Okay, newest chapter. I wasn't as happy about this one as the previous one, but it's okay. It really gives way for the rest of the story to work out, plus I was tired of everyone being absolutely clueless.
Thanks for reading, review or not it doesn't matter, but thanks for stopping by anyway.
Growing Pain- Well you'll find out what happened with the guy. I really did want to make her character go as evil as I know she could. Mai is very extreme in everything she does, or at least that's my opinion. I thought that there were things she needed to say. . . so the bartender was a great way to get out what she needed to say. . . but it's a good sign . . . Anyway her love life. . . don't lose hope! Because as bad as it seems now . . . it's going to become a little bit worse before it gets better! I love your long review! It's always good when somebody can read something I wrote and they're interested about it!
Miss Doma yuset- Why thank you. You will find out what the timer is for soon! Yes Mai was backstabbing wasn't she? So was she evil but in character? I hoped so. She's drinking so much to get over the guilt and plus I always kind of imagined her having a glass of wine here or there. . . plus it was a good way to get some issues off of her chest, so to speak. You'll have to wait and see what Kaiba will do! And no, you are not making an idiot out of yourself, I love when people ask me questions but I can't give it all away!
Disclaimer: I don't own YGO or anyone the song lyrics I have posted throughout this story. I just thought I should add that.
"This place is so empty
My thoughts are so tempting
I don't know how it got so bad
Sometimes it's so crazy
That nothing can save me
But it's the only thing that I have
I tried to be perfect
It just wasn't worth it
Nothing could ever be so wrong
It's hard to believe me
It never gets easy
I guess I knew that all along" Pieces - Sum 41
Air rushed around his head and all the colors swirled into a single blur. The sound in his head was becoming a loud beeping noise and the voices of the others around him were becoming less and less audible.
He had found himself, like most others, in Yugi's living room at midnight surrounded by two members out of the group.
He was ready to speak, to tell them all he knew . . . but nothing would come out. It was if he was out of words. At this moment he just wanted to pass out.
"Duke, you okay buddy?" Joey asked from the couch. Unfortunately Duke was becoming lightheaded and couldn't really concentrate on his own thoughts let alone the questions of others. What Duke had just found out was . . . well it was crazy and something he thought he'd never have to address again.
"Uh . . . are you sure your fine?" piped in Yugi's voice. Duke was still unresponsive.
"Guys . . . I have to tell you something." Duke started, his voice was shaky and the friendly feeling that once filled the room was destroyed.
Suddenly Joey shushed him as the news became louder on the television.
"What's happening Joey?" Yugi asked. Joey shrugged.
The man on the television was talking about another man who was beat up in an alley. His name was Max . . . Joey and Yugi had been following the story throughout most of the day. After all Max was a KaibaCorp employee.
"He lived!" Joey explained . . . "But wait, he went into a state of shock . . . like a coma. He's not even trying to live. That's really weird Yug." he quickly added.
Yugi shook his head in agreement, "I guess that the incident was too much for him." he said darkly.
Duke watched them and took a deep breath. He had to tell them what he knew . . . and he couldn't back out. Opening his mouth, he was ready to talk.
Tossing and turning she finally threw the blankets on the floor in outright anger. Sweat was pouring down her face and her breathing became more radical.
Her hair was limp and hanging around her face and yet she had goose bumps up and down her arms.
It was rare that she was at her apartment, but she thought a good night sleep would do her good.
She didn't count on countless visions to haunt her through the night. Like others, her face had been glued to the television, following the story of Max.
Her words kept running through her head in an unstoppable manner and she couldn't stop listening to them.
She wanted to cry . . . to break down and finally let the facade of her life fall . . . but she couldn't. She had to be strong.
If she did fall, Valon would be right . . . and she couldn't have that now.
In fact she knew as soon as the vodka wore off the guilt would begin. She had been in that mess before.
"I stole their souls . . . why is this any different?" she whispered to herself as she threw her pillow across the couch and turned on the television.
"There isn't one . . . no not really." Mai argued with herself. Max, he was in a coma. It was just another word for soulless state . . . at least that's what it seemed like to her. He didn't want to live.
She could relate.
Mai wanted to call Valon. She wanted to talk to him for endless hours about how she messed up and how she wanted to make it better. She wanted to tell him how much better she was . . . but that dream was dead.
At the beginning, when she met up with Valon again . . . they never planned things to go this far. Then again who does really? Doesn't the world constantly spin out of control anyway?
