured. There, lying face down on the grass, was Jou's unmistakable form. I forgot everything we had agreed on. I forgot every precaution about going outside I had been given. All I cared about was getting to my best friend. I threw open the door and ran out to him, dropping to my knees beside him. The grass was wet with dew, but I didn't care. " Jou! Jou! Wake up! Damn it, get up!" I yelled. No movement, no answer. I rolled him over so that he was face up. " Jou, you big lug, wake up!" I cried, feeling for his pulse. As I did that, something hard hit me over the back of the head. Then, I knew nothing else.
*+*+*Yugi*+*+*
" Yugi! Yugi, wake up!" someone kept screaming. I rolled over and buried my head in my pillow, pulling the blankets over my head. " Damn it, Yugi! Wake up!" the person screamed. I moaned and rolled again- right off the couch.
" Ow!" I cried as my head hit hard floor. The rest of me, however, fell on something warm and soft.
" Who the hell?" Yami asked, batting me off of him with a dismissive motion of his arm. It was a little insulting that he could just bat me off, when it took all my strength to move him. And that insult was what woke me up entire.
" Yugi!" Anzu's voice kept screaming.
" Damn it, girl! Shut up!" Bakura barked.
" You shut up!" Ryou cried, rolling over angrily.
" Everybody shut up!" Kaiba moaned. Yuki made a muffled noise and cuddled closer to Kaiba.
" I will not shut up!" Anzu bellowed. " Honda's missing!" I sat straight up. Unfortunately, Himeko and Yami, who were sleeping on the air mattress I had fallen next to, sat up as well. And Yami tried to stand up.
" YAMI! THAT'S MY LEG!" I screamed. Yami fell on his butt, trying to get off of me and tripping over the blankets he had previously been sleeping under.
" Oh, Ra..." Himeko moaned.
" Who's missing?" Ryou asked, sitting up. Bakura almost hit him upside the head, then remembered himself when Himeko gave him a glare.
" Honda is!" Anzu cried, exasperated.
" Please no..." Yuki murmured, hiding her face in her hands.
" Yami, you weigh a ton!" I cried, rubbing my leg where he had stepped on it.
" Well, if you had the common sense to move..." Yami said, purposely trailing his voice off as he moved.
" How was I supposed to know you were gonna try to crush me to death with your big feet?!" I shrilled back.
" Will you two please concentrate?" Himeko asked loudly. Yami and I shut up.
" Honda and I were talking in the kitchen, and I left because I had to go to the bathroom. The next thing I know, I heard him yell something and then the door slammed open. By the time I got there, the door was hanging open, and Honda was gone." Anzu told us. We were all somewhat awake by now. Ryou and I are hard sleepers, and it takes a while for us to wake up. We were both yawning and rubbing our eyes, despite the situation.
" The door was open?" Kaiba demanded of Anzu, his right arm wrapped around Yuki, who was still holding her face in her hands.
" Yeah, it was." Anzu said, wrapping her arms around herself. I took one of her hands on mine and gave it a comforting squeeze.
" Damn it." Kaiba muttered, picking up the living room phone and dialing quickly. He left Yuki alone in the process, and Yami filled his place.
" This is all my fault." Yuki murmured. Yami, who I had seen be comforting a total of four times, made soothing noises and reassured her. So, now I had seen him be comforting five times. Kaiba hung up the phone and turned back to us.
" Security says that their man in that section of the yard isn't responding to their radios, and that they detected three intruders. They weren't able to stop them." He told us.
" The stories do say that vampires have superhuman strength." Ryou noted quietly.
" From this point on, we operate under the assumption that Machiko and her group are vampires." Yami said seriously.
" Great. And that changes our plans how?" Himeko asked irritably. Yami only shrugged.
" They've got Jou, Mai, and now Honda too." Anzu whimpered. I squeezed her hand again, and she smiled at me thankfully.
" They're going after the mortals first." Bakura noted.
" Path of least resistance?" I suggested.
" Question." Ryou said. " Are Yugi, Yuki, and I mortal, or what?"
" Or what." Himeko answered. " You guys are lights. Nobody's sure exactly where you fall, but you're not normal mortals."
" Okay, looks like Kaiba and Anzu are the only mortals left, then." Yami said. " We're gonna have to look after them."
" Tomorrow's Friday. We've got school." Anzu said.
" We all caught your stomach virus." Kaiba said. Himeko grinned and pretended to barf.
