Soooo Sorry for the wait! Please don't be angry with me! I promise the next chappie will come sooner than this one did…no flames, please, or I will use it as firewood. Thank you for your patience! So, on with the story! (I can only hope that this chapter isn't as disappointing for you guys as it is for me.)

Warning: Slight lime!

Don't think I said this earlier, but the disclaimer is in my profile!

Chapter 6: Waking up Away From Home

Yami stares down over the railing of his ship, watching as the cold waters of Domino lap against the hull of the Dark Millenium (1). On the outside, he looked calm and cool. On the inside, he was being torn apart by worry. He had set off that flare a half-hour ago, and the only ones to return were Seto, Bakura, and Marik. The longer they stayed, the less time they had to get out of here before the Navy came after them. They knew that at least he was here, and where he was they knew his most trusted pirates were sure to follow. That was not good for them at all. Especially if she knew they were there. Her father, that annoying captain, was the most vigorous of those trying to find them. If she came and found them, the captain was sure to follow with weapons drawn. In this business, stealth was vital. You needed to the element of surprise to catch your victim off guard. Just sitting here waiting for Matsuo to return was like plastering 'Come catch me!' on their foreheads. And besides, the Code (2) stated that Matsuo had about five more minutes to return before he had to leave. Oh, Pegasus was not going to be happy about this…

Contrary to popular belief, Yami was not the mastermind behind the success of the Dark Millenium crew. The real leader's name is Maximillion Pegasus, a wealthy, eccentric businessman with connections that weren't always on the right side of the law. Don't get him wrong; he wasn't afraid of Pegasus – he could easily take him in a fight – but he was also conscious of his need to keep on his employer's good side until the time was right. It was Pegasus who first found and employed Yami's ragtag band of men and got them on their feet. None of them had really any interest in professions on the good side of the law, and this was the perfect chance for them to make good money, as well as feed their adventurous spirits. Mokuba's presence was unfortunate; he was not old enough to truly decide whether or not he wanted to be a criminal, but the lack of caretakers forced Seto to bring him along. Pegasus had provided them with a ship and a crew, which Yami was sure had been bugged. It was rather high-tech – something very easily attainable for Pegasus – equipped with communication devices in most of the main storage rooms and his cabin. Somehow, Pegasus was finding out their progress without Yami relaying it to him. Pegasus, the god-awful prick, flaunted his intimate knowledge of his crew's dealings, and rubbed it in Yami's face that the captain couldn't find the rat. He had an idea, but he couldn't do anything without actual evidence. He may be a pirate, but he was at least fair. Although, his victims probably couldn't profess to that…

Anyway, recently the man had contracted him and his 'generals' – if you could call them that – to find something specific, some sort of puzzle that held some mystical power that Yami really had no interest in. The only thing that he liked about the trinket was that it was made of pure gold. There was some ancient Egyptian past behind it that he had no interest in – something about a pharaoh – but he could tell it would sell well, and he planned on using that to his own advantage. Unfortunately, thoughts of Yugi were dominating his mind, which should be thinking about his quest and the prize at the end of it. Normally, it wouldn't worry him – lots of things had dominated his mind before – but one person who he knew just about nothing about had never done that so quickly. He had not known his little look-a-like for even a full twenty-four hours, and yet he felt wholly infatuated with him. Maybe it was the boy's innocence, or maybe just his sheer beauty, but Yugi had captivated him, which is something no self-respecting or ambitious pirate could be if they wanted to survive in this business. He could feel himself falling quickly – too quickly – for little Yugi, and, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop it. He couldn't help but think of what he could – and would – do to the innocent boy…

"Yami." A stern voice says behind him, startling him out of his reverie. He turns partially to see his first mate behind him. Seto walks to stand next to his captain, leaning against the railing.

