Greetings! Welcome to the latest chapter in this long and conflicted tale.
I have to confess that I keep getting my two stories confused. I started to
write this one, but it was with the characters from the other story. I was
about halfway finished when I realized I was writing the wrong thing and
had to start over again. But the good thing is that I have half the next
chapter of Intruders written. . . yay me! I'm finally healed *cheers*. No
more cough. . . well, once in a while, but not constantly anymore.
Important note at the end, so please read it!
Reviews:
Yami-Yugi3: Here's more!
Ginger Ninja: Well, you readers are kind to me, so I wanted to reward you all. *hugs readers* I think Kaiba had a lapse there where Joey was concerned. And yes, Yugi is alive, I could never, ever, kill him.
Yugiohfreak: thank you very much for the compliment! I'm glad you're enjoying the story.
Adrienne: No, you can't hurt your Kano plushie just yet, because I might still need him. I'll tell you when you can pluck his eyes out, how's that? I found the story and started reading again. my, it has lots of chapters. But I love that. I haven't had a chance to read past chapter 13, but I'll get to the end eventually. About Joey: I don't usually pair up anyone, because romance just isn't my style. However, Joey needed to have an older woman lover, so I made one up. It wouldn't have worked if it was someone we already knew.
Hobbit13: Harris is in this chapter, so give me cookie!! *jumps up to get cookie*. Jomei will always be a part of Yugi. getting to the point where both personalities merge is going to be hard, though. The trust issue is going to take a while to resolve, so it's going to be interesting.
Mittens No Hikari: An attentive reader! What more could I ask for? Here's more!
Miss Lous: It would have been way too cruel to have Joey lose everything. Besides, it would have added so many chapters to an already terribly long fic. I keep expecting all of my readers to desert me out of sheer boredom from this long fic. *looks around to make sure readers are still there*. Thanks!
Naomi SilverWolf: Thank you!
Sorceress Vanessa: Thanks for the cookies *hides them from muse* Yes, I definitely liked writing Joey a whole lot, so I hope to have him involved. Ryou and Bakura too, but I haven't quite figured out how to bring them back just yet.
Doshanti: *blushes* Thank you very much!
Yami Kitsune1: Wow, thank you! It's good to leave people speechless once in a while. So you thought it was boring when you saw it listed, huh? Maybe I should change the summary *ponders new summary*. I'm glad you decided to give it a try after all. Thanks!
Sarah Harvey: You made my day with your review. Thank you very much! Sorry about the occasional sadness. I can't help it. I think I'm just naturally inclined towards angst. I'm very glad that you gave the fic a try and enjoyed it.
Fin-Phoenix: You're very welcome. That was a crueler than normal cliffhanger, so I didn't want you to have to suffer more than necessary, especially when I had the chapter written already.
Marissa: I hope the wait wasn't too long. Thanks!
Oklina: You gave up food for the story? Wow. I'm flattered that you liked this one that much. Poor Yugi is right. He's just too adorable not to mess with! That sounds sadistic, doesn't it? ^_^ I completely agree with you about Ryou and Bakura. Thank you very much for reminding me of them, and of the role they had at the beginning. I need to bring them back in somehow *sends muse off to ponder Ryou and Bakura* A review is never boring, so I thank you for your comments. Good luck with your own writing!
Saiyan Jedi: Hey there! Thank you so much for checking out my other fics too! Pain the Sky with Stars is still my favorite, because it was my first fic. I'm so happy that you liked it and Blink of an Eye too. This one too, of course. I hope that you continue to do so. Oh, and thanks for the cyber cough medicine. It helped. I'm all better now ^_^
Lizzy: Yeah, Joey is straight. I don't usually do pairings, but this one was necessary. Compared to Malik, Kaiba is a piece of cake. I'm contemplating a Malik fic at the moment, so getting into his head is going to be interesting. You don't have to worry about Mike. . . he's what he seems, a nice guy. He really does want to help. Thanks!
Amiasha Ruri: funny how that happens when you press the wrong keys. My native language is Spanish, so when I e-mail my dad, I always forget the key strokes to get the Spanish letters that the English alphabet doesn't have. I mess around and get the funkiest stuff. *Amunra waves poms along with Amiasha* three cheers for Yugi and memories. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter!
Vappa: What did you think I was going to do with Joey? Just curious. Nope, not another Jomei. My poor, confused mind couldn't have handled it.
Kyuugi: I'm so sorry for leaving out my response to your review for the last chapter. I have no clue how I missed it. You like Jou/Seto, huh? I do too. . . I like so many yaoi pairings that I should buckle down and just write a yaoi fic. Sigh. . . maybe someday.
YumeTakato: Hey there, another Seto/Jou fan! *cheers*. I'm glad you're enjoying the story.
Lady Elfskye: The song is so good and it seemed to fit the fic so well. Then again, I love using songs in fics. There are just so many good ones. You're too funny, but Joey and Yugi do need to be smacked upside the head. Maybe in a few chapters. Thanks!