" Okay then. Who knows where we can get wooden stakes?" I asked. Everyone laughed, but the seriousness of the situation was still there.
*+*+*Yuki*+*+*
I felt terrible. I don't mean I felt like I was sick. It would have been better if I did, but I felt terrible in a different way. This whole thing with Machiko was tearing me apart. I felt so scared and guilty. Scared for the people I loved, and, selfishly, for myself. Guilty because I was scared for myself, because people I loved were suffering because Machiko wanted me. Next they would go after Anzu and Seto. I just couldn't bear the very thought.
I forced myself to sit up. Anzu was playing a card game with Yugi, who was undoubtedly winning. I had been laying on one of the couches, trying to muster up the motivation to do something, anything. Seto was upstairs in his study, and Ryou was with him. No one wanted to be alone. Yami, Himeko, and Bakura were sitting on the floor in front of the TV, watching some DVD. Bakura and Yami had both fallen asleep, so I figured it was a romantic movie, especially since Himeko was paying rapt attention. She always was, despite her rough and angry attitude, a sucker for romance.
" How are you feeling, Yuki?" Anzu asked. I looked at her. I didn't know how to respond. It was such a simple question. But the answer was beyond me. I shrugged. I had no other way to answer her.
" It'll be okay." Yugi assured me. That was easy for him to say. There wasn't a maniac after his blood. Well, that wasn't quite fair of me to think. Machiko probably wouldn't stop at mortals. She'd take all my friends in ones and twos until I was all that was left. She wanted me to suffer by making my friends suffer. I pulled my knees to my chest and laid my head on them. I stayed in this position for a long time, listening to the movie Himeko was watching (I finally decided it was Moulin Rouge, just the kind of movie my darker side would love) and to Yugi and Anzu talking. Finally, the phone rang. Everything froze. Bakura, who was sleeping with his head on Himeko's shoulder, was jarred awake when she jerked away to turn off the movie, and Yami was kicked to wakefulness when she tripped over him. Everyone held perfectly still, and Ryou and Seto appeared at the top of the stairs. I reached behind me, sitting up fully, picked the cordless up off its hanger, pressed the button, took a deep breath, and put it to my ear.
" Hello?" I said tentatively, trying to keep my voice from shaking.
" Miss Yuki, this is the security section." A gruff male voice told me. The security section for the mansion monitored pretty much everything lately. Nothing but the best for the Kaiba Mansion. I nearly melted from relief. Until his next words. " We have an incoming call for you. Should I turn on the recorder?"
" Um, yes." I whispered. Everyone around me was still as a bunch of statues. I listened to the click that signified the changing of lines. " Hello?" I asked.
" Hey, cutie. How's it going?" Machiko's voice greeted me. She sounded bubbly and happy. " Really, that's so interesting." She said before I could respond. " Anyway, I just wanted you to know that Honda guy is a total doll. And Jounouchi? He's a riot!" Machiko said. I clenched my fists.
" What have you done to them?" I asked calmly.
" Done? Nothing. Yet." Machiko answered.
" I want to talk to them." I demanded.
" Aren't you the needy one?" Machiko teased. I snarled into the phone.
" Let me talk to them." I repeated. I could see Himeko grinning. She was always telling me to be more assertive.
" Oh, fine. Ruin my fun." Machiko said. I heard shuffle noises and then a lot of yelling.
" Yuki?" Jou's voice was probably the most welcome thing I had ever heard.
" Jou! Are you okay?" I asked, so happy to hear him, I slipped from the couch to the ground. Seto looked too relieved to speak.
" I'm okay. They've got us tied up in chairs. Mai's a little cut up, but she'll be fine, and Honda's got a bump on the back of his head. And I think I might have sprained my arm. Yuki, you've got to do something! This girl is insane-" at that point, Machiko must have taken the phone away from Jou, because the next thing I heard was Machiko.
" Sorry, that was getting a little insulting." She said.
" Let me talk to Mai and Honda." I requested.
" Sorry, I think I've been nice enough for one day. You know what I want, cutie. I'm gonna get it." Machiko said, laughing as she hung up the phone. I held it to my ear until security came back on.
" We got that all recorded, Miss." The guy on the other end told me.
" Can you trace it?" I asked.
" Sorry. It's an unlisted number. Trace-resistant." I was told. I thanked him and hung up the phone. I told everyone else what Jou had told me.
" How did he sound?" Yami asked.
