A/N: Hello everyone! Sorry it's taken me so long to update! I have a valid excuse (for once)! My computer contracted about 5 viruses, and totally died! It was so sad! All my downloaded anime! Gone! (cries). It was awful!
Now for some reviewer responses (sniff).
Katrina Kaiba: Thanks! It was a good chapter, huh? I liked it, anyway! Thank you for reviewing, and I hope you like this one!
Sami Ryou's Hikari: Two brilliant reviews! You spoil me! Otogi sucks ass, huh? Actually, I feel a little sorry for him after the last chapter. I'm too nice! Aw, Mokie should be okay...unless he isn't...because I'm evil as well as being too nice! Heh heh! Thanks for reviewing (twice!) and I hope you like this chapter!
T.Lei: The cute little imp is being protected by the beautiful puppy! Seto will have to be content with that! (em182 is scared). Thanks for reviewing! Hope you like this chapter!
Erik's Siren: People keep calling me evil! Am I? Lol, that damn gorgeous Jou! Can't stay concious! Wow, thanks so much! I hope you like this chapter!
markyc58: I'm evil? (lip wobbles) You like the way I wrote the characters? They aren't too OOC? Hooray! Em182 is happy! Thanks for reviewing! I hope you like this chapter!
PunkerPrincess: Thank you! I read the fic! T'was gnarly! Thanks for reviewing! Hope you like this one!
lilrubydevil: Lol! Aren't computers a massive pain? I'm still grieving for the lost anime! NOO! MY ANIME! Aw, thanks! All you guys are so sweet to me! I'm feeling all fuzzy! Yeah, you plot that damn Otogi's downfall! He sucks! Thanks for reviewing and making me laugh! Hope you like this chapter!
okamikaze: I'm glad to hear you haven't given up on me! I haven't given up on the story either! Hooray! I'm always patient my friend! Thanks for reviewing! Hope you like this one!
daughterofanubis: It is? Thanks! I hope you like this chapter!
SpiritPuppyLuvrs: Hello! Great to hear from you again! Aw, you only found it now? Well at least ya did, lol! Hmm, bad things do happen to Seto and Jounouchi-kun in my stories, don't they? That's because I'm an evil fangirl who is in love with angst and drama! Yay! Well, it SHOULD end happily, but you never know, ne?
Oh no! I DID take ages with the chapter! But I have an excuse! I do! Stupid computer!
Things have been crazy? I'll drop you a line as soon as my e-mail is fixed, my dear! Thanks for reviewing! I hope you like this chapter!
Zodiac Tarrot Magician: It's okay! I love reviews, regardless of length! Yours was sweet! Hmm, well, they seem to be ok for this chapter at least! Woo! Thanks for your sweet review! I hope you like this chapter!
Flame Swordswoman: Hello my friend! How's the ailing computer? It's so cruel, huh? Now I know exactly what you mean! My poor anime! It's all gone! I've only just been able to get back on it! I have no idea what this update is gonna look like, so if it makes no sense just drop me a line and tell me, 'kay?
Hmm, not much angst in this chapter. Cute Mokuba though! Ooh, I'm looking forward to the pic! Whenever you have the time!
Thanks for reviewing, and I hope this chapter agrees wit' ye!
Phew! Now THAT was a lot of reviews! Thank you all! I hope this chapter isn't too messed up, as my computer is weird! Here we go!
Chapter 7.
"Jou! Jou, please! Please wake up!"
Jounouchi felt himself being slowly pulled out of his unconscious state by a familiar voice. He slowly opened his eyes onto more blackness, and began to panic. Then, his vision began to adjust to the dim light surrounding him. He turned his head slightly, sending jolts of pain up his neck.
"Ouch," he muttered. "What the hell is going on?"
He heard a gasp, then something launched itself at him, arms latching around his sore neck.
"Jou! Are you okay?"
Jou recognised the trembling voice immediately. "Mokuba? What's going on? Where are we?"