Some evil, insane person: ^_^ I like your nickname. I'd have to be the evil, sadistic person. I think that to a writer, everyone else's fics are always better. I always think that the fics I read are better than mine. . . sigh. It's killer for the self confidence thing. All you can do is believe in your writing and your talent. Okay, so you didn't ask for advice ^__^. Thanks for reviewing.
Kairi-sama: ^__^ Sugar highs are great, aren't they?? Thanks for reviewing.
On to the story:
**~~**
Part 23: Trusting
Kaiba plopped down on one of the couches in the living room, wondering where Mr. Moto had gone. The elder man had been waiting for Joey when Kaiba had decided to go up and see what was taking him so long. Kaiba shrugged. He didn't really care where the man was anyway. This was his house, so Kaiba was sure he could take care of himself.
He stretched his long body, wincing as his neck and lower back cracked. He massaged his shoulders and noticed that they were tight with tension. He sighed. He felt weary, exhausted. He hadn't been lying to Wheeler when he said he hadn't slept in the past three days. Guilt at having let Yugi run out of his house had spurred him on, making him want to find the two missing teens more than anything. Mokuba's constant and frightened queries had only added to the pressure, and Kaiba had made it his mission to find Yugi and Joey. Now that he'd only managed to find Wheeler, he felt like he'd failed.
Suddenly, he felt hot. He pulled the trench coat off and set it on the couch beside him. The blood stain on it drew his attention, and a picture of Wheeler's bloody wrists and bruised chest popped into his head. What had they done to him? Wheeler had no idea, except for that little lapse of his when he'd said he'd heard Yugi. Kaiba didn't know what had gone on in the bathroom between Wheeler and Mr. Moto earlier, but the old man's expression had not been encouraging when he'd come out. Who knows, maybe Wheeler had gotten the bruises somewhere else, from that hooker, perhaps? Kaiba shuddered. Why had Wheeler felt the need to go to a place like that?
'I'll have to have a talk with him about that," he thought, then frowned. "A kid his age has no business in those places.'
Why did he care about what Wheeler did? It was his life; he could waste it in any way he wanted to. It's not like Wheeler had ever treated him with anything but contempt. Why should he care what the mutt got involved in?
Kaiba sighed, and leaned his head against the arm rest. His eyes slipped closed, and he felt his breathing slow down a bit. It felt so good to not think for a little while. He'd just give himself a minute to relax and clear his head, and then he'd go back to figuring out what their next move was.
****
"Mom, can we go in there? They have Duel Monster cards!"
The little boy pulled on his mother's hand, trying to get her to step into the game shop they were passing. She looked down at him, smiled, and then looked up at the man with her and smiled again.
"We can go in there for a little bit, okay, Seto?"
Seto nodded enthusiastically. He slipped free of his mother's grasp and pushed open the heavy, glass door. As soon as he was inside, his face broke out into a grin. Not only did this place have Duel Monster cards, it had a lot of other neat games. He looked around, too short to reach the top of the counters, but he could still press his face against the glass and look at the stuff inside.
"Be careful, Seto. You don't want to break anything."
"I'll be really careful, Dad, I promise!" Seto called back, not really looking at his father.
He made his way up to the front, admiring all the games the shop had. At the very front, all of the cards were kept behind the counter. He looked at all of them, wishing he could just take them all with him.
"Yugi, be careful! You're going to break your leg if you keep jumping down the stairs like that!"
Seto looked up as the man behind the counter yelled. A door opened to his left, and Seto was startled to see a little boy come flying out of it. The boy was shorter than he was, and Seto assumed that he was much younger too. The kid didn't see him standing there, and ran straight into him. Both boys fell to the ground in a tangle of arms and legs.
"Seto!"
"Yugi!"
His father reached down and picked him up, while the elder man with the weird hair behind the counter picked up the other boy.
"I'm sorry," the weird haired man said, looking at Seto's parents. "Yugi is a hyper child, and we can't keep him still for very long." He turned his attention to the boy, whose hair looked a lot like the older man's. "What do we say, Yugi?"
Yugi looked at Seto, his violet eyes wide and teary. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to knock you down,"
Seto smiled. "It's okay, I know you didn't mean it."
"Don't worry about it. Seto is okay. They're children, after all," Seto's mother said, smiling in that way Seto loved.
"Does your son play Duel Monsters? He seemed very interested in the cards."
Seto's father laughed, and hugged him. "He just picked it up, and likes to drag us to every shop that sells the cards. Is the little boy yours?"
The shop owner chuckled. "He's my grandson. My son and daughter in law are visiting, and Yugi likes to spend his time at the shop. He's just learned to play Duel Monsters too."
The man walked behind the counter, rummaged in an old box, and then gave Yugi a card.
"Yugi, why don't you give this to Seto as an apology for running into him?"
Yugi grinned, and held out the card. "Here you go! I'm very sorry!"
Seto took the card. It was a spellcaster named Rouge Doll. He examined the attack and defense points, realizing that it was a really good card.
