Shadows That Bleed

by YamiYugiPuzzleshipper

Pure-Bloods are said to be myths, not even well-known within stories. "A specialized genetic coding of the moon and the dire," their spoken lore proclaims. They are creatures beyond the power of mortality, gifted by the gods themselves. Known as the Eternal Ones, their existence once extinguished, resurrection foretells a powerful omen.

27. Code Name Atem

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh

Update schedule: Every other day (no update on June 2nd)

Chapter Warnings: Wolf Hunting, Violence, Blood, Deaths, Electrocution, Guns, Misuse of Generators, Misuse of Greenhouse, Dog Bites, Guns

Okay, so here we go! The generator in question is a mobile one. These are, from the research I did a while back, more likely to cause carbon monoxide poisoning than one that is fixated and unmovable. For the story purposes, the greenhouse has been changed out and redone into a rather elaborate trap by use of a generator. The rest you'll have to read for yourself.

Okay, so I made a reference to Dragonball Z. I one-hundred-percent do not own that either. But I figured Yugi would be someone who might blurt something out stupidly when he's stressed.

Apologies for the late posting. I had to rewrite a couple of scenes to make more sense. I still don't think they turned out all that great but I can't keep rewriting them without butchering the story and smaller plot points. So here we are, enjoy the chapter~

Chapter XXVII: Code Name Atem

Work Log Entry XXVII: August, 1998

August 18

He is far stronger than we could have ever expected. He has broken through the wall of his cage in order to get food due to his hourly feeding being delayed.

At first no one knew whose blood it was on his skin. We assumed it was the murder of one of our guards.

But it was all his.

August 28

The walls have been mended, even laced with small traces of silver between each brick and wolfsbane has been spread along the bottoms to ensure he will not attempt to break through it again.

August 30

He broke through one of the walls again. In his hunger, he has again broken loose. His nails were broken and his fingers bleeding. One of the bones in his wrist snapped from the pressure of clawing through stone the second time. He is not healing from the wounds, however, but he is being fed more to ensure they do mend themselves.

Yami led the way through the trees. It felt oddly natural to keep pace behind him, the black wolf mere feet away, their paws falling in sync. His own paws fell into each of the other's prints, the snow soft and sinking comfortably beneath them. They were doing nothing more than trotting around, testing speed for the most part. He had found his natural stride was truly a little faster than Yami's own longer one. He tended to swallow the distance perhaps a second faster than the other. He found he did so by instinct, practically racing with each of his steps, lazy and comfortable with his speed.

He remembered Yami's comment about his frame being smaller, how it would allow him a bit more speed than others. Yami was made for strength and Yugi could only imagine that his jaw strength alone was an impressive measurement, even without his immense body weight. He was probably a tank if he were ever to charge an opponent. Maybe that was why he always made so sure to go running at breakneck speed towards his query.

Yugi forced the thought away and then moved to his side, breaking a formation that neither had paid much attention to. Yami turned his head in acknowledgment but remained silent and they both considered each other for a moment. He opened his mouth slightly, parting his jaws in something of a gentle smile. The sight of it made Yami flick an ear to the side, curious and feeling slightly estranged. Even with a muzzle and narrow almond-shaped eyes, white fur and a black nose, the expression was unmistakably Yugi. It was a strange thought to behold. Because, if Yugi retained some of his human features in this skin, did he himself too?

And, if he did, what were they?

The thought was actually rather troubling to him. He did not assume to know of any good qualities that he might show in both forms. Yugi's friendliness, his kindness, showed brilliantly in either shape. His own… He wasn't kind or friendly.

So, where are we going anyways?

His ear flicked again, because now that he had thought about it, it would not leave him alone. Was there anything good to be seen in both of his skins? Was there even slightly something that they both might share in common that would be desirable to see?

I did not have a destination in mind. Was I meant to?

Yugi turned away and fell back a step before pacing himself at his side more comfortably. The black wolf wondered if it was truly so hard for him to keep pace without growing impatient. He could not blame him if he did find it difficult. He himself never truly waited when it came to someone keeping up. If they could not match him, then they should not have been there.

No, I was just wondering. I figured maybe you would go hunting or something. And then you'd eat and we'd run around some more.

He faltered a step but hurried to cover for his misstep as Yugi looked at him in surprise. He bore his teeth in warning, then looked away. No, I am not hungry. And why should he eat if the other would not? But we can run.

Yugi almost quivered with anticipation at the thought. His eyes shot quickly to his, fur shuddering and legs moving a little faster. Race you to the end of the woods?

The black wolf furrowed his brows. The end of the woods? Yugi, the forests stretch over the mountain, he reminded him dismissively, shaking his head.

Yeah, but there's also a river running through it. When people come this way, they normally consider that the end of the forest. Otherwise they would get lost in the mountains. And that's a stupid thing to do in Hokkaido. The temperature drops too often. They're more likely to freeze to death overnight than anything else.

Yami blinked, tilting his head. Oh. Well then, yes, to the end of the woods. Why not?

He picked up his own pace but Yugi shot off like a rocket. The more competitive side of him told him to race after him, but his more rational side snorted at the idea. He was truly in no hurry. The longer they spent in the woods, the better the day was for him. He was in no mood to do anything beyond move about the trees. Why should he?

Yugi spun around at the top of the incline and huffed at him in annoyance. His tail wagged slightly as he raised his head and kneaded gently with his right paw. His eyes were glued to him, his ears flattening for against his skull. Seriously? Do you not know what a race is? he scoffed. I mean, honestly, Yami.

Yami snorted in response, then shook his fur out to rid himself of some of the snow that was building along his back. His jaws opened in a wide yawn and he wagged his tail lazily as he came towards the top as well. I said we would go there. If you didn't notice, I never truly implied that I might race you there, he teased before wagging his tail again. Yugi shot him a flustered look, then curled the back of his lips into something that looked much like a human grimace. It's not my fault you mistook my answer.

Oh, whatever.

The darker canine waited until Yugi turned away to face the trees and start inside again. Then he pounced on him. The other wolf yelped, falling sideways into the snow, his legs automatically braced to push him away and fend him off. He was so startled that his eyes almost appeared to have grown thrice their size and his jaw was open in surprise. When he realized it was just the black canine his eyes grew slightly flustered again.

Yami wagged his tail, parallel to his spine, his jaws open so that his tongue lolled. He reached a paw over, tapping him in the center of his belly playfully. He was tempted to speak, but all the words had left his head, so instead he backed up again. When he dropped into a crouch this time, his tail was wagging wildly and his lips were drawn back into a playful growl. The rumbling noise was drawn out and deep, and Yugi blinked a few times at how it seemed to make his blood hum with energy.

Yugi rolled onto his belly quickly, then dropped into a bow of his own. His tail wagged, an awkward movement as he was still rather undone by the idea that Yami would initiate play with him. Why not just run around and all but ignore his existence?

He could do that without any problem.

If he was Yami, he would do that.

Why not?

He watched Yami wiggle his rump again before moving to paw at his head. He ducked away from his claws, tail wagging a little more easily. The larger wolf sprang on him, hitting his shoulder just enough to knock him over. He huffed and the black canine growled as he licked and nipped at his face. Yugi reacted automatically, using his front and back paws to try to shift him away enough to get up again. Yami snorted against his fur, then nipped at his nose and glanced about them for a moment.

Instead of the normal trickle of alarm that would have come with the idea of his sudden alert state, Yugi simply pushed at his belly with his paw. The other wolf blinked, then growled softly and backed up to let him get to his feet. The moment he stood up, Yami raced past him, then spun around growling and wagging his tail.

Yugi wasn't entirely sure how wolves played. He knew dogs tended to be a bit rougher and house cats looked almost like they were trying to eviscerate each other. But surely, a misstep could easily be fixed, right?

He wasn't used to this form, so Yami would be lenient with him, right?

Even if he made a mistake?

He nearly whined in the back of his throat at the thought. What if he didn't? What if he took something to be a threat to him and it turned into a true war of some kind between them? He stiffened for a moment, but his body reacted instinctively to Yami when he came towards him again.

Yami's jaws were open, stretching to touch his neck lightly and grip softly at his scruff. Yugi ducked a little, twisting his body to paw gently at his right foreleg. The growling was soft, melodious, and it hummed in the cold air between them. He moved to grab at his neck as well, the two of them quivering masses of wagging tails, frosty exhales and dark fur against light. Yugi attempted to push him down with his back leg when they brushed flanks. But he overdid it, raising it too high, and ended up slipping it awkwardly over the other's back.

Yami startled, blinking at him, and the smaller wolf kicked to try to pull the limb away. The darker canine ducked and pulled away, Yugi nearly losing his balance before righting himself quickly. His mouth was back on his neck, tugging gently, wide open, teeth barely grazing his skin. He panted, licking his lips as he pulled away again and growled softly and warmly.

The larger wolf backed up, then raced towards him with his long limbs, rearing up on his back legs before pawing at his shoulders. His forelimbs wrapped lightly around his neck for a moment, then dropped as he paused momentarily with his ears pricked. The movement now made Yugi pause, eyes widening. Was something wrong?

Yami?

The other lycanthrope paused, ears flicking back and forth a moment longer. Then he looked at him curiously. I keep thinking I hear something further into the woods.

Yugi tilted his head and flicked his ears first backwards and then sideways, twisting them into every direction he could manage or think of. But all he caught was faint rustling and the softest thud of snow where the branches whispered with enough force to shed the snow from their tops. Still, he kept his attention locked on this new search.

The wolves, killing each other and bleeding out in the snow, flashed through his mind. The sound of that she-wolf's booming voice made his belly ache. Had they heard them somehow? Had they come charging through the trees to deal with them? Would they force them to fight, make them bloody themselves to death? He trembled, straining his ears further.

And then he caught it.

It was a soft but rushed noise, coming in the sound of footfalls. The snow cushioned much of it but the undergrowth was carelessly plowed through and the sound of it as it crackled and the stems broke did nothing to hide the sound. He tilted his head, listening harder, and then turned to Yami.

It sounds like something is coming this way. Is that what you meant?

Yami nodded, tail falling and eyes growing sharper. It sounds like dogs, he growled softly, pricking his ears further and raising his head to scent the air. And they seem to be coming from the flanks. I suggest we run.

Yugi pricked his ears again, then looked at him with his head tilted. They're coming from behind us too, he muttered softly, but I don't know how many.

Yami began to trot forward, leading him with his tail raised slightly, the tip of it bent to the side before it fell flat again. Yugi hurried to his side, eyes wide as he looked at him. They picked up speed, practically bounding forward, and the black wolf looked about them rapidly for a possible hiding spot or a way back towards the river. If they used the water, they might be able to move upstream and lose the dogs altogether.

Two from both sides, three from behind, he reported dutifully, matching Yugi's pace as he began to move faster. They were sprinting before long, bodies stretching to their fullest to cover more ground. Yugi was a few inches ahead of him, though he kept close enough that he could still see him in his peripheral when he turned his head slightly.

