I am so sorry! I haven't updated in ages! I've been trying to figure out some little details and stuff around this part of the story but mostly I just have to blame my own laziness and putting it off. Sorry again!

Chapter 13

"You hear me mutt?" Kaiba set Joey down onto the ground leaning against a small hill of dirt. Joey's eyelids slid down and his head drooped. Kaiba sighed and walked back to the others to grab a bottle of water. The helicopter would come soon so he could use the extra water now to clean off Joey's wounds. He walked back and splashed a little water in Joey's face, to which Joey moaned a little. "Wheeler, I'm gonna clean up your wounds. Okay?" Joey nodded a little and Kaiba leaned him forward to remove his now destroyed t-shirt. He poured a little water over the huge gash across Joey's stomach and then poured a little water onto Joey's now balled-up shirt in his hand and dabbed the wound. Joey grimaced a little as he did so. Kaiba examined the gash. It looked like something had torn across his skin.

He then moved to his leg, also exposed because the pant leg was entirely cut off a little below the knee. There, too, was a large gash and a gunshot wound lower. "What happened to you Wheeler?" Kaiba mumbled to himself as he started cleaning up his leg.

When he was done he set Joey's shirt aside to dry a little and he sprinkled some water on Joey's face. The blonde opened his eyes a little and looked up at Kaiba.

"What happened?" Kaiba stared down at the injured man lying in the dirt. Joey wanted to go back to closing his eyes and trying to ignore the pain in his stomach and leg but saw from Kaiba's expression that he wouldn't stop until he had his answer. Tears started forming in Joey's eyes as he recalled the events.

"It's all my fault Kaiba. It's all my fault."

"What happened? Where's Duke?" Joey shook his head.

"He's, he's gone Kaiba. And it's all my fault." Kaiba stopped talking and tried to process it. Duke. Was he dead? Was Duke really dead? Joey didn't actually say that but he didn't know what else he could mean. Still, Joey wasn't exactly in the right state of mind. He could hope he didn't mean…

"What. Happened. To Duke?"

"We, we were going to the area of town with the motorcycle shop Tristan…" He stopped talking.

"What, is there something about Tristan now?!" Joey nodded but then he switched to shaking it 'no.'

"No. Nothing about him… now."

"What's that supposed to mean? Tell me things straight!" He was getting really angry with Joey and he found himself practically spitting at him. Why couldn't he just tell him what happened? Did he think this was some kind of game? He didn't have time for this when people's lives were in question!

"We went to that part of town, and there was a little refugee area. And we found Tristan there. But, but then, there were these guys. Bad guys." He went quiet again and his head dropped with his long hair blocking his face in shadow. "Well, I guess I'm a bad guy now though." Kaiba scowled.

"Just get on with it." Joey swallowed and kept his head down.

"So they had guns and had us surrounded and they brought us to this fenced in area with some rooms with doors with locks and they threw us in there. And we listened form behind the door and they were arguing about eating us or using us as slaves or just killing us and taking our stuff. So Duke made this plan that we would wait and then escape at the right time. He would tell us when to act. And we agreed to it… But then… one of the guys was turned around and I didn't see anyone else around… I didn't listen to Duke. I attacked him… The others came and shot at us and I ran away like a coward. The others all died." He wasn't crying anymore. He just looked completely disgusted. "All my life, I thought I was tough Kaiba." His voice got quiet and high pitched and the tears started coming again. "But I just killed some of the best friends I ever had because I was scared." Kaiba glared at him. He didn't know whether to hate him, or pity him, or both. "And some of them were injured on the ground. I could have helped them escape too… But I didn't." The two were silent. Kaiba was about to ask how he got the gashes when Joey spoke again incredibly quietly. "You should have just let me die Kaiba. I don't deserve to live." Joey suddenly felt stinging on his face and his head was hit to the side. He gaped wide eyed at Kaiba. "Did you just slap me?"

"Yes."

"I deserve worse than that after what I did."

"I didn't slap you because of what you did. I slapped you because you said you don't deserve to live. Death is the easy way out, mutt. Saying I should have let you die is the most cowardly thing you've done thus far. Just dying is being afraid of owning up to your actions. It's so you don't have to accept responsibility for what you've done. Now you're going to live for your sister there and stop being so pathetic and get on with yourself and your life. Don't be saying you should have died when so many have already died needlessly." There came a deep pulsing from far away and Kaiba turned to see a helicopter coming from the distance. Kaiba leaned over and grabbed Joey's shirt and put it back over him. He puck Joey up without saying another word and started carrying him over to the others.

Joey looked up at him with big sad eyes. "But Kaiba, I don't think it's possible to live on after what I've done." Kaiba glared at him.

"Look Wheeler. Obviously it's possible. I'm still alive aren't I?"

"Yes…?" Kaiba saw the confusion in Joey's eyes.

