Listen everyone, I'm going to be switching the two chapters The Fanged Card and The Cruel Gang. So This one will be The Cruel Gang. I don't want Seto to show up on scene before the gang starts coming and making their scene. It also fits the cliffie. Review please!

Hanaski was sleeping in bed that night. It was late, VERY LATE. He was resting still and quietly. The night seemed peaceful. There was nothing to ruin this peaceful night, or so Hanaski thought. Little did he know about the most horrifying event that would take place.

While Hanaski was dreaming away, he heard a loud crash from his window. It scared him so much he jumped from his bed in less than a second. He saw the broken window at his room and waited for the burglar to come out, but nobody came. Hanaski trembled in fear before seeing the very item that crashed through his window. It sent chills up his spine. There, among the broken glass, was the millennium puzzle with a note crumpled around it.

"Hello!" Hanaski called, but no one answered. He looked out the window and saw the shadow running from the house. He looked back and showed the glaring face of Atem Moto. "Atem, what are you doing here so late at night and why'd you throw you puzzle through my window?"

Atem never answered. He just glared very deeply and coldly saying, "read the note!" He left after that.

Hanaski was confused. He unwrapped the note that read, "Hanaski, I can't take it anymore! Take Yugi! I never wanna see that son of a bitch EVER AGAIN!" This confused Hanaski and fear ran all over him. Why would Atem reject Yugi?

The next day didn't get any better. Hanaski kept Yugi around his neck thinking Atem would change his mind. Maybe him and Yugi had a feud or something, though it seemed more than a feud by the way Atem was acting. Hanaski was scared and worried. He'd never seen Atem act this way and since when did he call Yugi a 'son of a bitch'? Anyone who called him this would feel the furry of Atem. Hanaski was indeed confused.

Hanaski spotted Atem's desk, which was empty. Atem always came early. Something was up! Tristan walked into the classroom and noticed the puzzle around Hanaski's neck instead of Atem's. Tea noticed his too when she came from behind Tristan.

"Hanaski, why do you have Atem's puzzle?" Tristan asked.

"Atem... he... threw it through my window and said he never wanted to see 'it' again," Hanaski replied, answering Tea's silent question that was in her head as well.

"That's weird. Atem clings to that thing like a spirit lives inside there," Tristan halfly joked, but didn't know it was actually true.

Hanaski nodded his head in sadness. He walked up to Tea and showed her the note given by Atem. Anger rose through the young girl as she crumpled the paper into a small ball.

"I... I think something happened. I don't know what, but... I've never seen Atem act like this," Hanaski muttered. Tea wasn't thinking about that.

"Bastard," Tea muttered before she sat in her desk. Hanaski walked up to his angry friend whose fists were shaking furiously. "I hate him. I hate Atem for calling Yugi such a thing and treating him like this." Tears formed in Tea's eyes. Hanaski clutched onto the puzzle, wanting to know what was going through Atem's head.

"Huh," Tristan said suddenly. "Joey's gone too. Something's wrong. He NEVER gets sick. I'm gonna go find him."

"I'll come too," Hanaski said.

"Same here!" Tea glared. She wanted to give Atem a piece of her mind.

After school was over, the three friends set off looking for Atem and Joey. The first place Tristan decided to search in was the game shop. It seemed quiet from what the gang could tell. The store read "Closed." Solomon NEVER closed the game shop except on Sundays. Something was DEFINETLY wrong.

Tea marched up to the door, ignoring the sign, and banged on the door. Solomon answered the door with blood red eyes and wet cheeks. Tea gasped at this sight. Solomon had been crying. About what?

"M... Mr. Moto!" Tea exclaimed. "Are you alright?"

"No sweety, I'm afraid I'm nothing but alright," Solomon replied in snob. "What do you kids need?"

"We came looking for Atem, he's not in school and neither is Joey," Tristan replied. Solomon nodded, seemingly not surprised by this.

"Atem's... not here. He moved out," Solomon said in a cold manner. "He said he didn't want to be here anymore and stormed out. He seemed... angry. Uka was afraid he was drunk again, but he seemed sober. I... I'm so confused. I thought Atem was out of that influence!"

"What influence?" Tea asked with narrowed eyes.

"Have you heard of the Ritama gang?" Solomon asked with angered eyes. The three nodded.

"I've heard some. They're the cruelest gang in Domino City," Hanaski said.