You can tell from the noise they're making?

It helps when you're hunting, he grunted, flicking an ear again and growling low in his throat. It also helps when you're being hunted.

He shivered but did not lose his rapid pace at his side. Both of them raced in long strides, eyes sharp as they sought paths through the snow in the dim light from the rising sun. The snowfall had paused at some point and Yugi wished for a moment that it would start up again. It might help them with the task of escaping them. He did not think that dogs had the same ability to see through snow that wolves did. Their eyes were designed differently so he was not sure how well they saw in this weather.

Two more are coming from the left, Yami snarled, eyes sharper than before as he bore his teeth. The human is herding us some place.

Yugi almost questioned such a statement but border collies and cattle dog popped into his mind. He pictured them, thought of their use to humans, how they corralled the sheep or cows or whatever they were in charge of. It would not be too hard to figure out a way to train a different breed to do the same. He was sure that the police probably did it with German shepherds as well.

So what do we do?

Yami had to admire how levelheaded Yugi was at the moment. The last time something like this had happened, he'd been too scared to move until he'd tried to drag him. Then again, he had been shot then and now he was perfectly healthy. He was even running as if he'd never been human in the first place, with speed like the wind and a stride that put greyhounds to shame.

If only he could figure out a way to make Yugi run at his fullest capability. But, without the pace being familiar to him, he would not be able to move so fast. Until he was running much more often as a wolf, he would be unable to reach the speeds that Yami so often could.

His eyes shot towards the trees. A large gray, shaggy form was coming through the narrow trunks. The body was taller than the average wolf, but the build was different and the coat too straight and displeasing to the eye. It looked as if it only had an inch over the regular gray wolf, and from the side its flank was broad and sharply tucked upwards. Somehow it did not have a tight shape, but a somewhat slanted incline. Its head was raised even as it ran, its neck long. The legs were almost dainty in appearance, the tail but a thin line that looked almost like a mossy vine. The jaw was large, the ears floppy and slightly long.

We don't have much of a choice, he spat, snarling low in his throat. The dog was fast, and its companion which came up to its side was even quicker. Yet, they could not close the distance between them. Unless you want to try taking on two wolfhounds and then dealing with the other seven coming up behind them.

Yugi shot him a flustered look from the corner of his eye, pulling his lips back into a slight snarl of frustration. Yami growled softly but did not respond any other way, eyes flickering back towards the towering dogs. They were still shorter than himself, and even Yugi, but not by much. He would give them an inch, two at the most in difference.

It's a house—or a shed, the smaller wolf said when he turned away. A large towering building, a glass structure, rose like a castle before them. Iron wrought doors were framed with frosted panes, the hinges well-oiled, the top of it given an intricate later of metal which seemed to hum as they approached. The doors were opened, the layers of glass two storeys higher shining dimly, with sides which arched like delicate domes for miles. A few small panes had been knocked out on the right, further up the sloping roof, and the very core of the building held rusted metal in thick sheets. A walkway towards the top made itself more apparent, the railing all but worn away.

Yugi bristled. A greenhouse—they're moving us towards an old greenhouse, he murmured, heart racing and lungs constricting for a moment. Why a greenhouse? Was it lined with plants of wolfsbane? Were they going to simply poison them in order to keep their pelts clean enough to gain a higher profit? He supposed they would find out soon enough, as there was no way they could turn away now.

Brace yourself. In a minute, you're going to have run faster than you are even now, Yami instructed, voice low and commanding in his head. They're gaining on us. We're going to have to move faster.

Yugi glanced at him, eyes widening. I'm already moving as fast as I can, he protested.

You have not run in this form often. But you're going to have to listen to me. This is far from the fastest. We've barely even gotten to speeds of forty miles. All werewolves move faster than this, the other wolf snapped, bunching his muscles in preparation. Brace yourself and push as hard as you can. It won't be too much faster than this, but it'll still be enough to get us ahead.

He looked at him from the corner of his eye. It would be so easy for him to just call it quits and hope that perhaps his instincts could at least allow him to hold his own for a few minutes. But he, as Yami had said, was afraid of death. It was not just a healthy respect and hatred of it. He was terrified of it. Death was nothing he wished to welcome before it was forced upon him.

So he looked at the hard certainty in the other wolf's eyes and nodded.

Then that's what I'm going to have to do, Yugi stated simply, steeling his muscles even as he continued to race. He found it hard to believe that he could possibly go any faster, but he did not fight the other's words. Yami knew more than him. He probably did not have a nugget of the knowledge that he did. When?

Their hearts were in their ears for a long moment. Then Yami snarled and chomped his teeth, the command so loud it swallowed any noise in his head.

Now.

The effort made Yugi's legs quake and his body stretched with a defining ache. His muscles burst with spikes of pain. He felt his lungs expanding somehow further. His sides quivered and his legs carried him in harsher, faster movements. He could feel his heart straining, beating harder than ever. Beside him, he saw Yami holding his exact pace. Their legs were mirroring in their efforts to propel them both forward.

Yugi was panting and gasping by the time they reached the entrance. I don't know how much longer I can keep this up, he whispered, a pathetic plea to his own ears. Yami glanced at him, a hard cutting flicker of his eyes. Then he sprang at him, his teeth closing around his scruff. Yugi yelped, a scream nearly tearing through his throat. He expected to collapse to the ground, for blood to well from the wound and Yami to take off for safety regardless.

But then he was jerked. The movement tossed him forward, a harsh and violently action. His limbs tangled and he yelped again. His body collided with a metal. The impact let out a harsh rattling noise beneath his weight.

Yugi's paws caught on something rough and grinding, wrenching the muscle along one of his toes in his left paw. But his tumble, so bodily and powerful, prevented anything further. He rolled, gasping and feeling his body react. The stark pain brought about a pulsating lurch of strength. He panted and got to his feet just as his paw began to thrum with the gentlest of tingles.

Yami landed on the floor more gracefully than he had, snarling low in his throat. The glass and iron doors behind him slammed to a shut. They snapped as if a metal bolt had fallen into place. A light and hideous humming noise crept through the air. The dogs were closing in. A high-pitched scream made them both look back. Yugi quivered as the mass bulk of one of the wolfhounds dropped to the ground. The canine lay there, a twitching form of coarse hair.

The black wolf pressed back a step, startled. The noise was ringing in his ears, pushing away even the war drum of his racing heart. The panic flared in his belly. He could feel the stress pooling in his veins, thickening his blood. His eyes grew wide and dilated, his mouth parting. His tongue flickered out beyond his incisors, his breathing ragged pants.

When Yugi got to his feet, looking to him, his heart rattled in his chest. The whites of his eyes were rolling in his vision, his irises seemingly vibrating with his mounting fear. His fur was quivering and dancing, bristling in rippling waves. His muscles were jerking beneath his skin, sliding and jolting. And, when his mouth opened further, his gums were bleached as white as his teeth.

For a moment he thought to call out to him, to perhaps draw him away from whatever insidious memory claimed him. But, as he looked at him, stomach dropping and bile rising in his throat, he realized Yami was lucid. He was panicking, but he was lucid. He was well aware of everything going on. Even as his body quivered and his breathing became ragged, hoarse gasps, he knew. He just could not stop the fear that was swallowing him now.

Yugi quivered now as well, not for himself but for Yami and his lack of instruction. Because, regardless of how often he might argue with him or make a fool of himself, his lack of guidance was devastating to Yugi. The smaller wolf turned his head sharply away, for fear that he might react and nurture such sensation in the other. He did not need a repeat of what had happened at the arcade or the mall. If he was to lose his head, they would not make it out of there.

His breathing was so haggard it made him shake. But Yugi forced it away, straining his focus to place it elsewhere.

He couldn't allow Yami's distress to influence him.

They would both be destroyed if he did.

They would both be butchered and their pelts sold or their bodies enslaved and their existences reduced to nothing more than a puppy mill.

He shuddered, baring his teeth. In the low light he could see almost nothing. But his eyes were adjusting rapidly. And the shadows began to take on shapes and forms which he had never known before. There was a broad walkway made of metal steps, a netted design of rust which stretched the length of the greenhouse. There, in the center, looking down at them, was a tall form. When they tipped their head back, they almost seemed to loom towards the ceiling. But it was merely the shadows and Yugi snarled softly in challenge.

As if beckoned by his rumble, the lights poured into existence. Yugi bristled violently, and behind him Yami raised his head. His eyes were rimmed with bright red as if the veins had burst within the white, giving him a deadened appearance. His lips curled back and he snarled softly as if to echo Yugi's former protest. The noise made the smaller wolf turn immediately, startled. But Yami did not look to him. His head was tipped upwards and his mouth slavering with saliva.

And he realized that it was not fear which made him drool. It was rage, pure and hateful. He was engaged, snarling and peering up at this human with a strength which belied his former state. The black wolf was ready to sink his teeth in and rip the man to shreds.

Yugi looked at Yami but the sight of such intense anger was somehow painful. So he turned away again, to the human who looked down at them with the most hideous of sneers on his face. The man had darker skin, tanned to a somewhat olive tone, dressed in clothing that truly made him look like a stereotypical thug. He was in baggy sweat pants and a gray hoodie, black flip-flops with socks, and a green baseball cap on his head. His face was sharp, a cross between rectangular and oval, longer than average. He looked skinny, malnourished, with slim shoulders. But mostly what caught his attention was the small, perfectly triangular shape of the patch of dark hair he had just beneath his thin lips.

Yugi craned his head back slightly more. Thank the gods wolves did such things naturally or he was sure he would have developed a very painful crick later on. Still, however, the only thing worth noticing upon the man's form beyond his physical appearance was that of the shotgun in his hand and a small, barely conceivable silver device which he thought to be a remote of some kind.

"Well, how rare. Not a spot of gray or black on you, is there? A pure pelt is a rarity among werewolves." His teeth were stained, one chipped in the front, and Yugi bristled with disgust. Yami snarled lower in his throat behind him. "I wonder how much money I could get from the two of you."

He flicked an ear. Now what?

The disdain was clear in his tone. I don't know. Now I suppose he shoots us.

Well, then…was it worth saving me before?

There was a small pause. Why would you bring that up?

Because you just did it again, so if this is how it ends… He paused. Was it worth it?

Yami hesitated, then growled softly. I would not have done it if I did not believe you to be worth it. The admission was spoken coldly but the volume of it, so soft and gentle in his head, was immense. The white wolf turned to him slowly but Yami did not lower his eyes to his. I would have left you otherwise.

Why did you save me from Ushio?

I…I think I saw something in you. He growled and chomped his teeth at the human who still did not move from where he was leaning over the platform to stare at them. And I felt that I needed to save it.

Yugi would have pressed for more but the fact that the hunter had not moved to kill them yet made him nervous. So he too raised his eyes to the human again. His belly ached as he backed up a step and nearly brushed against Yami. He could feel his body heat like a flashing beacon beside his tail and hip.