"I've ruined a lot of lives. I've had men tortured and had lives ended. So don't cry to me about not being able to live with what you've done."

"But I'm not a heartless murderer." Kaiba couldn't help but chuckle a little bit at the comment. He was just saying what an awful person he was and now he was arguing that he wasn't so terrible.

The helicopter landed and it blew dust and dirt in all directions from its wind. First Mokuba made sure the children made it into the helicopter okay, then Serenity got in, followed by Kaiba carrying Joey and then Bakura.

Serenity tried to talk to Joey, but he was fast asleep when the helicopter took off. Kaiba was grateful. They could tell the others about Tristan and Duke and the old man and the missing Yugi later on.

Kaiba was wearing a light coat with a hood and plain slacks. He had a gun and a taser with him. He hoped he wouldn't have to use the gun. And he couldn't imagine a situation for the taser. But he had shrugged it off while grabbing them. You never know what could happen and it didn't hurt to bring the both. As much as he wished he couldn't though, he could imagine himself having to use the gun. He really hoped it wouldn't come to that, or anywhere near that, but it was out of his hands.

He leaned against part of the ship and looked around at some of the other people around him. Most of them looked decent enough. For the most part they seemed to just be regular people trying to meet up with family or that sort of thing. Of course there were a few that looked more threatening and sketchy. Some of them were definitely dealers of sorts. Some of them were probably on the run from the law and retreating to the haven of the satellite.

"Get away you creep!" Kaiba turned to see one of the sketchy looking men cornering a normal looking girl against the side of the boat. He immediately walked over and stepped behind the man.

"I suggest you get away from her." The man peered over his shoulder but only part way with a smug grin on his face.

"Oh yeah? Says who?" The man immediately turned swiftly to punch Kaiba but Kaiba held out his palm and caught the fist at shoulder height. He squeezed it and began turning the arm so that the offender was effectively immobilized. The burly man tried to kick Kaiba but he just used the man's energy to flip him onto the ground. He grabbed him by the back collar of his shirt and threw him to the side on the deck.

"Now beat it." The man moaned a little and then ashamedly limped away growling. Kaiba stayed facing him as he scuttled away.

"Thank you." Kaiba turned back toward the young girl. She looked like she was in her mid to late twenties or so. She had long dirty blond hair and eyes to match. Even though it was nighttime it was easy to tell. He couldn't help but think she looked a lot like Joey Wheeler. If Joey Wheeler was a girl this is probably what he'd look like.

Her eyes widened as he turned toward her and she caught the bright blue of his eyes even in the night. She hadn't recognized him dressed the way he was and in a place like this but now that she had seen those brutal blue eyes she was sure. "You're Seto Kaiba!" She looked completely stunned. "But, what are you doing in a place like this?" Kaiba narrowed his eyes at her.

"That's my business." A young man of about the same age walked up to the two. He had hair that was pointed sideways to the back with a rigid face and a leather jacket.

"Bastion! It's Seto Kaiba!" Bastion immediately looked to the man who was still looking at them over his shoulder and a huge smile stretched across his entire face. He looked like a little kid who just got a puppy on Christmas morning. He looked even more excited.

"Seto Kaiba! You're my idol! I adore you! I studied your dueling technique for years! I_" The girl jabbed her British accented companion with an elbow and glared at him saying 'stop it, you'll scare him.' Kaiba looked at the two a little amused. His ego could always use a few adoring fans. He turned toward the two and the shorter man reached out a hand to him. "Bastion Misawa." He wore an anticipating smile. Kaiba could tell nothing would make the man happier than to shake the hand of the great Seto Kaiba. He smiled inwardly feeling somewhat evil as he rejected the handshake and turned toward the girl.

"Alexis Rhodes. We're going to meet up with some friends of ours in the satellite." She looked down at the ground. "We haven't seen them in some time and now it seems the entire city is going to shut down." Bastion continued staring at Kaiba with an amazed expression, as though Kaiba was a deity that had appeared before him. Kaiba found it amusing. It was normal to get this response from young children. Not as much from adults. Then Alexis looked at him, expecting him to introduce himself. He sighed inwardly and reluctantly did so.

"Seto Kaiba."

"Bastion, Kaiba saved me while you were gone! A man was attacking me and he saved me!" Bastion's expression dropped, seemingly jealous that it wasn't he who was saved by his idol. Kaiba turned to walk away from the two. "Wait!" Kaiba turned back to the girl who he couldn't stop thinking looked like Joey. "Why are you here?" Kaiba ignored her and began walking back away to his spot standing against a wall of the boat.

Yeah, I know I've been bringing in GX characters every once in awhile. But I'm definitely not calling it a crossover since they're barely involved. I just feel like throwing them in because I think it's fun and I prefer to throw in GX characters rather than OC's :)

Sorry again about not updating. I should be a little better off with it once exams are over.