"Oh, wow. Thank you!"
"Are sure we can't pay you for that?" Seto's mother asked.
"It's my pleasure. Maybe your son and my grandson can get together and play sometime. Yugi doesn't have many friends when he visits, and it gets rather lonely at the shop."
Seto nodded, liking the idea of having someone else to play with. "Yeah, dad, can I?"
Seto's father nodded. "Sure, Seto. I'm sure that you and Yugi can become good friends."
****
The sensation of tears falling down his cheeks woke Kaiba. For a moment, he simply let the emotion of the dream engulf him. He didn't dream of his parents very often, but when he did, the dream usually left him feeling as if a whole had been dug into his heart. He moved his hand to wipe at his face, but when he opened his eyes, he found that someone had draped a warm blanket over him while he slept. The fleece was soft and very comfortable, and Kaiba was tempted to remain underneath it to rest a little while longer. He knew that he couldn't, though.
He pushed the blanket off him and wiped his face. He hadn't remembered that, but now that he thought about it, he had been to the Moto's shop before that time he'd come to look at the Blue Eyes. He had completely forgotten about meeting Yugi when he was seven, and the card he'd been given that day. Kaiba took his deck out of his pocket and looked through it, until he found Rouge Doll. He'd always carried it, but hadn't really known why. It wasn't a particularly strong card, but he'd always liked it. How could he have forgotten how it had come into his possession?
"Bad dream?"
Startled, Kaiba looked up to find Mr. Moto on the other side of the couch, watching him. A part of him felt anger at the man because he'd been spying on him, while another remembered what he'd felt the day the man had given Yugi the card to give to him.
"I just remembered how I got this," Kaiba said softly, holding up the card.
Mr. Moto nodded and wheeled himself closer.
"Every time he visited, Yugi asked me when you'd be coming by."
Kaiba thought back, wondering himself why he hadn't come back to the shop.
"Mokuba was born shortly after that, and neither mom nor dad had time to bring me. And then. . ." he trailed off.
Mr. Moto nodded, understanding clearly in his eyes. "My son and daughter and law were killed around the same time. Yugi didn't really remember anything else after that, except how much he missed his parents. I'm not sure if he remembers meeting you that day."
Kaiba shuffled the deck, and put it back in his pocket. "He probably does. He was always nice to me at school, even when I treated him poorly, even when I gave you a heart attack."
Mr. Moto didn't say anything; he simply sat in his chair and watched Kaiba.
They were spared from further conversation by Joey's arrival, Harris trailing after the teen.
"Mr. Kaiba, we found the car."
Kaiba immediately got up. "Where was it?"
"By the docks, close to the first location you told me about."
Mr. Moto frowned. "What does he mean?" he asked.
"The first time we went after Yugi, we found his pajamas in a warehouse by the docks. I told Harris about it when I sent him to find the car. It would appear they didn't change locations."
"We should go and check it out," Joey said. "We might find something."
Kaiba wasn't about to argue with Wheeler again. The last time they'd argued, they'd missed getting to Yugi.
"Fine, let's go."
**~~**
Yugi shivered as he entered the apartment. The place was small, but clean, and looked very cozy. The thick carpet underneath his feet felt warm and inviting, and the couches in the living room reminded Yugi of just how tired he was. The cold air also reminded him of how unclothed and wet he was.
"There's a bathroom just down that hall," Mike said pointing to a hall to the right. "You can shower, while I look for some clothes for you."
Yugi smiled at that. He doubted Mike had anything that would fit him.
"My nephew spent a few weeks with me at the beginning of the summer," Mike explained, "I think he left some stuff behind."
Yugi nodded, and walked out of the living room. When he got to the bathroom, he closed and locked the door behind him. He stood for a moment, leaning against it, trying to get his thoughts in order. It wasn't easy, because it felt as if he were seeing the world through two different filters: one that belonged to him and had his beliefs, morals, and fears, and one that belonged to a stranger, someone whose beliefs and morals didn't completely match his. He hadn't been able to merge the two, and right now, Yugi felt too tired to even try.
He dropped the towel, and then peeled off what remained of his pants and underwear. He looked down at his body, for the first time seeing it under the harsh lights. There were scratches and medium sized gashes all over his feet, legs, stomach and chest, presumably from hitting debris while he'd been in the ocean. He had no doubt that his back looked the same. Bruises littered his skin too, most a light yellow color, which he knew would be black or blue in a day or two. Two, hand shaped bruises marred his thighs, and Yugi shuddered as that particular memory jumped to mind. Other, less noticeable, bruises in the same area, as well as his stomach and back side, completed the set.
His lips began to tremble, and he put a hand up to his mouth to stop the sobs that were sure to follow. He winced, however, when he touched his lips. Curious, he looked in the mirror, and gasped at what he saw. No wonder Mike had wanted to rush him to the hospital. His face was almost unrecognizable. His eyes were both swollen and bruised. He was surprised that he could still open them. His nose was slightly crooked and covered with dry blood. His lips were red and swollen; the lower one bleeding from where he'd had touched it earlier.