"Are you planning an escape, wolves?" he sneered. Both of them stared up at him silently, the snarl falling from Yami's face. The admission, such heavy words, had made his anger subside. Now he was merely hateful and yet somehow tired all the same. "What do you plan to do? Try for the back doors? They're electric too. You'll drop just like that stupid hound did."

Yugi felt his skin twitch. There had to be a source of the energy. There had to be something which allowed the greenhouse to be lit with electricity as it was. His eyes flickered away and caught along the bare walls of the building. Where there should have been rotting wooden tables and shelves to hold the plants, there was bare metal grate. And along the walls were several large boxes, compact and bright gray or silver. His stomach sank. That was a lot of generators.

Yet, he remembered using a generator when the lights went out at the clinic. They'd used two of them, actually, now that he recalled. The humming which burst within the stale air here suggested only one. It was not the consistent droning hum of two.

The others were mere replicas to confuse them.

"Well, aren't you a smart dog?"

Yugi looked up but Yami glanced towards where the small teen had been staring. And, had he known of the memory Yugi possessed, he might have understood his need to look at the fixtures there. But as he stood there, staring at the boxes, the electrical hum coming from the doors, he lacked such comprehension. All he saw was a large wheel, a cage of black metal outlining the large unit, and a bright silver with hooked wires in a dangling formation to the left opening. And all of it was humming. The ones beside it seemed almost still but for the soft tremors it pushed against them.

"Seeing as you seem to know what's going on, let me give you a prize."

The generator kicked with movement, the hum becoming a deadly buzz. Both wolves sprang apart, the grid beneath them sparking and sizzling. When they stepped back again, another burst of electricity shot forward. Yugi yelped, twisting in confusion in the air. The bursts looked like small firecrackers going off. Yami snarled low in his throat, jumping away from another current. The metal was growing hot beneath his paws but it was a distant sensation. The calloused pads did well to cushion the expected pain.

The man was cranking on the dial on the side of the remote and the humming intensified further. It was like an engine roaring to life and it made both wolves' fur bristle. Yami bore his teeth and Yugi trembled faintly. They both sprang away again, the electricity sparking and spewing beneath them along the edge of the grid.

"See, there's a game we're going to play. I am going to take exactly ten minutes to load these silver bullets into this gun. In the meantime, you have that time to figure out how to turn the generator off." He chuckled, waving the pistol and the case at them. He leered as they both jumped and Yami snapped his teeth angrily.

His red eyes were on him but his head lowered, his teeth bared and his fur bristling. His tail was still down, but he calculated it would only be moments before he was raising it and using it to retain his balance. The white one was already beginning to do it unconsciously, tail parallel to its spine, wide eyes glued to the floor, paws skidding. He thought this wolf would be the first to foolishly lose balance.

"Now, should you be able to turn the generators off, then the dogs come in. Either way, I will be able to skin you."

Yugi almost wished the walls were lined with wolfsbane instead. He jumped and his paws skidded. He was not used to this form. Somehow the texture of his pads kept him balanced and from falling flat. But it did not save him from slipping slightly. His own heart was pumping too quickly and his breathing was ragged with fear.

Yami glanced at him sideways, teeth bared and fur quivering. He almost hoped that one of them did figure out how to turn the generator off, because then he could fight the dogs. He could take some of them with him before he was riddled with bullets. He pricked his ears and jumped away again, leaving a good foot of space between himself and Yugi now. The smaller wolf gave him a desperate glance but could not catch his eye as he too jumped sideways and tried to escape the burst of electricity beneath him.

"Nine minutes."

They both heard the gun open, a bullet being placed inside. Yugi felt a whisper of panic billow through him. His eyes shot to Yami again. What were they meant to do now?

A bullet a minute, Yami thought vaguely, snapping his jaws as he leaped and threw himself sideways. He was close to the wall. The thought made his pelt stand on end. His muscles quivered and the humming was harsh, vicious enough it made his sides ache. He jumped again, but the electrical current came with him. And this time where it struck his leg, the smell of scorched fur greeted the air.

"Eight minutes."

A bullet a minute, an increase of voltage a minute, he thought as he heard Yugi yelp and land hard on unsteady legs. He whined low in his throat even as he jumped away again, eyes wide and terrified. Yami glanced at him but he was a blur of snow in his peripheral as he leapt aside.

It occurred to him immediately that he had moved the wrong way. He was cornering himself by accident. His movements had thrown him backwards. He had pushed himself too closely to the wall. Yugi…

Yugi would have responded by looking up had he not jumped aside again, eyes wide. Yes? His voice was trembling, choked, and he was shaking as he jumped higher and twisted to avoid the sparks. He landed heavily, panting, and then jerked once more.

"Seven minutes."

The snapping noise and the turn of the dial nearly drowned Yami's voice out in his head.

Tell me about the generator.

He looked up now, the smell of scorched fur making his eyes burn faintly. He shuddered and jumped when the sparks shot towards him. He barely missed being hit by the spray as it crept higher into the air. The currents were getting stronger. A full blast would probably stun them…

Yami was so close to the wall he was almost touching it. He was almost touching the generators. But Yugi did not know which was in use. The rattling was growing to much more intense heights. The air was quivering and burning. The small quarters stank of hair and flesh. He bore his teeth.

It's a portable one—all of them are. Even if we turn it off and his dogs didn't get in or he fails to shoot, we're likely to be killed by the carbon. Yugi faltered as he jumped and twisted to avoid the spark. His body was tingling, his legs beginning to feel numb. His heart ached as he bore his teeth again. His concentration was so divided he was amazed he could still move. But if we were to be able to turn it off, you would need to either destroy the wires or puncture the fuel tank itself. But the second would cause a fire and the first would most likely kill you.

Yami did not bother to look at him. The hunter laughed, "Six minutes" and the room lit bright white with the new voltage which streaked into the air. Yugi yelped, barely avoiding it, but his leg was struck on the underside. The fur curled inwards, flashing black as if touched by charcoal. He landed heavily once more, almost toppling over.

Yami hit the generator by accident. The impact made it shake. It sparked and gurgled with noise. He snarled, spinning on it. The action was instantaneous. He did not think it through. His teeth snapped into the metal. It sparked and burned. He snarled, lashing out again. It gurgled, then sputtered. The wires snapped and curled.

The shock made his teeth clamp tighter. His body jerked and his legs fell beneath him. He shuddered. The grid creaked and groaned, then vibrated as the electricity failed. Yugi could only gape as the black wolf began to thrash. He was a blur of dark black, body twitching and jerking. Spasms wracked his huge frame. His fur was scorched, burning, and every part of him was quivering.

Yugi went to check, but the human's laughter and a latch flipping halted him. He stopped, snarling as the sound of baying met his ears. He spun on the doors. They swung open, crashing into the glassy exterior. Shards rained down, tinkling and dropping beneath the metal under his paws. He bore his teeth. The dogs came in an immense cloud of dark fur. He shivered, baring his teeth and raising his tail.

Yami had turned off the grid. But he had also let the dogs in. And, as he had initially feared, he did not think the black wolf had survived. He was still twitching but he knew electrical currents did that to a body. It caused muscles to twitch, though he had forgotten how or why. He summed it up as energy not being destroyed but merely redirected, like heat when a fire was burning.

The dogs came for him. He glanced at the human as he continued in his delighted laughter, watching as he crowed a minute less. Yugi bore his teeth as he spun once more to face them. They charged at him and his instinct was first to rise and snap at the one to reach him. But then a buried, stronger one, gripped him. He would stay on four feet. He would brace his muscles. And he'd have to maneuver with tension focused in clenched muscle and attempt to keep his balance while fighting back.

Yugi squared his shoulders, baring his teeth again, then snarled louder than before. The first was a smooth coat which came to his side, teeth gripping at his shoulder. He snapped at it, catching it by the ear. The next came along his other side. He snarled, spinning on it. Teeth ripped into his back leg. He grabbed at the smooth coated dog clinging to his side. His teeth were as sharp as the blades of knives, cutting into soft flesh. Blood welled in his mouth. The dog yelped and jerked back, crying as it tried to shake him. He kept his grip.

When the dog backed up a step, pulling him, the other two lunged forward. He released it, mouth bloodied as he snapped at the wolfhound. The canines caught a mouthful of his fur and tugged, twisting and tossing their heads. Yet his muscles kept him on his feet. Even as he snapped and bit at another, it was replaced again.

The man was laughing, counting almost to one. Yugi imagined if he was a smaller wolf, if he was not a lycanthrope, he'd be dead. He thought his neck would have snapped. And his eyes would be glazed over completely. He thought they'd be tearing apart his carcass. He tore the ear of one of the dogs clear off its head.

Then he turned to the next and caught their jaw with his. Teeth clamped, he forced them somewhat downward. But none of them had gone for his throat. None of them were trying to kill instinctively. They were merely tearing. They were simply snarling and biting. None of them had truly killed a werewolf before.

None of the wolves before had managed to turn the generator off.

Yugi tossed his head. The hound on his side crashed into another. They flailed, releasing him. Then their teeth turned on each other. They frothed at the mouth and tore skin. Blood was slicking the metal beneath them. Yugi struggled to keep his footing. His fur was clammy with blood.

The weight on his shoulders suddenly lightened. As the man yelled, "Time is up!" his voice cut off abruptly. A gurgling noise lifted from his direction. Yugi gasped and nearly collapsed. His head turned for one of the large dogs cutting at his back leg. A tug nearly sent him down.

He hoped, for a split second, that it was Yami.

He wished it was him helping.

Because, if he was on his feet, he was alive.

That meant he had survived the shock somehow.

But the eyes of the wolf which had joined him were green. And their body was smaller, slenderer, and their jaws sharper in design. As they cut through the throat of the wolfhound, dropping it to the earth, their teeth were even shorter. Yugi felt that he might collapse, eyes wide and mind struggling to comprehend.

Was Yami truly…?

He turned on a dog, teeth cutting into its head, pushing at the bone of its skull. It screamed and recoiled. Yugi tossed his head. Something popped in his mouth. Blood swelled against his tongue. It was gooey, sticking his tongue to the roof of his mouth. Still, he tossed his head. The dog slid across the grates due to the blood. The screaming kept coming. He opened his jaws wider, slamming them shut again. The dog squirmed and shook, then began to grow still.

Yugi snapped at another, then what seemed to be the last. His teeth cut into its throat, driving towards the jugular. The vein was throbbing beneath his fang. Then it punctured. The liquid was so hot it made his tooth burn as if lit on fire. He pushed deeper. His tongue was coated, the metallic taste making his head spin. The dog thrashed but began to grow limp. Still he did not release.

He tossed his head and the body skidded and flailed. Yugi snarled and clenched his jaws again. He dug further, towards the bone.

A whining noise startled him. He dropped his query, eyes wide. What was…? It wasn't completely dog. It was deeper, more guttural.

