DD: Hey guys! Here's a new chapter to make up for the wait with the last one. Hope you enjoy!

Reviews:

Guest: Maybe you're right.

Ele15: I'm glad you like the headcannon and maybe you're right. Aw, I know. No, Heba's not Yugi's brother and it hasn't been mentioned yet but Marik knows him somehow. Well it can but he seems to find ways around it. Thanks! And yeah I know but I'm making up for it with fluff! Sort of. That's sort of explained in this chapter.

BreakfastForLife: XD Thanks so much and you'll find out who the knife guy is in this.

"Mai, talk to me."

Mai kept her gaze fixed on the steel table in front of her. Her feet hung and inch above the floor and she kept her hands in her lap – like a lady should.

"What age are you?" The officer asked.

She had already told them, but she said it anyway. "Ten."

"How many were in your family?"

Were. Past tense.

"Five. My mother, my father, my step-father and my brother."

Her brother wasn't dead. Yet. But she knew better than to say it.

He was going to die. He was on his way to hospital, but Mai guessed that he wouldn't even make it inside before his body gave up on him.

"Your father was there too?"

Mai nodded. "He was going to bring me to a water park tomorrow for my birthday."

"And your birthday was today?"

Mai nodded. "His plane was delayed and he couldn't make it to my party so he was going to make it up to me tomorrow."

"What happened tonight?"

Fire. Smoke. Burning. Screaming.

"The house caught fire."

"Do you know how?"

The kitchen was the worst. Blaring flames. Crackling. Occasional blasts of heat.

"No."

"How did you get out?"

There's someone in there! Get her out now!

"The fire brigade pulled me out of the window."

The officer leaned back in her chair and sighed. "Alright, Mai. You can go now."

Mai didn't look up. "Go where?" She coughed.

"Your aunt is here to collect you." The officer scribbled something down. "She'll bring you to the hospital to get a check-up to make sure that you didn't inhale too much smoke."

Mai nodded. Then paused. Aunt? What aunt?

"What's her name?" She mumbled.

"You haven't met her before?" The officer raised an eyebrow. Mai shook her head. "Are you sure? She's your birth father's sister." Mai nodded. "Alexis Rhodes."

"Crystal, sweetie, you need to eat something."

Miho shook her head. "Not hungry." Her voice cracked, even at a low whisper.

"Even just a bite?" Mai pressed. Miho shook her head. "Why not?"

"Not hungry," Miho repeated, even softer this time.

"Give the girl a break." Honda took a large bite out of his burger. "If she doesn't want to eat, don't make her. First rule of eating disorders."

Mai glared at him. "She doesn't have an eating disorder, you nitwit."

Honda shrugged. "She could."

"Well she doesn't." Mai turned back to Miho. "Come on; please. Just a bit."

Miho shook her head and pushed away her plate of pasta.

"Do you want some of my salad?" Yugi offered. "If you don't want the pasta, you can have it."

Miho shook her head again.

"Guys, just leave the girl alone. Jeez." Honda rolled her eyes. "If she's not hungry, she's not hungry."

"No hunger," Miho agreed. Her stomach growled.

Mai glared at Honda. "You're not helping."

"Guys," Jounouchi whined, "I need help!"

Honda rolled his eyes. "We already said we don't know how to help."

Jounouchi scowled at him. "No; you did. Just because you don't have the balls to ask Jaguar out doesn't mean you can't help me."

Honda returned the scowl. "I don't want to ask Jaguar out."

"Yes you do."

"Yup."

"I think yes."

"We all know you do, Chimp."

"I don't!" Honda insisted.

Jounouchi rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I still need help."

Mai glared at him before turning back to Miho. "Come on. Just a bit."

Miho looked up at her. "P-P'lar, no hunger. No eat."

"You need to eat something!" Mai insisted. "Even just a piece of salad!"

Miho took a glance at Yugi's salad. She reached over and took a small piece of tomato, popping it into her mouth. "See? Ate. Now no eat."

Mai sighed and took Miho's injured hand. Miho whimpered slightly. "Crystal, losing your finger isn't the end of the world."

"Can no do thing," Miho whispered. "No write. No paint."

"I'll help you," Mai murmured.

"Guys!" Jounouchi whined.

Mai glared at him again. "Retriever, now is not the time for you to be complaining! Just kiss Blue and be done with it!"

Jounouchi returned the glare and stood up. "I'm going to finish lunch on the roof."

"Good!" Mai folded her arms.

"Retriever," Yugi protested as Jounouchi walked towards the door. "If Griffin asks, tell him on the roof," he mumbled to Honda. Honda nodded as Yugi picked up his own tray, and followed Jounouchi out.