"What should we do about them?" Seto murmurs, completely skipping all formalities and going straight to the point. He knew exactly what Seto was talking about. 'Them' refers to the extra baggage – in the form of four teens – that he and the others had carried on board. When they had returned, all of them had been carrying another male. He had already stashed Yugi in his room when the others arrived, and had instructed them to do the same. Seto had been carrying a lanky blonde in his arms and the look on the brunette's face showed that he did not want to talk about it. Bakura and Marik had two boys throw over their shoulders. They, however, were sporting cheshire-cat grins; something Yami knew was not good for anyone when they did. When they had stowed the smaller males away, all of them disappeared and he was forced to worry about Matsuo alone. Suddenly, a pale hand disrupts his vision, bringing him back to reality. He looks over to the other pirate.

"Yes?" he says coolly, trying to make it seem as if he hadn't just gone off into his own little world and completely ignored him.

"Do agree with my idea?"

"I normally do. What was it again?" the brunette sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

"I should've known you weren't listening." He mutters. Yami could only smirk.

"Seto, you have time later to be disappointed. Tell me your idea."

"I said that we should keep them. You, put them to work on the Millenium." Yami nods, watching Seto closely. He could've sworn that he saw amusement in those azure orbs. Maybe the lights were playing tricks on him…

"Captain, Matsuo's returned!" a nearby pirate exclaims. Both captain and first mate share a look and move to join the crown congregating on the other edge. His crewmembers quickly move out of his way, allowing him the spot in the front. Matsuo stands on the ground below, a cheeky smirk on his face. Yami glares at him.

"Well, well, well, look who decided to show up. Have a good time exploring the whole freakin' city?" He says in a falsely casual nature, although his flaming eyes gave him away. The pirates around him back away shrewdly, even Seto. No one wanted to be on the other end of Yami's anger.

"Well, as you can see, I had other business to attend to." Matsuo answers calmly, motioning to the effeminate bundle in his arms. Yami snorts.

"I don't care if you had been summoned by the Queen herself! That flare meant 'be here now', not enjoy the freakin' scenery! There are guards everywhere; our presence is known. You could have gotten caught you idiot!" Yami shouts, his composure decreasing with every passing second. Matsuo nods gravely, although smiling inwardly. He knew Yami was actually worried about him and the safety of the crew, although he dared not show it. Yami sees his crewmember's affirmative nod and motions to a nearby human to open the door (3). He scurries away and down the hatch, not wanting to anger the captain anymore than necessary. A few seconds later, the door falls open and slams against the dock, making it splinter and crack. Matsuo boards it quickly, not wanting to be on the dock if it collapsed, but also because of the unnerving fact that they had been spotted. Best not risk getting caught because of his delay. It was hard climbing the ladder with Aiko in his arms, but the task was accomplished. When he emerges from the hatch, he approaches Yami to ask him where to put the young woman. Yami points towards his room silently. Matsuo nods and sets off towards the room. He opens the door next to the cabin door and descends down a long hallway. To his right is a wooden door. He opens it and steps in quietly. To his surprise, four males had been placed in different places around Yami's room. There was Yami look-a-like on his bed, a white-haired boy in the large desk chair, a blonde curled up on the floor (bet you can guess who this is!), and another blonde placed precariously on a couch in the corner. He raises an eyebrow, but decides to talk to Yami about it later. He gently places Aiko on the bed. She stirs, emitting a soft moan. He smiles, reaching forward and brushing her bangs out of her face. His eyes widen and he pulls away. What was he doing? He just thought she was cute, nothing more. In a way that completely contradicted his previous thought, he grabs a pair of pants and a shirt from the nearby drawer as well as a pair of boots for her to where instead of the heeled ones she was wearing now. Yami was about her size, and he was sure she didn't want to be walking around the ship in a dress. He places them next to the bed, on the floor. He slips out of the room, a troubled expression on his face at the new emotions rising up in him. He walks down the hallway and out onto the deck. Yami was over near the wheel. The young captain notices his return and turns to the crew.