A wolf?

He raised his eyes, looking about him.

Five feet away was the slender wolf. Its fur was dark black, almost bluish, but the ears were tipped white. And its eyes were bright, dazzling green. It was a mix between aqua and emerald, blending into a deep teal. It stood with blood on its jaws, head tilted, gaze lowered respectfully. Its left leg was shiny, the fur matted.

Yugi stared at it, mouth open, tongue lolling. His breath was harsh, panicked and pained. This wolf wasn't…

He turned his head.

Yami was still lying there, motionless…

Yugi jumped easily over the bodies which lay at his paws. Eyes wide, heart in his throat, he hurried forward. Despite the pain which greeted him, he pushed as quickly as he could. His breath was coming in gasps. He stopped beside him, whining low in his throat. He nudged gently at his neck. The fur shuddered and shifted when he breathed against it. He growled and tried again.

"Yugi," a familiar voice muttered. He heard a harsh thud, the metal ringing and vibrating beneath his paws. He blinked, then raised his head. Approaching him, with slow cautious steps, was Mai. The blonde was soaked in blood along the right hand, from fingers to wrist. But she did not seem harmed. And the blood did not truly smell of her. It was harsher, with a deeper scent much like dirt. "Is that…?"

The white wolf whined and looked away from her. He pressed his nose into his neck, searching for a pulse. He smelled a lot like fresh blood. As if his vessels had opened and pushed outwards to coat his skin. Had the electricity caused it somehow? He looked at Mai again, then back at the generator. He snapped his teeth at her confused look. Then he clenched them tightly and tugged.

She looked to the white-eared wolf thoughtfully. He tilted his head at her, an image forming in her mind. It was that of the generator, of Yami's teeth. The muscles were pronounced around the jaws. Blood flecked along the entirety of the wire base beneath the large muzzle. She blinked at him, then turned back slowly with wide eyes.

Yugi repeated the action. It was more desperate now, however. His fur was quivering. His ears were lying flat against his head. He whined and clawed at the grate. She and the wolf swapped looks and Yugi cried louder, distressed as he bit the air in a frantic motion. Mai sighed, then moved to the prone form's side.

The white wolf immediately paced a step, whining louder, then turned and did the same. He watched her, frantic and trembling, as she slipped her fingers between Yami's large teeth, pulling his lips aside. She shifted her fingers upward and down, then twisted her wrist. The wire snapped and fell from his jaws. She shifted her grip, pulling her fingers away, and then grasped the fur beneath his throat.

Yugi whined, then wagged his tail. She grunted as she pulled the dark wolf away from the generator completely. Then she tugged him with effort towards her chest and pulled herself to her feet. He was leaned backwards, an immense black form against her chest. He stood about her height, even with his head tipped forward and slack in front of her.

The white wolf trembled, then snarled low in his throat. The white-eared wolf tilted his head, then whined again. Mai huffed, "You make me lift him and now you want him down again?"

The white wolf was frantic when he growled and snapped at her, trembling as he dipped his head in a pronounced movement. He pawed at the metal again, claws grating against it. The wolf dipped his head again, ears pricked and tail wagging slightly. She sighed, then moved to shift Yami to the ground again. He was so large she swore she was going to drown in his fur. She put him on the ground again, then stepped back.

Yugi turned to her suddenly, ears pricked and head tilted in confusion. The slender white-eared wolf was smaller than him, he realized with wide eyes, turning to him now as well. He whined and both of the newcomers furrowed their brows in response. The black wolf turned to the blonde and flicked a white-tipped ear before turning and running outside. She sighed and the white wolf gave her a distressed look.

"He'll be right back. He has to go grab something."

The white wolf huffed, incredibly put off, but then turned on Yami's prone form once more. He pressed his nose into his cheek. The muscles were swollen and still incredibly bunched. He remembered scientists doing similarly to measure jaw pressure in dogs. They would tranquilize them, then shock them until their jaws clamped shut.

Yugi waited for a minute, then a second. Then he finally moved and caught the other wolf by the scruff. If Yami could throw him into the greenhouse as he had, then he could certainly drag him as he needed. He growled low in his throat when Mai offered help, giving her something of a sharp look. He did not want anyone else touching him if he was dead. He was the one who had gotten him in this situation. If he was truly…gone…then he'd be the one to bury him…

He prayed that he truly wasn't, then dragged him more painfully back towards the entrance. The muscles and cords in his throat ached and throbbed. His pulse pounded against the frenzied skin. His fur twitched and pulled unsuccessfully. He pulled him harder, tugging painfully, his mouth momentarily sore with his aching neck. He pulled until he almost fell backwards, panting when he reached the snow. The movements were agonizing and his left back leg threatened to buckle beneath him.

Still he dragged him, growling and straining. It took him what felt hours to reach the trees. He finally stopped there, sniffing at his skin beneath his pelt. It smelled different. There was a fresh and blooming hint of snow and pine, of moonlight and drizzles of rain water. But the scorched scent marred his skin the most. And the way his skin failed to even twitch made him shiver.

Yami, please… I'm so sorry…

Yugi took a seat, licking his lips, and turned to Mai. The tall woman looked back at him, frowning and thoughtful, and then turned her head. He too caught the sound and sprang to his paws. At first he thought it to be a stranger. And then he noticed Otogi picking his way through the trees towards them.

"Is he…?"

Mai glanced at him sideways. "I think so. But you never know. Sometimes it just takes a few minutes. Electricity isn't really the best way to kill us, remember?"

He shrugged and then moved to drop a shape in front of Yugi. The white wolf blinked, then tilted his head, eyes wide. He looked at them, confused as his ears flicked about.

"We were tracking the hunter," Mai stated with a shrug. "We noticed him close to the territory and went after him. Somehow he found you and became fixated, however. We were looking to stop him before he got to you, but he lost us a while back. It took a good hour to figure out where he had gone. It was just coincidence that he had been hunting you at the exact time we tracked him down again."

Yugi was only half paying attention to them now, however. He had drifted closer to Yami again, sniffing at his cheek. The gland there was surprisingly perfumed, as if the pores beneath had just opened wide and expelled his scent. The intensity of it made him smell distinctly of sharp, wintry moonlight and pine. He pressed his nose closer to the skin, then exhaled harshly.

Yami…? He sounded like a hopeful child, like he was begging his mother for a treat after dinner. The wolf did not respond to the tone. He remained agonizingly still. Yugi shuddered and whined. Yami, come on, please…?

His deathly state remained for a moment. Then the body shuddered. His paws twitched, eyes snapping open. A hideous, gasping noise expelled from his lungs. His sides quivered, rising and falling rapidly. He bore his teeth, then clawed at the ground for a split second. Yugi leaned forward, heart racing.

"Yugi, be careful! He just got revived. He might attack you."

Yugi ignored her, leaning forward again. He breathed against his cheek, then looked at Yami more closely. He was trembling when he saw the way the black wolf growled low in his throat. For a moment neither reacted, and then Yami slowly lifted his head. At first he had his jaws open, snapping them towards his face. But, as the smaller wolf prepared to flinch back, the other merely chomped his teeth shut a few centimeters from his face. His tongue came out a fraction of a second later, touching the tip of his nose gently.

Yugi trembled, then wagged his tail enthusiastically.

He was okay.

Yami was alive.

He was breathing again, lying in front of him. He wagged his tail harder and, though it was still an unfamiliar sensation to him, he almost wished to throw his head back and howl.

Yugi pressed his nose into his cheek instead, shaking a little harder. Yami shuddered, laying his head back down again. His eyes were glassy, staring blankly towards the other two lycanthropes. The human shapes were far too sharp and noticeable in his gaze. The black wolf tipped his head up somewhat, looking at them more fully.

The woman had a tight hourglass figure, like a model. Her clothing was a deep violet color almost like her eyes. A white corset was laced across her torso, covering only her breasts and a few inches of skin so that her navel showed. The jacket she wore was just long enough to fall down to cover the top inch of her mini-skirt of matching purple. A small belt hung at the top, lacing through the material. And he could see the slits which ran an inch upwards on either outer thigh.

The tone of her skin was a pale, soft tan, which looked easily appealing against the dark purple. Where her right hand rested a couple of inches away, held in the air in a limp position, blood coated her pores. Her nails were long, the edges of them soaked beneath by the color so that it was a harsh blackish line. The surfaces were smeared but the color was deep red and the blood was a muddy brown from its dried status.

But it was the male beside her which caught his attention more. He realized he knew him by scent. But the sight of him made him squirm to roll onto his belly. It was a pathetic effort, paws scrabbling for purchase they couldn't get in the position he was lying.

He rolled the muscles in his shoulders, jerking them forward in a rippling movement to help distribute his weight better. It helped him to lean forward and right himself along the front of his body. But his hindquarters were hurting and the dead weight of them was exhausting.

Yugi nudged his shoulder with his nose. Do you need help? he asked innocently, eyes wide as they bore into his skin. The other wolf growled in annoyance, ignoring him, and laid his head on his paws as he looked at the tall human boy in front of him.

He was about an inch taller than Mai herself, with bright green eyes that bordered teal and seaweed in shade. The shape of them was narrower, sharper, almost almond in design like his own, but his lashes were long and thin, lacking the fullness the rest of them had. A black tattoo came across his left cheek, caressing the curve of his cheekbone for an inch or two. His weight was slight, his shoulders narrow and broad, and his face gave the impression of youthful maturity. His hair jutted out in three spikes upwards and outwards, falling forward into bangs on the right side of his face. A single forelock fell in the center of his forehead while several on either side of his face appeared straggly in design. The rest of his hair, he assumed, was pulled into a ponytail, and when he ran a hand through his bangs for a moment, Yami saw long, sharp nails that appeared almost manicured.

The wolf growled when he moved a little closer. His eyes were on his throat even if the threat was miniscule. He couldn't possibly get to his feet and snap his teeth at his neck, but he could give the appearance of being a liable threat. And it was that which kept both lycanthropes those few feet away from him.

Yami's eyes flickered back and forth between the two of them, gaze sharp and calculating.

His clothing was a simple dark maroon sleeveless jacket which hung over a dark gray shirt with black jeans and a single dark gray belt to hold them around his slim waist. The pockets were empty, void of any possible threat to be held there, and it made him bare his teeth. He was more likely to kill through his own strength than a weapon. It was admirable but it was also somewhat lacking at the moment, which made his mind circle.

If he had planned to kill him, he would have to have a weapon of some kind. He flicked an ear as Yugi sniffed at his shoulder, sorting through the fur towards his skin. And then what about him? The two of them would have to go through Yugi as well, would they not?

He lowered his head to his paws and closed his eyes. Let them do as they wanted. If they moved too close, then he would sink his teeth in. Until then, there was no use in him wasting his time worrying about such things. The threat had not been them initially, so perhaps it would not be now either.