No one person can possible predict the future.
"Except for that Ishizu chick." Mai added bitterly to her one-sided argument.
It seemed like each second took an hour to pass. The hand on the clock seemed frozen and it infuriated her more. She took the clock and threw it across the room so that it broke into hundreds of tiny glass pieces on the floor.
She took a deep breath and changed into some jeans and a black turtleneck. Not that it mattered, but she felt that maybe if she wore darker clothing that maybe she could blend it with everyone else. It would be like pretending she was a normal woman.
"Yeah right." she muttered as she put on her high black boots . . . ones she hadn't worn in years.
It was odd to her how something so old could still fit perfectly. They were stylish, comfy and she didn't have to wear them in.
She remembered that Valon hated her in jeans. Her mood lifted slightly by the ever so small rebellion.
Unfortunately she didn't have any idea where she was going, but she believed that she would end up somewhere.
Duke took a deep sigh. Yugi had left the room. He had to take an important phone call in another room.
"Well what is it that you wanted to tell us?" Joey asked, impatiently. Duke had been standing before them for the past half hour claiming he had some important information to tell them and he hadn't muttered a word since.
"I'll wait for Yugi." Duke replied too quickly as if he was scared. Joey sighed and rolled his eyes.
"Either you tell me now or you won't, I have to go meet Abby." Joey said as he glanced at his watch. He said he wouldn't be late again as he usually was.
Duke took another deep breath and shook his head.
"Okay, but you won't like it." he said softly.
He then went on to describe everything he had found out about Mai.
Joey sat on the couch, speechlessly. His thoughts were bouncing around in his head yet he could make none of them out.
Duke started at him intently.
"Joey?" he asked, somewhat confused by his reaction. Joey looked up from the floor with a mixed expression on his face.
"How long did you know?" he asked Duke, his voice hardly audible. Duke stood there speechlessly. He didn't answer.
Joey jumped off of the couch. "How long did you know?" he asked, yelling much louder. He grabbed Duke's shirt and pulled him off of the ground.
"Tonight . . . I put the pieces together tonight." Duke answered. Joey's eyes filled with terror and he dropped Duke onto the floor . . . not caring the slightest if he was hurt.
"But you suspected before . . . you had facts before, why didn't you tell anyone?" Joey yelled. His voice was quivering and he was trying to keep it under control.
"I . . . I don't know." Duke said sheepishly as he pushed himself off of the floor.
"That, that isn't her. It can't be her." Joey muttered.
"What do you mean?" Duke asked. Joey rolled his eyes.
"That, that is not the Mai we know. That is . . . " Joey muttered again. Duke rolled his eyes and punched his hand off of the table in frustration.
"Obviously she is Joey. She's changed . . . she's not going back to the Mai we knew. She chose to be evil again, she tried to kill a man . . . before she stole souls, it's the same thing. Joey that Max guy in the hospital is going to die and it is all her fault. This is Mai." Duke answered darkly. Joey looked away.
"No. . . it's not. Before she was under the control of that Dartz freak, and I know that there is good in her somewhere." he yelled in response.
"Joey. I would believe you if I could. In fact I did, but that was years ago . . . years . . . she could have been better . . . but she's not. And now she's trying to kill people . . . Joey there isn't anything good in her and I don't think there ever was." Duke screamed back, anger fueling his words. Joey didn't respond right away.
"You were her friend . . . you were the one who stuck up for her, saying that she's under pressure . . . saying she's adjusting . . . what changed?" Joey asked bitterly.
"The truth." was Duke's simple response.
"You don't know her Duke. You don't know the truth." Joey replied.
"I don't want to know the truth . . . besides you're the one who supposedly hates her Joey." he quickly responded. Joey rolled his eyes.
"I have to help her." Joey said quietly. Duke eyed him curiously.
"How?" Duke asked sarcastically. That only resulted in receiving a glare from Joey.
"I'll try to talk some sense into her." Joey said.
"Will that even work? She's dangerous and Joey I didn't tell you who she was with." Duke said. Joey shrugged.
"I don't care, I've got to get to her before Kaiba does." Joey muttered and he walked out the door, leaving Duke clueless and with a sore bottom.
Yugi stepped into the living room, "What was that all about?" he asked totally confused. Duke just sighed.
Kaiba had, for once in his life, had fallen into a sullen state. Nobody could get any audible answers from him and he was seemingly cut off from the world. In fact the last time he was like this was when he lost to Yugi for the very first time, but even then he still muttered a few audible words.
