I had wanted to post this over the weekend, but some personal things came up and I couldn't finish it.

Sage: Lazy ass. How dare you allow your personal life and feelings to take a priority over fanfiction?

I know. I'm a terrible person. T.T

Sage: You deserve to cry! Warnings for this chapter are: swearing and some illegal things.

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It was sundown when Joey left the Motou household, a small hole lingering in the center of his heart. Mister Motou had not yelled at him for the cruelty he had put Yugi through; he didn't kick him out of his home, or call the police for assault. He didn't do anything but make the one request.

Find Yugi.

Which was hardly a request at all because Joey had made a vow to himself that he couldn't go on with his life until he had found the missing teen, even if it took ten years to find him. Now as he walked the abandoned streets of Domino, he found himself looking down with his hands in his pockets, not paying attention to where he was going. He didn't want to go home tonight. His father wouldn't care nor notice his absence anyways. And it was too late it call Tristan and ask to stay at his house for the night. He silently trudged along, dragging his worn out sneakers across the cement pavement. The sun continued to sink over the horizon, beginning to leave Joey alone in the darkness.

When he next looked up, he saw the familiar sight of the school entrance, the barbed wire fence surrounding the pool of water. His face contorted into a deep snarl, his eyes turning into something malicious. He stomped across the courtyard until he reached the fence and could see his reflection wavering in the blue waters. He wrapped his hand around the crisscross gaps in the fence.

"I hate you." He spat bitterly, with self-hatred. "You're a pathetic excuse for a human being. You take your pain and your misery out on others. You should just die in the most painful, most excruciating way possible." His grip on the fence tightened and he shook the fence violently, relentlessly. The clinging of the fence as it shook was soon the only sound inside Joey's head. He was deaf to everything else. Tears that rarely left his eyes began to leak out. Tears of complete depression. Out of utter despair, Joey fell to his knees and hung his head, allowing his blonde bangs to shield his eyes of his humiliation. His tears were his secret, his pride would not allow anyone but him to know of their existence. His crystal shame slide silently down his face, dropping onto the ground.

He was paralyzed for several moments, allowing himself to release the emotions he had bottled up. He cried for everything he didn't let himself cry for all those years ago.

He cried for his mother.

He cried for his Serenity.

He cried for his drunken father.

He cried for Yugi.

He sniffed and rubbed his face, slowly rising to his feet. When he opened his eyes, he looked back into the water, seeing his reflection and….something else. Something that had a gold glint to it. Joey squinted his eyebrows, trying to determine the mysterious object. It came to him suddenly. It was that piece of the puzzle he had stolen from Yugi. Somehow, it had managed to avoid being sucked up into the school's sewer system. All thoughts cast aside, Joey kicked off his shoes and rose his hands above his head, grabbing onto the metal rings. He placed his bare feet inside some metal rings too, and slowly began to climb the fence, grabbing onto a new hold for his hand and a new hold for his feet. He did this until he got to the top where he sat for a minute before plugging his nose and plunging down the fence.

The December water burned his skin like fire. Still submerged in the water, he had to bite down all his lip to keep from opening his mouth and swallowing the icy liquid. He allowed his body to float to the top and he inhaled a deep breath of warm air, coughing in the process. His hair stuck to his face like plaster. Joey glanced down and could see the gold gleam right beneath him. He inhaled the full capacity of his lungs and dove back down, ignoring the sting of the water, and the popping noise of his ears. He got to the cement bottom and reached out, grabbing the puzzle piece. His knuckles grazed the cement and began to bleed slightly. Joey cursed inside his mind, the ice water began to sting his wound like a thousand bees. He forced his way up to the top, surfacing with the puzzle piece held firmly inside his bloody fist.

"Y-yugi," He said, shivering, "you b-better be alive. T-that b-better have been d-damn worth it." His muscles were starting to cramp up, and Joey had to struggle to swim back to the gate. With the puzzle piece still clenched firmly in his fists he grabbed on to the gate and pulled himself up, out of the water. He felt warmer at once, sighing in relief as he climbed the rest of the fence, taking short ragged breaths. Once he got to the top, he pushed himself off and fell the rest of the way down, landing on his feet.

His skin was clammy, but beginning to regain its natural pigment. He opened up his fist and studied the puzzle piece. It looked exactly the same as it did the last time Joey held it. It hadn't lost any of its luster; it still glistened in the moonlight. With his thumb he traced the eye of Horus on it. Joey felt something strange coming from the puzzle piece. Some sort of…supernatural thing. He frowned. He didn't like the vibe he was getting from it. He even felt tempted to throw it back into the water, but he couldn't find it in him to do it. He swore he saw a small beam of light coming from the center of the Eye.

"What the hell is this?"

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He tried to snuggle into the material of the front seat to keep warm. Both the passenger and driver side door of the car he was occupying had been ripped off, allowing the cold night air to attack him from both sides. It didn't help that his hands had been tied around the seat belt, above his head. They had stolen his blazer and it was now comfortably wrapped around Jack, who was getting his drool all over it. Yugi had watched helplessly. The only positive thing he could think of was that they hadn't found his backpack; the one he had hidden beneath the seat of an abandon car before the group of boys claimed him as their 'pet'.

