Yeah, I just got caught staying up late again. I'll respond to Chapter 2 reviews and Chapter 3 reviews next chapter, I promise!

"Darkness Absolute"

By: Von Stupor

Chapter 3

The next day, at lunch, Yugi was taken off guard to see Serenity with Joey.

"Yeah, I brought her in here so she can take a look at my school day and such," explained the blonde. "She's only here for a few weeks, gotta make da most of every moment, right, sis?"

She nodded modestly.

Just then, Tristan approached, unknowingly followed by Tea and Dolimus.

"Hey guys, howyadoin?" asked Tristan hypothetically, and hooking his bag to his chair prior to getting in the line.

He turned around, and barely missed running into Dolimus en route to the line.

"Hey, Dolimus!" greeted Yugi.

"Hello again, Yugi." He greeted in response, and noticed Serenity. "Uh… how long was she supposed to stay with Joey?"

"Oh, she'll only be here for five or six weeks, she's just visiting Joey at school."

"They don't see each other enough… at home?"

"Well, she lives pretty far away, and doesn't visit often, so they try to make the most of every moment they have together."

"Ah… I see. …She's a nice girl."

"Yeah, she's very friendly! Why do you say that?"

"Just a casual observation, my friend. She seemed a bit timid when she came to your house yesterday."

"Oh, yeah… she's a bit shy, but she should warm up to you after awhile. Just talk to her a little bit; I think you'll get along just fine."

Dolimus simply nodded in response.

"Aren't you going to get something to eat, Dolimus?" Tea joined in.

"Hm? Oh, no, I'm fine."

"Well, I remembered you said you didn't like cafeteria food, so I made an extra sandwich for you."

"Uh, yeah!" Joey piped in. "And I, uh… was gonna give you my Jell-O here, just as soon as I clean off dis plastic spoon."

"Really guys, I'm fine…" Dolimus resisted.

"Ignore Joey's Jell-O and have this sandwich, come on," Tea said, her tone a bit serious.

Dolimus gave everyone confused glances and reluctantly took the sandwich. He unwrapped it and stared at it, hard.

"It's peanut butter and jelly, there isn't a person alive that isn't allergic to peanuts that doesn't like this kind of sandwich," she boasted.

Dolimus mentally stared at the sandwich and slowly took a bite of it.

"Don't tell me dey don't have those sandwiches where you came from," commented Joey.

"I really wouldn't know, I didn't live close to other people," Dolimus said, struggling with chewing his mouthful of sandwich.

"You okay, man? You don't look so hot."

"I'll manage," he said, and choked down another bite of sandwich.

Serenity watched him, an odd look on her face.

"Does it taste… okay?" asked Tea. "They came from fresh containers…"

"No really, the sandwich is fine… I, uh… I have a… small… esophagus."

"Wha?" blurted Yugi and Joey in unison.

"It's… embarrassing, so I don't normally eat in front of people."

Dolimus had by now finished the sandwich, and looked a bit dizzy. He glanced over at Serenity, who quickly looked in another direction.

"Well then, I believe I shall leave you all to your… lunches for now, I know the bell will ring soon. I'm going to go… freshen up a little bit. Splash some water on my face, wash my hands and such," he announced. "Nice talking with you all again."

"Yeah hey, I'll see ya next class!" Joey called as he walked away, but he paid no heed.

Dolimus quickly strode toward the exit. As he exited the door, Yugi could see him break into a sprint through the door's window.

You know Yami, he really doesn't seem like a bad guy, Yugi thought to Yami.

Yes, perhaps you're right. I just can't help but have this feeling that…he's not everything he seems to be, I just can't put my finger on it, Yami responded.

In physics class, Dolimus came in tardy.

"Dolimus, I hope you are aware that you're late for class," the tech ed teacher informed him.

"I understand, sir, I'm sorry. I must have lost track of time while in the restroom," responded Dolimus.

"What were you doing in there that you lost track of time for five minutes?" spouted a random classmate from across the classroom. His buddy snickered with the rest of the class.

"Hey, you'd betta watch out who you're messin' wit!" shouted Joey from the middle of the room.

"Did you know sir," Dolimus informed the teacher. "that it is people quite like that boy over there that are so insecure about themselves that they are also the most likely candidates to perform a gender changing operation before they reach age twenty-five?"

The teacher rubbed his temple as the boy shouted from behind him, "What did you just say about me?"