He suddenly felt weak, and had to catch himself on the edge of the sink before he fell to the floor. He pulled himself up, leaving bloody imprints on the white porcelain. He turned away from the sight, his stomach heaving. He rushed to the shower and quickly turned on the water, making it as hot as he could stand it. He stood under the spray, wincing as it hit his sore and aching shoulders. With shaky fingers, he reached out for the bar of soap. He lathered it as best he could and began to clean himself up.
When he was finished, his body stung from where soap had entered the various cuts. He didn't care. The pain signified that he was as clean as he could get. He shut off the water and grabbed a nearby towel. His hair clung to his face, but he didn't bother brushing it back. He stepped out of the shower, the towel wrapped around his waist, and realized that he didn't have anything to wear.
A loud knock on the door made him jump.
"Yugi, I found some clothes for you. I'll leave them on the floor, and you can get them when you're ready."
Yugi nodded, and then realized Mike couldn't see him. "Thanks."
He opened the door and picked up the bundle, then locked the door behind him again. Mike had given him a white tee shirt and a pair of navy blue sweats. The material was soft to the touch, and Yugi quickly dried himself and got dressed. He sighed, feeling better now that he was fully clothed again. The clothes fit him, which made Yugi wonder how old Mike's nephew was. He quickly dried his hair, trying not to look at himself in the mirror. The one glance he'd gotten had been more than enough. He took a deep breath, before stepping outside. He didn't know where he should go, so he went to the kitchen, where he found Mike heating something up in the stove.
"I'm heating up some soup, so take a seat at the table and I'll be right over."
"Can I help?" Yugi asked, feeling uncomfortable just standing there, being waited on.
"Its okay, Yugi, just rest. I'll take a look at those cuts after I get some food in you."
A short while later, Mike came to the table and brought two steaming bowls of soup. He set one in front of Yugi, which made Yuig's stomach roil with nausea. He tried to eat a little bit of it, but couldn't keep any of it down.
"Don't force yourself, Yugi. If your body doesn't want it, you shouldn't force it."
They were both quiet for a moment, their soups forgotten. Finally, Mike broke the silence.
"Are you going to tell me what happened?"
Yugi looked down at his soup, the thick noodles in the broth reminding him of his time spent in the ocean. He pushed the bowl away, and looked up at Mike. Slowly, but gaining speed as he spoke, Yugi told him everything, except what had happened with Kano. He didn't want anyone to know about that. Mike stared at him, his face a mixture of disbelief, shock, and anger.
"I can't believe they just threw you in the ocean. What kind of people are they?"
Yugi sighed. "They thought I was dead. Shadow wanted to kill me so I wouldn't go to the police."
"Why don't you do that now, Yugi? Why don't you turn them in?"
Yugi shook his head. "They have my friend, Mike. I have to find Joey and get him out before going after Shadow."
Mike regarded Yugi carefully. "So you want to go after him?"
Now that he thought about it, he wanted to go after the man, wanted to make him pay for what he'd done. He pondered that for a moment, realizing that it wasn't like him to want revenge. But he wanted it now, more than he'd ever wanted anything. He wanted Joey safe, and he wanted Shadow put away so he'd never hurt anyone again.
"Yes, I do. I'm going to have to go to the United States to do it."
Mike raised an eyebrow. "Why do you need to go to the US?"
"Shadow is an American chemist. He designed the drug he gave me, and I don't think he left his country willingly, not if he's in Japan dealing in kidnapped children. I want to know why he's here, and I can't get that information from sources here. I have to find out where he worked, where he's from, and where I can find him."
Mike tapped his fingers on the top of the table, his face thoughtful.
"How are you going to go about this? Do you even know his name? How do you know he went back home?"
"I vaguely remember hearing something about clearing out their operation, and going back home seems like the rational thing for him to do. I have no idea how to go about finding him; I just know that I need to. Shadow is the only one who knows where Joey is, and I have to find him."
Mike was silent for a moment, and Yugi could see his facial expressions change as the thoughts went through his mind.
"My brother lives in New Mexico," Mike finally said. "He's a Physicist at Los Alamos National Laboratory, and has access to records that we would never be able to touch. I can ask him to look for anything about shunned chemists."
Yugi smiled, for the first time feeling hope in an otherwise hopeless situation. The smile faded when he realized that someone else would have to find out about what had happened.
"You're willing to help me?" Yugi asked, incredulous.
Mike nodded. "It's nothing, and he's an excellent researcher. Don't worry, he's a good guy. You can trust him."
Sighing, Yugi nodded. He didn't have much of a choice, since he couldn't go at this alone.
"What are you going to do in the mean time?"
Yugi looked down at the table, knowing full well what he had to do.
"I need to go home."
**~~**
I just found a big, huge, plot hole. Ack! How in the **** am I going to get out of it??
