Otaris lay on the CIA hospital bed, unconscious and hooked up to a bunch of different machines. His dark black hair was spread out over the pillow and his eyes were closed.

Joey stood next to the bedside, holding Otaris' hand. He wished with all his might that his friend would wake up. What did the gang do to you buddy? God I feel horrible. All this is because of me. I wish it would all just stop for once.

Otaris remained motionless, but Joey wished that his friend would look more peaceful, instead of like he was in pain, even though he was.

"Otaris, you're going to pull through this I know it, just hang in there. You can't give up now, because I won't give up on you..."

Joey's mind raced back in time to when him and Otaris were a few years younger.

Flashback

"Hey J?" said O, knocking on the bathroom door. No answer came though. I wish he'd talk to me. He's been so quiet lately and that's not like him. O knocked again.

"You can come in," came the reply.

O walked into the bathroom and found J sitting on the floor, head on his knees. O sat down next to J and put an arm around his shoulder.

"Hey, what's wrong?" asked O.

"Nothin'," said J.

"Goddamn it Joey! Quit lying, I know something's wrong now fucking tell me!" growled O.

"Otaris you wouldn't understand," said Joey.

"Try me," said Otaris.

Joey sighed and looked his friend in the eyes, "You really want to know, because if I tell you and you never talk to me again or you leave me..." Joey let the sentence hang.

"Joey you're my best friend, I'm willing to listen if you'd just talk to me," said Otaris.

"It's my father..."

"What about him?"

Joey set his head back on his knees.

"Joey?"

"He...he...he hurt me..."whispered Joey.

"What do you mean he hurt you? Did he hit you?"

"He...raped me," cried Joey, "For no fucking reason. All I did was come home a few minutes late and he and his buddies raped me!"

Otaris stared at Joey shocked. He wasn't sure what to say. He hadn't been expecting that kind of an answer.

"J...I'm sorry," said Otaris, moving some of Joey's blond hair out of his eyes.

"I don't want to go back, but...but I'm afraid of what he'll do if I don't," said Joey.

"Stay here, with me and the rest of the gang," said O.

"I can't...what if he comes looking for me and finds me here...what if he hurts you guys?"

"Tell the rest of the gang," said O.

"No," said Joey, "I can't tell them, and don't you dare tell them either. Promise me, this is only between you and me."

"I promise J," said Otaris.

KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Yeah?" said O.

"Hey J there's a guy at the door looking for you, said he was your dad?" said M.

"Fuck," hissed Joey.

"Joey don't go to him," said O.

"I don't have a choice," said Joey getting up and walking out to the front door.

"I thought I said you were to be home at six sharp," growled Joey's father. (Aka: Alcore ... Joey's uncle).

"Why can't I hang out with the gang?" asked Joey.

"Get in the car, now," hissed Joey's father.

Joey hung his head and started for the car.

"You boys get home," said Joey's father looking at the other five boys in the abandoned house.

"Yes sir," they said and started off.

Joey's dad stopped one of the boys.

"You, you're Otaris correct?"

"Yes sir," said O.

"Get in the car too."

"No," said O.

"I said get in the car," said Joey Sr.

"Fuck you, you're not my parent," growled Otaris.

Joey Sr. grabbed Otaris' upper arm and drug him towards the car.

"Dad let him go!" yelled Joey.

"Shut up and get in the car!" snarled Joey Sr.

Joey was pushed into the back of the car, followed closely by Otaris. Both were grabbed by a bunch of men and pinned to the floor of the car, since there weren't any seats in the car except for the passenger seat and the driver seat.

"Now, Joey, want to know what your punishment is tonight," said J Sr. getting into the car and starting it up.

Joey remained silent.

"Your friend gets the same punishment you got last night."

"NO!" yelled Joey as he struggled to fight the men off, "Leave him out of this! He didn't do anything wrong! Father, please! Don't!"

"Boys," said J Sr., "Have at the newbie."

"DON'T TOUCH HIM!" yelled Joey, tears streaming down his face at what was about to happen to his best friend.

Otaris managed to get one hand free and land a solid punch in one guy's face. But there were still two other men holding him down and it didn't take long for them to restrain him.

"Father! Don't do this to him! Please! I'll take the punishment! Just don't hurt him..." cried Joey.

"Boys...I think we have a change of plans," said J Sr.

"Joey," whispered Otaris. He's sacrificing himself for me. Joey...why?

Joey saw the question in Otaris' eyes. Because you don't deserve it. Because you're my best friend. Because...I care about you.

Otaris didn't have to hear Joey to know what the blond was trying to tell him. He had to close his eyes though as the men started to hurt his friend. He couldn't stand to watch them do that to Joey, but Joey's screams still echoed in his mind. He would never forget this, he owed Joey everything now.

End Flashback

"Joey?"

Joey's eyes snapped open and he looked down at Otaris. His friend was awake, but his once bright blue eyes were a dull misty color and this worried Joey.

"Otaris..." started Joey.

"You need to help Kaiba," said Otaris first.

"But, what about you?" asked Joey.

"If you don't hurry, the gang will kill him. They were going to take him to the..." Otaris coughed a few times and winced in pain before continuing, "to the Black Abyss Night Club. You need to go help him. I'll be fine, don't worry."

"But..."

"Joey go, please, I stood up for you against the gang, now do this for me please, before they do anymore damage," said Otaris.

Joey stood there silently, he squeezed Otaris' hand lightly before rushing back to his room before changing from the hospital gown into some clothes the agents had lent him. He raced from the hospital and out the door. He'd do what Otaris had told him to do, but he hoped to hell that Otaris would pull through this and be fine afterwards.