"All right, let's get her out of here as fast as possible." He commands. The pirates grumble, but move to do their duties, their sense of self-preservation kicking in. None of them would survive an arrest by the Navy's men. Yami smirks and looks towards the cabin. It was going to be interesting explaining to them why the raid was canceled. Now all they had to do was wait for their prizes to wake up…

Time skip…

"Hmm, kitten." A deep voice purrs near Malik's ear, sending shivers down his spine. He knew that voice from somewhere, but he couldn't quite place it. The vibrations that flew through him – which felt wonderful, by the way – were certainly familiar. The mouth that housed that voice latches onto his throat, sucking lightly, making him bite his lips to suppress a whimper of delight. Instead he changes it into a warning growl. Suddenly, it pulls away, and he couldn't stop his whimper of disappointment. He gasps as he feels something run along his throat, leaving a wet trail in its wake. The man (the voice was too deep to be a woman's) chuckles seductively, moving his tongue to trace the shell of Malik's ear. Meanwhile, nimble fingers trace the muscles of his stomach, moving lower, ever lower. He gulps, knowing exactly where this was going…

Something shakes him roughly awake, and he flops painfully onto his stomach, his face becoming uncomfortably intimate with the hard floor. He groans in pain and rolls over onto his back.

"Heh, sorry dude." A familiar voice says. He looks up to see Jou standing over him. He glares at his fellow blonde, earning a sheepish grin in return. A tanned hand appears in front of him and he accepts it. Jou hauls Malik to his feet. Malik looks around in surprise at the fact that the others were also here.

"You go wake up Aiko and Yug'. I'll wake Ry up." Jou murmurs, moving toward the white-haired male in a nearby chair. He seemed to be whimpering in his sleep. It didn't seem to be in fear; in fact, it seemed to be a longing whimper. Wait; was there a blush on Ryou's face? He shakes his head and walks over to the small boy, shaking his shoulder gently. Mocha eyes flutter open. Ryou looks up at him, blinking sleep wearily away.

"Jou?" Ryou says in confusion. He looks around and sits up abruptly in alarm. "Where are we?" he asks fearfully. This room was so unfamiliar; he was sure he had never been in it before. A heavy hand falls on his shoulder.

"It's alright, Ry." Ryou could only nod and send him a nervous smile in return for Jou's reassuring one. It would be all right as long as the others were there. Jou turns to see how Malik was progressing. So far, only Yugi – who seemed to be rubbing his head in pain and pouting cutely – was awake. The little boy was trying desperately to get the only female to wake up, and Malik was watching on the sidelines. Yugi blows some of his bangs out of his face in frustration.

"Could you do something, Malik?" he sighs. Malik smiles deviously. Yugi looks over to his other friends, who could only smile reassuringly at him. Malik walks over to Aiko and bends over her ear, sending a smirk to the others. He takes a deep breath and…

"WAKE UP, AIKO!" he yells into her ear.

"GAH!" she cries, snapping up and banging her head straight into Malik's. She sits up in and clutches her head.

"Oh, my head." She moans in pain. She looks around the room, noticing Malik standing there holding his own head. Normally, she would have started yelling at the blonde, but her head hurt too much for her to care. She looks around her in surprise.

"Where…where are we?" she asks in surprise and slight fear. Yugi helps her up using her elbow.

"That's what we're trying to find out, actually." Jou mutters, running his fingers through his sandy hair. Ryou sighs softly. What could have happened to get them here? He barely remembered the night before. The extent of his memory stopped at when Anzu had decided she wanted them to help her shop. Then, there was nothing.

Aiko rubs her hand against her throbbing neck and freezes when she felt a small puncture where her neck met her shoulder. She gulps slightly.

"Hey, Jou, what does this look like to you?" she cranes her neck to give him a better view.

"Whoa, that doesn't look too good Aiko."

"Really?"

"Hai, go look at it." Jou points to a full-body mirror opposite the bed. She obliges and leans forward to examine her neck as best she could.

