Hey everyone! Glad you liked the last chapter. Here's a new one. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own YuGiOh GX or Jess; she still belongs to ladydream-chan.

Claimer: This entire story is mine. The plot especially. The random OCs also belongs to me. Any and all copiers WILL BE reported to the administrators, so don't take anything.

xXx

Jaden's POV

"Okay, so what are we doing now?" Joey asked when Yusei, Atem, and I walked back into the house.

Atem shrugged, stopping in the archway and folding his arms across his chest. "Not a clue."

Joey frowned. "I was afraid you'd say that."

Serenity elbowed her brother.

"Has Nathan figured anything out?" I asked, looking at Jim.

He shrugged. "Not that I know, Mate. Sorry."

I frowned but shook my head. "Not your fault, Jim."

"Can I just say one thing?" he asked, looking at me.

Confused, I gestured to him with my hand. "Sure. What's on your mind?"

"You said that Julie is going to kill Camula right?"

"Without a doubt, why?"

"Well, if Julie can claim Camula than Viper is all mine." His eyes hardened, looking quiet deadly. "That bastard is going to die by my hand."

I just nodded, knowing that I wasn't going to be able to talk him out of his crazy revenge scheme. Even though the entire Blood-Crib war escalated because of revenge, it seemed to be the catalyst for everyone around me lately.

"Giese is mine," Jesse said, walking into the room.

I looked at him, a little shocked. "Are you sure?" I questioned.

He nodded, face pale but serious. "I'm sick of looking over my shoulder, trying to see if he's tracking me. I'm going to end it, one way or another."

I did not like the way he said that, but I wasn't going to bother trying to talk him out of it. "All right," I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. "Does anyone else want to claim a Skull before they're all gone?"

Everyone chuckled but didn't say anything.

"Do you have anyone in mind, Jaden?" Hassleberry asked.

I looked at him, seeing that he and the rest of the gang were sitting on a couch by themselves. Alexis was sitting on the very end, watching me, with Jess leaning against her sleepily. "Yeah," I said softly, looking away from her.

"Who?" Chazz asked.

I clenched my hands into fists and looked right at Atem and Yusei. "The leader of the Skulls is mine."

Yusei looked at me startled. "Jaden, he's going to be the strongest of them all!"

I nodded. "I know."

Atem frowned. "And that's exactly why you want to be the one to fight him."

"Partly, but he started this whole damn thing because of me. I'm taking him out by myself."

"That sounds a little too risky, Jaden," Crow said.

Jack nodded in agreement. "We weren't even allowed to meet this leader when we were a member of the Skulls, so we don't know anything about him."

"I don't give a damn! This guy gathered up all of these Skulls and is killing everyone around me to get to me! I'll be damned if I let anyone else take him out."

"Don't take unnecessary risks, Jay," Jesse said, looking at me closely.

I just glared at him, causing him to hold up his hands in surrender.

"All right, fine, whatever you want, Jaden," Atem said, though his face betrayed that he didn't like it.

"Just be careful; we have no idea what this guy is capable of," Yusei said.

I nodded.

"Well, I have some news," Nathan said, walking into the room. Everyone looked at him; he didn't look happy.

Guess it isn't good news.

"What is it, Nathan?" Jesse asked.

Nathan sighed and looked at Atem. "An old friend of mine from my Crib days lives here in Domino City; he's got a few connections with the black market here."

"Wait, there's a black market here?" Joey asked, jumping forward.

Kaiba kicked him. "How do you think we get all of our weapons, Mutt?"

Joey glared at him and made a move to punch him for the kick when Tristan and Marik both tackled him to the ground.

"Ignoring Joey, what does this friend of yours know?" Atem asked.

"He's heard a rumor that the Skulls are roaming the streets of Domino and are close to cracking," Nathan explained.

The ruckus behind us silenced immediately. A moment later the rest of the Pyramids were standing behind Atem. Serenity even managed to squeeze herself in and grab Atem's arm, keeping him from running anywhere.

"What do you mean by 'cracking'?" Tristan asked his tone low and hard.

Nathan held his hands up, as if the Pyramids were going to attack him. "Like how they were in Ochi City."

"You mean psychotic? Attacking and killing people for no reason?" I guessed, not really guessing. The Skulls had a one-track mind back in Ochi; I never thought it had changed…it really didn't now that I think about it.

"Yes, Jaden, that's precisely what I mean."

Jesse, Jim, and I shared a look.

"Just exactly how reliable is this 'friend' of yours, Nathan?" Jim asked.

Nathan slowly lowered his hands. "Very, which is the reason why I don't like this news."

"Neither do we," Kaiba said.

"They're in our hometown," Joey snarled, looking a little more than just pissed off.

"Atem, we can't let them do anything," Marik whispered.

Atem nodded. "And we won't."

"Now wait just one minute, Atem," Serenity began but he cut her off.

"We don't have a minute, Serenity. I'm sorry." He shrugged off her hands and quickly ran out the door. Marik, Tristan, and Kaiba followed him.

