Hell yes! I finally got this up...I've had this chapter planned and the next one since April. Now that it's summer, I'm gonna be putting most of my focus on this. I just hope I don't have to work a lot. Happy reading!

Bakura's POV

Where is that bastard?

Marik said to meet him here in the afternoon. I've been here since early morning. "Marik…!"

I couldn't sleep. Leaving Lucy after that… What even was that? What was I thinking? Trusting her with my secrets…not all of them, but…of all the idiotic…! Why did I listen to Ryou? Why am I even thinking about her?! I'm losing focus… I need the Millennium Items. I wouldn't be doing this shit for any other reason…

Back in the alleyway, the sun is hidden and the winds were picking up. The cold air in my lungs is, I'll admit, painful, especially when I'm not wearing enough to keep my blood warm.

The air is so cold I can see my breath. Reminds me of Ryou's father…when he was home. He always had a cigarette in one hand and a cup of gin in the other. The only reason why Ryou isn't a foster child is because his father still sends him money… He doesn't want to give up the last thing that reminds him of his once-happy life. His selfishness has cost Ryou his chance at a better life. Now he's stuck with me…and both of our lives are damned because of it.

"Ah, Fluffy," I could barely hear his taunts over the rainfall, "You showed up, well done."

"Enough of this, Marik," I growled, "What are we doing here?"

It was hard to distinguish Marik from the shadows. Dressed solely in black and in heavy layers, he stepped forward under the streetlight. I noticed a smirk streaked across his face and his hand move to his back pocket. I thought he was going to bring out the Millennium Rod, so I braced myself to fight back. But instead, he pulled out something smaller, and silver instead of gold.

He threw it in my direction. It slid along the ground, stopping at my feet. "A pocketknife?" I asked.

"Cut yourself," he said simply, "Not everywhere, just one slit. Enough to show you were in trouble, and then allow me to help you fix it. Once I do, I'll be able to get on the good side of the Pharaoh and his friends."

"That plan is so stupid it actually hurts me to think about how that could seem the least bit logical…"

"Would you like me to do the job, then?"

"No," I don't trust him with anything. He does not deserve to have the Millennium Rod in his power. "I just don't understand your rationality…"

I picked up the medium-sized pocket knife and pulled out the blade, leaving droplets of water on the silver, soon to be replaced with my blood. "Is there no other way?" I asked, knowing full-well that the true owner of this body will be the one to bear the scar.

"Either by your hand or mine…"

Perhaps Ryou will forgive me…he knows the extent I would go to achieve my vengeance. I have to get Marik on my side; to do that, I have to obey him…for now.

I rolled up my left sleeve to my shoulder, exposing my arm to the frigid atmosphere. My arm had a purple tint, lacking any sense of heat in this flesh. I held the blade against my skin. With one last look at Marik, I saw his violet eyes flashing eagerly and a victorious smirk on his face, then I…

Slit.

I felt Ryou's pain as my own as I watched the crimson droplets cascade down my arm. The wound was deep and the flow was stronger than I anticipated. Damn…best not to let Ryou take control until this is healed. He feels pain more than I do. Ra, and I must avoid Lucy. I don't need any more questioning…I don't need her to worry.

"There will be a better time to put your heart on your sleeve," Marik chuckled, " or, at least your blood," he laughed like a madman.

"Whatever scheme you're planning, Marik, I assure you that I will not be made a fool of."

"Not you, but your host, Ryou…remember, you'll be posing as him."

I plan to…and when this is over, and the Millennium Rod is in my possession, I shall truly enjoy killing you.

Lucy's POV

It's unusually quiet. Normally, I would love to bask in the sunlight without much disturbance, but something's putting me off about this. Walking alone, going on an adventure with people I had met just days before? Is my head in the right place? You can't see a good ending to this, can you, Lucy?...or maybe I can. Making new friends and going to new places alone is just what I need right now. All of the pressures of moving and the pressure to have a good academic and social life (or lack thereof) can possibly be lifted or improved. I may even be happy again.

Approaching the same road I met Marik at last night, I felt a chill go down my spine. Looking around, there was nothing out of place. Maybe I'm just nervous?

Just then, Marik appeared from around the corner and I felt myself jump "Jeez!" I slapped his arm, "You scared the crap out of me!"

"You're on-guard, that's not a bad thing," he replied with a chuckle. "Before I send you off, I want to make sure you understand a few things."

"Shoot."

He smirked, "Remember: 'Namu' and not Marik, got that?"

"Whatever you say, Namu…" my impatience is giving me a sarcastic edge.

He chuckled, "You and Bakura are so alike… And, speaking of Bakura, while the finals are happening, you are not to speak to him…at all."

"What?! Why not?"

