Hello! It's been over six months since my computer broke down. Now that I got a new one I can write again!

Blood Love by Boogermeister

Chapter 20

Raphael glared at the vampire leader who had suddenly attack him. His gun is nowhere to be found. Fortunately for him, He had a spare under his trench coat. "What the hell are you doing here, you piece of shit?!" Atem snarled at him. Raphael didn't say anything but pulled out his spare gun.

"I shot your friend with a regular gun," he finally talked. "This one has silver bullets. If I had shot him with this, he would have been dead by now." He then pointed it at Jonouchi, who stared in absolute fear.

"Don't you dare kill my friend!!" roared Atem as he jumped between Jonouchi and the hunter. "I'm not afraid to risk my life for him or anyone else."

Raphael barely raised an eyebrow. "Is that so, vampire?" questioned tonelessly. "Does that include that human girl and the half-breed you spawned?"

"Shut the hell up, you ugly brute!" growled Jonouchi. "You don't know anything us or them! What makes you better than our leader?!"

"I'm not a monster, that I know," replied Raphael, glaring at Jonouchi then at Atem. "Or maybe I have more advantages than you vampires." Atem narrowed his eyes and snarled. Shizuka and Mahad stifled their breaths and watched intensely.

"I'll give a warning to you, hunter," Atem growled, his fangs baring. "Harm any of my comrades or my family, I'll hunt you down."

"Am I supposed to be scared?" questioned Raphael, his gun still aiming at Atem. "You're just like your father."

"What about my father?!" snarled Atem.

"I've heard about your father, the former vampire leader. He used to terrorize Domino City years ago and killed thousands of humans. I had seen his face and his blood-crazed eyes. You're a splitting image of your father. You have the blood eyes and the same anger. Vampire, do you grieve for your father's death?"

"Why would I grieve for him?" Atem growled lowly. "I am now the vampire leader, hunter. My father is dead because of his own demise. If I was truly like my father, I would have been dead by now."

"Your rebuttal is meaningless," Raphael said quietly. "I don't think it makes any difference of how I see your kind, vampire."

"And I see your kind, too," growled Atem. "That's why I cared about Anzu and our daugther. You didn't expect a so-called monster to have feelings, did you?"

"Actually, I sort of did," answered Raphael and suddenly he aimed at Atem's right leg. "For the time of my life, you're the only vampire that stood up to me." he then shot Atem where he was aiming. Atem yelled in agonizing pain as he fell back. Shizuka shrieked in horror and Mahad and Jonouchi stared in anguish.

"A-Atem!" Jonouchi choked out.

Almost still in shock, Atem struggled to sit up, groaning in pain. He stared wide-eyed at his injured leg; it was bleeding profusely like a fountain and the broken bones was sticking through the torn tissues. Atem almost heaved, but the sight didn't fazed Raphael. How the hunter looked angered Jonouchi.

"You . . . . you fuckin' monster!" roared the blonde vampire as he dashed towards Raphael.

"Stop, Jonouchi!" Atem commanded. Jonouchi stopped in his tracks immediately, glaring at the adamant hunter. "Are you done with me, hunter, or you're just getting started?" grolwed Atem.

"I don't know, it could be either one," answered Raphael as he put away his gun. "But you're the first vampire I'm leaving alive."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, but know this. Next time we meet, you and your loved ones won't be so lucky." Raphael turned and walked away. Atem glared at the depleting figure before passing out.

"Atem!" Jonouchi yelled out as he ran to his side. "Atem, wake up! Mahad, can you fix his legs?!"

"Yes, if it's not too late!" Mahad answered as he cautiously Atem by the shoulders.

"Shizuka, get a grip!" yelled Jonouchi; his sister had been crying from the event. "Shizuka, go and alert anyone you can find, quickly!" Through the the tears, Shizuka nodded in response and immediately flew off. "Damn it, Atem!" Jonouchi growled both in anger and fright. "You can't die! If-- I'll punch you if you leave us. I will never you!"

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"Atem, are you alright?" eleven-year-old Jonouchi asked as he walked towards his friend, who was hiding in a dark, dirty alley. "Atem," he muttered sadly, "he hurt you, didn't he?" Jonouchi stood in front of Atem. The other boy was smaller and parts of his hair were caked in dirt as well as his clothes. On his arms and face were freshly made cuts and bruises.

"I wish my mother was here," Atem said quietly as tears rolled down his cheeks. "Why did she have to leave me, Jono? Why can't she be alive to protect me from him?"

Jonouchi sighed concernedly as he held out his hand. "Come on, bud," he said. "We'll get Mahad to fix your wounds." Snifling, Atem took his hand and they walked out of the alley. "Sooner or later, Atem, you'll be brave enough to stand up against him," Jonouchi said.

"You think so, Jono?" asked Atem, smiling faintly.

"Of course," smiled Jonouchi. "Your mom would be so proud if you're brave."

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Atem gritted his teeth in pain as Mahad poured pale-colored liquid over the deep wounds in his chest and stomach. The fourteen-year-old was lying on his back in the back corner of his friend's laboratory, bleeding steadily on the floor. "Atem, please stop confronting him," said Jonouchi, who kneeling by Atem's side. "You'll end up dead if you keep on continuing like this."