" His voice was dry and raspy, like he hadn't had enough to drink. Other than that, he just sounded like he was under a lot of stress." I answered.
" Did you hear any other distinguishing sounds?" Ryou asked.
" Nothing. Security's got it recorded, though. I wasn't really listening for anything but Jou or Machiko. Maybe I missed something." I said, shrugging.
" Let's hope you did." Seto said, turning toward the stairs. He stopped halfway there and turned back. " Well, who wants to come along?" he asked.
" I will." Himeko offered, jogging after him. We had already agreed not to go anywhere, even to the bathroom, alone. We went everywhere in pairs and trios.
It was about ten minutes later when everyone still downstairs heard glass shattering and screaming. I can tell you for a fact that we all set an unofficial world record for running up three flights of stairs to the security room. A total of twenty-three men work there. And they were all unconscious. A smoggy gas hung over the room. I've lived my life the daughter of a successful businessman, and best friend of the richest teenager in the world. I know sleeping gas when I smell it. And that stuff was sleeping gas. I had to haul Bakura back and slam the door closed.
" That's sleeping gas in there!" I cried, turning around and throwing open a panel. Thank God, I thought, that the ventilation controls are right near here. I flipped a switch and cranked the air in that room. It would be frigid when we went in, but that was a small price to pay to avoid the gas. A few minutes later, I opened the door experimentally. I was pleased with the blast of cold air that greeted me. I thanked Seto mentally for putting in a state of the art ventilation system. Then I stepped in and took a deep breath. " It's okay. It's all gone." I called back, shivering with the cold.
" Thank you, Yuki, for knowing your dangerous gases." Yugi muttered. The window overlooking the back of the mansion's estate was shattered entirely. There were three ropes that fell from above past the window. Shattered glass and two bricks lay on the ground near the window. A few feet from the central console in the middle of the room was the canister the gas must have come from. A few walls had scorch marks on them, and one had a hole burnt entirely through it, showing the next room.
" Well, first, they came down from the roof on the ropes, threw in the bricks to break the windows. Then they threw in the canister to put everyone to sleep. I'm guessing they had gas masks of some kind, because I think then they went in and grabbed Seto and Himeko." I had been talking calmly and smoothly, until I said the last part. Then I broke down. I sank to my knees, ignoring the glass.
" Looks like Himeko went down fighting." Yami noted, nodding to the scorch marks.
" But, Himeko isn't mortal! Even a vampire couldn't take her down!" Anzu protested.
" I hate to be the one to tell you this, girl," Bakura said, turning to her fully. " But just because Himeko isn't normal like you doesn't necessarily mean she's invincible. She's strong, one of the strongest, and I'll be the first to tell you so. But she's been beaten before, and she'll be beaten again. No one is invincible. I think Machiko is counting on that."
" They got Isis. In the name of Ra, this had got to stop!" Yami cried, slamming his hand on a computer console.
" Wait!" I cried, lurching to my feet and shoving Yami out of my way. I tapped furiously at the computer, until finally I got it to replay the surveillance of the security room during the time span from when Seto and Himeko came in until now. " Watch." I commanded, hitting the play button. We saw Seto enter the room, Himeko following him. They talked to the head of security, who was now snoozing at my feet, for a few minutes. After about five, another man handed Seto a tape. A few seconds later, the window shattered and the room clouded up. I turned the tape off. I had seen all I needed to.
" Damn. That means they got they tape of the phone call too. That was our evidence." Yugi muttered.
" I couldn't really care less, Yugi. They took my sister. I swear, I will make them pay." Yami growled.
" I'll help." Bakura volunteered. It was probably the first time I had ever seen them agree.
*+*+*Seto*+*+*
I was roughly yanked from unconsciousness when someone dropped me on what I assumed to be the floor. It was a hard wood floor, I can tell you that. Something was dropped beside me. I couldn't see. I tried opening my eyes, but I couldn't see any better than when they were closed. My next instinct was to try to move. I only succeeded in squirming a little like a worm, and discovering that I was bound with my hands behind my back and bound at the feet as well. I could tell now that I was more aware that I was also gagged. I still tried to speak, anyway.
" Mmmphh!" I managed. Okay, that wasn't working. I received a sharp kick in the gut for my efforts.
" Keep your mouth shut and stay still, and you'll get something to drink and eat later." I was told. I recognized the voice as Kimi's. I held still accordingly. I may be used to giving orders, but I also know how and when to take them.
