A/N: Welcome back the return of Jou!! I was going to make this a combo part Jou/part Seto chapter, but I decided that Seto's had quite a few chapters of just him…why shouldn't Jou get his own chapter too? Hope you enjoy! :)
Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh...NOT MINE!
Chapter 16
Jou tossed fitfully, his sleep troubled. His brow furrowed slightly, as a nightmare invaded his restless dreams, causing him to groan quietly, a tear slipping out of his tightly closed eyelids.
"You're useless, you stupid bastard!" a tall, angry man shouted as he towered over the sprawled out form of a blonde teenager, who was holding his hand to his bruised face. "Whaddya think you're doing, coming home so late? Didn't I tell you to be home an hour ago? Stupid punk. You hear me? Nothing but a goddamn useless punk!" He savagely kicked the younger boy in the ribs, smiling slightly when he heard a soft whimper.
Jounouchi grabbed at his bruised chest, the pain singing fiercely through his body. He drew in a fiery, shuddering breath and glanced up cautiously at the other man.
"Please…" he whispered softly. "Please, Father, no more. I'm sorry." He winced again as another brutal kick savaged his stomach.
"You're goddamn right you're sorry, you stupid, good for nothing son-of-a-bitch!" the elder Jounouchi screamed. "You're gonna be a hell of a lot sorrier if you ever disobey me again, got it, punk? I swear to god, you're a useless nothing! If I weren't worried about gettin' in trouble, I woulda killed you years ago and made the world a better place without you, you waste of no good space! Fucking useless baggage, that's all you are. Get outta my sight, scum, before I really get angry."
Without a word, Jou quickly and carefully pulled himself upright and staggered out of the room, his hand clutched to his side, his breathing ragged. He stumbled into a small room and shut the door behind him, locking it quietly. Making his way over to the neatly made single bed, he collapsed upon it and closed his eyes, trying to ignore the intense pain. His eyes stung with tears behind the closed lids, and quiet words tumbled unbidden from his lips.
"I wish I were dead," he whispered into the darkness. "What do I have left to hold on for? Who'd even care if I were gone?"
"I would," a quiet, stern voice answered him. "I would miss you terribly, Jounouchi Katsuya."
Jou sat up quickly, his pain and suffering momentarily forgotten. "Who said that?" he said urgently, his eyes darting cautiously around the room. "Who's here? Show yourself!"
A figure emerged from the shadows, and suddenly the tiny room was bathed in intense light. Jou shielded his eyes as the radiant figure stepped closer to him.
"Wanna turn the watts down a bit, pal?" he said, squinting. "Who are you and what do you want from me?"
The figure laughed softly, and the light surrounding it dimmed. Jou's jaw dropped as his eyes took in the sight of the person standing before him. A tall, handsome brunette stood gracefully in front of the bed, his blue eyes glowing radiantly as he smiled down on the awestruck blonde. A pair of white wings sprouted from the figure's back, but unlike the wings of an angel, these were leathery and webbed, the tips adorned with a shining white spike.
"Seto?" Jou gaped, rubbing his astonished eyes. "Wha – how? Huh?"
Seto laughed. "Why, you almost seem surprised to see me, angel," he said, stretching his wings out to their full length before tucking them back in again. "Close your mouth, pup, before you attract flies."
Jou's jaw snapped shut, and he reached out a tentative hand to touch the smooth wings on Seto's back. "Like a dragon," he said, a laugh bubbling out of him. "Why does THAT not surprise me? Figures you'd have the wings of a Blue Eyes, Set."
Seto smiled softly at the blonde before catching his hand. His eyes grew sad, and he sat down beside the other boy, wrapping an arm around his slender waist.
"Jou, listen to me," he said, his tone serious. "You asked who would miss you if you were gone. Believe this, if you believe nothing else – I would miss you with every fiber of my being for the rest of my life. You mustn't ever give in to the darkness, do you hear me? You must never give up hope. Never doubt that I will be by your side always, Jou, always and forever. But if you give up, if you give in, then all is lost. Don't give up hope, love, please. Believe that we will be together, and I promise, I will find you no matter what."
He placed a soft kiss on the blonde's forehead and stood up. "Now wake up, Jounouchi Katsuya," he said, his body melting back into the shadows. "Wake up and hope. Fight, Jou. I will find you – I love you, angel."
--
Jou's eyes slid open, and he sat up with a sigh. His left hand automatically came up to his throat to clutch at the iron band clasped around it. The fingers of his other hand gently traced his bruised face, and he hissed softly as they came across an extra tender spot under his left eye.
I must look fabulous, he thought wryly, his lips twitching in a slight smile. Just like a prizefighter.
Memories of his dream still lingered in the corners of his mind, and his eyes began to flicker with determination, the words Seto had said filling him with courage.
"Who cares if it was just a dream," he said quietly. "Hope…he said he'd find me. I've gotta hold on to that."
He clenched his hands into fists. "Come on, Katsuya, you're stronger than what you've become," he said to himself, his voice hardening. "You've been in worse spots than this, and you've always come out ok. You can get out of here…you can fight Marik. Dammit, you can do this. Just think."
Propping his back up against the wall, Jou closed his eyes. How can I get out of here? He thought. Ok, I've got to clear my mind and think. Calm, happy thoughts. Calm, happy thoughts. Remember what Seto taught you on how to relax. You can DO this, Katsuya.
