Hey so this chapter's a little shorter than they have been but I hope you enjoy anyway and remember to review! As always, thanks for reading!

Chapter 6

Kaiba stared at Yugi atop the hill of trash. Yugi seemed shocked to see him. Then from somewhere on the hill out of sight behind Yugi came the very familiar Brooklyn accent

"Hey! I'd recognize that voice anywhere! Is that rich boy?" And Joey came into view on top of the hill. Joey looked similar to his former self. His hair was in the same cut, though a little more disheveled from the last few days, it was normally slightly neater than he wore it as a teenager, but it wasn't all that much better. He had the starts of a small beard forming, more of a five-o'clock shadow really, and it was hard to see being blonde but it was there. His clothes hung loosely on him and he actually looked skinnier than he had as a kid. Kaiba had seen him a few months earlier but that time he had been dressed in a light blue dress shirt and dark blue tie with his hair neatly combed (Yeah, wearing all blue when asking Kaiba for money definitely was a coincidence). Now he looked more like his old self. And he still had the same huge goofy smile. Yugi had the same hair as always. And he was still incredibly short. But he looked more like Atem now. His face had grown taught; it had more age and experience; and he didn't look so innocent. He no longer looked like a baby panda.

"Nice threads richy!" and Joey started climbing down the slope. Yugi followed. When Joey reached the bottom he walked straight up to Kaiba and looked up into his eyes making the best mock intimidation face he could,

"Money don't matter here no more buddy. Now you're one of us!" Joey held a closed grin, then shifted his gaze to Duke. He looked puzzled as he looked the man up and down. Then he reached his eyes looking at them through the glasses and his own popped.

"Duke!?"

"The one and only." Joey gave him a big but quick hug. Duke didn't even have a chance to react. Joey then grabbed his arms halfway between the shoulder and elbow and held him at arm's length, looking him up and down.

"Duke man, haven't seen you in forever. Amazing what time does huh? I mean look you're even wearing glasses!" Then Yugi arrived.

"Hey Yuges, look it old Duke Devlin." Yugi gave Duke a sad smile and diverted his eyes. He then looked back up to Duke and Kaiba

"Where did you guys come from?" Duke jumped in to answer before Kaiba had a chance.

"We were actually outside the city when it happened, well I was, Kaiba was actually flying out of the city. But they just cleared aid to come in this morning, so we flew in to find you guys. You're the first we've found. We're still looking for Serenity, Tristan, and Mokuba. Are any of them with you?" The two shook their heads. And Joey looked solemn at the mention of his little sister being somewhere in the city. Then Kaiba stepped in

"Do you know where they were at the time?" Joey answered

"No dice… Sorry for taking your thing Duke." And he chuckled along with Duke. Kaiba and Yugi stood there. Joey gave Kaiba another big smile,

"So Kaiba, I hope you know I won't be paying you back now."

"So, Mr. Kaiba, what are you here for today? If it's to offer Yugi to help him again he won't take it you know." She stared at him dreamily. He had been oh so generous and gallant. Oh she just knew he was a kind loving soul!

"Nah, just here to tell him something. Though I will try to offer him help again."

"Tsk tsk tsk. You know he won't take it." Kaiba thought to himself again. This girl was smart. Still immature with age and silly at times, he even knew that she had a crush on him. She reminded him of Rebecca Hawkins and the way she obsessed over Yugi. She could be annoying at times but she was in the right place and she would accomplish things once she got a little more mature and experienced. But not if she stayed here in Domino. This city was sinking, there was nothing left here for a young girl like her who hoped to one day be something.

"You should consider leaving Domino." Blair looked shocked. She loved this city. When she came here at 13 after graduating from the duel academy to pursue a dueling career, the pro league hadn't worked out for her. But she had met so many friends here. Domino was her home.

"Why do you say that?"

"There's nothing left here for you. This city is falling apart. It isn't the great place it used to be." He stared at the wall of the shop, not at anything in particular. Then the back door of the shop opened.

"Hello Kaiba, come in."

Yugi held the little red door open for Kaiba and held his hand out to motion that he should go in. He walked through the door and started up the stairs where he reached a hall. He opened up a door and stood on one side of the room waiting for Yugi to enter. Yugi came in and sat on the green couch.

"Kaiba take a seat." Kaiba stood against the wall facing Yugi's side. Yugi turned his head towards him.

"I'm leaving Domino." Yugi looked surprised for a moment. Then thoughtful, and he looked down. He folded his hands, crossed his legs, and put his hands around his knee. He bit his lip. He wished he had tea to drink right now. It would have looked so much cooler, thinking while drinking from a mug of tea. Yugi looked back up at Kaiba.

"You finally decided to go?"

"Yeah." It sounded too much like his conversation this morning. It irritated him.

"This city is sickening now. I can't stay. I'm taking the company with me." Yugi leaned back on the sofa and rested his elbow in his palm with the other hand under his chin. Kaiba realized Yugi wasn't going to speak and talked again

"I think you and Blair should leave too. Your whole group, before it's too late." Yugi considered the last part carefully. Would it be too late to leave at some point? But also, would he be able to return. What about his friends? He couldn't leave the place where his friends were. He couldn't leave them here. And if the city did in fact become torturous to live in and it did grow too late to leave, that was even more reason for him to stay if his friends chose to.

"If they go, I'll go, any one of them chooses to stay though…" He didn't need to finish.

"Do what's smart Yugi. Now that Atem's gone, this isn't about destiny or heart of the cards anymore. You can't just believe now. You have to use your head." And Kaiba strode out across the room, down the stairs, through the shop, and back to the motorcycle. His guard stepped away from his post at the door to the shop and made his way back to the motor cycle.

"Hey Kaiba, so I know that you're worried about your brother and all…" Joey walked with Kaiba collecting any wood they could find to make a fire so they could cook some food. He kicked a can and flipped his hair out of his face.

"But I wouldn't talk about it too much." He looked like he wanted to rub the back of his neck but his hands were preoccupied.

"Yugi's gramps didn't make it." His face was solemn. Kaiba's serious expression didn't change. He felt for Yugi losing a loved one, but he was actually surprised that Yugi's gramps had still been alive. He thought he was already long dead.

Joey seemed upset over the death too. Kaiba knew that Joey's father had been… well not a proper father. He himself had plenty of experience with that. Joey spent a lot of his time with Yugi and his grandfather. He was probably like family to him. He knew a thing or two about losing family. And it didn't help that he still didn't know where his sister was. Kaiba himself didn't know where his younger sibling was in this desolate town. He bent down to grab another piece of wood.

"He lived a long happy life. He wouldn't want to see his home like this." Joey bit his lip and thought. He knew what Kaiba said was true, but at the same time it felt like he was trying to convince him that Gramps' death was a good thing. Maybe he should listen to him though. He did have more experience with the death of loved ones. Then again, look how he turned out: cold, distant, uncompassionate… did he really want to end up like Kaiba? But maybe to survive this whole thing in this disaster in this city without laws he'd have to be more like Kaiba. The two arrived back at the shop and dropped the wood while Duke and Yugi were still out. Joey sat down cross legged and leaned back with straight arms.

No, he couldn't think that way. He couldn't end up like Kaiba. Kaiba was a complete jerk, even if it helped him survive, would he want to live in a world where he was like Kaiba? Kaiba was a jerk, he was the most brutal, distant, arrogant, egocentric, uncaring –Joey's thought was interrupted by movement diagonally behind him. Joey turned to look at Kaiba and saw him sitting on the ground and noticed that his hand was on his shoulder; he looked straight ahead with the same sternness as always. Joey turned back around. His hand felt warm on his shoulder.