Miho looked at Mai again. "Say sorry."

Mai looked over at her. "Why?"

"You hurt 'Triever feeling," Miho replied. "Say sorry."

Mai sighed. "I'll apologise later, hun. If you have something to eat."

Miho shook her head. "Had tomate. No mange anymore."

Switching between French and English. Not good.

"Crystal-"

"Crystal, do you want some chocolate?" Honda offered. "It'll make you feel a bit better."

Miho hesitated before nodded. "Oui."

Honda smiled. "I'll get you some." He stood and walked up to the sweet section.

Mai sighed. "Crystal, you need more than chocolate."

"Je suis mangée mon petit déjeuner ce matin," Miho pointed out. "Je ne suis pas faim maintenant."

Mai sighed again. "Alright. Have the chocolate. But you need to eat dinner tonight."

Miho nodded, though she and Mai both knew that she had every intention of saying that she wasn't hungry later as well.

"Here." Honda dropped the chocolate bar in front of Miho as he sat down. "Some chocolatey goodness."

Mai huffed. "There's nothing good about chocolate," she mumbled, but she didn't protest when Miho unwrapped it and began to eat.

It was something. And something was a hell of a lot better than nothing.

"Pass me the olive oil." Seto extended his hand.

"The what now?"

"The olive oil." Jounouchi blinked and Seto sighed. "The see-through yellow bottle."

Jounouchi looked at the table. "Which one?"

"It doesn't matter," Seto groaned.

"Are you sure?"

"Just pass me the bigger one, Retriever."

Jounouchi handed him the larger bottle and watched as Seto poured it into a pan. Or wok. Jounouchi was failing home economics; badly.

"Okay, now pass me the vinegar."

Jounouchi blinked. "The what?"

Seto sighed. "The orange bottle, Retriever. The orange one."

Jounouchi hesitated and looked at them. He couldn't exactly see any shades of red, so that could prove to be a problem. Both bottles looked blue to him.

He picked up the larger bottle and passed it to Seto.

Seto frowned at it. "This is more olive oil. Not vinegar."

"Oh." Jounouchi quickly switched them. "Sorry."

Seto snorted and poured a bit of vinegar into the pan. "You really do have an accurate name."

Jounouchi folded his arms. "I'm not a dog, asshat."

"Sure." Seto stirred the vegetables with a wooden spoon.

Jounouchi leaned on the counter and poked the pan. "What are we making?"

"Stir fry. I told you this three classes ago." Seto added the chopped peppers to the mix.

"Wasn't listening." Jounouchi kept his gaze on the sizzling vegetables. "Thanks, by the way."

Seto raised an eyebrow. "For?"

"For last night." Jounouchi coughed. "You know. Finishing the project. Must've taken you a while."

Seto shrugged. It had. "I was just repaying you. For the alley the other day. I didn't need your help; I would have beaten him anyway. But I suppose you helped me send him off earlier." He flipped the vegetables. "And if you hadn't, Crystal could have gotten hurt. So thank you."

Jounouchi folded his arms and leaned on them. "You like her?"

Seto raised an eyebrow, smirking. "No. Hell no. That'd be like having a crush on a ten year old." He shook his head.

"So you're straight?"

"Does it matter?" Jounouchi looked away. Seto added the chicken to the vegetables. "But no. I'm pansexual."

"Oh. Cool." Jounouchi picked at a bit of peeling paint. "I'm bi." His face was burning. "Sorry. You didn't need to know that. Anyway, you helped me out so by helping you out, I cancelled out that debt."

"And by finishing the project, I cancelled out my debt. Could you check the rice?"

Joey peered into the pot and turned off the gas. "It's done."

"Great. Take it out, pour it into a bowl."

Great? Since when did Seto act that casual? Especially around him?

Jounouchi shook his head and emptied the pot into a bowl. His palms began to sweat as he set the pot on a pot stand. "Hey, Blue?"

"Hm?"

"Could I… ask you something? It's a bit…"

"Personal?" Seto guessed. Jounouchi nodded.

Seto glanced around the room. They all worked at stations; a table, an oven, a counter and a sink each. They also had a three-walled divider, and their teacher couldn't see them.

"Go."

Jounouchi scowled, his face heating up. "I can't just go. I'm not a dog."

"Then why ask?" Seto tilted his head and began scooping the vegetables and chicken onto a plate. "Turn off the gas."

Jounouchi huffed but turned it off. "I'm trying to tell you something."

"Then tell me."

"Quit telling me what to do!"

Seto sighed and turned to him. "Are you going to tell me what's going on or not?"

Jounouchi gritted his teeth. "I think I like you, you asshole!"

