It had been five years since the ceremonial duel. Five years since the Pharaoh had left him. Five years that promised peace, yet sadly brought more danger.
In those five years, Yugi Moto realized that he could not face this danger on his own.
Yugi looked out the window, as he did most mornings now that his grandfather was dead. Looking towards the beautiful sunrise, he saw them. Government officials far and wide. Police officers, security guards, and specially trained medical teams all sent to raid Domino that day.
They were coming to collect those who were deemed unfit for their new society. Yugi knew it. They had announced a week earlier on the news. They declared that any "imperfect" human would be taken away, never to see the light of day again. The only happiness Yugi held was knowing that he wasn't going to be one of them.
Yugi thought to himself quietly. Since he was obviously qualified to keep living, he decided he could just live in the abandoned Game Shop with his friends. They had plenty of room, and he figured suffering alone would be worse than suffering together.
He was about to pick up the phone when he heard several bangs and crashes outside. He raced towards the window only to find officials tearing down front doors and invading the resident's privacy.
"Oh no."
Malik hustled to lock every single door and window in the small house. He shut blinds and closed the curtains to hide from the incoming threat.
"Malik, for the last time, what is going on?!" Marik did not like the look of this.
Malik reached into an unseen niche in the wall beside the curtain. "There was a reason we bought this house," was his only response.
Marik was baffled. Not only did he not know what was happening, for he had been kept out of any conversation concerning Domino City or government in general by Malik and his sister for a long time now, but now Malik was opening what looked like a trap door. "What?"
"Get in here." Malik demanded.
'Why?" Marik wanted an answer to all of this. "Tell me what's happening."
"I'm saving your live damnit! Now get in!"
Marik, trusting his hikari's words, slowly climbed into the trap as Isis walked into the room.
"Today?" was the only word she asked.
Malik nodded as he locked the trap door and brushed the curtains over it.
Yugi wanted to scream. One by one he saw people being extracted from their houses and put into ambulances. He returned to the phone and called his friend Anzu Mazaki.
One ring.
"Please pick up." Yugi whispered to himself.
Two rings.
Heavy breathing met dark anticipation.
Three rings.
"Anzu please…."
"H-h-hello?" was the soft and terrified answer.
"Anzu! Oh thank gods! You're okay! You're okay right?" Yugi said breathlessly.
"I'm fine." She assured. "Look Yugi. Please just look out for yourself right now, okay? I know you're worried about all of us…but…right now you need to take care of yourself."
"But Anzu…I…"
"Goodbye Yugi. I hope you'll be okay."
Click.
Yugi sat mortified. Anzu never acted like that before. He thought she would be the one to give him the friendship speech and round their gang up again to fight this evil.
He sat in silence, the phone still hanging loosely in his hand.
"Maybe she was right." He said softly. "Maybe this isn't my fight."
Marik sat awkwardly in the small space of the trap door trying to stay as silent as possible. He sat there wondering about the past years; Malik finally granting him his own body, almost becoming friends with him and then all of a sudden he was cut out of everything and dismissed as a freeloader. And he didn't know why. Granted, it wasn't fun pretending to be nice to everyone and pretending to get along with Malik. It wasn't within his standards to give out kindness to anyone. Actually there were a lot of things that weren't in his standards besides just kindness. But it was nice to be part of a family for once. He felt that that was all about to be taken away.
Suddenly he heard a bump outside and a faint voice.
"Open this door right now!"
Marik tensed.