"But . . . you're the one who says . . . I need to stand up against him," grunted Atem. "Don't you remember what you said to me a few years back?"

"We were little and I was cheering you up," Jonouchi retorted."If you do this again, I won't bail you out anymore!"

"Jonouchi, you don't mean that," Mahad said as he bandaged the wounds. "Both of you are friends and you can't throw that away because of this."

"But this has been goin' on long enough, Mahad," Jonouchi said angrily. "This idiot can't get it to his head that he can't beat him!" Atem quickly stood up, surprising Mahad and Jonouchi.

"Atem!" Mahad called out. "Sit down! You'll open your wounds--"

"I'm not stubborn like you!" Atem growled. "I have reasons to beat him!"

"And those reasons is what causing you to be so stubborn as wel as being arrogant!" Jonouchi said angrily as he stood up face-to-face, glaring at his his crimsom eyes.

"My problem is none of your concerns, Jonouchi!" Atem snarled in frustration. "You should be concerning your sister's safety! Or better yet, you should keep an eye on Mai since Marik is snaking his ways around her!"

Jonouchi lost it and punched Atem squarely in the jaw. Atem stumbled backward by the assault. The crimson-eyed vampire stared at Jonouchi as he wiped the blood away from his mouth. Growling deeply, he slowly walked past him.

"If you do it and die, I'll never forgive you!" Jonouchi said lowly. "You selfish jerk!" Atem didn't look back as he left the lab. When he went outside into the nighttime air, he glared at Marik and Bakura nearby, both of whom were sneering at him.

"Look who it is," grinned Bakura as he and Marik walked towards Atem, who was in no mood for tauntings. "Is there something wrong with you, Atem?"

"Leave me alone," growled Atem as he turned to get away. The two vampires chuckled.

"Why are you so mad, Atem?" mocked Bakura.

"He's probably mad 'cause he can't beat him," laughed Marik. "He should cower away just like his mother." Atem stopped walking, growling deeply as he glared at Marik and Bakura.

"Oh, I got his attention," sneered Marik. "I guess I shouldn't have mention his mother."

"But it's true," smirked Bakura. "She's a cower because we all know what she was."

Atem took a step towards them, clenching his fists. "Shut the fuck up," he snarled. "My mother was not a coward."

"Yes, she was," retorted Bakura, "because we all know she's a wh--"

Atem charged towards Bakura and tried to punch him, but the white-haired vampire simply dodged out of the way, laughing at Atem who collasped to his knees. Marik laughed hysterically as Atem gasped in pain, clutching his injured wounds.

"We wouldn't care for that fucking bitch anyway," he laughed. "She's dead, for all we know. Get over it, you pathetic little worm. Let's go, Bakura." They walked past him, chuckling cruelly. Tears rolled down Atem's cheeks just as some one wlked in front of him.

"You're right, I'm a jerk," Atem said quietly as he looked up and saw Jonouchi. The blonde vampire sighed and scratch his head before helping his friend to his feet.

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Atem opened his eyes wearily. His vision was blurry but sensed where he was by the smell of chemicals. "Hey! You're awake!" chirped a high-piched voice. Atem blinked a few times before his vision cleared. "How are you feeling?"

"Mana?" Atem groaned weakly. "M-my . . . . . my leg . . . . what . . . . happened?"

"Oh . . . ." sighed Mana, her face downcasted. "Your leg was nearly lost but Mahad fixed it. Also . . . . you've lost a lot of blood. Hate to admit it, but we're now vunerable due to your condition."

"Where's . . . . Anzu and my daughter?" Atem asked weakly.

"They're under Mai's protection when Anzu had heard what happened to you," answered Mana. "Want me to get her?" Atem barely shook her head before the bedroom door opened and Jonouchi walked in.

"You're awake, bud?" he questioned, smiling weakly as he walked up to his friend's side.

"Don't say it," muttered Atem.

"Say what?"

"Say that it's your fault," Atem concluded. "It's no one's fault that fucking hunter." He than attempted to sit up.

"Atem you shouldn't move so soon!" Mana warned as she grabbed his shoulder. But Atem ignored her as he stared at Jonouchi.

"Jonouchi, you know I must heal as soon as possible," he said quietly, "but without blood, I can't live much longer."

"Don't say it like that!" yelled Jonouchi, feeling shocked of what he had admitted.

"With those hunters around, I can't risk it, Jonouchi," replied Atem.

"Then . . . . take my blood," pleaded Jonouchi. "Please take it, Atem." He bowed his head deeply. "As your loyal follower . . . . I beg of you to drink my blood . . . . if it would satisfy you . . . . Leader."

Atem sighed deeply. "Very well, Jonouchi," he said. "If it's the only way for me to live." Jonouchi leaned foreward and bared his neck. Atem extended his fangs and silently bit down. Jonouchi felt the sharp pain but stood still as the other vampire drank deeply. The blonde vampire felt his strength weakening by the minute.

"Atem . . . ." groaned Jonouchi after a little while. "Atem . . . . stop . . . ." But Atem gripped hard onto his shoulders as he continued to drink. Jonouchi's knees started to buckle. "Atem . . . . let go . . . ." he groaned weakly.

"Atem, stop it!" Mana yelled as she tried to pulled Atem away, but he was not himself now.

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Finally I'm done

I'll update ASAP after finish writing my yaoi fic.