Blood Only Glows in the Dark Chapter 11: 11, a yu-gi-oh fanfic

(NOTE 3/8/06: Chapters have been restored to their original order! Assuming nothing ELSE goes wrong, here ya go!)

Sorry for the wait, ya'll. Now, enjoy the fic! Or Else!

Disclaimer: Yugioh not owned by me (Da writer)

Claimer: Made-up stuff owned by me (Da writer)

"Okay, lets see what we're up against. Those guys have Dammug Beasts, gargoyles, Anzu, that guy she was with…and probably a bunch more creepy stuff like that."

Honda lowered the piece of paper he had been reading from and shrugged, wincing instantly afterwards.

"On our side," he continued after another minute, "We have me, Yugi, Jou, Yami…guys, I think we're in trouble."

"Ya had ta make a list ta figure dat out?" Jou snorted, "Four kids against a buncha monsters? Man, dese odds suck!"

"If that gargoyle was working for that creepy guy," Yugi wondered, "Why did it only attack us once? Not that I'm complaining or anything…"

"I sort of got the impression that it wasn't actually looking for us," Honda said, "More like it just wanted to scare us."

"Actually," Yami said, "What it really wanted to do was eat you."

"EAT ME!"

"But it took off after just da one bite - I guess you don't taste too good den," Jou laughed.

"And I still think you should have that wound looked over by a doctor," Yugi sighed, while Honda attempted to punch Jou with his good arm and missed.

"Except that if we go outside, we'll be attacked by those Dammug Beast-thingys," Jou mentioned.

"Great," Honda said, "Next time I need a pep talk, Jou, I know exactly who to not ask."

There was another minute of silence as the humans tried to figure out what they should do next. Yami, on the other hand, had already admitted to himself that he didn't have a clue what move this group could possibly make that would avoid capture and painful death, and was therefore just sitting there with his eyes shut, enjoying the sudden onset of peace and quiet.

Surprisingly, it was Yugi that spoke up next.

"…You guys don't actually have to worry about the Dammug Beasts," Yugi said, causing the other three to blink sharply.

"They're not after anyone here but me," continued the boy, "So if I go off somewhere without you guys then you'll be safe."

"Yug', don't even think about what I think yer thinkin' about," Jou growled, "I ain't about ta let ya go off and have who-knows what happen ta ya all by yourself!"

"We're friends," Honda agreed, "Friends don't abandon each other, no matter what."

"I know, but those - those THINGS are after me," Yugi protested, "I'm just putting you guys in danger by staying with you!"

"Just stop talking about it, we're not going to let you go off on your own and that's that," Honda said.

Then he turned to Yami, who hadn't entered this phase of the conversation yet, and added, "You know it's a stupid idea, right? Help us talk Yugi out of it."

Yami closed his eyes again as he responded in a very calm and reasonable tone of voice.

"As a matter of fact, Yugi's plan has a great deal of merit."

"WHAT!" Jou screeched, "Why you uncaring selfish BASTARD! What da HELL is WRONG with you!"

"There's no need to yell when I'm four feet away," Yami snapped, now glaring in the blonde's direction.

"Oh no? Den tell us why you think it's such a WONDERFUL idea ta send Yug' to some kind of horrible untimely death!"

"FIRST of all," Yami growled, "He would not be going to his death. Our enemies are attempting to capture him, not to slay him. And secondly of all, there are enough of us here that one person can stay with Yugi and the other can take him -" Yami nodded at Honda - "To see a physician."

"Do I really need to see a doctor?" asked Honda (Who was secretly but also only extremely slightly afraid of needles and other pointy appliances used by doctors in hospitals).

"Has your wound started tingling?" Yami countered.

"Um…well, only a little bit…it feels kinda like when your arm starts to go to sleep…" said the now very-worried-looking brunette.

"Then you need to go to the hospital," Yami replied, "I think you can be spared the details of why…they're slightly unpleasant."

"And you didn't feel a need ta tell us something was gonna happen before now?" Jou grumbled sarcastically as Honda ran for the door.

"He had a fifty percent chance of not having the side-effect," Yami said, "There wasn't a need to worry him if it wasn't going to happen. And its easy enough to treat - really, you ought to be thanking me."

"Thanking you! For what!" demanded the blond.

"Otherwise you would have only known about the side-effect when his arm dies and falls off," Yami replied, enjoying the look he got for that.

Once they got outside, a new issue presented itself. Yugi was against going with Honda to the hospital simply because he didn't dare risk his injured friend if they were attacked. Jou was torn between helping Honda, who was an old friend of his especially, and protecting Yugi. It wasn't helpful that Jou still wasn't fully trusting of Yami now that he had a better idea what Yami exactly was.

Yami solved the problem by pointing out that he had no idea where the hospital was. Granted, it wouldn't have taken Yami too long to figure it out, but he had his own job to consider - Jou wouldn't be very good protection from Dammug Beasts and other dark monsters.

"Yer gonna take da alleys cross town ta Yug's house?" Jou inquired as they prepared to split up.

"The Dammugs will be all over all the main roads by this time," Yami countered, "The alleyways will be a short-cut, and Dammug Beasts avoid confined areas."

"Is that why we were safe indoors?" Yugi asked him when Honda and Jou had disappeared from sight.

"That's right," Yami said, trying to avoid being distracted by the boy's proximity too much as they headed into the nearest alley opening.

But was it merely his imagination, though, or was he sensing something else watching them? That was just foolish paranoia, wasn't it?