The white wolf moved away from him. His eyes snapped open and his head turned. His body was precariously weighted but he struggled to try to get his back legs beneath him. The other canine stopped short, eyes wide and head turning. He immediately came back over to him, looking at him for a moment.

What's wrong?

Yami blinked at him, then pushed himself into a seated position. The bones in his spine popped loudly and the noise made him nearly flinch. The white wolf was at his side when he almost stumbled, using his own injured shoulder to catch him. Yugi braced his weight but stared at him with a thoroughly confused expression.

I was just going to change and get dressed. Then I figured you could do the same, Yugi explained slowly, tilting his head and eyeing him more pointedly. If Yami had been human, he might have felt a modicum of embarrassment, but the wolf didn't suffer such emotions. So he merely shook himself out, stumbled so violently that his chin nearly hit the snow, and then forced himself into a seated position. He ignored Yugi again when he circled his shoulder to face him again. Just stay here, okay? I'll just be a few feet away and I'll come right back…

Yami flicked an ear in acknowledgment but his body was too bruised and his mind bleeding too harshly to answer him. He listened to Yugi sniff at his shoulder again before he turned and started away from him once more. He heard his teeth grip at the material of his backpack, snatching it into his mouth as he trotted aside towards the trees.

Yami would have watched him go but his body had begun to throb with pain. An unsteady sensation of pulsing, livid, ache had come upon him and it refused release. So he merely flicked his ears, drew his teeth back, and licked at his jaws. The flesh was scabbed, painful and sore, and when he scraped his tongue against the roof of his mouth, a blister popped.

He growled at the taste, opening his jaws wide and flexing his tongue to free himself of it. The cold air tasted faintly of blood but mostly of frozen leaves and rotting pine, of peeling bark which popped and shook and shed itself beneath the pressures of such cold temperature.

Yami tasted all of this, then slowly closed his mouth again. He had not noticed it before, but the entirety of his mouth was swollen. His jaws were aching, his tongue scorched and blistered, his gums bloodied. His cheeks were raw and scathed, and he imagined that perhaps they looked blackened and red. He wondered if they would bleed further, if his saliva would run metallic with it.

He knew they would grow infected, however, and swell again with pus. It would not be instantaneous, however, but it would happen. The idea made his stomach curl and he huffed out a deep breath.

Yugi returned a minute later, humming as he put the bag on the ground next to Yami and asked, "How long were you guys tailing the hunter?"

His black ears flicked but his eyes were on the bag. A change of clothes? He considered it. If he changed, he could get dressed. But he'd also prove to be more helpless than even now. He was weak, tired, and his human body was still something he would rather shed than take the shape of.

But he was also equally used to it.

It was the issue of retaining his balance long enough to change and dress that worried him now. And how was he truly meant to walk? Four legs meant he had more of a chance at catching himself. Two was a wobbly descent by any means.

Yet, the prospect of shedding his fur, and perhaps pushing his body more forcefully towards healing, made him shiver with desire. Yami stumbled to his feet, his back popping again, his joints cracking with distress, and took a shaky step towards the bag. He stumbled but caught himself, weight braced precariously on his hind and right forelimb. He could already taste blood in his mouth as he snatched the backpack up.

All three of the lycanthropes standing towards his side were watching. A sense of confused wonder had come upon both Mai and Otogi as they saw the black wolf stumble. Even as he snatched the bag in his jaws, throwing his head up to keep his eyes on the trees ahead of him, he caught his next faltering step. He did not fall into the snow, though his gait was weak and slow. He could not trot, but his agonizing pace was almost somehow as fluid.

Yugi watched him with a sense of overwhelming relief and then a sore spot of anxious pity. Yami had saved them, but his body had taken twice the beating his own had even with the maws of the dogs that had torn into him. He could still feel them, soft and aching, but it did nothing to make him falter. Yet, somehow, despite the limp and the constant threat of falling, Yami seemed to carry himself with a sense of dignity and grace. When he managed to slip from their sight into the darkness by the trees, Yugi felt his stomach turning.

What if he did fall over?

Was he okay to change on his own?

Would he end up hurting himself further?

Yugi forced himself to push away the impulse to go after him, instead turning to them. Mai and Otogi were both swapping looks, bewildered by the sight. Yugi had a small and strange suspicion that perhaps Yami should not have been able to move about on his own.

"We were tracking him before we met," the blonde stated cautiously. Her eyes were keen with something he could not read and the sight of it made him anxious. He stared back at her, desperate for an answer of some kind, but nothing came and Yugi could do no more than watch her more pointedly. "In fact, the day we met you, he had managed to lose us a second time. Thankfully, he didn't think you would notice him because he was not very stealthy when it came to you. So, it was incredibly easy for us to follow him. Otogi was tracking you guys before he sent the dogs."

Yugi bit his lip and looked towards the taller boy for a moment. "I'm going to guess he waited until we were distracted to send them after us?"

He shrugged. "I would think so. He'd never truly seen Yami, I don't think. Or at least, if he did when you two left that day, I don't think he was planning to go for him."

"He wasn't novice but he wasn't exactly the best hunter in the world either," Mai stated casually, "so even if he had come across Yami before then, he certainly wouldn't have attempted to get to him before then."

"Why?"

Was it that obvious that he was the stronger one between them?

They both swapped looks, then frowned at him for a moment. They did not try for words for what felt like hours before the blonde finally sighed, "Yugi, to anyone with an experience with werewolves, your inexperience being one shows like neon lights. You're just not used to it. And it's obvious."

He rolled his eyes. "How?" he demanded, scoffing. "And how do you know that my inexperienced look isn't simply a way for me to keep from having my cover blown?"

They both gave him indulgent smiles, mirroring twists of the lips as their brows came up in perfect unison.

"What cover?"

He was about to open his mouth but stopped short. He turned his head to the lean figure coming out of the woods. His walk on two legs was slower and far unsteadier than the one on four. His eyes were darkened, drained of color for a moment, and when he rolled his shoulders again, he looked agonized. He dropped first the bag, and then himself into the snow near them. But he did not bother to speak to them, instead staring at the trees surrounding them again.

Yugi tilted his head, then smiled faintly. "Are you okay?"

Yami tipped his head towards him, eyes sharp and piercing his skin. There was a shallow pool of disdain and frustration in his expression but the frostier touch of indifference shielded it. He nodded, because his jaw ached too violently and the sores in his mouth seemed to scrape and burst against his tongue whenever it moved.

He turned back to them. "So, do you think he was after Code Name Atem?"

Yami blinked and curled his lip. The blisters there popped and bled into his mouth. He could feel it, burning and harsh, against his gums and the entirety of his teeth. The touch of it made him want to snarl. But the raw edge of it was also somehow soothing to his growing frustration. Still, he wiped the back of his head across his mouth, parting his lips enough to get at the metallic liquid. It burned his nerve endings.

Mai could not truly take her eyes off the display. It made her feel strange to watch another wolf so intently as she did him. But there was something strange and awkward about the black wolf. It was, perhaps, not truly unnatural, but it seemed it.

And the pull which he seemed to exude over her was nothing she had ever encountered before. Though, as she glanced at Yugi in her peripheral, she wondered. Why had she and Otogi both been willing to risk their lives for them? They knew virtually nothing about them in any way.

Yet, for whatever reason, there had not even been a hint of discussion when such a thing had come to light. When Otogi relayed the picture in his head, calling for her attention, she had taken off with the single thought to help them…

Her head snapped towards Yugi, eyes sharp and lips curled into a snarl. "Do you honestly know who the hell Code Name Atem is?" she spat, cutting off the hint of meager conversation which had begun between her packmate and the white wolf.

Yugi faltered, not from her rage but from the sudden change of topic. He blinked at her, though, beside him, Yami stiffened and raised his head. They both looked at her with such different expressions that it made her shiver. Yami was alert, confused, and more than slightly alarmed and angry. Yugi was calm, slightly surprised, but mostly a bit amused.

"You answer my question first, and then I'll answer yours," the small teen teased, though there was no longer any hint of humor in his eyes. "Do you think that the hunter was one of the hired ones?"

"He was talking about getting money from your pelts," she snarled, "and he used electricity to wound you. If he was going to hunt down Code Name Atem, he'd know how dangerous it is to do that. When a wolf is revived, they're feral. So why risk that? Besides, they want Atem back alive."

Yugi studied her for a moment, then glanced at Yami sideways. "When you say revived—"

"She means when a wolf dies for a set amount of minutes from electrical shock. Since it's energy the body can't expel it, so it often travels back towards the heart and restarts it. Which, in turn, normally causes the rest of the organs to react."

Otogi eyed them both carefully for a moment. That hadn't seemed to be what had happened with Yami, however. He had seemed genuinely dead, lost to Paradise. The idea that he had come back in such a state as to be almost relaxed was beyond him. Every wolf he had ever seen to have such an occurrence had woken wild, disoriented, and incredibly vicious until their memories returned. It would vary from minutes to hours to possibly days.

"There's your answer," Mai snarled. "Now who's Atem?"

Yugi tilted his head, pulling his gaze from the other boy who was now staring at him from the corner of his eye.

"I am."

Yami was frozen in place. Otogi went wide-eyed, mouth opening and closing twice. Mai blinked stupidly and then gaped at him. Very slowly, the red-eyed wolf raised his head. His movement was a weak and sloppy motion. The smaller boy responded to the action in the corner of his eye. He turned his head to look at him as well.

It was eerie, the wave of understanding which passed through them. It was as if the world shifted into nothingness around them. Mai felt almost as if she herself did not exist at such a moment. The way the blue-violet clashed with red, the way they both stilled, then began to breathe strangely in sync together, made her heart ache and race behind her ribs.

There was something powerful, intuitively primal perhaps, which came between them. It was brief, but so strong that it knocked the air from her lungs. When they looked away from each other, their expressions were singular. They were both solemn, grave, and not the tiniest hint of light glittered in either's eyes.

"I am Code Name Atem."

The statement seemed to suck the lightness from the air. It cloaked them, a blanket of immense strength which strained their muscles. Mai could simply stare and feel as if the world were dropping away beneath her feet. Otogi was nearly panting with sudden shock and the unexpected bout of confused excitement which came over him. But Yami and Yugi both stared ahead of them, solemn and somehow small with such a statement. They had seemingly withdrawn, though Yugi's voice was calm and assertive.

He turned to the taller boy abruptly, eyes lingering on that distant look to his gaze. His lashes cut such long shadows across them that his pupils seemed to bleed and devour his irises. "Yami, I think it's about time we got back," Yugi announced, glancing at Mai sharply when she opened her mouth to object. The blonde froze in place, eyes wide at the deep ferocity situated in his glittering gaze. Very slowly he drew his eyes from her, turning back to the other wolf. "I'm tired. And you must be worse off than me. Let's go back."

