Nina: Guess what?

Asa: What?

Nina: It's my turn to start this chapter! Listen up folks; we will now be updating this story once a week, every Friday. So you actually have something to look forward to for the weekend.

Asa: It'll work out for the both of us. What else Nina?

Nina: Well…I'm considering raising the rating. Especially since this chapter gets a little gruesome.

Asa: …savage.

Nina: Onward! (cackles)

In your Skin

In one corner of the dark room, Malik sat impatiently, rapidly tapping his foot against the wooden floor. The hard soles of his shoes making a constant clicking sound before getting faster, random growls can be heard under his breath as well. Anxiously, he stared at the clock on the wall with malevolence shining in his eyes. Every five minutes, he'd curse under his breath as more time passed by without any results. It wasn't long until his eyes wandered from the clock onto the bed where little Mokuba was resting from his previous abuse. Malik grew angry that Mokuba slept through such a crucial time of waiting. He in turn fed off that anger and decided to release his rage upon the young Kaiba.

"Get up." He said quietly, almost inaudibly. Mokuba didn't move, no, he didn't stir. Through his slumber, he couldn't hear Malik call him and that would prove hazardous on his part, almost fatal. "I said, GET UP!!" This time, Mokuba bolted awake. His stormy blue eyes, hazed and bloodshot from hours of being awake. It was late into the night and it was taking a toll on his tired body. Obediently, Mokuba sat up and rubbed his eyes with his free hand, the other was in a sling from being broken earlier. Malik approached the bed slowly, almost floating to him. There was no footsteps sounding, none at all. Not even the material of his robe made the occasional swishing noise. All was quiet and Mokuba became very troubled. Poor eyesight was clear, because the young boy failed to see Malik close to his face.

"Your brother has failed to bring me the cards after I instructed him, fair Mokuba…" he breathed. "Perhaps it means that he doesn't value your life."

"Or it means that maybe he's planning a way to stop you and your madness." Mokuba retorted. "He will rescue me!" Malik smirked and patted Mokuba's cheek roughly before handing him a glass with unknown liquid inside.

"That may be so. But if I remember well, you've been kidnapped before and he saved you in no time flat. Now, it seems that his delaying will be the death of you." Mokuba stared at the glass and looked away. "What's the matter? You don't want to drink? You are thirsty after all." The taller boy proceeded to brush his thumb over the young one's dry lips, an obvious sign that he was dehydrated. Still, Mokuba resisted, increasing Malik's frustration.

"Have it your way then!" Malik grabbed Mokuba's hair roughly and yanked his head back. The feat caused Mokuba to yelp in both surprise and anguish. He regretted his decision in resisting. For it meant that the abuse would continue from when it only finished thirty minutes ago. Upon opening his mouth to scream, Malik poured the liquid into his mouth, causing it to slip down Mokuba's throat, choking him.

"That's a good boy!" he yelled. "Better not spill a drop! NOT A DROP!" Mokuba held his throat and hunched over, coughing up the liquid and gasping for air. How could his life be in the mercy of this maniac? Malik snaked his fingers onto Mokuba's face and gripped tightly, pulling his pale face to his darkened one. He pressed his lips onto his cheek and smiled.

"You listen to me you little parasite. You dare defy me again and I'll do more than shove water down your throat." Malik moved his lips closer to Mokuba's ear and purred. With all the courage Mokuba had, he shoved Malik away and scurried across the bed to the headboard. Though pain coursed through his body, he managed to curl up into a tight ball and hoped that the world itself would go away.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

In time, Mokuba began to drift to sleep again and all seem to be at a standstill, until a noise alerted his senses. Thinking it was Malik getting ready to haunt him, he sat upright quickly and looked around the room frantically. No sign of him. The noise assaulted him again. Tock. Mokuba waited. Tock. Perceptibly, it was the clock. But he didn't remember it being as loud as it was. Tock. The second hand seemed to be right against his ear, echoing and beating against his sensitive eardrum. Tock. It was tolerable once, but as the seconds passed by, it was beginning to rip Mokuba's sanity apart! He quickly covered his ears and shut his eyes, but the sound remained, louder than ever. Not even his small palms could block the resonance! Tock…tock…tock…tock…tock, tock, tock, tock, tock!

