Writing 'Jounouchi' instead of 'Jou' constantly is driving me insane. This chapter originally occurred so I could explain Jou's behaviour. I had to write an entire POV thing to figure it out. But it ended up...like this.

Phase Seven

'Jounouchi?'

The blonde stared blankly at the piece of paper as the Shadow Tendrils flitted across it, writing essays and doing math problems.

'Manako?' he replied inside his head.

'Tell me what is happening. Why have you changed so suddenly?'

There was silence, punctuated only by the scratching of the pen. Finally, he spoke. 'It's this new feeling. This feeling of being unstoppable, and knowing that everyone else knows it too.'

'But Anzu was right when she said you are speaking differently. Something has happened to you.'

Jounouchi smiled outwardly, but said nothing. Instead, he spoke to Manako again. 'Ok, so I sound like…like Malik or something, when he was all crazy, but it just feels good. You speak like this. Maybe it's just the Sennen Magic.' There was a slight pause. 'But I think me speaking like that creeps everyone out more than me speaking like I did way back when.'

'I don't understand.'

Jounouchi's eyes flickered to Honda and Yuugi.

'Honda said something about when I was in a gang. And no one knows it, except maybe Honda, but I killed someone when I was in that gang. Didn't stop me from hanging round with them, it was just the way things were. But if I'm like this, like Marik, or Bakura…' a small sigh escaped Jounouchi's lips. 'If something bad ever happens, I revert to some kind of safe mode, like an attitude that distances me from everyone. Which is fine, unless I get completely into it and turn into a complete bastard. Killing that guy was one thing. Not that it put me off being in that gang. I don't know. Something happened, and I ended up hanging out with Yuugi, but I can revert to Gang Jou in an instant.'

Manako was silent.

The pair's thoughts were interrupted by the bell signalling the end of school. Jounouchi stood up and made for the door, keeping his 'don't-mess-with-me' posture. He passed Honda, and a flash put him in the midst of their conversation, even as he walked away.

"He's so weird today," Anzu murmured.

"I suppose you would be too, if you had the Sennen Eye," Yuugi said.

Jounouchi watched as Honda glared at his retreating back. Returning to himself, he turned so they could see only the Sennen Eye and part of his smirk.

"Hey, freak."

Jounouchi froze and turned slowly to face the speaker. A dark haired guy backed by four guys who looked like gorillas stood against a wall, smirking.

A cold, calculated smile spread across Jounouchi's face. "I'm sorry. Could you say that again?"

"Freak," the brunette growled. "That crappy fake eye makes you look like a freak."

The blonde suppressed the Shadow Tendrils that he could feel steadily building.

"Do you think that I have this Eye by choice?" Jounouchi asked, his remaining eye narrowing.

"You've got to be pretty stupid to do it by accident."

Jounouchi stared at him. "I would love to see you deal with this Eye," he said finally.

The brunette moved towards him, but suddenly doubled over as one of the Shadow Tendrils hit him in the stomach. As he collapsed to the ground, Jounouchi looked at him. "However, it's power is mine."

The four other guys came towards him. Jounouchi barely moved an inch as the Shadow Tendrils wrapped around them. He looked down at the leader of the group, who stared in horror at the rippling shadows holding his friends.

Another Tendril hit the brunette in the small of his back and encircled his body. Suddenly, Jounouchi spotted someone out of the corner of his eye.

Honda stared in terror at his best friend, the golden Eye glowing slightly, the tendrils of shadow magic surrounding him. He turned and fled.

"Honda!" Jounouchi yelled, a tendril flying out after him. Jounouchi stopped it with a wave. He glared at the five prisoners, then opened a portal to the Shadow realm and tossed them in. "I'll deal with you later," he hissed, before running after Honda.

Honda ran out of the school gates and along the road. He saw Jounouchi following him and darted across the road. The blonde followed, shouting his friend's name. Tendrils shot after the brunette, but didn't reach.

Suddenly, Jounouchi felt as though he was being pulled backwards, and his vision blurred. It refocused through the eyes of another. Honda ran across the road, narrowly avoiding being hit by cars. He turned to look for Jounouchi, but the force of a passing car made him stumble.

A chill went down both Jounouchi's and the watcher's spine as Honda walked through the dividing cones set out on the road and into the wet tar. Jounouchi's breath caught as a truck backed over Honda with more bitumen.