Yami raised his head and turned to him with an expression that was oddly infuriated. But, mixed within it, was an underlying fear which made the smaller boy suppress a shiver. They looked at each other, and the anger began to dissipate as he shifted to draw his knees towards himself. The exhaustion was clear in his movements, eyes flashing brightly before he braced his arms against the snow behind him and tried to pull himself to his feet.

The snow had numbed them considerably and his weight added to it made his body buzz. Yami shifted, stumbling, and stood there for what felt like a lifetime. His stomach growled and churned and he could already feel the pain of his mouth opening with more sores, aching and creaking as his bones popped and burned. He swallowed hard and his tongue pressed against the roof of his mouth. The tender flesh swelled with pain and he ground his teeth together.

It was instinctual when Yugi moved to his side, pressing into his flank. Yami spun on him, the movement so shaky yet somehow fluid that it nearly sent him toppling backwards. He bore his teeth, a raspy noise leaving his throat, but the ache of it, the way his throat rebelled and his lungs clenched tightly, made him fall silent. But his eyes were still livid and his face still twisted into a vicious flicker of disdain. The smaller boy ignored it, instead moving to grip his arm and wrap it around his own shoulder.

Otogi was somewhat amazed that the smaller teen even possessed enough strength to support the other wolf. Yugi's side had opened up again, at some point, because his clothes were wet and sticky. And he could smell the blood, a dense and heated source of copper and the slightest touch of something almost like butter. Otogi looked at him for a long moment, and wondered if he even felt it.

They had done so many things during those experiments, some of which he was sure still had not come to light in the woods. They had not fully spoken of everything. The survivors were too wary, too scared. The idea that they might have hidden some truths of the experiments from them was not a new one.

The fact was that they could have done a lot of things to his nerves. They could have easily severed some of the sensors so that he did not understand pain. Or perhaps he had conditioned himself somehow to not care. Maybe that was the only way he could survive the gruesome ordeal…

He tilted his head. But, perhaps, more than that, it helped that Yugi truly had repressed the memories. Maybe he had somehow come upon the reality before he had even stumbled across them that day. Maybe that was why he kept asking, so sure that he was in fact Atem but unable to do more than beg for someone to argue with him that he wasn't.

Yet, he held himself with such grace and pride after telling them. Even when he had turned his face away from Yami, it had lingered there, behind the rather solemn expression which had claimed it. And he seemed not to care how irritable Yami was even as he glared at him furiously for helping him in his weakened state.

"Are you going to need help…getting him back there?" he finally asked, swallowing hard as Yugi turned his head and narrowed his eyes faintly in confusion. Otogi shuffled his weight for a moment as the red-eyed teen glared at him, lips drawn back and blood smeared across his teeth.

If he had been in his canine form, it would have seemed more natural to Otogi. But the way Yami's human face peered at him, murderous and frustrated, teeth reddened and incisors bared, made him feel queasy. It was strange, oddly more threatening, though he'd seen teeth bared in their human mouths. But Yami was threatening him, even if it meant that he would fail and get himself hurt further or killed, he was willing to push his anger towards him.

"We could at least make sure that you guys are okay when you get back?"

Mai looked at him from the corner of her eye, but her gaze was mostly on Yugi. "It wouldn't hurt to have a couple of extra pairs of eyes to see that you're safe, right?" she muttered softly. But it wasn't so much their safety which made them offer. It was bewilderment and a sense of opportunity, of curiosity, of sudden empowerment, that made her further the deal Otogi had put forth. She was desperate, incredibly so, to see something that made Yugi's claim more truthful. There had to be something that could make his words the truth, that could explain her will to believe him. "I mean, you guys were both torn up pretty badly."

Yami snarled at her, openly pissed. The noise was guttural, vibrating, and Yugi had to grit his teeth to keep from cowing. The push of his ribcage against his side made his body feel as if it were vibrating unevenly. But, despite his distrust and anxiety, the taller wolf did not speak. And so, with a small glance at him sideways, Yugi forced words out of his own throat.

"Stay a few yards behind us."

It was the easiest way to keep his eye on Yami without the threat of him reacting to them more violently. It was the best way that they could keep their eyes off of them completely and have their senses put to use to track down any other potential threats to cross their paths.

"Got it."

Yami gave him an exasperated, withering look. Yugi grinned at him, but it felt more like baring his teeth, so he dropped the pretense. Instead he pulled on his jacket sleeve and reached up to rub at Yami's mouth. The taller lycanthrope stilled drastically, red eyes wide and startled, and then leaned away. But his arm was a cage that kept him caught there as Yugi gently pressed his sleeve against his lips and wiped away the excess blood there.

"Sorry."

But he didn't bother to stop from dabbing at the very corners where it had been smeared earlier. He cast him a small smile again but Yami merely stared at him, a mixture of bewilderment and frustration. But then he turned his head away again, and his voice was nearly inaudible when he mumbled, "Thank you."

Yugi nodded slightly, because he felt words would do him damage instead of good. So he merely shifted closer, wrapping his arm around his shoulders, beneath his. Yami shifted as if to draw away slightly, but the smaller teen merely tightened his grip. He was snug against his side and the taller teen shot him a furious look, eyes hard and annoyed. Yugi grinned at him, this time keenly aware that he was simply baring his teeth, and Yami turned away again.

Mai and Otogi had slipped somewhere off behind them into the trees, but he could sense them nearby. Even as he held Yami's weight and matched his slower pace, restraining him physically from moving away from him, he could feel them. They were yards back, but he knew they could see them, just as he had assumed would be necessary to them. He kept his eyes on the snow in front of them instead of the trees. Something about looking at the trunks made him feel sick and weary.

It took them an hour to make it back to the house. And Yami was so tired that when he let go of him, he plopped back into the snow and looked at him. His side was burning and aching, stretched to the point that it made him hiss with displeasure. He nearly groaned as he stretched his arms to grip at the drain vent and felt along the coils of metal which held it in place.

The red-eyed teen watched him. Not a word left his lips. He did not bother to argue that perhaps they should use the front door. It was an impossibility this time. Yugi's mother was home, and she was teaching a technician and a new receptionist about their jobs. She was showing the way to order the appointments properly. Yami could hear her, a soft and gentle tone which made his insides quiver. He had never truly known a voice as soft and warm.

His own mother had been seemingly mute. Or perhaps she had simply thought it unimportant to speak to him. He could not fully recall anymore. But perhaps that was not such a big deal in the first place. He lacked many spots in his memories simply because he did not care to think of them anymore. Perhaps the same had come about with memories of his mother.

Yugi tested the bolts which held them in place. They'd only ever used it one at a time in order to make sure it wouldn't pull out. But he knew instinctively that Yami could not go up there without his being right behind him. If he began to slip and fall, he wasn't sure he'd recover with the state he was in.

So he pulled and tested his weight on it several times before turning back. "Okay, Yami, I'll be right behind you," he announced, nodding slightly when the taller boy raised a brow. The unspoken reality of how painful it might be if he did slip and crash into him was apparent on both of their faces.

Yet, the smaller teen merely nodded again and Yami tipped his head slightly as he looked at the drain. Maybe taking on his human form again had been a mistake. Maybe as a wolf Yugi could have snuck him in under the pretense of sickness.

The smaller teen watched as he struggled to his feet. He took small, shuffling steps, moving forward slowly and with care. His eyes were already on the bolts they had both used formerly as grips. His hands were reddened by the cold air, though he was not shaking and he thought the skin looked more aggravated than chilled. He lowered his eyes to his own hands, swallowing hard. Yami had gotten shocked there as well then.

Yugi swallowed hard again, then looked up once more. Yami was testing his grip, hands clenched around the rain gutter's bolts tightly. He glanced at him over his shoulder, eyes unsure. He nodded again and the taller teen turned slowly away to look at the pipe. The seconds passed. Then the wolf gripped harder, reaching higher with his free hand.

When he got one leg up against the wall, his other pressed forcefully into the snow for a moment. He pulled roughly, teeth ground together and eyes closing halfway. His muscles pulled taut and he struggled to draw in another breath. He felt his shoulders arching and pulling roughly beneath his shirt. His spine felt rough and cold beneath his skin.

"You're doing well," the smaller teen said, struggling to sound both approving and enthusiastic. But the taller boy ignored him and pulled his other leg up instead. His feet were balanced practically next to each other, his shoes pushed to grip the bolts with the soles of his toe boxes. He struggled to drag his right arm up first, higher than the left, and then to repeat the action with his other. Yugi muttered another soft, "Okay, one foot after the other. You know what to do."

He did know. And it was frustrating to know he was being watched as he tried. Yami ignored him again, panting through his teeth and closing his eyes tightly. He had started out able to keep his face away from the cold metal, but now his forehead was pressed against it. He was struggling, chest practically heaving, and his eyes opened into mere slits as he tried to pull a little harder. The snow looked so comfortable, so inviting.

Yugi shook his head, frowning, and then moved towards the pipe. Yami was frozen, hunched and holding the metal in a vice grip. His eyes were clenched tightly shut again. The small teen trembled, then shook his head sharply to clear it away.

"Yami, you can do this, okay?" he tried, nearly pleading now. His stomach was churning and his heart was beginning to race. His fingers twitched at his sides. "I know it's hard, but just remember that you get to rest right after. You can sleep all you want and recover and… Then you'll be twice as strong as you were before!"

Yami ignored him, his voice making his muscles clench harder. He was so tired and the task of pulling himself up was exhausting.

"You know, when a werewolf has a near death experience, they become twice as strong!" he blurted out, face growing flushed as he smacked his heel against his face. That was DragonBall Z. He was talking about Sayians. He could have killed himself. He shook his head again, then looked up more pointedly. "Ignore that last part. Just…I promise, when we get into my room, you can rest, okay? You can rest for as long as you need…"

Or he could just lay in the snow and rest now.

His muscles were almost jelly. He could feel them weakening by the second. Desperate, breath coming out in a jagged growl, he grunted, "Yugi, I can't… Hold on…"

The small teen leaped at the opportunity to race forward, reaching up to press his hands into his legs and hold his balance some. Yami pressed his face more pointedly against the metal, the cold making his body tingle. He panted, because it hurt and his hands were all but burning. The nerves were aching, throbbing. They were shot. The electricity had all but destroyed him there.

Yugi hesitated, biting his lip. "Can you keep that grip for a moment longer?" he asked, looking up at him. He could just barely make out the line of his jaw from where his body had grown so limp.

Yami shifted his face, then let out a hissing breath. "Yes," he muttered, voice split with pain. "But not…longer."

He nodded. He needed only five seconds at the most. He released his legs slowly, watching as Yami began to take to the task of steadying his weight there as well. The small teen immediately braced himself, then began to move beneath him. He gripped the cold pipe so hard that he felt he might freeze from mere exposure.

Yugi climbed just enough to bring himself level with the bottom of the red-eyed teen's sneakers. The movement caused the taller teen to jerk faintly. His eyes snapped open, confused and unsure. He blinked once, then allowed his gaze to flicker towards him. The way Yami peered at him with such open disbelief made Yugi grin hesitantly.