"Atem used to be a member. He left home at the age of 13 saying that he hated us and wanted to be with people who 'understood him,'" Solomon explained. "Anyways, him and Joey got into some bad trouble with that gang. Atem returned home two years later and begged to stay here. Had tears in his eyes. We thought he changed for good and would never go back there again. Though, he did develop some habits because of their influence, still..." The grandfather stood silent for a good few minutes before finishing, "anyways, he's returned back to that Ritama gang. I'm guessing Joey's has too."

"No," Tristan muttered silently. "I've known them since middle school. Why would they want to be part of that again? They hate that gang! It doesn't make sense."

"Of coarse it makes sense," Tea glared with folded arms. "Atem's an ass and he always will be!"

"But he's right," Hanaski muttered while clinging onto the puzzle. "W... we have to find them!"

"It's too dangerous Hanaski," Tristan warned.

"He's right. My cousin was raped by those guys," Tea said. "Who knows what those guys could do to you."

"I don't care!" Hanaski cried. "Atem's my friend and friends help each other when they're in trouble."

Hanaski clutched onto the puzzle tighter. He knew that Yugi would want Hanaski to keep looking for Atem. Hanaski had to find out for himself what happened to Atem. What was going on with him? Why did he decide to join the very gang he tried to avoid? Something wasn't right!

The three friends searched high and low for Atem to the very places he normally hung out at. Tristan avoided looking in Joey's house since the dad there was a drunkard and Joey was more than likely not there either. The trio finally searched in the lowest part of town. Hanaski knew this place by the fact that Atem claimed his ex girlfriends or sex partners lived around these parts. This was a dangerous place.

The kids were about to give up hope when they heard a noise from a group of kids.

"Where's the money?" The gang leader Hirutani threatened with a random person being held by the throat.

"I... I don't have it. I swear I don't have anything!" The person begged. He was punched toward the wall and beaten until he had drips of blood on his head and face.

"That's what you get if you don't pay up," Hirutani smirked as one of the gang members popped his head out. It was Atem. he acted as if he heard something.

Hanaski saw Atem behind Hirutani and on the right was Joey. He shouted, "ATEM! JOEY!"

Joey gasped and turned his head while Atem turned his head with a hint of anger in his eyes.

"You know these guys?" Hirutani asked with an evil smile.

"Na, never met them," Joey smirked.

"I haven't seen them either, except the wimpy one. I told you I never wanted to see him again!" Atem shouted. Hanaski and Tea knew Atem was talking about Yugi. Atem could still see Yugi.

"STOP THIS BULLSHIT ATEM AND COME HOME!" Tristan shouted.

"Who do you think you are, my mother?" Atem smirked with his arms crossed. He shoved Tristan by the throat against the brick wall. "If I were you, I'd leave here. Stay out of things that don't concern you!" With that Atem threw Tristan onto the ground.

"STOP THIS!" Hanaski begged with tears in his eyes. He ran toward Atem before being swept off the ground by the back of his collar by a gang member, Randell. "Let me go!"

"Atem doesn't want to be bothered," Randell smirked before punching Hanaski in the gut. Atem just stared with cold eyes, including Joey.

"We don't need these losers. Let's get outta here!" Hirutani smirked before him and his gang members walked away.

"Atem, you're an asshole!" Tea shouted angrily. "I thought you were a good person, but I guess I was wrong."

Tea was grabbed by the arm by Hirutani. The girl tried to pull away, but it was impossible. The thug was too strong. She started feeling scared.

"I see the bitch wants to mess with us," Hirutani smirked. "Seems vulnerable. You want to do her in, Atem?"

"No," Atem replied coldly with crossed arms. "Leave her be, she won't be any harm to us."

"Hm, very well," Hirutani smirked before his big palm slapped the girl across the face. Tea fell on the ground with tears that finally developed in her eyes. "Let's go."

Hirutani and the rest of the gang finally left. The three friends were able to get up and recover from the assault. Atem was so cold and hard when facing Tristan. They all didn't know what to think. Hanaski was crying and snobbing. Why would Atem turn his back on his friends? Hanaski kept asking that question in his head over and over again. He wished he could talk to Yugi and see him just like Atem could. He was able to spot Yugi even without wearing the puzzle.

That's when it dawned on Hanaski. Atem could still see Yugi! Yugi said that the reason him and Atem could see each other is because of the bond they share. The closer their bond, the more easier it is to communicate. If Atem really rejected Yugi, there would be no way for the teenage boy to contact his brother. Hanaski knew that Atem never joined the gang in his heart.

"Atem hasn't changed!" Hanaski shouted with joy. Tea and Tristan stared at Hanaski with blinking eyes. "Why would he join that gang if he hated it so bad? He must've been threatened or something! He may've been hateful, but he might be trying to protect us."