" Not so rough with the merchandise. I like him best." Machiko's voice called from somewhere else. " You got problems, take 'em out on Himeko." I flailed angrily at this remark, and something nearby made similar noises to the ones I had made. I took it that the soft, warm thing I kept bumping into was Himeko, and she was flailing.
" Hey, Machiko. Why don't we just get Yuki and be done with it?" Aiko asked.
" That's no fun. I want her to suffer." Machiko said with a malicious laugh. I moved a little and nudged Himeko comfortingly. Then I began to feel about as best I could without attracting attention. I felt out someone's foot, and the foot nudged me back questioningly. I racked my brain for a way to communicate with this minimum contact. Then I got my break.
" Just leave her alone. She never did anything to you!" Jou's voice protested.
" You want us to put the gag back on?" Tori asked angrily. The foot I had contacted nudged me to the left. I moved in that direction until I found another foot.
" Kaiba, just stay with Himeko." Jou whispered.
" What'd you say?" Machiko called.
" Just thinking out loud." Jou said calmly. I obediently worked my way back to Himeko.
" We're gonna have to get chairs for Kaiba and Himeko. We can't just leave them on the floor." Aiko noted.
" Yeah, I guess." Machiko consented. " Hey, are Mai's cuts still fresh? I'm feeling pretty under the weather." I swear, I would have jumped out of my skin if I hadn't been bound.
" Yeah, they're still fresh." Kimi answered. Strangely, I heard no sounds of struggle from Honda, Jou, or even from Mai. Himeko and I were the only ones that seemed afraid, from what I could sense about my environment.
" Just stay still, you two." Jou said comfortingly. Himeko pushed herself against my back. I thought for a second she was Yuki, but remembered that she wasn't.
" You're going to be a good girl this time, aren't you, Mai? Here, I'll even take your gag off." Machiko said.
" I'm not your drinking faucet, blood-sucker." Mai said calmly. I heard a loud slapping sound.
" You forget who's got the power, Mai. You wouldn't want me to make all new cuts, now would you?" Machiko said. " Oh well. I'm sick of your blood anyway. It's pretty tasty, but it hasn't got the potency I need. Bring Kaiba over here. Honda, you're going to have to sit on the floor." I was promptly hauled into a chair, squirming and fighting to my best ability.
" Kaiba, it's easier if you just hold still." Mai called. At that moment, I felt my gag being removed.
" Like hell I'm going to hold still and let her suck my blood!" I cried. I felt something hard hit me on the head. I still couldn't see, but at least I was sitting up and I could talk. If my eyes had been open, though, I would have seen red. Fortunately, I didn't black out.
" It's not so bad, Kaiba." Aiko said, fastening me to the chair.
" How can you help a vampire?" I asked, thoroughly annoyed.
" I'm not a vampire. And I don't 'suck' blood, thank you." Machiko said, sounding about as annoyed as I felt. " I drain a little blood and drink it from a cup. And don't worry, I won't drain enough to hurt you. Just a little. It's not your blood I'm after. Consider yourselves appetizers. You're just keeping me alive until the main course." Machiko said. I felt someone rolling up my sleeve. I noticed for the first time that my jacket had been removed. I was wearing a button-up shirt underneath. Then, after making sure my arm was fastened securely to the chair, I felt someone slash across my upper arm three times. I bit my lip to keep from crying out. I grew a little light headed after a few minutes of being "drained." As Machiko promised, she didn't take much. But it was enough to make me woozy.
" This always makes me sick." Kimi said.
" You want immortality? Get used to it." Machiko growled.
" And how do you plan on becoming immortal?" Mai asked. I was too hazy in the head to focus on anything but the throbbing in my arm as it was bandaged.
" By drinking blood of someone with unconceivable power." Machiko answered. I guess she must have drank my blood (the thought still makes me shiver) because her next words were about that. " Wow! That's not bad, for a regular mortal! If I didn't know better, I'd say you had some abilities you've been keeping secret, Kaiba! Anyway, Mai, I'm already immortal. But my friends here wish to have the gift bestowed upon them. Once before were my people given such an opportunity. Unfortunately, it fades after a millennia or so. Because of that, I need Yuki. And as good as your blood is, Kaiba, I'm afraid I took more than I originally intended. And I'm still so thirsty. Get Himeko ready." Machiko ordered. I groaned, and just before I fell asleep, I begged for help. I didn't think anyone would answer my "prayer" but I hoped that maybe...