Seto paused and set down the wok. "You think?"

"Yeah, well I haven't really liked many people before now so I don't know," Jounouchi growled and looked away.

Seto watched him for a moment. "Alright."

Jounouchi glanced at him. "Okay?"

"I might like you too." Seto began spooning rice onto the plate.

"You might?"

Seto turned and pecked him on the lips. "Yes. Might. I'm glad to know you understand me, mutt."

Jounouchi's face heated up – both from the kiss and the insult. "Knock it off," he hissed.

Seto chuckled and glanced at the clock. "Section eighteen is playing some film tonight. Want to skip curfew and go?"

Jounouchi shook his head. "Not after what happened to Crystal."

"It won't happen to you."

"No," Jounouchi corrected, "it won't happen to you. I'm not taking that risk."

Seto sighed but nodded. "Free time. We have an hour so long as we're in someone's cube. We could watch a film on my laptop."

Jounouchi hesitated before nodding. "Sure. Yeah, okay."

"Good." A smirk crossed Seto's lips. "Mutt."

"Asshat."

"Griffin?" Yugi looked up at him. "Why won't you tell me where you work? It's been three months."

Yami shook his head. "It's no big deal, Calico. I hate the job anyway."

"Why not quit?" Yugi raised an eyebrow. "They're looking for an employee at the game shop."

Yami sighed and shook his head. "It's not that kind of place, Cal. They don't take very well to resignations."

"So you're working somewhere that you don't want people to know and they don't like resignations?" Yugi raised an eyebrow. "Millennials. Are you a waiter or a stripper?"

Yami coughed and stopped dead in the middle of the alley that led to Central ICU. "What?"

"You heard me." Yugi shrugged. "Stripper or waiter?"

Yami hesitated and looked away. "Stripper," he muttered.

"Don't know why I didn't figure that out the first day you started working there," Yugi mumbled.

Yami shrugged and began walking again. "It's not a big deal."

"You're right," Yugi agreed. "To me it's not a big deal anyway. But it is dangerous."

"No it's-"

"So no one has ever thought that they could get a free sample of you with your dance?" Yami stayed silent. "I thought so."

"Look, it's not bad and I'm not quitting." Yami had to force down the residue anger from his and Atem's fights.

"I'm not saying you should," Yugi assured him. "Not if you like it."

"I don't."

"Then why stay?"

Yami shook his head. "You wouldn't get it. You're too-"

"Too innocent?" Yugi raised an eyebrow. "Come on. I'm not that innocent."

"You were literally named after a kitten. You're innocent."

Yugi rolled his eyes. "Just tell me. Whether or not I get it is completely irrelevant."

Yami sighed. "It makes me feel free," he mumbled. "If I wanted to, I could leave. It'd take work, but I could do it. If I wanted to, I could request an exemption. But even though people look down on it, I choose to go up there because for five minutes, I get to just loose myself. Y'know?"

Yugi nodded. "Yeah," he mumbled. "I know. My Grandpa used to love acting so I went into all of my school plays. It was sort of the same. It was nice knowing that I could be someone better. More confident."

"That's not the same." Yami pinched the bridge of his nose. "Sorry. I'm in a bitchy mood at the moment."

"Don't w-" Yugi yelped as someone crashed into him, sending him careening into the wall.

Yami ran to him. "Are you okay?"

Yugi pushed away from the wall and nodded. "Y-Yeah." He glanced at the person who had crashed into him. All in black. Cold eyes. A boy from the body shape.

"I'm getting tired of this game," the figure sighed. "Tell me which one of you is the Artist so I can end this."

Yami growled. "I'm so fucking sick of people asking me this," he muttered. "Neither of us is the Artist! Piss off and let us get to work!"

The figure took out a knife and twirled it. Yami took a step back but Yugi held the figure's gaze evenly.

"You heard him," he said. "I know you did. You think he would lie in a situation like this?"

"I haven't met a single person that hasn't said that while lying." The figure through the knife into the air, caught it and threw it at Yugi.

It sailed right through his hair and dug into the wall behind him.

Yugi swallowed. Hard. His face was pale and his palms were sweating. But Yami was worse.

"I hate knives. They just…"

"Want to talk about it?"

"No… No, I can't. Not-not yet."

"Okay. Hey, look at me. It's okay. Whenever you're ready."

"Neither of us is the Artist," he said slowly. "Both of us have alibis. I was with Jaguar, him and Retriever when most of the quotes were found and I was in my cube last night. So was Griffin and he was at work."

The figure observed them for a moment. "I'll let you go. Mainly because I'm bored. I don't particularly like this job. I was just told to do it." He turned away. "Best of luck at work," he called before disappearing down the alley.