Then, he had a huge company to rub into Yugi's face. Right now though, he had nothing. The fact that he was still aloud to ride in his limo was surprising to him, after all, somebody else owned this limo now.
"Seto?" Mokuba asked. Kaiba ignored him again. His gaze was fixed upon the window. His computer was destroyed, everything was.
Somebody was out to get him, but he didn't know who. He didn't want to admit it, but he would need help.
"Take us to Yugi's." Kaiba instructed. The driver nodded and turned the limo around.
Mai somehow had found herself at some dance club surrounded by people and smoke. They were dancing around widely without a care in the world.
She remembered when she was like that . . .
It was long ago, when she was carefree.
Mai continuously took deep breaths and blinked, hoping that maybe should could wake from this awful dream.
She glanced around the room. Everyone was dressed in tight shirts and short skirts. Right now, she didn't fit in. She did have a few offers of dancing and drinks but she outright refused.
She didn't want to talk to anybody tonight. She was hoping that maybe she could blend in, unseen within the mass of people. She knew that one could be the loneliest within a sea of people.
The theory wasn't working. All she was feeling was pain . . . and she wanted it to go away.
Sighing and feeling desperate she picked up her jacket and walked out of the club, ignoring the stares she knew that were following her.
Her eyes were glued to the sidewalk and she didn't even see the person who happened to be frantically running toward her.
It resolved in a collision that knocked both of them over. Mai let out a curse word as she got up and brushed herself off.
She glared somewhat evilly at the person who had bumped into her. He was still lying on the ground.
"Mai." he called as he pushed himself up without any help from her. For some reason the night had become increasingly colder to him.
"Joey.'' she replied curtly.
"Mai . . . I know what you've been up too." he said, cutting to the chase. Mai shook her head and sighed.
"Sherlock give you the message? That's cute, gonna talk me out of it? Too late, it's all done." she explained as she started to walk away. Joey followed.
"It's not done. It's never done . . . you started down a path Mai." he said through large breaths. To his surprise she laughed.
"Come to help me out? Come to tell me how much you care? Go ahead . . . I would be listening, but I have other places to be with people who don't hate me." she snapped back as she walked away furiously.
"Mai . . . I just want to help, before Kaiba finds out." he said. Mai stopped walking and looked at him in amusement. But Joey could look deeper. He could read something else in her features, but if it was pain or anger he couldn't tell. He never could.
"Go ahead, tell on me. In fact, I'm giving you permission. Go on, go tell Kaiba and little Yugi and the nice police officers. Oh wait I can bribe them, so that won't do ya any good. You can't stop me Joey, and you wouldn't do it anyway." she answered as she walked off into the darkness of the city.
Joey stood in his spot stunned as memories rushed through his head. Memories that seemed too distant to recall but so clear at the same time. It was as if he had put so much time into forgetting them that digging them up actually hurt. It was de ja vu.
It was a crazy theory, but he would believe anything at this moment.
Somewhere deep inside of him told him to chase her and make her listen . . . but his brain strongly advised him against it. It was playing back the Dartz incident as if it was a bad movie.
Joey couldn't risk his life for her. He had Abby and Serenity to take of.
Yet he stayed glued to the spot.
Valon slowly emerged from the alleyway. He was on his way to dance off a little stress when he went to Mai's apartment. She wasn't there so he was going to this club on the south side.
He didn't count on seeing Joey trying to talk some sense into her. Immediately a read flag shot up in Valon's mind.
Joey could and would ruin their plan. Theirs . . . as in Mai and Valon 'in charge'. He was giving Mai what she needed, power and money. In his opinion she didn't need anything else. Mai always said that human emotions were petty and that was one thing Valon lo . . . liked a lot about her.
He saw that Joey hadn't moved and that Mai was walking at a quicker speed than normal.
"Mai." Valon called. Mai just turned toward him and gave him an odd expression. It seemed to be one of pain, anger and fear all mixed up underneath a confusing mask.
"Oh, have you come to uh talk some sense into me. I can take care of myself." she said automatically. Lately her defenses were always on high and she never let them down for anyone.
"Yeah, I have to talk to you. What did Joey say?" Valon asked. Mai smirked and gave a wicked laugh.
"How long have you been following me?" she asked. Valon shrugged.
"Just wanted to see if you'd tell me." was his curt response.
"I wouldn't have." she answered. Valon sighed.
"Mai, I don't know what it is about you, but . . . something has changed. Can you at least fill me in on what happened?" he pleaded, something unusual for him.