Next up: I have no clue. I used to, until I found the hole, now what I had planned won't work. Okay, maybe you all can help. How many of you would like to see more of Yami in the story? He's been neglected for a reason, because he was going to be brought up later. Now, though, that may not be possible. If you all want him in the story, I'll have to find a way around my little problem. Damn, it's all Joey's fault! Just kidding.
Important note at the end, so please read it!
Reviews:
Yami-Yugi3: Here's more!
Ginger Ninja: Well, you readers are kind to me, so I wanted to reward you all. *hugs readers* I think Kaiba had a lapse there where Joey was concerned. And yes, Yugi is alive, I could never, ever, kill him.
Yugiohfreak: thank you very much for the compliment! I'm glad you're enjoying the story.
Adrienne: No, you can't hurt your Kano plushie just yet, because I might still need him. I'll tell you when you can pluck his eyes out, how's that? I found the story and started reading again. my, it has lots of chapters. But I love that. I haven't had a chance to read past chapter 13, but I'll get to the end eventually. About Joey: I don't usually pair up anyone, because romance just isn't my style. However, Joey needed to have an older woman lover, so I made one up. It wouldn't have worked if it was someone we already knew.
Hobbit13: Harris is in this chapter, so give me cookie!! *jumps up to get cookie*. Jomei will always be a part of Yugi. getting to the point where both personalities merge is going to be hard, though. The trust issue is going to take a while to resolve, so it's going to be interesting.
Mittens No Hikari: An attentive reader! What more could I ask for? Here's more!
Miss Lous: It would have been way too cruel to have Joey lose everything. Besides, it would have added so many chapters to an already terribly long fic. I keep expecting all of my readers to desert me out of sheer boredom from this long fic. *looks around to make sure readers are still there*. Thanks!
Naomi SilverWolf: Thank you!
Sorceress Vanessa: Thanks for the cookies *hides them from muse* Yes, I definitely liked writing Joey a whole lot, so I hope to have him involved. Ryou and Bakura too, but I haven't quite figured out how to bring them back just yet.
Doshanti: *blushes* Thank you very much!
Yami Kitsune1: Wow, thank you! It's good to leave people speechless once in a while. So you thought it was boring when you saw it listed, huh? Maybe I should change the summary *ponders new summary*. I'm glad you decided to give it a try after all. Thanks!
Sarah Harvey: You made my day with your review. Thank you very much! Sorry about the occasional sadness. I can't help it. I think I'm just naturally inclined towards angst. I'm very glad that you gave the fic a try and enjoyed it.
Fin-Phoenix: You're very welcome. That was a crueler than normal cliffhanger, so I didn't want you to have to suffer more than necessary, especially when I had the chapter written already.
Marissa: I hope the wait wasn't too long. Thanks!
Oklina: You gave up food for the story? Wow. I'm flattered that you liked this one that much. Poor Yugi is right. He's just too adorable not to mess with! That sounds sadistic, doesn't it? ^_^ I completely agree with you about Ryou and Bakura. Thank you very much for reminding me of them, and of the role they had at the beginning. I need to bring them back in somehow *sends muse off to ponder Ryou and Bakura* A review is never boring, so I thank you for your comments. Good luck with your own writing!
Saiyan Jedi: Hey there! Thank you so much for checking out my other fics too! Pain the Sky with Stars is still my favorite, because it was my first fic. I'm so happy that you liked it and Blink of an Eye too. This one too, of course. I hope that you continue to do so. Oh, and thanks for the cyber cough medicine. It helped. I'm all better now ^_^
Lizzy: Yeah, Joey is straight. I don't usually do pairings, but this one was necessary. Compared to Malik, Kaiba is a piece of cake. I'm contemplating a Malik fic at the moment, so getting into his head is going to be interesting. You don't have to worry about Mike. . . he's what he seems, a nice guy. He really does want to help. Thanks!
Amiasha Ruri: funny how that happens when you press the wrong keys. My native language is Spanish, so when I e-mail my dad, I always forget the key strokes to get the Spanish letters that the English alphabet doesn't have. I mess around and get the funkiest stuff. *Amunra waves poms along with Amiasha* three cheers for Yugi and memories. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter!
Vappa: What did you think I was going to do with Joey? Just curious. Nope, not another Jomei. My poor, confused mind couldn't have handled it.
Kyuugi: I'm so sorry for leaving out my response to your review for the last chapter. I have no clue how I missed it. You like Jou/Seto, huh? I do too. . . I like so many yaoi pairings that I should buckle down and just write a yaoi fic. Sigh. . . maybe someday.
YumeTakato: Hey there, another Seto/Jou fan! *cheers*. I'm glad you're enjoying the story.
Lady Elfskye: The song is so good and it seemed to fit the fic so well. Then again, I love using songs in fics. There are just so many good ones. You're too funny, but Joey and Yugi do need to be smacked upside the head. Maybe in a few chapters. Thanks!
Some evil, insane person: ^_^ I like your nickname. I'd have to be the evil, sadistic person. I think that to a writer, everyone else's fics are always better. I always think that the fics I read are better than mine. . . sigh. It's killer for the self confidence thing. All you can do is believe in your writing and your talent. Okay, so you didn't ask for advice ^__^. Thanks for reviewing.