The smaller teen might have even offered to carry him himself if he had not known he would have failed in such a task. But Yami was so completely dumbfounded by it all that he did not bother to even move at first.

"You're going to have to start climbing again soon, okay?" he pleaded, looking up at him. "I mean, I could keep you held up like this, but it wouldn't do us any good. We wouldn't get up the window like this, remember?"

Yami still stared at him, bewildered. Then, very slowly, he looked away and towards the house. The paint was chipping where he touched it with his fingers. He felt as if his skin were burning. His muscles were straining harshly. The harm of it seemed to stretch outwards towards his bones, clutching with cold fingers. He nearly closed his eyes and groaned.

He was not above begging Yugi to simply allow him the peace of lying there motionlessly.

Yet, as the thought occurred to him, it also made his stomach hiss with pain.

He had never known himself to be so cowardly, nor so weak. He ground his teeth together, then stretched an arm up to grip higher overhead. When he shifted his weight and tried to press his shoe upon the bolt above, his body slammed into the wall. The metal was frozen, burning his skin and bones.

He let out a hissing whimper. Yugi cursed under his breath beneath him, then shifted to grip his leg with his left hand. He balanced awkwardly there, the action almost precarious, and bent the taller teen's knee gently. The action made him instinctively move his thigh higher.

Yami snarled furiously. His jaws snapped shut, his teeth chomping at the sensation. It was both ticklish and somehow incredibly sensual. The implications of it made his skin crawl, caused his body feel ill. He heard the smaller teen scoff beneath him. And, as if encouraged by his initial reaction to move his leg, Yugi reached forward to tap on the other. Immediately he hissed, struggling to shift his hand again.

The action of dragging his leg up was agonizing. Yami could feel his stomach dropping. Fear gripped and clawed at his insides. He was losing the sensation of feeling in his left leg. He had not even realized he'd shifted his position, that his knee was pressed almost completely into the wall. The sight of it made his mouth grow dry and his heart felt shattered within his chest at the very implications.

He could sense it coming. The complete loss of strength and muscle there would destroy him. It would come from the lack of rest, from testing it so stupidly.

Yugi pressed up behind him. He positioned his hands completely beneath the shoe nearest him. He held the pipe in a vice grip. The way he grasped the metal caused his fingers to all but cramp. "Can you keep moving?" he asked as, suddenly, he was very aware of moving too closely. And he was very keen upon the fact that perhaps he should have rethought this idea. He very easily risked Yami falling butt-first into him.

The thought made his heart race that much faster.

"I…I don't know."

The small teen looked up despite how flushed his face was beginning to feel. "Why not?" he asked, both demanding and gentle in tone. He watched as Yami lowered his face slightly. The action made his bangs look oddly greasy, stringy. His breathing was erratic and his face flushed, but to look at Yugi more closely, his chin was tucked painfully into his collarbone.

"I don't think I can move my leg," he admitted weakly.

Yugi felt his stomach grow cold. He stared up at him, startled and horrified. "Why not?" he repeated stupidly, eyes wide and skin crawling.

Yami stared back expressionlessly. "Beyond my utter exhaustion, the muscles are beginning to lose feeling there," he answered, monotonous with his frustration. He blinked, then looked up towards the roof. It was still a few feet higher. And then he would have to reach up and outwards, grasp at outer layer of tiles, and pull himself upwards. The mere thought overwhelmed him. "I am losing feeling in my left leg…"

The small teen cursed violently, then tossed his head in an angry shake. "No, no," he snapped, "that's not going to happen, okay? You just need to focus on getting to the window."

Yami shook his head. How was that meant to be his focus when he could not even think straight? The pain in his hands had grown tenfold. His grip was becoming infinitely too harsh to maintain. His body was burning with fever. His stomach ached and boiled. His leg was growing further numb to him. He shook his head.

"I can't carry you," he pleaded, desperate. "I can't do it, Yami. This is the best I can manage. But I can't do it for you. I need your help, okay? I need you to try to stay focused, to keep moving."

Yami looked down at him again, feeling small and weak and tired enough to simply give up. He felt that perhaps he should have been able to gain strength through Yugi's determination but it only made him ache harder.

Again, Yugi was helping him. Again, he was cheating and lying in order to keep him safe. He was going against his own family in order to help him. He was, perhaps, even risking his right to be a part of it due to him.

Yami ground his teeth together, raising his head somewhat. His heart was an immovable lump within his chest. His stomach tossed and ached. He looked up towards the ledge of the roof. His belly ached and curled with pain. He stared at it, so much higher above him. He shivered, then reached up to grip at the next spot he could find.

Yugi couldn't help the small sense of relief and pride which came over him. Yami was trying again. Even as he struggled and his movements were meager at best, he was trying again. He smiled faintly, then moved to immediately take the place beneath him.

"You okay?"

Yami almost snapped at him that he was far from such a state. But he was also too exhausted to bother with it. He shook his head slightly. His stomach tossed. He shifted his grip, pulling himself up with such strain in his fingers that it made him bristle. His knuckles were bleached. His skin was crawling. His grip was seemingly growing further from strong with each moment.

He nearly panicked but the idea of rushing made him freeze in place. He banged his left knee against the pipe. Then he cursed. The sensation was so bare and small that he nearly snarled. He could barely feel it. His entire leg was seconds away from becoming completely limp.

The urgency in the thought made him struggle for his next hold and step. But it seemed to do nothing to gain closer proximity to the slant of the roof. It was almost, in fact, as if the tiles were getting further away. He snarled low in his throat, a faint whispering of distress. Yugi pushed up beneath him, shoulders braced, hands gripping just beneath his shoe.

"If I brace my shoulder just beneath your shoe, do you think you can get up there with just your arms and your right leg?"

The taller teen stopped short, then immediately looked down at him. His eyes flashed, dark and hideous, and he ground his teeth together once more. The thought of losing the sensation in one limb was horrifying. He'd never been in such a predicament before. The idea that he could function without it was nothing he questioned. He knew he could.

But the question was how long it would take before it traveled further up his spine. How long would it be before his right leg was swept in such sensation? How long before his arms followed suit?

His heart was in his throat. His mouth was bleeding where his tongue scraped the roof of it. His jaw was becoming sticky and hot with it. He turned his head, running the edges of his mouth across the material of the jacket. He hissed and closed his eyes.

"Yes," he finally admitted. "I can…"

I can… He pressed his forehead against the cold metal again. I can…

Yugi let out a relieved breath. "Okay, so then that's what we'll do. It'll be slower but it's the only thing I can think to do," he said in a tone that conveyed he was certain it would work. He smiled faintly, but it was strained as he shuffled upwards.

The new position he was about to take was undeniably perverse in his head and it already caused his cheeks to heat further. He'd have to make sure Yami's knee was bent, that his shoulder was directly beneath it. And that meant his head was directly beneath his ass. Or perhaps it was his crotch which his head might lie underneath.

He ducked his head, flushing harder. But it was the only way he could manage anything. It was the single simplest way to help him. So he pressed his lips together, then moved up again. As Yami pressed and hissed when his left leg failed to respond, a reverberating feverish snarl leaving his lips, Yugi moved to shuffle his shoulders completely beneath his knees.

Had this been Jonouchi or Honda he would have told them, very seriously despite how much of a joke it would seem, not to fart. But seeing how dire the situation was, how exhausted Yami was, he could not find it in himself to attempt at such juvenile humor.

Instead he pressed into the limb until it bent completely, folding so that his knee was against the hollow of his neck. He breathed in deeply, then glanced up. Yami was staring at him, eyes wide and expression troubled, confused, uncertain, before Yugi shook his head slightly. The taller teen turned away again immediately, trying for a new grip.

Yugi kept just beneath him, sure to push his knee slowly and gently. The task was long, agonizingly so, and he wanted to scream. But then, abruptly, Yami seemed to disappear altogether. He yelped, head snapping up, eyes wide and panicked.

What the hell was…?

Had he somehow fallen and Yugi had failed to notice?

Was that even possible?

Yami looked over the edge of the roof down at him. His eyes were confused again, bewildered by the noise, and he looked incredibly shaky and young. He was almost childish, a mere shadow of what he had been in the woods hours before. Yugi let out a relieved breath, then quickly pulled himself up with him. His side was bleeding heavily now, and the bag he'd left on the ground seemed amazingly important. But he could not be bothered to so much as glance at it.

"Good job."

The taller teen stared at him for a long minute. "It was mostly you," he muttered, huffing out a breath and shaking his head. "If you had not been beneath me I would have fallen."

Yugi gave him a wide, friendly grin. "What good am I as a friend if I'm not willing to try everything I can to help when you need it?"

Yami blinked, startled, and then flushed faintly beneath his eyes. He was staring at him, bewildered and with childish wonder, as he struggled for breath. There was something dark and cold which crept through his eyes like smoke, then faded just as swiftly. The shadow was gone from his expression immediately. Yugi shook his head slightly.

"I would have done it for anyone else," he said, his voice low and pained for a moment, confused by the lack of reaction he had gained from the other boy. Yami blinked, then frowned and shook his head slightly.

"You would not. You did it for me. And you would do it for your friends. But for anyone? No. No one has such kindness in them." Yugi felt his eyes stretch wide and his mouth open and close twice. He wanted to argue, but the coldness in the other's eyes made him nearly flinch. But then the taller teen softened, mouth pulling into a gentle half-smile so lopsided he almost thought it a frown. Very quietly, the red-eyed lycanthrope leaned forward and murmured, "But you possess the closest thing to such altruism."

Yugi's cheeks grew bright red, eyes somehow enlarging further. He opened and closed his mouth a third time, but Yami ignored him now. He shifted, dragging his legs beneath him, towards the window. Yugi could only gape, so startled was he still by the compliment. And he had to hurry to his side when Yami picked at the bottom of the window and struggled to pull the frame open.

"Let me. You might lose your balance."

He huffed. "What a pity it would be," he scoffed. "To lose something I do not have."

"Stop being so petulant."

Yami rolled his eyes. "Please, just open the window."

Yugi strained for a moment, then snapped it upwards. The groan of the metal made him shiver. The taller boy blinked at him, then moved to throw himself through the gap. When he tried to move his right leg over the edge, his left tangled it. He snarled loudly, gasping, as he hit the ground with a heavy thud and lay there motionless for a moment.

Yugi would have laughed at any other time. But now he hurried to peer through the window at him. His heart was racing again. His mouth was dry. "Yami?" he demanded quietly. The other boy huffed again, eyes exhausted as he looked up at him. Then he rolled onto his side and shuffled onto his hands and knees. He forced himself to his feet and dragged his left leg behind him as he plopped onto the bed.

He smiled, stepping inside and hissing at the ache in his side. "I told you, you could do it," he teased, relieved to even be able to do it. Yami glanced over his shoulder at him, scoffing loudly. But Yugi could see the small grin there and it made him smile wider. "I was right!"