"He'll be in more danger if you do," I looked at him completely alarmed, "There's more at stake in this game than you know…" I didn't know how to respond, so Marik continued, "You are a distraction to him, and you know it," he had a hint of warning in his voice, "I only need him to be focused on defeating the Pharaoh. I can't afford any mistakes—"

"Then why bring me at all?"

"I did say for leverage, didn't I? Your presence is to simply remind him of his goal, and also to show who's really in control…

"Now, if I may continue…?" he eyed me skeptically, "Good. Thirdly, you are to stay close to the Pharaoh and his friends and report to me any news regarding his weaknesses, strengths, anything I can use against him—"

"Okay. First of all, that is what we call 'cheating,' like you haven't done enough of that already. And they were not part of our deal! I am not betraying my friends any more than I already have…" The shame began resonating in my cheeks. Until now, I hadn't thought of the severity of what I've done.

Marik and I stood silently next to each other, the breeze blowing our hair silently. Staring at the pavement, he continued to say, "True… I did not…" his voice softened, "Stay close to Yugi and his friends. I will speak with you at certain times when we'll be alone." he started to walk away, and motioned me to follow.

He got on his motorcycle, handed me a helmet, and we set off.

Marik left me near a crowd. There's a duel going on nearby, and he told me to go check it out to get a feel for the game.

Walking closer to the duel, the cheers growing with each nearing step, I poked my head through the crowd and saw… "Yugi?"

Yeah! Yugi's fighting some other guy who I've never seen before. Yugi looked poised like a king, and his eyes are gleaming with determination and confidence. This must be the pharaoh…

"Lucy! Hey, Lucy!" I saw Téa making her way through the crowd to me.

"Hey, Téa! How's the duel going?"

"Quick! Come here! You'll get a better view." She grabbed my wrist and pulled me to the front of the crowd.

One of Yugi's monsters looked like a man, draped in a purple cloak, holding a green staff. "That's the Dark Magician," Téa said, noticing my stare. The kid across from him had some sort of dinosaur creature—wait a minute! That's the creep who tried to hunt me down after school!

"Go get him, Yugi!" Téa shouted.

I cupped my ear with my hand and winced, "Careful, Téa, or I won't be able to hear right for a week."

"Oh, sorry!" she looked it too. I laughed it off; trying to reassure her it was no big deal. She smiled back, and we took turns cheering Yugi on. "Come on, Yugi!" "You own this creep!"

Yugi looked shocked and looked in our direction. Téa waved at a rapid rate, and I gave him a thumb up and winked.

He gave us a thumb up and winked back, and turned to his opponent –who looked absolutely trapped—before saying, "Let's end this! Dark Magician, use Dark Magic Attack!" The creature in front of him moved gracefully as he lifted his scepter and spun it, aiming it at the dinosaur before firing a shot at it. The blast shattered the dinosaur like glass.

"No!" Rex screamed as the attack travelled farther to hit him. He sulked as he watched his Life Points deplete to zero.

Téa and I leapt for joy as the audience applauded Yugi and his victory. My eyes went over to the defeated boy. He's staring at me… his mouth coiled into a smirk as his eyes narrowed.

Téa and I are trying to walk over to Yugi, but the crowd is unbearable! They swarmed all around him, shouting at him; some people just wanted an autograph, others threatened him and started challenging him to a duel, claiming they "could beat a runt like him any day."

Téa was able to burst through the crowd before me. She grabbed Yugi's hand like she grabbed mine and started dragging him away. They took off in a sprint. "Come on, Lucy!" she yelled back.

I ran after them, able to outrun and easily dodge the rest of the crowd. Sprinting as fast as I can, I'm catching up quickly. We looked at each other, seeming to have the same idea in mind, nodded, and kept running.

Panting to catch my breath, we slowed to a stop a few streets from the museum. It's pretty much empty, and the sun is strong today. We stopped near a beautiful fountain. A lot of people are sitting around the edge, just chatting. I walked over and sat down near it too.

Yugi and Téa started to laugh. Looking at my reflection in the water, I felt a little mischievous. Sticking my hands in the water, I started splashing them, "Just to cool you off!" I shouted.

They stop laughing and looked at me. I thought I did something wrong, but just before an apology escaped my lips, both of them started splashing back. I raised my hands instinctively, but I lost my balance and fell into the fountain. My friends looked at me with guilt, but I couldn't stop laughing. "Leave it to me to fall in the water."

In midst of all that, I noticed something: There was a spark of happiness inside me that I hadn't felt since I was younger, before my dad left us... Yugi, Téa, Ryou, and (kind of) Bakura: those are my friends. My real friends. Emotions spread from my brain to my heart. I will defend them all as best as I can, but can I defend them enough from Marik? And even Bakura? ...Can I defend them from myself?