Kairi-sama: ^__^ Sugar highs are great, aren't they?? Thanks for reviewing.
On to the story:
**~~**
Part 23: Trusting
Kaiba plopped down on one of the couches in the living room, wondering where Mr. Moto had gone. The elder man had been waiting for Joey when Kaiba had decided to go up and see what was taking him so long. Kaiba shrugged. He didn't really care where the man was anyway. This was his house, so Kaiba was sure he could take care of himself.
He stretched his long body, wincing as his neck and lower back cracked. He massaged his shoulders and noticed that they were tight with tension. He sighed. He felt weary, exhausted. He hadn't been lying to Wheeler when he said he hadn't slept in the past three days. Guilt at having let Yugi run out of his house had spurred him on, making him want to find the two missing teens more than anything. Mokuba's constant and frightened queries had only added to the pressure, and Kaiba had made it his mission to find Yugi and Joey. Now that he'd only managed to find Wheeler, he felt like he'd failed.
Suddenly, he felt hot. He pulled the trench coat off and set it on the couch beside him. The blood stain on it drew his attention, and a picture of Wheeler's bloody wrists and bruised chest popped into his head. What had they done to him? Wheeler had no idea, except for that little lapse of his when he'd said he'd heard Yugi. Kaiba didn't know what had gone on in the bathroom between Wheeler and Mr. Moto earlier, but the old man's expression had not been encouraging when he'd come out. Who knows, maybe Wheeler had gotten the bruises somewhere else, from that hooker, perhaps? Kaiba shuddered. Why had Wheeler felt the need to go to a place like that?
'I'll have to have a talk with him about that," he thought, then frowned. "A kid his age has no business in those places.'
Why did he care about what Wheeler did? It was his life; he could waste it in any way he wanted to. It's not like Wheeler had ever treated him with anything but contempt. Why should he care what the mutt got involved in?
Kaiba sighed, and leaned his head against the arm rest. His eyes slipped closed, and he felt his breathing slow down a bit. It felt so good to not think for a little while. He'd just give himself a minute to relax and clear his head, and then he'd go back to figuring out what their next move was.
****
"Mom, can we go in there? They have Duel Monster cards!"
The little boy pulled on his mother's hand, trying to get her to step into the game shop they were passing. She looked down at him, smiled, and then looked up at the man with her and smiled again.
"We can go in there for a little bit, okay, Seto?"
Seto nodded enthusiastically. He slipped free of his mother's grasp and pushed open the heavy, glass door. As soon as he was inside, his face broke out into a grin. Not only did this place have Duel Monster cards, it had a lot of other neat games. He looked around, too short to reach the top of the counters, but he could still press his face against the glass and look at the stuff inside.
"Be careful, Seto. You don't want to break anything."
"I'll be really careful, Dad, I promise!" Seto called back, not really looking at his father.
He made his way up to the front, admiring all the games the shop had. At the very front, all of the cards were kept behind the counter. He looked at all of them, wishing he could just take them all with him.
"Yugi, be careful! You're going to break your leg if you keep jumping down the stairs like that!"
Seto looked up as the man behind the counter yelled. A door opened to his left, and Seto was startled to see a little boy come flying out of it. The boy was shorter than he was, and Seto assumed that he was much younger too. The kid didn't see him standing there, and ran straight into him. Both boys fell to the ground in a tangle of arms and legs.
"Seto!"
"Yugi!"
His father reached down and picked him up, while the elder man with the weird hair behind the counter picked up the other boy.
"I'm sorry," the weird haired man said, looking at Seto's parents. "Yugi is a hyper child, and we can't keep him still for very long." He turned his attention to the boy, whose hair looked a lot like the older man's. "What do we say, Yugi?"
Yugi looked at Seto, his violet eyes wide and teary. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to knock you down,"
Seto smiled. "It's okay, I know you didn't mean it."
"Don't worry about it. Seto is okay. They're children, after all," Seto's mother said, smiling in that way Seto loved.
"Does your son play Duel Monsters? He seemed very interested in the cards."
Seto's father laughed, and hugged him. "He just picked it up, and likes to drag us to every shop that sells the cards. Is the little boy yours?"
The shop owner chuckled. "He's my grandson. My son and daughter in law are visiting, and Yugi likes to spend his time at the shop. He's just learned to play Duel Monsters too."
The man walked behind the counter, rummaged in an old box, and then gave Yugi a card.
"Yugi, why don't you give this to Seto as an apology for running into him?"
Yugi grinned, and held out the card. "Here you go! I'm very sorry!"
Seto took the card. It was a spellcaster named Rouge Doll. He examined the attack and defense points, realizing that it was a really good card.
"Oh, wow. Thank you!"
"Are sure we can't pay you for that?" Seto's mother asked.
"It's my pleasure. Maybe your son and my grandson can get together and play sometime. Yugi doesn't have many friends when he visits, and it gets rather lonely at the shop."