His thoughts began to wander as a bittersweet memory flashed through his mind.
--
("Uh – Seto?" Jou asked, raising an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"
Seto was seated on the floor of his bedroom, his legs crossed over each other in what looked to Jou to be an awfully uncomfortable position. The brunette's hands were raised to shoulder level, his index finger and thumb touching. His eyes were closed and he looked extremely calm and relaxed.
"Set?" Jou called again. "Hello? Anybody home?"
Seto cracked an eyelid and peered up at his blonde pest. With a sigh, he unfolded his long body and stretched before smiling up at his boyfriend.
"It's called yoga, puppy," he said lazily. "It's a relaxation technique I use to stay calm and help me think."
Jou cocked his head to the side and stared down at Seto. "Yoka?" he said in confusion. "What the hell is yoka? How's it work?"
Seto burst out laughing. "You are absolutely priceless, Jou," he said with a chuckle, shaking his head. "Yoga, pup, not yoka. Come here, I'll teach you a bit."
Jou grinned and plopped himself down on the floor next to Seto. "Ok, braniac," he said cheekily. "Show me whatcha got."
Seto grinned back and folded his legs over themselves. "Alright smart mouth," he said. "First, put your left leg over your right – no, Jou, your other left…there you go – now put your right leg over your left. That's the lotus position. Ok, now raise your hands and connect your finger with your thumb. Good, you've got it. Now, close your eyes."
Jou grinned again and closed his eyes. "Well, yeah, this is mighty comfortable, Set," he said with a laugh. "Now what?"
Seto smiled. "Now, just concentrate," he said. "I know how hard that's going to be for you, but try."
He laughed at the scowl Jou threw his way. "I'm just kidding, Jou," he said. " Just concentrate. Find your center, your inner point of relaxation. Just breathe and relax. In – out. Let your mind – go."
Jou's breathing began to even out, his body drooping slightly as his mind emptied and he drifted. His whole self became calm, his mind flying, his body floating as he achieved total relaxation.
Seto smiled as he watched his boyfriend slowly come back to earth. Jou's eyes slid open and he sighed contentedly before smiling back at Seto.
"Jesus, Set, that's amazing," he said, stretching. "I feel fabulous. God, maybe I'll start using this yoga stuff more often."
Seto laughed. "Pretty addictive, isn't it?" he said. "You can get to your center by adopting a mantra and using it. Before you ask, a mantra is a word or phrase you can repeat to yourself as you meditate to help yourself relax easier."
Jou lifted an eyebrow. "Oh yeah?" he asked. "What's your mantra, Set?"
"Mutt." Seto said, grinning as Jou growled at him. "Now, pup, is that any good for your karma?"
Jou grinned at him. "Karma this, dragon," he said with a laugh, leaping on top of his smirking boyfriend.)
--
Opening his eyes, Jou smiled wistfully at the memory. "Yoga," he said softly. "That's it."
Settling himself into position, he crossed his legs in the lotus position and raised his fingers. He carefully and quietly began chanting his mantra, repeating the same word again and again, feeling his body sinking into a state of relaxation.
Dragon.And slowly, his mind began to empty and to drift, clearing him of his sorrow, pain, and all other negative thoughts and feelings. When he finally came back to himself, his eyes snapping open, he knew what he had to do.
"Pick the lock," he said quietly, a smile breaking across his face. "That's all."
He began to glance around the room, looking for anything small and sharp enough to use on the collar lock. Suddenly his eyes fell upon a familiar object, and he grinned.
"Perfect," he murmured, reaching up and picking the ballpoint pen up off the table next to the bunk. Pulling the inkwell out of the plastic casing, he placed the tip of the small tube in his mouth and bit down, flattening the thin plastic out.
Grimacing slightly at the taste of ink, Jou twisted the flattened plastic into a point. Silently thanking whatever gods had taught him the art of lock picking, he placed his makeshift key in the lock of the collar and turned it, fiddling it in several directions.
With a sudden audible click, the collar snapped open and fell to the floor with a clang. Cheering silently to himself, Jou rose to his feet, rubbing at the red mark that circled his neck. Bet Marik never thought something as simple as a pen would be his downfall, he thought in morbid glee. Now to get outta here.
As he headed for the door of the yacht, he was struck by a thought. What if Marik catches me on the other side of the door? He's not going to willingly let me go. No, it might be better to catch him off guard, in here, where he wouldn't expect it. I've just gotta find something to use to fight him with.
Looking around the room again, Jou saw nothing he could use as a temporary weapon. Then he saw the solution. With a grin, he overturned the bedside table and tugged at one of the legs until it snapped off in his hand. Hefting the splintered piece of wood like a club, he swung it experimentally through the air, satisfied with the swishing sound it made.
As he swung the club again, the sound of footsteps outside the cabin door echoed in his ears. Spinning around, Jou crossed the room in a few steps and stood facing the door. As the familiar sound of the lock clicking open reverberated through the room, he lifted the table leg up, ready to strike.
Ok, Marik. This time, I'm ready for you…
A/N: Sooo…what do you think? Jou's a bit more proactive now, eh? So do you think he's going to escape…or is something dark and sinister about to happen to our poor little blonde captive? Hehe…wait and see! Jou's going to go away for a short bit again…but he'll be back in either chapter 18 or 19…I'm not sure which. Anyways, see you in the next chapter…the beginning of Seto's trials within the Ring!! You know the drill…please read and review!!