"Make it stop! Stop the clock! Stop time! Someone do something!" Not even his wailing voice could overpower the ticking noise of the clock. If only he could figure out where the noise was coming from, he could trace it and find a way to destroy it. But the sound itself was bouncing off the walls and ricocheting back to him. All this, and it was giving him a headache worse than when Malik himself would pummel him with his own fists. Just when he feared the worse, the sound stopped and all was subtle. Mokuba waited but nothing happened. Maybe all of that was a nightmare he had just woken out of. Or maybe not, for his nose began to burn drastically with a stench he had ever smelled before.

"Augh!" He covered his noise and closed his eyes allowing them to water. The tears verified to be against him. Running down his cut face proved painful. The salt of his own discharge burying itself in the meat of his wounds becoming almost unbearable. "Where is this all coming from??" In hopes to ease the pain, Mokuba scratched his face, ripping healing wounds and creating new ones. Fresh blood poured down his face and seeped into his opened mouth. What Mokuba began to taste then was something absolutely foul. Just as disgusting as the smell itself and even more crass as the pain he was feeling. In frustration, poor Mokuba began to throw himself off the bed, onto the floor, emitting a sound from his throat that was ear shattering.

His own skin began to betray him, feeling as if a hundred insects were crawling in his skin. Hurting, biting, abusing, all Mokuba was growing tired off and thoughts of ending it all was racing through his mind. As if by wishful thinking, the door opened and Malik comes into view. He knelt down beside Mokuba and placed a dry hand on the young boy's damp forehead.

"Fair Mokuba. It seems that you are going through issues right now. I'm afraid that sedative had some terrible effects on you." He lowers his head so that it's close to Mokuba's panicked face and sniffs. "Dear, you reek of sweat the odor is quite offensive—"

"What did you do to me…" Mokuba breathed. Malik smiled deviously.

"Nothing at all. It's what your own body is doing to you, fair Mokuba." Soothingly for once, grabbing Mokuba's arm to stand him to his feet. "You need a shower so I can present you to your brother properly." Like the calm after a storm, Mokuba's eyes slightly lit up in happiness.

"Is my brother returning?"

Malik ignored the last remark and pulled Mokuba alongside him. The young Kaiba's strength seemed to immediately leave him, he couldn't even hold himself up and his legs gave way. Once again, this fueled Malik's dissatisfaction but that would be set soon. Instead, he simply dragged the small boy into a nearby bathroom. The room was surprisingly big for just holding a shower. It was all white tiles, stainless to perfection! The shower itself looked to be made of glass and the design itself was simply stunning. Malik stood Mokuba up and bent down so that they were eye to eye. Amethyst against stormy blue.

"Take off your clothes." Malik commanded. Mokuba stared at the older boy in disbelief and shook his head recklessly. It took a lot of will for Malik to stay calm. Being peaceful of course was not his forte. He drew in a deep sigh and exhaled slowly. Mokuba's punishment was coming soon and he'd have to be patient. "Fair Mokuba, I will not allow a rat bastard like you to snuff the halls of my house with some extraordinary scent that's reeking from your body for the sake of your brother. No, Mokuba, I will not have it! So take them off! NOW!"

Shakily, Mokuba nodded. Sadly, Malik had a point. If he wanted to see his brother again, he'd have to obey and bathe. He wouldn't want to offend his brother. Hesitantly, Mokuba removed the articles of clothing he had piece by piece. Wincing whenever each piece would tear at a healing wound. Soon, he was plenty bare, and bashfully tried to cover himself with his hands. Malik looked him up and down and made a tsking noise.

"Are you embarrassed by your own body? Because of the way it looks?" he asked. Mokuba nodded again and Malik simply chuckled at his reply. "Mokuba, Mokuba. Only view these markings as a tribute to your endurance and your blood as the stains of accomplishment. You're dealings with turbulence should be commended." Mokuba blinked in confusion. Did what Malik just say actually make sense?