Seto nodded, liking the idea of having someone else to play with. "Yeah, dad, can I?"
Seto's father nodded. "Sure, Seto. I'm sure that you and Yugi can become good friends."
****
The sensation of tears falling down his cheeks woke Kaiba. For a moment, he simply let the emotion of the dream engulf him. He didn't dream of his parents very often, but when he did, the dream usually left him feeling as if a whole had been dug into his heart. He moved his hand to wipe at his face, but when he opened his eyes, he found that someone had draped a warm blanket over him while he slept. The fleece was soft and very comfortable, and Kaiba was tempted to remain underneath it to rest a little while longer. He knew that he couldn't, though.
He pushed the blanket off him and wiped his face. He hadn't remembered that, but now that he thought about it, he had been to the Moto's shop before that time he'd come to look at the Blue Eyes. He had completely forgotten about meeting Yugi when he was seven, and the card he'd been given that day. Kaiba took his deck out of his pocket and looked through it, until he found Rouge Doll. He'd always carried it, but hadn't really known why. It wasn't a particularly strong card, but he'd always liked it. How could he have forgotten how it had come into his possession?
"Bad dream?"
Startled, Kaiba looked up to find Mr. Moto on the other side of the couch, watching him. A part of him felt anger at the man because he'd been spying on him, while another remembered what he'd felt the day the man had given Yugi the card to give to him.
"I just remembered how I got this," Kaiba said softly, holding up the card.
Mr. Moto nodded and wheeled himself closer.
"Every time he visited, Yugi asked me when you'd be coming by."
Kaiba thought back, wondering himself why he hadn't come back to the shop.
"Mokuba was born shortly after that, and neither mom nor dad had time to bring me. And then. . ." he trailed off.
Mr. Moto nodded, understanding clearly in his eyes. "My son and daughter and law were killed around the same time. Yugi didn't really remember anything else after that, except how much he missed his parents. I'm not sure if he remembers meeting you that day."
Kaiba shuffled the deck, and put it back in his pocket. "He probably does. He was always nice to me at school, even when I treated him poorly, even when I gave you a heart attack."
Mr. Moto didn't say anything; he simply sat in his chair and watched Kaiba.
They were spared from further conversation by Joey's arrival, Harris trailing after the teen.
"Mr. Kaiba, we found the car."
Kaiba immediately got up. "Where was it?"
"By the docks, close to the first location you told me about."
Mr. Moto frowned. "What does he mean?" he asked.
"The first time we went after Yugi, we found his pajamas in a warehouse by the docks. I told Harris about it when I sent him to find the car. It would appear they didn't change locations."
"We should go and check it out," Joey said. "We might find something."
Kaiba wasn't about to argue with Wheeler again. The last time they'd argued, they'd missed getting to Yugi.
"Fine, let's go."
**~~**
Yugi shivered as he entered the apartment. The place was small, but clean, and looked very cozy. The thick carpet underneath his feet felt warm and inviting, and the couches in the living room reminded Yugi of just how tired he was. The cold air also reminded him of how unclothed and wet he was.
"There's a bathroom just down that hall," Mike said pointing to a hall to the right. "You can shower, while I look for some clothes for you."
Yugi smiled at that. He doubted Mike had anything that would fit him.
"My nephew spent a few weeks with me at the beginning of the summer," Mike explained, "I think he left some stuff behind."
Yugi nodded, and walked out of the living room. When he got to the bathroom, he closed and locked the door behind him. He stood for a moment, leaning against it, trying to get his thoughts in order. It wasn't easy, because it felt as if he were seeing the world through two different filters: one that belonged to him and had his beliefs, morals, and fears, and one that belonged to a stranger, someone whose beliefs and morals didn't completely match his. He hadn't been able to merge the two, and right now, Yugi felt too tired to even try.
He dropped the towel, and then peeled off what remained of his pants and underwear. He looked down at his body, for the first time seeing it under the harsh lights. There were scratches and medium sized gashes all over his feet, legs, stomach and chest, presumably from hitting debris while he'd been in the ocean. He had no doubt that his back looked the same. Bruises littered his skin too, most a light yellow color, which he knew would be black or blue in a day or two. Two, hand shaped bruises marred his thighs, and Yugi shuddered as that particular memory jumped to mind. Other, less noticeable, bruises in the same area, as well as his stomach and back side, completed the set.
His lips began to tremble, and he put a hand up to his mouth to stop the sobs that were sure to follow. He winced, however, when he touched his lips. Curious, he looked in the mirror, and gasped at what he saw. No wonder Mike had wanted to rush him to the hospital. His face was almost unrecognizable. His eyes were both swollen and bruised. He was surprised that he could still open them. His nose was slightly crooked and covered with dry blood. His lips were red and swollen; the lower one bleeding from where he'd had touched it earlier.