Yugi tried to sleep, but the cackling of the fire outside was too noisy for him. He slowly opened his good eye; the other was black and swollen shut, and saw the three boys, huddled outside around the fire. They were all snoring soundly, their bellies full of the beans they had consumed for dinner. Yugi had only been given a small portion and he could hear his stomach begging for more food. He was glad though that they had untied him for a few moments to allow him to eat his portion. His wrists were starting to chaff and his skin was broken and bleeding.

Yugi at first wondered why they would place him the car while they slept outside. Surely it was warmer inside a car? Then he realized it. The interior of the car was leather. It would absorb whatever temperature it was outside. And it was freezing outside now, letting the bitter cold sink deep into Yugi's bones.

He inhaled a shaky breath through his mouth, thankful that the boys had also removed his gag. He had been their captive for almost three days now. It had been three days, right? The days had begun to blur into one long before he ran into the junk yard. Now, it was never ending. He couldn't tell you what day it was, what month it might have been. Yugi's internal clock was broken.

Bruno's snoring began to fluctuating, becoming louder and more obnoxious. Yugi groaned and tried to press on ear into the leather seat and cover the other ear with his upright shoulder, but the position was too uncomfortable, he ended up just listening to the biggest boy sleep.

Yugi didn't notice one of the other, smaller boys, Rusty, wake up and stand. He walked over to the car that served as Yugi's prison. He came over and sat on the edge, by Yugi's face. The small teen became paralyzed in fear and remained quiet.

"Listen kid," Rusty said softly, tearing at the leather interior of the car with his pointer finger, "Bruno…he's fucked in the head. You probably already know that, though." He bit his lip and looked up at the sky.

Yugi watched him, his eyes half-open. 'He thinks I'm asleep.' Yugi concluded and decided to play the part. He wanted to hear what Rusty had to say.

"But, there is a reason why he is how he is. His parents weren't the kindest. They mentally abused him all his life, starving him from the socialization he needed. He didn't go to school until he was fourteen, but by then it was too late. He didn't know how to act with other people. He got into a lot of fights at school and was expelled within six months. The only reason we befriended was because we both ended up in detention most of the time."

Yugi swore he saw a small smile come onto Rusty's face.

"His parents were furious when they discovered he got expelled. They kept him locked in his room for years. Years. Barely letting him out to use the bathroom. One day they decided they had enough and kicked him out of the house all together. We reunited and said that we would just run away together. And we did. And we met Jack. We've been living in this junkyard for several months now.

"I don't know why he did what he did to you. My only assumption is that after only being around two people in his entire life, when he saw someone new, he just snapped. Believe me, kid. I know this ain't right, keeping you hostage with us. But, if I let you go I'm afraid of what Bruno will do to me. He's fucking insane. I ain't going to risk my life saving yours."

Rusty sighed and stood up, walking back to his sleeping bag. Once Yugi was sure the boy was away from him did he open his eyes wide. He let these new found facts about his captor sink into his mind, trying to grasp it. Yugi couldn't imagine what it would be like to be purposely kept away from other people, or to be locked in one room for years. Years!

Something in the pit of Yugi's stomach turned and knotted. He felt sorry for Bruno. He felt sorry for the boy who had beaten him, treated him like a dog, and kept him tied in this car for the past two days. Yugi's abuse had been from people at school, practically strangers. Bruno had been abused by his parents. Yugi's parents may have left him, but they never laid a finger on him. He shifted uncomfortably, feeling his wire bindings eat into his skin. Yugi hissed quietly in pain, watching helplessly as blood seeped underneath from his binds. He sighed and got as comfortable as he could with his arms pinned above his head. He waited until sleep came, but even then he was still half-awake.

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When the sun rose that morning it hit Yugi right in the face, blinding him instantly. He waited several moments for his eyes to adjust, but once he opened them his vision was splotchy. Yugi heard the whispered voices and shuffling feet of the three older boys. He stayed there quietly until one of them came over to him and ripped off his bindings harshly. Yugi bit his lip to keep himself from hissing in pain, but he at once began to run his sore, bloodied wrists.

"Get up, Little Shit." The voice came. Yugi cringed. It was Bruno. He didn't want to agitate the older man any further than he already was. Yugi opened his eyes, despite the blinding sun and slowly sat up, relieving the pressure that was on his bed sores.

"Eat." Bruno commanded and sloppily threw a Styrofoam bowl full of beans in his lap. Having been giving no utensil, Yugi slowly picked at his food with his fingers, eating it one bean at a time. He did his best to avoid the eyes that were remaining glued to him. Yugi did his best to ignore the discomfort the older boy's stare brought him. About five minutes passed and no one said a word. Yugi had only finished half of his beans when Bruno's face reddened.

