Chapter 2

Loud voices were what dragged him to consciousness. That, and what felt like a sledgehammer trying to enter his head through his skull. Suffice to say, it hurt. He tried not to groan, knowing that if his kidnappers were willing to knock him out in order to capture him, he really didn't want to draw attention to himself. He kept his breathing even, looking for intents and purposes to still be unconscious. When he was finally able to focus through the pain, he took note of the conversation going on overhead, trying to glean some information about his capture.

"What the fuck is this? I asked for you capture MO-KU-BA Kaiba. This looks nothing like him!" He recognised that voice. It sounded so familiar. Now if his head would stop pounding for a second and let him think then he might be able to place it.

"Look right, you said he would be going out today, so I waited by the door and nabbed the first person that came out since I spied his brother in his office. I didn't notice that he wasn't the kid. He sure as hell is short like one." Even in dire circumstances like this, there was still time to make fun of his short stature.

"I'm sure you know what the shrimp looks like, everyone and their uncle know who he is. So why in the hell didn't you notice that he had multicoloured hair!"

"Look, they're the only two people that live in that house; if one brother's in the office then the other had to be the one walking through the door. It's not my fault!" Oi, his head couldn't take anymore of this torture. If they would just reveal where he was and tell him who had captured him then he'd be on his merry little way. But no, instead they decided that theywanted to have a who-can-shout-the-loudest match.

"Only amateurs make that sort of mistake; you're supposed to be the best on the business. Go on, get out; I'll do this myself since you're all so incompetent."

"What? I ain't leavin' till I get paid."

"You don't deserve to be paid. Now, get out."

"Hah, I ain't taking orders from a kid. Now just give me my money." There was a pause, and then Yami heard a click.

"You'd better leave here while you can still walk out of this place, before I end up making you leave in a body bag."

There was an audible gulp before he heard hurried footsteps and the door slamming loudly. His arms shuddered violently as they reflexively tried to rise to cradle his aching head that began to throb as the slam resonated in his ears, but he stopped them almost immediately.

Silence descended, so oppressing, so tense, that Yami was even afraid to breathe lest he disturbed it.

"You can stop pretending Pharaoh, I know you're awake and have been for the past five minutes." Now it was Yami's turn to gulp; only three people called him Pharaoh: one was a woman and this voice was definitely masculine so it eliminated her from the list; the other was a psycho living in Egypt so he wasn't a possibility; therefore that left the other psycho who lived in Domino, as his captor.

He opened his eyes and sat up slowly on the bed, trying not to jar his head. "Tomb Robber! What the hell have you done now? Where the fuck am I?" he demanded, then winced when his raised voice caused his head to throb harder.

The thief shook his head, "You might as well go back to sleep Pharaoh, I don't have to explain anything to you." Yami tensed, ready to fight to get his information, but as he moved his head, it sent a huge wave of pain crashing over his senses, sending him into severe dizziness. Seeing as he was in no state to fight Bakura, he settled for glaring instead.

"Fine, but only because I can't think straight with this pounding in my head." He settled back comfortably on the bed and closed his eyes. "But when I wake up, I want some answers." A snort was his only reply.

xXx

Yami bolted upright in the bed, glancing blearily around the room. Not remembering the day's earlier events, he panicked when he felt the unfamiliar bed under his bodyand saw the unfamiliar darkness that shrouded the room. He closed his eyes and extended his senses, and he remembered with a shock what happened when his power brushed over the Thief's energy. He flopped back onto the bed with a groan.

"Why me? My day went from bad to worse."

He gasped, "And I haven't contacted Yugi. He'll be so worried. Oh I'm such an idiot."

"You finally woken up to the truth, huh Pharaoh?" A snide voice cut it.

"Oh shove it up your asshole, Tomb Robber."

"Sorry, no one shoves anything up my ass. I'm always seme." The Pharaoh glared at Bakura, even as a blush stole across the bridge of his nose at the innuendo-laden phrase.

"Just shut up. I'm trying to contact my hikari." His eyes closed in concentration.

Yugi? Yugi? Yug–

Thank god! I was so worried when you never returned home, so I contacted Kaiba but he said that you'd left and that he didn't care where you'dgone so I'm guessing that Kaiba didn't take it well–

Yugi.

–and it's so dark outside I didn't know where you were – and I still don't know where you are – and I couldn't contact you–

Yugi!

–and I was so scared because no one knew where you wereand I knew that you'd be upset–

Yugi!

Huh? Yami sighed as he finally got his aibou's attention and rubbed at his temples to relieve the stress that Yugi's bombardment of questions had caused.

Calm down aibou, I'm fine. Apart from a slight headache, I'm alright.

Then where are you? Why haven't you come home yet? How–

Aibou, he interrupted before Yugi could get going into his full rambling mode. I'm with Bakura. I don't know why I'm here, but he hasn't hurt me at all. Well that wasn't a lie; it was the other guy that had hit him on the head. I'll be home later tonight or at the latest tomorrow morning. He could feel Yugi's relief through the link and he smiled, even as he stopped conversing with him and turned his awareness back to reality.

He glared at Bakura.

"Alright, listen here Thief. I want to know where I am and why you are trying to kidnap Mokuba."

Bakura laughed, "Isn't it obvious Pharaoh? Take the kid and charge rich boy for ransom. Easy money." He grinned at Yami's look of disgust. "As for where you are…it's none of your fucking business." Yami growled again at Bakura's response, before clenching his fists to stop them lashing out at the paled-haired spirit. He took a deep breath.

"Fine, just take me home, or to somewhere where I can get back to Yugi from."

The smile dropped from the Tomb Robber's lips and his face closed off, piquing curiosity in Yami. "No way in hell, Pharaoh." Immediately the curiosity was replaced by the familiar anger that always seemed to overcome him when in Bakura's presence.

"Well why the fuck not!" There was an almost imperceptible pause before Bakura snarled out an answer.

"Because I don't feel like making the trek and a half across the city just to drop your sorry ass home, then making the trek and a half back. Now drop it." Normally Yami would've just chalked it up to Bakura's usual rudeness coupled with his vulgarity. But that imperceptible pause, that unnoticeable hesitation made him feel different. As he watched Bakura move toward the bed, sliding his t-shirt over his head and dropping the garment to the floor, Yami felt that something wasn't quite right.

No, he was sure of it.

Bakura had lied to him.

But why?

xXx

I was pushing to get this chapter and chapter two of my other story that is untitled as of yet, out at the same time. I didn't get them finished last week because I was otherwise preoccupied with exams everyday. So, sorry for the delay.