Mokuba snuggled into him further. "You don't remember anything? There were these guys in the alleyway, and they hit you over the head…'cause you were…you were t…trying to protect me!"
The smaller boy started to cry. Jou felt the memories flood back to him, and anger began to burn in his chest. He pulled Mokuba closer, and whispered to him.
"Don't worry, Mokie. No-one's gonna hurt you, not while I'm here, okay?"
To Jou's immense surprise, Mokuba thumped his chest. "I'm not worried about that! You got hurt…because of me…"
Jou shook him a little. "Don't you dare feel guilty!" He adopted a heroic pose. "That's me, always playing the hero, huh kiddo?"
Mokuba laughed a little, sniffling. "I wish you wouldn't."
The blonde shrugged. "Well, I'll always protect the people I love."
The boy in his arms looked up. "You love me, Jou?"
"Of course! You're practically my little brother!" (A/N – Awwww!)
Mokuba sniffed again, and buried his head in Jou's chest. "Thank you, Jou."
"Don't mention it."
After a while, Mokuba drifted off to sleep in Jou's arms. Jou carefully lifted a hand and felt the back of his head where some bastard had hit him. He winced as his fingers probed a particularly painful spot. He looked at his hand, and saw his fingers smeared with crimson. Biting his lip, he held Mokuba closer. He didn't want to worry the kid, so he wouldn't mention how scared he was. They were being held captive by someone who had a vendetta against the Kaiba brothers. They'd already tried to kill Seto. What were they gonna do to Mokuba?
Jou rested his aching head on Mokuba's soft hair. They weren't gonna do anything…not while he was around…
XxX
Seto walked to Yugi's house, suspicious of anything and anyone. His eyes darted from side to side, on the lookout for anything odd. He had just found out that his driver had been killed, and the new driver certainly hadn't been authorised by Kaiba Corp. So he had decided it was safer to walk, not that it was anyone's business. He was certain that no-one would try to attack him in the middle of a crowded street.
All the same, he felt a somewhat shameful stab of relief when the Kame Game Shop came into view…
He knocked sharply on the door, and glanced behind himself nervously. The door was opened by a very harassed-looking Sugoroku Mutou. The old man's face fell a little when he saw who it was.
"Ah, Seto. I was hoping…come in."
Seto frowned a little in confusion. The frown deepened when he heard the sound of crying coming from the living room. He went in to see Yugi and Shizuka sitting on the couch, the latter sobbing her heart out. Yugi looked up when he heard Seto come in, and the brunette noticed that he also had tears running down his face. His heart dropped, and he walked over to Jou's little sister, bending down in front of her.
"What is it, Shizuka, what's happened?"
The young girl couldn't speak, she just gripped Seto's shoulder, and sobbed. Seto was really beginning to get frightened now. Where were Mokuba and Jou?
He heard footsteps behind him, and turned around, Shizuka's hand falling off of his shoulder. Instead of Mokuba or Jou, he saw a sad-looking Anzu standing behind him. She began to speak, her voice trembling a little.
"Mokuba…he got upset, and he ran out of the house. Jou went after him. Now…now…they're missing…"
Seto felt his heart drop even further. "Oh God…"
The shaking girl continued. "Honda, Yami, Ryou and Bakura are looking for them now…we were waiting for you."
Seto nodded, visibly trembling from shock. "Let's go…we have to find them."
Anzu bit her lip. "Seto…"
"I have to find them…"
There's a madman out there…he wants to kill Mokuba and I…
"Seto?"
Jou's with him…he won't let anything happen…
"…Seto?"
But…what if it's more than one person? What if they have guns? They'll have guns…
Anzu knelt in front of the silent CEO, worriedly shaking him. "Seto? Can you hear me?"
Seto's eyes looked unfocused, and his skin was cold to the touch. Yugi called his grandfather, who felt the brunette boy's forehead.