"Faster." He barked, causing Yugi to look up. Seeing the look of fire in his eyes made Yugi shudder and he sped up his eating, finishing his bowl within a little over a minute. When he had finished, Bruno grabbed Yugi harshly by the wrist and pulled him up, getting a small yelp out of Yugi. Bruno dragged him across junkyard, with Rusty and Jack quick behind. Half-blind, Yugi stumbled several times. The only reason he didn't fall was the vice-grip that had taken captive his wrist. Yugi looked past the elbow of Bruno and saw the gate that lead back to the city. Yugi felt his heart rise a little. Were they letting him go? No one spoke, so Yugi had to find his voice and speak.

"Where are we going?" It came out just above a whisper. For a moment, Yugi regretted speaking. Would he be mad? Bruno seemed uncaring when he replied.

"Stealing. We need more food."

"Why are you taking me?"

Bruno turned around to face Yugi, still walking, still dragging Yugi across the dirt. "You're eating our food now. You can help out in getting it." They came to the gate. Bruno released his grip on Yugi and turned to face the smaller boy. "I wouldn't try to run if I were you. We are faster than you, we will catch you. And I promise that the punishment for that would be most severe. Is that understood?"

Yugi gulped and nodded. He didn't want to anger any of these trio older boys further. Truthfully, he was glad for the fresh air. He was not glad that he would have to steal .

"Excellent. " Bruno stated and looked up at the other two boys. "Jack, Rusty. You can surround his sides. Then we can go."

The other two boys each moved, one went on his right, the other on his left. The group started walking down the street, Yugi following Bruno's lead. He kept his head down and eyes focused on the heels of the man before him. They walked for about half a mile, no one speaking, Yugi not once raising his head. When the heels in front of him stopped, Yugi almost ran into Bruno, but luckily he stopped himself just in time.

Yugi looked up and saw that they were outside a small grocer. The letters on the outside were to faded to read, and no name was posted anywhere else. Bruno placed his hand on the door and turned to look at the group.

"Grab what you can and get out." He pushed open the door and walked inside. With Jack and Rusty on both of his sides, Yugi was pushed inside the old store. Once he was past the threshold, the two boys left him and began to each head down a different aisle, obvious that they had been here before.

Yugi took his time to look around his surrondings. There were twelve different aisles, each full of various foods and hygienic products. There were two small check-out registers placed against the left side of the building with a line already starting to form. Yugi walked down, his head peeking down each aisle until he came to the canned food section. Yugi walked down it and scanned each of the items. He saw the different soups, beans, and tuna. He even saw some canned stuff that normally would've made him gag if he wasn't so hungry. There was a large can of sausage that seemed to be calling out to him. Cautiously, Yugi reached up and grabbed it. It weighed about three pounds. Surely this would be enough to please Bruno?

He heard the sound of squeaking wheels on a shopping cart. He looked up and saw a young woman staring at him, a disguisted expression on her face. It didn't Yugi long to figure out why. If he looked as bad as he felt, then he could imagine how he appeared to everyone else, with his black eye and dirty face. Still feeling the piercing gaze of the woman, Yugi cast his eyes down and began to walk away with his prize.

But it didn't feel like a win. He was stealing. He was taking from another person, just like how Joey had taken his puzzle piece. He could make up excuses like how the gang of boys were making him steal, or how terribly hungry he was, but that wouldn't make a difference. There was no excuse for stealing, not matter how valid it may have sounded. He left the aisle and began to walk back to the door, his eyes glancing over at the check-out counters. Both of the cashiers seemed to engrossed in their jobs to notice him, and the people who were buying kept all their attention on the rising price of their transaction.

Yugi looked through the glass and saw that the trio of boys were already outside, as though they were waiting for him. Yugi could see that they each had several different cans. He sucked in a deep breath and walked outside, the can of sausage still in plain sight in his hands. Once the door was closed behind him, Bruno glared down at him.

"You got something?"

Yugi didn't say anything but held out the can he had stolen; he felt disgust at himself while he did so. It was obvious that Bruno was paying more attention to the size of the can than the contents because his eyes widened in surprise.

"Nice job, kid. Looks like you have a future with us."

Yugi said nothing.

"C'mon. Let's go home."

They each began to walk back to the junkyard.

'Home.' Yugi thought, carrying his can of food. 'Where is home?'

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"What the hell this?" Bruno yelled, shoving the can Yugi had stolen in his face. Yugi's eyes wavered at the intensity in Bruno's voice, but he didn't let his fear show.

"It's…sausage." He said quietly.

"Canned sausage? I don't want any of this processed shit! I wanted you to get me real food!"

Yugi gulped and stared at the man screaming at him. The other two boys were sitting just a few feet away, watching their boss yell at him like it was a movie.

"I'm…sorry."

Out of nowhere, a large hand came and slapped Yugi across the face, sending him to the dirt. His head hit the ground and Yugi could feel the concussion coming on. His vision became fuzzy and he saw the hazy outline of Bruno kneeling down to his level.

"Next time, Little Shit," even his voice sounded fuzzy, like static was playing over it, "get some real food."

He fell into the darkness.

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I have started a blog so you guys can keep on all the updates and future stories I may be writing. The link is in my profile, so please, check it out!

Sage: Why would they?

….Because I asked them?

Sage: Fool. They have better things to do.

T.T Why do you abuse me emotionally?