"Come now. You shower." The taller boy pointed to the opened door leading into the glass shower. Slowly, Mokuba stepped in and closed the door behind him. Unlike the spacious room outside, the shower was horribly cramped. Peering into the outside, Mokuba watched as Malik sat on a stool near the door, grinning as happily as he could be. Was he actually going to watch him shower? All at once, Mokuba began to feel doom and his feelings were usually correct.

As it was, the water turned on and scorching hot water began to make contact with Mokuba's skin. Mokuba backed up against the glass wall trying to avoid it, but he had nowhere to go. He was ensnared! The water itself proved pitiless, as it's angry manner began to beat against Mokuba's sensitive skin. Mokuba wailed loudly, pounding on the glass door, demanding to be released.

"Malik please! Get me out of here! IT BURNS! GODS IT BURNS!!!"

Malik leaned back against the wall and continued smiling. Enjoying the sight of fresh blood being smeared across the glass whenever Mokuba grazed against it. The agonizing cries were harmony to his ears, and the streaming river of crimson traveling down the drain was a pleasant spectacle to see. Inside, Mokuba struggled to climb up the glass walls to reach the top, but he failed each and every time. Looking at his own hands, he was horrified to see his own skin being ripped off of him. The heat and the pressure were completely smoldering his outer organ, and he observed as portions of it were dropping off of him and going down the drain. Some parts of his body, he couldn't feel the pain anymore and in others, the pain was just too severe. Mokuba only had one more option.

With all his strength, he rammed against the glass wall and shattered it, collapsing onto the floor with fresh shards of glass in the process. He laid there in sheer exhaustion, panting to soothe the pain. He listened as the water began to cease and a clapping sound was heard above him. Malik stood over him and gave him a brief applause.

"Bravo, fair Mokuba. You are smarter than I took you for. Many would have just waited to be burned to death, but you…you took action!" It was near impossible to look at Malik, only though his thick bangs, could the heat of his eyes stare at the taller boy in concentrated hatred. Though it lasted for such a short while, the young Kaiba fell into a deep thoughtless state. All the shock finally reached and embedded in his mind. Seto wasn't coming for him and if he was, it was far too late. If he had to die, then Mokuba was willing to accept it now. It was better to take the hand of fate, then to deal with this nonsense any longer. Malik's fingers traced over Mokuba's back and pulled off a good amount of skin.

"Oh my. You're shedding like a crocodile. Though I fear this will do more harm than good. You'll be eternally scarred." He proceeded to lift the small boy into his arms and exit the bathroom into yet another bedroom on a higher level. "Do you see what your brother is putting you through? All because he won't submit some pitiful cards." Again, Malik made a tsking noise. "He doesn't deserve to be a brother. He's sentencing his sibling to death." The elder boy gingerly placed Mokuba on the bed and exited the room, but not before leaving an eerie, "Rest be the rose that was named, Mokuba. I have successfully gotten into your skin…"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Seto blinked awake, realizing that he had unwillingly fallen asleep after viewing the DVD that was sent. Starring through blurred eyes, bits and pieces of the message began to replay in his mind's eye. It was close to midnight by the sounding of the clock and Seto had to hurry and think of someone who could help him. But who would help him at this time of night. No…it didn't matter, his brother had to be rescued immediately. And it could only take a mind as smart as his to get through Malik's ways.

Without delay, Seto ran down the stairs to the lower level and rushed out the door. He decided to run, feeling the sense of urgency; he darted all the way to the only place that was worth running to….

…The turtle game shop…

TBC

Nina: Man it's done.

Asa: I can't believe you did that to Mokuba, you freak!

Nina: Believe it, baby.

Asa: …you continue to sound like Kuwabara everyday…

Nina: You mean, cool sounding?

Asa: I mean, stupid sounding.

Nina: And you never fail to sound like your sicko Hiei! (thwaps Asa)

Asa: Ouchies! ;; Please review this sick chapter and help us figure if we need to raise the rating or not.

Nina: Later! ^_^