I stopped laughing and pulled myself up out of the water. As I stood, the excess water cascaded down my body like falling crystals. "What should we do now?" I asked, wanting to take my mind off of the guilt.

"Well, I'm kind of hungry," Yugi said, "especially after that run..."

"Maybe we could all go to the new place downtown?" Téa suggested, "By the time we get there, Lucy should be dry!" she looked at me smirking, "Mostly." We all laughed again.

"Sure, let's—"

I felt my heart sinking to my stomach at the sight before me. "Bakura!"

A figure with shaggy white hair was hunched over, his face hidden. He was being stabilized by a boy with sandy-blond hair and lavender eyes. One sleeve of his blue and white stripped shirt was rolled up, showing a bloodied bandage on his upper arm.

Ignoring Téa and Yugi's concern for me, I started running toward the two boys. He was barely awake when I got there. "Bakura! Bakura, what happened?" I felt Marik staring at me, when I looked up at him, he formed his mouth in a way as if her were about to speak, before being interrupted by Yugi and Téa's arrival.

"Bakura!" they both called to him.

"He was attacked," Marik said, looking at Yugi and Téa, "There were two men beating him before I tried to stop them…I couldn't see well…it was so dark…" he set the boy down. When he looked up, I saw Ryou's eyes, innocent and lost

"They were a couple of those Rare Hunters…" his voice was barely a whisper. I leaned in closer.

Téa let out a small gasp. Yugi, now the Pharaoh, muttered, "I should have known something like this would happen…"

"Rare Hunters?" I turned to the Pharaoh and Téa for answers. Téa started explaining to me how their leader, Marik, had used his Millennium Rod to take control of Joey's mind. He then forced Joey to fight Yugi in a duel for their lives.

I fell, holding my head in my hands, "I'm so dizzy…" I muttered. Téa and Yugi rushed to my side. I can't hear them… "Somebody call for help…" I managed to say, "Someone help him…please…"

"Already on it," Yugi said, hanging up his phone, "Grandpa should be here soon. He'll take Bakura to the hospital from here."

"What exactly happened?" Téa asked.

"I don't know, really," Marik replied, "I just saw him being beaten by those two hooded freaks, then I tried to help him. I called out to them, and they ran. I guess they didn't want to be seen.

Yugi turned to him, "That was very brave of you…um…what did you say your name was?"

"Namu," he smiled, "and I wish I could've done more to help him…"

I stopped listening to them and bent down to him. "Ryou…talk to me. What happened? What did Marik do to you?"

A harsh voice responded, "Play along, Lucy," I took a sharp inhale, "This is part of our plan. If you ruin this for us, you will regret it."

He's in this too… The fact that Bakura was conspiring with Marik too hurt enough, but to actually make an injury this severe? How could he do this? And to make a fool of me like this? I'm enough of a fool for getting myself involved with both of them… I could feel the tears forming. They always sting when you don't want them to come.

Bakura's face softened slightly, "And stop acting so worried. I've had worse injuries than this…Ryou gets weak at the sight of blood. He can't handle things like this."

My look of concern didn't change, but anger and frustration was rising up in me. Hitting him on his wound so hard he had to hold his lips together to keep quiet, I whispered, "To make your agony more authentic," there's a snarl within my silence, "Your acting needs work." Before standing, I looked into his eyes. He gawked at me, probably surprised I did that, but I don't care…but deep down, I was surprised I did that too.

A golden car was approaching, and it looked like it was made in the early 90s. The car screeched to a halt in front of us. Emerging from the driver's seat was a grey-haired man, short and a tad portly, but seemingly good-natured. "Yugi!" he called, running over, "What happened to him?" his voice sounded like it had been wasted away over the years, eroded with time.

"That's just what we're trying to figure out," Yugi said. "By the way, Gramps, this is Lucy," he indicated me, "and Namu," he gestured to Marik.

He beamed, "It's nice to meet more of Yugi's friends, but now, I think this boy's condition should be brought to our attention first. We shall have to have a proper introduction later."

Bakura had fainted, or was faking it anyway. Grandpa bent down and lifted the boy as best as he could, "Yugi, would you mind helping an old man?" He groaned from Bakura's weight.

"Sure, Gramps," Yugi went to Bakura's other side to support him. "Téa, could you get the door?"

"Of course," she hustled over to the car with the three following.

I turned to Marik and glared at him through thin slits in my voice, "What—did—you—do?" I growled.

He said nothing, but brought a single finger to his lips in a silent gesture.

And voila! Yeah, about time...but fear not! Next chapter will come as soon as I finish doing some last-minute editing! Hope this isn't too boring for you guys. Please leave any rates or comments. Favorites would be appreciated, but it's up to you. :~) Thanks!

~Mina