"Nothing . . . listen I'm just a little, well not nervous . . . but you know what I mean, right? Kaiba will be on to us and I'm guessing by tonight if he isn't already." she explained. Valon looked at her awkwardly.
"That didn't bother you before." Valon stated, his voice cold.
"Doesn't bother me now . . . but we can't keep doing it this way. We will be caught and punished. It would be the best course of action to lay low and pull away." she lied and Valon could tell.
"No. . .and don't think I don't know what it's about. You find out that guy died today didn't you?" Valon asked. Mai rolled her eyes and played with the top of her purse to keep the focus off of him.
"Yeah, it was on the news in the bar. He's dead, stopped breathing completely on purpose and not even his wife could snap him out of it." she explained, her voice sounded little almost childish to Valon's ears.
"You knew we had to do some big things for this to work." was his short answer. Mai glared at him.
"I did. I killed a guy. I took souls. I took money and power and the city is practically mine. The only thing we need is for Kaiba to sign everything else over and it will be ours. We've, I've come so far. But for what? I still feel nothing. There is nothing there anymore. The power was there for a while and the rage for sometime, but right now nothing. And I don't like it." she explained in a irritated whisper.
"What are you going to do about it?" Valon asked.
"I thought about jumping off a bridge, but decided against it." she replied sarcastically. Valon gazed at her for a moment.
Something was off about her, and he blamed Wheeler. Joey was good at shaking her up over things like this. If Joey hadn't found her, she would have been perfectly fine.
"Listen, nothing's going to happen. You are rich beyond your wildest dreams and you can't get in any trouble because now people know what will happen when they get in your way." Valon explained.
Mai took a deep breath. He just didn't understand it, then again why should he? He never understood her when it came to this type of thing.
She shook her head. He was right. Who could stop her now? She could handle them, just like Max . . . or Pegasus or the countless others that she went up against.
She had the power to make somebody else as miserable as she is. She could send everyone to their own personal Shadow Realm. The thought pleased her and sickened her at the same time. It was if the power got her high and she enjoyed it.
A smile crossed her face as the thoughts of her pain ran through her mind. The doubters, haters, they would know.
"Just me being silly." she said with a laugh. Valon smiled, he knew that sometimes Mai just needed a pep talk . . . but he wasn't always going to be around to make sure she got one.
The thoughts of failure flooded through his mind again.
"Mai. You need a vacation, why don't you go down to Mexico early and we'll clean up here." Valon suggested. Mai raised an eyebrow.
"I thought we were going together as in the same time?" she asked.
"Listen, you've been a little out of it lately . . . and that is something long sandy beaches and tons of money can take care of. I'll meet you down there." he explained.
Mai still seemed unconvinced.
"Fine. I'll go. It would be good to have someone down there to sort everything out. But I don't want anymore accidents or any kidnaping or anything like that. If you go against what I say, I can't be held responsible for my actions." Mai said in a harsh voice. Valon nodded.
"Nothing bad is going to happen. Go home get some rest, sign the papers from your company over to whoever and get on the plane and go. I promise my hands will be clean." Valon replied. Mai shrugged.
"There's gotta be some cute Mexican guys I can entertain myself within the meantime." Mai said with a smile on her face. Valon looked confused and almost considered backing out of that plan.
"I meant what I said." Mai added in a darker voice before walking away.
"Mexicans . . . I'm tan . . . "Valon muttered to himself, ignoring her threat.
The limo had pulled up along the side of Yugi's store. Duke who had fled after Joey didn't even bother to tell Yugi what was going on. Yet Kaiba's limo coming to a screeching halt alongside his home didn't even phase him.
Kaiba bursting into his house was something he was used to.
Kaiba muttering depressingly for Yugi to help him was the thing that surprised Yugi. Unlike anybody else, Yugi didn't rub it in his face. He did inwardly chuckle at the thought of Kaiba finally letting someone help him.
"I have an idea who it could be, but I to hack into their source and no money means no computer." he explained. Yugi nodded toward his computer. It was older than what Kaiba wanted, but it was a computer nonetheless.
"I have to get Mokuba." Kaiba said. He opened the door and saw that the streetlights were out and his limo was gone.
"Kaiba?" Yugi asked as he approached the man who was frozen in his doorway.
"He's gone." Kaiba spurted out. Suddenly his fists curled in anger and a cold expression took over his face. "I will find them and when I do . . . they'll pay." he managed to say. He then went over to Yugi's computer right away.