He snickered, but it was a soft, choked, lonely noise. The taller teen's face still held a slight smile. But he had closed his eyes and he didn't appear as if he were going to open them at any moment. Yugi moved towards the bed, then stiffened.

His mom was coming upstairs, no doubt alarmed by the thud from Yami's fall.

Fuck.

He dashed for the door, locking it immediately, and then moved quickly towards the hamper to toss his clothes inside. He'd arrange them later, try to cover them so that she wouldn't see the blood if she glanced in it at any point. He looked towards the bed as he tossed his clothes aside and then hurried to snatch a new shirt and jacket from his dresser. The color theme was black, the easiest way to hide the sight of the blood that he knew would soon soak them both.

Yami winced as he shifted to get up. His legs were drawn beneath him. He hissed softly, eyes flickering towards the door, and then he stumbled to his feet. From there he unceremoniously lowered himself to the floor. Yugi flinched when he saw the way his leg twitched and went through a spasm for his effort. The taller teen rubbed at the muscles, eyes darkened to a dull brick shade with exhaustion.

He didn't have time to ask if Yami was okay. His mouth started to open but a knocking on the door made him rush forward. Yugi could feel the blood already making his clothes sticky. He undid the lock, then opened the door and looked at her curiously. "Hi, Mom," he murmured, giving her a confused frown, "what's up?"

Her eyes were moving along his body rapidly, looking for any signs of injury. He just prayed that she did not notice the way his shirt was clinging so heavily to his side. Of course, she seemed to catalogue it for a moment, eyes sharpening briefly. But then she also glanced at his face and pursed her lips. It was only then that he realized he had broken into a sweat at some point.

"I heard a crashing noise." Kasumi searched his face, frowning as his eyes widened for a moment. "I didn't know what happened."

Yugi gestured towards his desk dismissively. "I dropped a textbook," he said with surprising strength for all the weariness tugging at his insides.

"It sounded heavier."

He gave her a childish grin. "I was holding it."

Yami covered his mouth to keep from snickering. Yugi said it like it was the most natural thing in the world. He had tripped with a textbook. He couldn't even picture it.

And neither could his mom. Her eyebrow arched and she frowned at him pointedly. "You fell over holding a textbook," Kasumi echoed the story back at him, shaking her head. "Yeah, okay."

He rolled his eyes. "I'm not allowed to trip every now and then?"

Yami nearly burst out laughing. This was definitely worth having climbed in through the window for.

"Yugi, we both know you didn't trip—why is your window open?"

"Because I was trying to get fresh air, and I went to the desk but I tripped over the chair and my hand knocked against my textbook when I fell," Yugi lamented effortlessly, rolling his eyes again when she looked at him. "You know I'm talented at tripping over air."

"You haven't had that talent since you were nine," she replied in a biting tone, scowling at him for a moment. "Now, what actually happened?"

Yugi sighed loudly. "I went to open the window for fresh air. I did that. Then I turned back around to get to the desk. When I did, I tripped and knocked the book off when I tried to grab something to stop my fall."

Her scowl hardened further. "Yugi, I'm not stupid. What would you have even tripped over?"

"The edge of the desk when I went back to it," he replied in a harsher tone, mimicking her twisted features. They stared at each other for a long moment, until finally Yugi sighed loudly once more. "Mom, that's all that happened, okay? That's it. I tripped. I knocked a book off the desk. And I'm fine."

She stared at him, hard and calculating, before her eyes drifted to his side again. He could feel the fabric sticking there and it made his stomach ache as he looked at her. She wasn't stupid. Both of them knew that. If she even left before investigating his wound it would be a mercy on her behalf.

Finally, after what felt like hours, the woman stepped back, narrowing her eyes. "I have to go to the main clinic," she announced in a clipped tone. "I'll be back in a couple of hours."

He bit the inside of his cheek. "Okay."

Kasumi gave him a smile that reminded him of a shark, one that she used only when she caught him in a lie. "By the way, Yugi, it's not that hot in the house." She turned and hurried down the stairs. He cursed under his breath.

Yami only poked his head around the end of the bed when he heard her footsteps fading in his ears. He could no longer even catch her heartbeat by the time he said, "That had to be the lamest excuse I have ever heard."

The smaller teen rolled his eyes as he twisted the lock and turned back to him, crossing his arms. "And what would you have said, smart ass?" he demanded with a poke of his tongue. Yami graced him with a slight smirk. "Cause I'm all open for suggestions."

"Well, my weight is as slight as yours—possibly more, I suppose—but I would have used something more plausible and heavier in weight than a mere textbook. I would have said I was moving the television, because it might be small and not weigh too heavily, but it would make a lot of noise if it were to fall from the desk when I was trying to start on homework and it was too close."

He huffed. "That's… Shut up. That wouldn't have worked either."

The taller boy smirked before his face twisted into a grimace and he flinched. His shoulders rose and fell, his mouth opening and closing twice. He hunched slightly, wrapping an arm around his belly. It lurched and snarled with desperation, hungry as he looked at him.

Yugi felt his skin crawl. "I'll go ahead and make something for us, okay?" he muttered, biting his lip and looking at him with wide eyes. "Uh, but first I'll put you on the bed again."

Yami gave him a furious look, snapping, "I can get back up there myself!"

He startled, then scowled at him. "You're too stubborn," he spat before shaking his head and sighing. "Whatever."

The taller boy hesitated. "You should see to your side first," he muttered softly, eyes lowered to the floor. "You can't keep moving around with it bleeding like that."

Yugi blinked, confused, and then looked down at his side where his blood caked his shirt to his skin. It felt slimy, sticky, and almost like dried mud when he began to pull it away from the open wound. He shivered, a spike of pain clawing its way through him and rippling across his muscles. He grasped the end of his sleeve, then tugged it away from his wrist, pulling until it slipped entirely from his limb. He tugged it off his other arm, then dropped it to the floor. Hesitantly, he reached for the hem and began to roll it up.

"Let me." Yugi looked up with wide, startled eyes, then froze. Yami stood mere inches away, hands outstretched. His long fingers grazed his own, soft and warm. The two of them looked at each other for a moment. His fingers hovered, then lightly pulled at the fabric, away from his own grip. Yugi let their fingers become laced, allowing him to slip the shirt slowly over his head. The small teen raised his arms for him so that he could roll it off him completely. The red-eyed teen looked at him, something hovering in the back of his gaze. It was small, bordering warmth. But it was also something that Yugi had never seen before.

The spell broke. His eyes had lowered to his wound. Yugi felt something inside of him coil and grow cold. He had not even noticed the existence of it until Yami had turned away. Now he felt it, cold and sore, almost aching with need to be restored. He wondered what it was, if it was something beyond himself.

"I can dress it for you," he murmured, soft and quiet. He was nearly inaudible as the smaller boy watched him. He looked surprisingly relaxed, even staring at a hole in his side.

Yugi risked a glance down towards it, encouraged by the lack of distress on the other's face. But his own eyes grew wide and startled. The skin was shredded in a wide arc, as if the dogs had been trying to feast on him rather than harm him. The flesh around the red, bleeding muscle was swollen, irritated, with bits of both white and puffy pink. The muscle was raw, inflamed, and it hurt to look at it for more than a moment. Strands of hair and lint stuck to the surface of it in a black web across one side.

"That looks disgusting."

"You're lucky it wasn't deeper."

He was also lucky that it truly wasn't bleeding as badly as it had been. He could feel the faintest of tingles around the edges, pronouncing its attempts to heal. He licked his lips and then pressed his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

"Do you really think you can dress it?"

"I've watched you do mine."

Yugi felt his stomach clench. They would have to look at his wrists again. They would probably have to clean and disinfect again.

"I know what to do."

He bit his lip and then nodded. He hadn't really assumed Yami didn't, but it had felt better to ask. Something about hearing him confirm it had settled some of his smaller nerves. "Okay." He paused, hesitating for a moment, then narrowed his eyes and shook his head slightly. "Then I'll do yours and get us something to eat."

Yami looked at him for a moment, an argument brewing in his eyes briefly, and then nodded slightly with a stiff motion. "Very well."

So, the electricity thing. I don't remember all of my research on this one, but I remember reading a bunch on the experiment about the frog legs twitching when the dead frog was shocked with electricity. For the wolves, they take it a bit farther. The lycanthropy makes them harder to kill, as well as organ failure to fully develop. Because of this, when shocked with electricity, it tends to circulate throughout the body until it eventually winds up restarting the organs.

It's also linked in with bioelectricity, which is the concept that every muscle contraction or movement produces electricity in any animal in the world. The animals that can detect the bioelectricity have an ability called electroreception. That's what sharks and eels and other underwater animals possess. The only two mammals to possess the ability are called monotremes, and they're going to be the platypus and the echidna.

Anyways, so, the concept for the wolves is this. When they are shocked by electricity, their bodies can potentially store it within muscles. It causes the wolves to basically enter a comatose state in which the electricity becomes stored in the nervous system through a set of disc-shaped, electricity-producing cells. After a certain amount of time, this series of cells (over a thousand) will begin to react and force the organs to restart themselves. For the sake of not going too far into details and being an even BIGGER nerd, the concept is based a lot on the way an electric eel produces its charge. Just to be clear, though, this is based off the way it happens, but it's not one hundred percent accurate.

Anyways, in the state of being revived through this method, the wolves are extremely feral due to being unable to recognize their surroundings and their senses slowly but surely returning to them. In that state they're very likely to kill anything that moves.

As for why Yami did not react that way to Yugi, it's explained in the next chapter. But he reacted negatively to Otogi and Mai being present there and WAS prepared to lash out if they got close to him.

As for the greenhouse, from what I can find of it, greenhouses in Hokkaido seem to be relatively new (I could be wrong, so don't quote me). Anyways, so, point being, a lot of the greenhouses are more or less centered around the natural hot springs. The thermal energy is being harnessed to grow things such as mangoes, tomatoes and they're beginning to run tests as to whether they can grow asparagus.

The most I could find of one was in Furano. And the other was the University of Hokkaido. Anyways, so the back story of the greenhouse in this area (still within the mountain range, further east than anything) is that it simply did not work. It was too much work for the citizens of Domino and so they eventually left it to become rundown and abandoned. The hunter took this, stripped it down to a metal grid kind of flooring and used the generators as a way of confusing the wolves into a panic in which he could then manage to shoot them before the electricity had to get higher in voltage. He'd been doing it for years, by the way. Yugi just never knew because he was still considered more or less completely human. When he showed symptoms (which was his inability to blend in with others due to his lack of blush in the cold and his paranoia which developed so rapidly that he kept running and looking over his shoulder), the hunter turned his sights on him. Now…as for whether the hunter knew of Yami or was involved in retrieving Atem? You'll find out later~

And, on a side note, Yugi has a standard rain gutter, by the way, not a rain chain as other homes in Japan do.