"I think he's in shock. It's not surprising, really." Sugoroku snapped his fingers in front of Seto's eyes, and he seemed to wake from the trance he was in. He looked up at the concerned old man, and bit his lip.
"We have to find them…" he croaked. "It's too dangerous…"
Yugi nodded. "We'll go now. Shizuka, you and Grandpa stay here, okay?"
Shizuka nodded, more tears spilling from her large eyes. Sugoroku sat by the troubled girl and patted her shoulder comfortingly.
Seto spun on his heel, and strode out of the house, Yugi and Anzu flanking him. A strange sort of calm seemed to have settled over him, soothing his anxious state. He would find them. He was Seto Kaiba. There was nothing he couldn't do.
Nothing.
XxX
Jounouchi, meanwhile, was getting steadily more worried about the situation that he and Mokuba were facing. He glanced around the small room they were in, unable to see much. There were no windows, just a tiny vent in the wall behind him. A vent that was letting in copious amounts of freezing cold air.
Jou shivered and pulled the sleeping Mokuba in his lap closer to him. The boy mumbled a little in his sleep, then relaxed again. Jou smiled at his charge. Mokuba had probably worried over him for hours. No wonder he was exhausted now.
He reached up, and felt the slightly misshapen lump beneath his tangled blonde hair. He was starting to feel a little sick, and dizzy. That bastard had really clocked him…
He shivered again, wishing he had a jacket. It was so cold…
The sleeping boy curled against him shifted, then sat up, looking dazed.
"Jou?" he muttered, obviously confused. "What's going on? Where are we?"
Jou sighed. "Those creeps threw us in here, remember Mokie?"
Mokuba's face fell. "Oh yeah." He shivered, as Jou had done. "It's freezing in here!"
They were interrupted by the sound of a key in a lock. The large door across the room opened, and Jou saw the silhouette of a large, heavily built man with his hands in his pockets. There were at least two others behind him, big, muscular goons, no doubt.
The man began to speak, and Jou recognised that cold, nasal voice from the alley.
"Ah, Mokuba. And your bodyguard, Jounouchi."
Jounouchi growled. Just hearing that irritating, high-pitched voice say his name was enough to set his teeth on edge.
"What do you want with us?" he snarled.
The man stepped closer. "Well, we didn't want you at all, Jounouchi-san. But since you insist on protecting the brat, we had no choice."
Jou stood up, dumping Mokuba on the ground. He offered the startled boy an apologetic glance, then turned back to the large man. "If you touch one hair on his head, I'll kill you."
The man gave a strangled sort of giggle. "I wouldn't recommend it, Jounouchi-san. See them?" he gestured to the two huge men behind him. "They'll have you dead before you could lay a hand on me. Then who would be here to protect Mokuba?"
Jou clenched his fists, a tremor running through his tensed shoulders. The fat bastard had a point. If he were taken out, no one would be there for Mokuba…
Seto…where are you?
XxX
Mokie…Jou…where are you?
Seto raced through the night, Yugi and Anzu close behind him. His heart was racing, not from his frantic run, but from fear. As he ran, he was actually praying. Seto had never prayed before, considering it to be a waste of time, but now…
Seto Kaiba prayed.
Suddenly, a shout was heard cutting through the cold night air.
"GUYS!"
Seto stopped, as did Anzu and Yugi. The shorter boy bent double, panting hard. Seto searched the darkness in front of him, and saw Yami, Honda, Bakura, and Ryou walking towards them. He rushed forward, bombarding them with questions.
"What is it? Did you find them? Where are they?"
Yami stepped forward, a sombre look on his face. "I'm sorry. We didn't find them. But we found this…in an alley…"
He reached into one of his pockets, and pulled something out. Seto reached out for it, his heart thudding painfully. When he saw what it was, he bit his lip to hold in a wail of misery. He looked at the pitiful item, bloodied, and cracked…
Mokie's locket…
A/N: Ooh! Cliffie! Don't kill me too much!