"I wonder who – or what, for that matter – could have done this…" Aiko murmurs.

"You mean you don't know?" Ryou asks. Aiko sighs softly and nods, running her fingers absentmindedly over the puncture. She sighs again and walks to the bed, plopping down on it. Yugi follow suit, and Malik, Ryou, and Jou sit in a semi-circle in front of the bed. A pensive passes over their faces as they try to remember what had happened the night before.

Yugi sighs, his bangs fluttering and falling gently on his forehead. Suddenly, a pair of blood red eyes enters his mind. Wait, red eyes…He stiffens as everything comes rushing back to him. His cheeks turn a bright pink as he remembers exactly who owned those piercing eyes. A deep voice filters through his mind, making Yugi suppress a shiver that ran down his spine.

"You guys…I think I know where we are…" he mutters slowly.

"What?!" they answer. Yugi ignores their outburst and runs over to a nearby window. He looks out, the sight before him confirming his thoughts. He turns to his friends with wide eyes. Malik runs up to him.

"Where are we, Yugi?! Tell me!" Malik says, shaking the small boy.

"We…we're on the Dark Millennium." His grave words hang in the air like a storm cloud. The others stare at him with surprise etched into their features. Their eyes widen as well as everything comes rushing back to them, too. To Yugi's surprise, all of his friends had blushes on their faces as well.

Malik's face twists into an unbecoming scowl as he finally places who the man was who had him so flustered in his dream. Honestly, he was happy that he was on the ship. Don't get him wrong; he would love to go back to Domino. But he also wanted to be here to smack that stupid smirk off Mariku's face for kidnapping him. He wasn't even going to try to fathom the other reason he really wanted to see him…

Ryou gently places his fingers on his tingling lips, remembering the searing kiss that Bakura had stolen from him. It hadn't been his first, but it was the first one he had actually wanted. One thought flutters through his mind that destroyed the happy feeling that had bubbled up inside him: had Bakura kissed him because he wanted to, or was it because he wanted to distract him well enough to kidnap him? He hoped it was the former, or possibly both. That would make it seem like Bakura wanted to kiss and be around him, right? The shy boy gently nibbles his bottom lip nervously; he seemed to do that whenever he was nervous.

Jou glowers at the far wall, the semblance of a pout on his lips. He was forcefully trying to suppress the blush that had spread over his cheeks, and it wasn't working so far. He did not like the fact that remembering Seto made him blush. That jerk had not only knocked him out quite violently, but he had the nerve to kidnap him and bring him on this stupid ship! Oh he couldn't wait to get his hands on him…he crosses his arms over his chest, the pout becoming more profound. No he was not sulking, thank you very much! He liked to call it brooding. It sounded so much more dignified, and he wasn't anything without his dignity or his pride.

Aiko runs her fingers over the puncture for the hundredth time. She just could not get over how it felt or how she had gotten it. At least she knew that Mat had done it and not some freak off the street. Well, now that she thought about it, Mat – could she really call him Mat? – could be one, too. And he had seemed like such a gentleman, too…Well, of he was a freak, then he was the cutest freak she had ever met. Not that she met many of them, mind you. Unless you counted her friends…She giggles at her own joke, drawing confused looks from said friends. She blushes again, this time from looking like an idiot. Kami, why did she want to see Mat again so badly? He had kidnapped her and taken her to some strange place away from her home, and yet she could only really focus on seeing him again, looking his smoky gray eyes again. She lays her hand in her hands. Why must emotions be so confusing?

"Um, are you guys alright?" Yugi asks uncertainly. Aiko and Ryou looked troubled, and Jou and Malik looked ready to kill something.

Before any of them could answer, a loud knock sounds from behind the door, startling them. Yugi spins around and looks fearfully at the door. He glances back at his friends nervously. The doorknob jiggles furiously as the person behind the door tries to open, only to find that it was locked. The person utters a string of incoherent curses and bangs something, what they hoped was their fist, against the oaken door again.