Joey squeezed his sister's shoulder. "Relax, Sis! We'll be fine!" With that, he followed everyone.

She gave me a worried look. "Last time they said that, Atem got blown up."

I frowned and began to chew on my thumbnail.

"We should go help them," Yusei said. "They're going to need it."

I nodded. "Right, let's go."

Everyone (being the Singers and the Bloods) made a move to get up.

"No, don't," Yugi said, catching my arm.

I looked up at him. "What? Do you want them to get caught by a Skull and killed?"

His face paled but he shook his head. "No, of course I don't want that but you don't understand. This is their home, Jaden. The Skulls are encroaching on their territory." He released my arm. "Don't you remember the protective feeling you get over your own territory or has it been too long?"

"That's not fair, Yugi! Of course I remember!" I said.

"Then how would you feel if two gangs suddenly decided to help you defend your own territory?"

I glared at him. "Hello? That's what we're doing!"

"You asked for the help, Jaden; Atem and the other Pyramids didn't."

"He's right, Jaden," Julie said, standing at the bottom of the stairs. "They want to do this by themselves. If anything happens then you can knock some sense into them. They're testosterone fueled Neanderthals. Maybe you can relate."

"Ouch! Way to attack my manhood, Julie," I said, mock-flinching.

She just smirked and sat down on the bottom step. Jesse sat down next to her and grabbed her hand, slinging their fingers together. "But she has a point," he said, looking up at me.

I frowned and looked up at Yusei, who was shaking his head in a way that made it seem like he was trying to shake away the sense all of it was making. "Fine," I conceded a moment later. "I'll let them do it by themselves." I looked at Serenity, seeing that she looked worried but nodded, understanding everything. "Maybe they will be fine."

"Or they'll be blown up again," Yusei said, lighting another cigarette.

xXx

Narrative POV

"Does anyone else feel like they're going to be blown up at any minute?" Tristan asked, slamming the lid back onto a trashcan.

Atem gave him a dirty look. "Last time you had that feeling, Tristan, I did." He kicked a few stray garbage bags over, seeing if someone was hiding underneath them. "So quit having them."

"Yeah, Tristan. We'll be fine," Joey said, climbing the ladder to a fire escape. "I think we can handle a few Skulls."

"Maybe, maybe not," Atem murmured.

"What do you mean, Atem?" Marik asked.

Atem sighed. "It's just what happened on our way back from New Domino City."

Joey jumped off the ladder and walked over to Atem, nodding. "You mean what happened with Jaden on the road with Kalin and Bakura."

Atem nodded and began walking down the street, everyone else following him.

"What did happen?" Kaiba asked.

"Jaden…changed. It was weird," Joey said, looking down every alley as they passed it.

"Changed how?" Marik asked.

"Changed like his eyes turned from brown to honey. His voice even changed, like he had a darker personality in him."

"Sounds to me like what happened with Yugi and Atem when we were growing up," Tristan said.

Atem chuckled but shook his head. "Not exactly, Tristan. Jaden's alter ego is much…darker than I was to Yugi. In fact, I don't even think he's an alter ego."

"Then what happened?" Joey asked.

"I think it's more like a darker part of Jaden, a part that grew inside him because of this life." He sighed and looked around, nonchalantly checking the crowd for Skulls.

"So you think that that Jaden with the honey eyes is the one we've heard about?" Kaiba asked.

Atem nodded. "Yes. Jaden is a brilliant fighter but that one, the honey-eyed one is most defiantly the one that does the killing."

"Huh, weird," Joey said.

"Yes, but I think we should stop talking about Jaden and focus on the task at hand," Atem said, stopping at the corner. "Split up and call for help when you think you've found a Skull."

"What if we find Viper, Camula, or Giese?" Marik asked.

Atem shook his head. "Kill them; I'll talk to Jim, Julie, and Jesse when we get back." He looked at everyone. "Now move."

Everyone nodded and began running in separate directions. Atem crossed the street slowly. 'Come out, come out wherever you are you damn Skulls.'

xXx

Marik walked down an alley, feeling oddly drawn to it.

"Looking for me?"

Marik whirled around to see Bakura standing right behind him, smirking wickedly. "Bakura!" he gasped.

"Bingo."

Marik leaned down in a fighting stance, prepared to fight Bakura, who simply tisked at him, wagging his finger disapprovingly. "Now, Marik," he began, walking slowly toward him; Marik unconsciously took a step back. "Can't we settle this without the use of violence?"

"I don't know," Marik said eyes hard on Bakura. "Can we?"

Bakura smirked sickly. "Perhaps not but I believe your leader told you to call for help if you found a Skull, am I wrong?"

Marik bristled at his patronizing tone. "I don't need their help; I can take care of you myself."

"I doubt that very much."

Marik lunged at Bakura, swinging his fist at his head. Bakura ducked out of the way of the blindly thrown fist, catching it with his hand. "This is exactly what I meant," he said, crushing Marik's hand with his.