He suddenly felt weak, and had to catch himself on the edge of the sink before he fell to the floor. He pulled himself up, leaving bloody imprints on the white porcelain. He turned away from the sight, his stomach heaving. He rushed to the shower and quickly turned on the water, making it as hot as he could stand it. He stood under the spray, wincing as it hit his sore and aching shoulders. With shaky fingers, he reached out for the bar of soap. He lathered it as best he could and began to clean himself up.
When he was finished, his body stung from where soap had entered the various cuts. He didn't care. The pain signified that he was as clean as he could get. He shut off the water and grabbed a nearby towel. His hair clung to his face, but he didn't bother brushing it back. He stepped out of the shower, the towel wrapped around his waist, and realized that he didn't have anything to wear.
A loud knock on the door made him jump.
"Yugi, I found some clothes for you. I'll leave them on the floor, and you can get them when you're ready."
Yugi nodded, and then realized Mike couldn't see him. "Thanks."
He opened the door and picked up the bundle, then locked the door behind him again. Mike had given him a white tee shirt and a pair of navy blue sweats. The material was soft to the touch, and Yugi quickly dried himself and got dressed. He sighed, feeling better now that he was fully clothed again. The clothes fit him, which made Yugi wonder how old Mike's nephew was. He quickly dried his hair, trying not to look at himself in the mirror. The one glance he'd gotten had been more than enough. He took a deep breath, before stepping outside. He didn't know where he should go, so he went to the kitchen, where he found Mike heating something up in the stove.
"I'm heating up some soup, so take a seat at the table and I'll be right over."
"Can I help?" Yugi asked, feeling uncomfortable just standing there, being waited on.
"Its okay, Yugi, just rest. I'll take a look at those cuts after I get some food in you."
A short while later, Mike came to the table and brought two steaming bowls of soup. He set one in front of Yugi, which made Yuig's stomach roil with nausea. He tried to eat a little bit of it, but couldn't keep any of it down.
"Don't force yourself, Yugi. If your body doesn't want it, you shouldn't force it."
They were both quiet for a moment, their soups forgotten. Finally, Mike broke the silence.
"Are you going to tell me what happened?"
Yugi looked down at his soup, the thick noodles in the broth reminding him of his time spent in the ocean. He pushed the bowl away, and looked up at Mike. Slowly, but gaining speed as he spoke, Yugi told him everything, except what had happened with Kano. He didn't want anyone to know about that. Mike stared at him, his face a mixture of disbelief, shock, and anger.
"I can't believe they just threw you in the ocean. What kind of people are they?"
Yugi sighed. "They thought I was dead. Shadow wanted to kill me so I wouldn't go to the police."
"Why don't you do that now, Yugi? Why don't you turn them in?"
Yugi shook his head. "They have my friend, Mike. I have to find Joey and get him out before going after Shadow."
Mike regarded Yugi carefully. "So you want to go after him?"
Now that he thought about it, he wanted to go after the man, wanted to make him pay for what he'd done. He pondered that for a moment, realizing that it wasn't like him to want revenge. But he wanted it now, more than he'd ever wanted anything. He wanted Joey safe, and he wanted Shadow put away so he'd never hurt anyone again.
"Yes, I do. I'm going to have to go to the United States to do it."
Mike raised an eyebrow. "Why do you need to go to the US?"
"Shadow is an American chemist. He designed the drug he gave me, and I don't think he left his country willingly, not if he's in Japan dealing in kidnapped children. I want to know why he's here, and I can't get that information from sources here. I have to find out where he worked, where he's from, and where I can find him."
Mike tapped his fingers on the top of the table, his face thoughtful.
"How are you going to go about this? Do you even know his name? How do you know he went back home?"
"I vaguely remember hearing something about clearing out their operation, and going back home seems like the rational thing for him to do. I have no idea how to go about finding him; I just know that I need to. Shadow is the only one who knows where Joey is, and I have to find him."
Mike was silent for a moment, and Yugi could see his facial expressions change as the thoughts went through his mind.
"My brother lives in New Mexico," Mike finally said. "He's a Physicist at Los Alamos National Laboratory, and has access to records that we would never be able to touch. I can ask him to look for anything about shunned chemists."
Yugi smiled, for the first time feeling hope in an otherwise hopeless situation. The smile faded when he realized that someone else would have to find out about what had happened.
"You're willing to help me?" Yugi asked, incredulous.
Mike nodded. "It's nothing, and he's an excellent researcher. Don't worry, he's a good guy. You can trust him."
Sighing, Yugi nodded. He didn't have much of a choice, since he couldn't go at this alone.
"What are you going to do in the mean time?"
Yugi looked down at the table, knowing full well what he had to do.
"I need to go home."
**~~**
I just found a big, huge, plot hole. Ack! How in the **** am I going to get out of it??
Next up: I have no clue. I used to, until I found the hole, now what I had planned won't work. Okay, maybe you all can help. How many of you would like to see more of Yami in the story? He's been neglected for a reason, because he was going to be brought up later. Now, though, that may not be possible. If you all want him in the story, I'll have to find a way around my little problem. Damn, it's all Joey's fault! Just kidding.