"A'ight, open the door this instant or I'll open it m'self!" a booming voice calls from behind the door.

"Jou, you open it!" Malik hisses, pushing Jou's shoulder lightly towards the door. Apparently, the blonde wasn't having any of that, because he didn't budge in the slightest.

"I opened the door last time (see chapter 2); you do it!" he hisses back, pulling the unwilling blonde towards the door. Malik tries to pull back, but the other three immediately push him towards the door that was practically convulsing under its attacker's crushing blows.

Malik walks dejectedly towards the door, sending a glare over his shoulder at his friends, earning only sheepish smiles in return.

"Some friends they are…throwing me to the wolves like that…I hope their happy." He grumbles under his breath.

"A'ight, you humans, I'm comin' – oh, there you are." The voice says as Malik flings the door open. The teens inside stare at the owner of the voice in shock and fear. A large, bulky man stands in front of Malik, towering over the blonde. The man pushes past the shocked Egyptian into the room. He couldn't help but smirk at the looks of fear on their faces. Most humans looked that way when they saw him; they seemed to be made of weaker stuff than him. These humans were very pretty, each in their own way; it seemed that only Matsuo had a taste in the opposite sex. Three of them, though, look like sweeter, more innocent version of three of the leading pirates. Well, Yami, Marik, and Bakura had always been a little narcissistic…

"Who…who are you?" Jou asks warily, trying to keep his voice from wavering.

The large man smirks at his question.

"I am Unga, the cook on this 'ere ship. I was sent here to put ya ta work, Captain's orders."

"Work?" Ryou says, tilting his head to the side cutely.

"As in 'manual labor?'" Malik says, holding up his pointer and middle fingers on both hands and scrunching them in a way that is most fondly deemed 'bunny ears,' with not a small amount of disgust. He did not do manual labor.

" O'course." Unga chuckles at their shocked faces. Jou just rolls his eyes. He should have expected this. Only Seto would derive some sort of sick pleasure out of putting them to work.

"If you'll folla me, we'll find out what ya c'n do on tha ship." The teens file resignedly out as Unga steps aside for them to pass. The males make it passed him, but he puts his arm out to stop Aiko before she could get very far.

"Sorry miss, but you should go change." He says, his tone suddenly serious.

"Why?"

"Well, the men on this ship have been stuck here for months on end witout any stops to the shore and only one woman who would kill them if they even t'ought of going after her. There a li'l…restless if ya catch ma drift." Her eyes widen. They wouldn't really do what he was implying, would they? Well, they were criminals, after all. She nods numbly and walks back into the room.

"We'll be waitin' fer ya outside." He says, with slight embarrassment. The door closes softly soon after. She walks over and locks the door for some piece of mind. Who knew what could be on the ship, especially seeing Unga's size. She wasn't taking any chances. She turns towards the bed, looking for any clothes for her to change into. To her surprise, a small white and brown bundle rested on the edge of the bed and a pair of boots was lying beside it. She bends down and begins to untie her boots and slips them off. She straightens and unbuttons her dress, allowing it to fall to the floor, for the buttons reached all the way down to her waist. She grabs the pants first and slips them on. Surprisingly, the pants fit snuggly around her waist. The shirt came second, hiding her corset – which she refused to take off, thank you very much – easily. It was loose enough that it didn't show any of her top assets, so as not to give the crew any ideas, but it was tight enough that it didn't hang off her too much. She grabs the boots and quickly slips them on over her slim feet. They were a little wider than her feet, but she could manage. When she finished, she walks to the door and opens it to reveal the hallway behind it. This hallway was made of metal, with intertwined, squealing pipes pumping out small tufts of steam. The pipes were so meshed together that no light or sound passed through them, for there were no spaces in between the pipes, which came in different sizes (basically, their wall is made of pipes). Her friends were waiting outside with Unga. Jou and Malik were leaning against a larger pipe, shooting wary glances to Unga. Ryou and Yugi were looking at Unga with something akin to fear or awe. Jou notices her appearance first, and smiles at her, pushing away from the wall. Unga notices second, walking down the hall and motioning for them to follow him.