Tristan stared at the ground and said, "he and Joey didn't beat us up, the gang members did."

"So? He still watched and coldly too," Tea glared with folded arms.

"He probably doesn't like it anymore than we do. He chose not to harm any of us, even you. If he really turned his back on us, he would've hurt you Tea. He had the option," Hanaski snapped.

"He's right. If Atem and Joey really turned their backs on us, they would've beaten us up," Tristan pointed out. He stood up, and then ran off. "I'm gonna go look for them and get to the bottom of this!"

Tea sat angrily on the bench with her arms folded. Hanaski came up next to his friend and said, "Atem saw Yugi."

"I know that I..."

"If he really rejected Yugi, he wouldn't be able to see Yugi," Hanaski pointed out. Tea gasped and blinked. She knew Hanaski was right. Atem saw Yugi!

"Then... that means..."

"He hesitated when writing that letter."

"He's in trouble."

"And we should find him and Joey."

Tea and Hanaski ran off to follow Tristan. They searched everywhere, but could not find the gang. In fact, neither of them knew where their hiding spot was and it was getting late. Hanaski was desperate to finding Atem and Joey and get them out of the gang. Who knows where they were?

Meanwhile, Atem was slammed against the wall, blood leaking from the side of his head. He stood up and stared at Huritani coldly. Joey watched in fear as the two men faced each other coldly and hardly.

"You promised my friends wouldn't get hurt," Atem said coldly.

"I said they wouldn't be killed. Never on their well-being," Huritani smirked with his arms crossed. "I still need you and your friend. Just know that if you don't participate in our attack, everyone you care about, even that old bag will get it. Heck, I'll even f*** with ya ma just for you."

"Leave her alone, Huritani!" Atem yelled. "You've done enough harm by making me hurt her. I won't forgive you if you lay one finger on either of my friends or family."

"I'll keep on that note," Huritani smirked, not being fazed by Atem's threats. "Rest well boys." He left the room with Joey and Atem alone next to their two old bunks.

"You okay, Man?" Joey asked in concern. He helped his friend on his feet.

"That son of a bitch," Atem glared. "I won't let him harm my friends. I won't let him harm my folks either."

"Don't stress yourself," Joey warned. "Everything's gonna be okay."

"Says you."

"Atem!" Yugi's voice called.

Atem had been hearing the voice of his brother ever since he threw that puzzle through Hanaski's window. Hanaski was the only one Atem could trust to take care of Yugi. He wasn't safe where Atem was at the moment. He couldn't let Huritani get a hold of Yugi. Yugi was Atem's deepest weakness. The young boy who looked like, and could be, Atem's twin. Atem had to separate from Yugi in order to protect him, but the more the boy tried, the louder that voice called. Atem couldn't get that voice from his head that was filled with concern and sadness.

'Yugi, I'm sorry,' Atem muttered in his head. "Let's get to bed, Joey."

It was already dark and Atem needed to heal up from the beating he received from Huritani. Yugi's voice finally died down since Atem needed rest. He still couldn't get any. It wasn't from Yugi's voice calling out to him. It was just the fact that Atem couldn't get Yugi out of his head. Atem was breathing hard. He turned his head over to his right expecting a warm cheek to touch his own cheek, but nothing.

Yugi always snugged against Atem every night. It helped him sleep and comforted him from his nightmares. Yugi was gone. Atem felt so lonely. He had never felt so lonely in his whole life. He tossed and turned roughly to get to sleep. Atem started imaging Yugi's gentle arms wrapped around his waist with that childish face lying on his chest like a pillow. A small smile appeared on Yugi's lips before that soft face snuggled against Atem's chest.

Tears formed in the lonely teen's eyes. That image was more torture to him than all of the snuggles and hugs Yugi gave his brother every night. The next image gave Atem more torture than he could handle.

Yugi's head was on the left of Atem's face. Atem felt Yugi's fragile hand touching his hand palm to palm. Their fingers tapped against each other and every tap made Atem want to be closer with Yugi. Their fingers curled through the gaps of the other's fingers. Yugi closed his eyelids and made a soft moaning sound.

"I love you, brother," Yugi would whisper.

More tears, bitter tears, streamed down Atem's face. Atem knew he wanted Yugi. It was torture not having Yugi close to him. No longer feeling those snuggles, those hugs, that soft moan, that soft face against his cheek. Atem actually missed that.

'You're not supposed to miss someone like this for another week! What's wrong with me?' Atem cried in his mind while snobbing against his pillow. 'YUUUUUGIIIIIII!' More snobs and more tears left his eyes that night.