"Oh, don't worry," Dolimus said to the boy. "It's not always people like you. All the others who don't will usually kill themselves off to alleviate their own sexual frustration around age thirty or so, but not without taking a couple helpless female victims with them."

"Hey!" shouted the boy, getting up as the class erupted into fits of laughter.

The teacher approached him and his friend adjacent to him pulled him back down. The teacher warned him to stay put. He then returned to Dolimus.

"I understand your will to defend yourself, but I will take care of the antagonism in here, is that understood?" he asked him calmly.

"Yes, I understand, sir. Thank you for understanding and I apologize," stated Dolimus, still calm, and took his seat.

His seat was typically next to Joey, but Serenity had filled his spot, so he sat adjacent to her, where a student was absent for the day.

"Hi," she greeted him quickly with a soft smile.

"Hello," he said back, smiling. "From what I hear, you're Joey's sister?"

"Yes, I come and visit every so often. Joey tells me you moved here from Romania?"

"Yes, I certainly do."

"What's it like, in Romania?"

"Well… I really can't say. I never spent too much time around town. I might stop by to get a quick bite to eat for dinner, but nothing more than that."

"Wow… so you lived out in the farmlands…"

"I guess you could say that…"

"What brought you out here to Japan?"

"Heh… I suppose you could say a rotten atmosphere, my father's occupation, and things of the sort."

"What does your father do?"

Just then, they were interrupted by the tech ed teacher.

"Excuse me, am I interrupting your conversation?" he asked, irked.

"I'm sorry, sir," he apologized. "It was my fault; I was trying to talk to her."

"I've seen the bee swarms you carry around with you in the halls; I'd suggest you pay more attention to your schooling than the female populous."

The class chuckled at him.

"With all due respect sir, it seems they pay more attention to me than I do them…"

"Either way, please let me teach the class. That includes you."

"Yes, sir."

Serenity looked at Dolimus and he silently mouthed, "Oops!"

She responded with a soft giggle and turned back to listen to the teacher.

Dolimus casually looked over to Joey, who was watching him with a cocked eyebrow. He stared at Joey for a moment, confused, and turned to listen to the teacher.

Dolimus walked down the hall a bit with Joey and Serenity once class had ended and was invariably shoved to the side by the boy he had met earlier in the classroom.

He looked at the boy coolly and brushed off his arm.

"It appears that you disagree with my earlier comment in the classroom?" he asked arrogantly.

"Yeah, you could say that. Allow me to give you my side of the argument by rearranging your handsome face, pretty boy!" he threatened.

"Oooh, you know I get a lot," Dolimus said to Joey as a crowd gathered around the group of five..

"Here, stick around here and let me deal wit this punk!" Joey said, stepping in front of Dolimus.

"No, I think I'll accept his offer."

"You'll what?"

"He's not going to fight you. He is like a small screaming toddler, he knows what he wants and nothing wants nothing else."

"You know how to fight? I mean ya look kinda built, but yer just a bit muscular for yer size. Believe me, I can tell, I been in plenty o' fights before."

"Joey, watch this."

Dolimus then stepped in front of the boy and crossed his arms.

"I'm ready to help you taste the floor whenever you are," he said, cockily.

"Ha!" grunted the boy, faking a straight shot to Dolimus. Dolimus remained still. The boy danced around a little bit and threw a left hook. Dolimus ducked under it and while catching the boy's arm, used his momentum to throw him far in front of him. The boy stumbled for balance as Dolimus turned to the crowd and coolly said, "Olé." They laughed at the boy.

The boy charged at Dolimus, and flipped clear over the boy, using his hunched back as a platform. This sent the boy into a belly slide, crashing into the legs of his friend, making him wobble a little bit.

"Olé!" roared the crowd.

"Come now, you can do better than that."

The boy angrily got up and ran at Dolimus, his hands extended.

"You street punks are all the same," Dolimus yawned, and used his arms to bat the boy's to either side and grabbed him by his neck.

He swung the boy around with massive force and threw him back first into a row of lockers lining the wall. He slipped to the ground, dazed while the entire hall stared at Dolimus in total shock.

"Are you finished now? I'm due for physical education, and being the growing young man I am, I really need my exercise," he said to the boy.

The boy ignored Dolimus completely, and walked away, holding his head, not even looking at him.

"Right, then. On to class?" he asked Joey.

"Uh… on ta… class, I guess. Pretty good fightin skills ya got dere. Dare I say almost as good as mine? Heh!"

"You never know, I suppose." Responded Dolimus, raising his eyebrow, smiling.