Yugi stares at Unga from behind. He couldn't get over the man's sheer size. It wasn't that he was taller than Yugi; it was that he was so much wider than the small boy. The flaming hair atop his head gave him a few inches. It didn't help that his eyes looked like lit embers, and seemed to see into his very soul. The flaming man looks back at him after feeling eyes boring into the back of his head. He smirks at Yugi, who could only smile weakly in return. Jou growls lowly in his throat, as if warning Unga. He did not like it when people threatened the people he cared about, whether intentionally or not. Unga looks over to the blonde in surprise, although he was not at all afraid. The blonde was too thin and wiry to seem very intimidating. Finally, they reach the end of the hall. Unga pushes the door open and all of them file out onto the deck. The teens – except Malik, who was sulking too much to care – stare at the deck in wonder. The masts loomed high over them with ropes thrown in a seemingly haphazard way in the air above them. Some of the crew had stopped to look at them in surprise. The ones that did didn't stare long; Unga had that look on his face that clearly said that they would be in for it if they didn't get back to work. They were led to a small table stationed near a large cauldron that seemed to be bolted to the deck of the ship, which was made of metal instead of wood. Perfectly fitted plates created the surface they were standing on, and they could see larger plates than the rest were littered around the deck. Several pirates would randomly lift the plates up by an unseen handle and disappear below the deck.

"You, and you! C'mere fer a sec." Unga calls to two nearby boys. One was small, with fur all over his face, hands, and every inch of exposed skin. A thin tail swayed lazily behind him. The other could pass for a normal human if not for the pair of feathery wings that were folded behind his back.

"Aye, sir?" they say in unison, saluting smartly.

"Quit yer salutin'. You, monkey-boy, take these two – the two blondes – wit ya below deck an' show him what ya supposed ta do down dere."

"Wait, what?" Jou says in confusion. A furry hand grasps his and Malik's hand and begins to lead them away.

"Hey!" Malik protests, although he didn't struggle much.

"Just go, you guys. We'll meet up later." Yugi says softly, pushing them towards where the furry boy was leading them. They sigh, but follow, although they complained the whole way there.

"An' you," Unga says when the trio reaches one of the large hatches, "You take these two – the brunette and the little shorty here – wit ya an' show 'em what ya do on the ship." The boy nods again and drags Yugi – who had a pout on his face from the 'shorty' comment (he wasn't short, dangit, he was vertically challenged) – and Aiko, who didn't looked too thrilled to leave Ryou all on his lonesome. Unga whirls on Ryou, who cowers at the man's menacing smirk.

"C'n ya cook, little man?"

"Y-yes." Ryou squeaks. Unga smiles happily for the first time since they met.

"Good. You'll be workin' wit me."

Both males walk towards the cook's station, the smaller more timidly than the other. Aboard the ship, all pirates - and guests - go about their business as normal.

Unfortunately for them, none of them heard the bottom hatch release, nor saw the small dingy sailing away from the Millenium out into surrounding space.

NOT PART OF THE STORY:

No.1: I made it so the DM can withstand space and water. It makes it easier for the story and how they can come to Domino.

No.2: This Code is the Pirate's Code, like in POTC (don't feel like writing the whole name…). I don't know if this is in the pirate code, but I put it here anyway.

No.3: I figured I might as well explain the whole 'human' thing. If they are not from Earth, then they are not called humans by the masses. In this world, it is technically politically incorrect, but the 'humans' first used it when they came in contact with people from another world. It's kinda like how African-Americans were treated in America before the civil rights movement, only the people are from other planets. The planets are like countries, considering they all are subjects to the Queen (who will make her debut in the next chapter…you'll never believe who she is!), who is like the Queen of England during colonial times.