Marik crumpled to the ground, clutching his hand. "Bastard," he gasped between pants of pain.

Bakura laughed loudly, throwing his head back. "You are too easy, Marik! I knew I made the right decision by choosing you as my target."

Marik paled as he saw the dark glint in Bakura's eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Please, you actually thought that us Skulls would be close to 'cracking' when we're so close to actually accomplishing our goal?"

"And what is your goal, Bakura?"

Bakura looked closely at him and shrugged. "Well, sense you're going to die anyway, I might as well tell you." He turned his back to Marik, who turned on his walkie-talkie, just enough where a Pyramid would hear what Bakura was about to tell him.

"You see, Marik, the man I work for is quite a vengeful soul, even more than I am. He hates the Bloods."

"Why? He couldn't have been that high ranking in the Skulls before if he survived the slaughter of his other members."

Bakura nodded and looked back at him, arms folded across his chest. "You're right, he wasn't a ranking member. Far from it, this is exactly why the leader of the Skulls recruited him last minute."

Marik raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Bakura laughed again. "The original leader of the Skulls is the one who was beaten by Jaden Yuki, the whole reason why the Slaughter of the Skulls began! Those idiotic Bloods played right into his hands!"

Marik gasped. "What! You mean the Skulls wanted the Bloods to take them out!?"

Bakura smirked evilly. "Exactly that."

"Why!"

"My leader wasn't quite sure; the original leader said that the 'fun of being a Skull had run its course.' Causing trouble with the only other worthy gang is the last thing he wanted to do before he died." Bakura pulled out a knife and began to test the point with his fingertip.

Marik paled a little at seeing blood pool on his fingertip. "But he was killed by the Bloods."

"Yes, exactly as he wanted."

"Then why recruit someone who would take revenge years later!"

Bakura smiled in a way that caused Marik to shiver involuntarily. "Because he knew Jaden Yuki would survive."

"Wait, he recruited your leader so he could get revenge on Jaden?"

"You catch on fast for a neurotic moron."

Marik ignored the comment. "Why?"

Bakura shrugged and looked closely at the tip of his knife. "Why the old leader wanted to make sure Jaden Yuki was killed is something I don't have the answer to. All I know is my leader despises him with every fiber of his being and is enjoying this little game quite a lot."

"Game?"

"Yes, don't you see, Marik? Sure, he wants all the other Bloods dead, but Jaden is his real target. Killing all of his old friends and anyone close to him is only a bonus!" Bakura laughed, cutting his palm with his knife.

"So your leader is torturing Jaden by killing all of his friends!"

"Exactamundo! Wow, you're pretty bright today." Bakura chuckled. "Well, for the most part." He took a step toward Marik, who stumbled back blindly on his hands, cussing and cradling the now broken one. His walkie-talkie flew out of his pocket, skidding across the ground. He looked at it in horror. Bakura chuckled again. "I knew you contacted your friends, Marik, but it doesn't matter. I wanted them to know this plan."

Marik looked at him confused. "Why?"

"My orders. You see, I was told to take out a Pyramid and let them relay the information I just told you. Can you imagine how much more torture that will cause Jaden? Knowing that all of his friends have been killed because of him and only him?" He smirked. "I mean, right now he thinks that he and his Bloods are the only reason everyone is dropping like flies, but my boss doesn't care about them."

"You just want to hurt Jaden in anyway possible and then come back and kill him in the end when he has nothing left to lose."

Bakura shook his head. "No, my boss has quite the devious idea in mind for Jaden's final moments and it will be quite a spectacle." He smirked evilly at Marik. "Trust me."

"I don't."

Bakura chuckled again and took a step away from Marik. "Good, but I'm afraid this conversation is over. Goodbye, Marik. I enjoyed this little chat of ours."

Marik paled as he watched Bakura summon a spirit duel monster, a pure, deadly beast; it already had blood dripping from its mouth. Before Bakura said anything, the beast was on Marik, snarling. He cried and thrashed, trying to pull the beast off of him, but it was no use; it had already sunken it's claws and mouth into him, clawing at his flesh.

As Marik was torn and mutilated by the beast, Bakura watched on with a sick smile.

xXx

Atem and his fellow Pyramids rushed into the alley where Marik's signal had come from; each of them had heard what Bakura had told him.

They also heard his scream of pain and the snarl of a beast.

"Damn it, Marik!" Atem yelled as he rounded into the alley, skidding to a stop. Joey and Tristan both slammed into him, Kaiba slowly walking in behind them. Before their eyes was their fellow Pyramid, bloody and mutilated beyond recognition.

"He's dead," Joey whispered.

Atem ground his teeth together and looked up. "Yes, and now Bakura is mine."

xXx

Are there any Marik fangirls here? If so…*runs and hides*

XD Sorry guys! Anyway, please review! … Seriously, review. :) Cookies if you do!

-x-Anime-Queen-2011-x-

-o-Mel-o-