Luckily Mokuba had a tracking device lodged inside all of his clothes so that Kaiba could find him. Whoever did this would be sorry.
The night had ended and nobody could really say what transpired over the city. The situation seemed hopeless for everyone, except Valon who was actually congratulating himself over his small victory.
Mai on the other hand had a tremendous headache. She didn't remember a lot from the night before. Everything was fuzzy and after a while she stopped trying.
Leaving her television on, she walked out of her apartment with nothing but her purse.
She remembered something about going to Mexico, but she had been drunk at the time of the conversation.
It didn't matter anyway.
She wasn't feeling anything at the moment as she walked into her office. She saw that Jenny was eagerly awaiting her, perhaps too eager.
"Oh Miss Valentine, I have the papers for you to sign the company over. Valon called last night and said that you were going to work on your newest division." Jenny happily announced.
Mai stared at her for a moment. She didn't remember agreeing to this.
"Uh, I will . . . if you just leave me for a moment." Mai said. Jenny agreed and shut the door behind her.
Mai walked over to the window and watched the people on the streets. It was raining, only lightly. She didn't hear the quiet knock on the door while she was watching.
Without looking at anything but her desk, she opened the drawer and pulled out an old envelope.
It was crinkled and have some numbers on it because she didn't have a phone book at the time. She peeled back the flap and emptied the contents onto the desk.
It contained a simple picture of Joey, Serenity, Yugi and herself. She didn't remember when or why the picture was taking. Yet they were smiling, happy about something.
Mai didn't remember being happy.
Besides the picture were some cards. They were older and the flaps were bent just a little. The color was slightly faded on each one.
To anybody else, they just looked like some old cards with weird pictures on them. To Mai they were something else.
They were her dueling deck. The source of all her power. They were the source of her happiness, pain, passion, and at one point her life.
Now they were just cards.
She put them in her purse without knowing why.
She glanced at the picture.
"It's too late for that." she said wickedly, yet sadly. She pulled out a lighter and lite the picture until in burned to black ashes that laid on the table. She thought about blowing them away, letting the memories be freed from her mind, but she just let them there.
Upon exited her office she saw Jenny and Serenity talking about something important to them. Mai approached and pulled a pen from her purse.
"Mai, I'm so sad that you're leaving. When are you coming back?" Serenity asked, her voice full of regrets.
Regrets of missed opportunities. Mai was her role model . . . almost her sister. At one point they were close, but lately it seemed that Mai had been distancing herself.
"I don't know." Mai answered, avoiding the young girls eyes. She knew if she looked at them all would be lost and she would brake down right there.
"You never come around anymore." Serenity whined. Mai shrugged.
"It's for the best believe me. You don't want to be anything like me." she said as she dropped the pen on the desk.
Serenity watched her go with a feeling of sadness and anger. Anger at Mai for not even acting like she cared, when it was obvious that she must. Right?
The airport was dingy, and the lines were unbelievably long. The televisions blared for the people unfortunate enough to wait on delays.
Mai ignored them as she waited in line to give the woman her ticket.
She got away with it. She was really going to paradise, with somebody that cared about her, someone who wouldn't betray her. . . .
"In today's news, Mokuba Kaiba, younger brother of the once rich Seto Kaiba was kidnaped today. He is being held ransom by some unknown figure. Seto has also been in the news of late after the destruction of his empire. . . . " the newswoman reported on the tv.
People in the line started talked in such a fashion that the airport was filled with noise.
Mai was sure she was going to pass out.
He betrayed her . . . after everything he said, he did . . .
"He was in it for himself." she whispered to no one. Thoughts in her head started to spin rapidly. She killed for him . . . had people hurt for him . . . destroyed lives and stole for him . . . and he was just going to let her escape.
He was going to let her go off without him.
Memories started running through her head in a steady motion, Max' face, Joey's words, Kaiba's 'lunches', Serenity's eyes, Yugi's advice . . . Dartz's voice . . . her soul being sucked out of her body, Valon's soul being suck out of his . . . Joey falling to the ground . . . giving up his existence for her.
She was running away again from her problems. Again, like always.
There was no way she could leave Valon . . . he had control over her, she didn't know how but he did.
She remembered Kaiba calling her weak and she agrees at this point.
The room started to become dizzy as she took a deep breath.
She was becoming numb, emotionless.
Her feet were leading her away from the line and toward the doors.
She had to find out the truth.