"That was weird…" Yami's voice was shaking.

Yugi quickly turned to him. "It's okay," he assured him. "See? I'm not hurt."

"You could've been…"

"But I'm not." Yugi cupped Yami's cheek. "And you were brave. I know that knife scared you."

Yami's gaze flitted away. "I'll tell you about it," he whispered, "soon. I promise."

Yugi smiled softly. The urge was so strong – just to lean in and kiss his lips. Not even in a romantic way – well, yes in a romantic way but not as much. Just to show he was there for Yami.

But he wasn't risking their relationship on that. A moment. A kiss. It just wasn't worth it.

Instead, he reached out and took Yami's hand. "I can wait."

"Five, six, seven, eight."

"You're sure that's what he said?" Anzu pressed, lifting her leg over the bar.

"I'm sure," Yami replied, mimicking her actions. "He said, 'I was told to do it'."

Anzu shook her head. "And he had green eyes?"

Yami nodded. "And a knife. He threw it straight at Calico."

"Okay, the knife is worrying," Bakura agreed as his arm arched above his head, "but aside from that it sounds like you're overreacting."

Anzu shot him a look. "Necro, he thinks we're the Artist."

"Everyone thinks everyone is the Artist," Bakura pointed out. "Hell, even Lynx though I had enough motivation to be the Artist. I can't even sit through a whole season of something like Another and that has thirteen episodes."

"Yeah, you really are a commitment-phobic."

"I am not." Bakura scowled at her. "And it's called gamophobia."

"Fine. You're a gamophobic."

"So are you!"

"There's a difference between that and asexuality. I'm actually pretty good with commitment." Anzu grinned as she followed the person in front of her in a pirouette.

"Guys, you're both shit at commitments and this isn't what the point of the topic was," Yami sighed.

"No talking!" Professor Rao – "As long as you're willing to work in my class, you can call me Aileen." – called back to them, clapping her hands. "One, two, three, one, two, three."

Anzu's mouth snapped shut and she followed the line of pirouettes again.

Bakura smirked as he watched. "If she wasn't asexual, I'd swear she has a thing for Aileen."

Yami rolled his eyes. "How mature," he muttered as he followed Anzu.

"You're one to talk," Bakura shot back as soon as they reached the other side of the dance studio. "Rambling on about your 'stalker'."

"I never said he was-"

"No, but you implied it."

"Necro, leave him alone." Anzu frowned at Bakura. "That experience scared him; it's not nice to make fun of people for being scared."

Bakura's lip twitched. The fact that he would be kicked out of the class if he laughed was the only thing that kept him silent.

"I wasn't scared." Yami glared at Bakura. Then at Anzu. Then at Bakura again – for good measure. "I'm concerned about what's going on – concerned; not scared – because they seem to be targeting everyone in this section!"

Anzu raised an eyebrow. Then dropped it. "Actually, Grizzly mentioned something similar happening to him when he dropped off some remedy for Crystal."

Yami scowled. "You're still talking to him?"

Anzu rolled her eyes. "You're both as bad as each other."

"He accused me of being-" Yami lowered his voice. "-of being the Artist and forged proof!"

"Forged. Sure." Bakura rolled his eyes.

Yami glared at him but turned back to Anzu. "He's a bully."

"Stop thinking about yourself." Anzu frowned at him. "He's always been sweet to Crystal. Remember her first few days with no friends? He escorted her to every class so she wouldn't get bullied."

"And he threatened to beat Calico up how many times this year alone?" Yami tilted his head. "Thirty?"

"Thirty three," Bakura corrected.

"And we're only in March."

Anzu sighed. "Griffin, what you need to do right now is focus on Calico's birthday. It's in two days." She shook her head and bounced up onto her toes, twirling.

"Yeah," Bakura agreed. "Forget Grizzly and that punk in the alley; he's probably just a bad prankster. Focus on asking Calico out."

Yami didn't even bother trying to deny their ridiculous claims – they had no proof that he was planning on doing that. "Yeah. Yeah, maybe you're right."

Bakura snorted as he jumped and twisted in mid-air. "Of course I am."

"Hi, Ne'ro."

"Hey, Crystal." Bakura hopped up on the table. "How's your hand?"

Miho's smile seemed a bit more strained. "Better." She picked up her make-up kit and set it beside Bakura. "What rou'ne?"

"The new one." Bakura swung his legs back and forth. "So my skin needs to look practically see-through and everything else black."

Miho grinned and nodded. "'Kay." She fumbled with the kit before opening it and taking out the blusher and contour pencil – as white as they came.

She didn't spend much time on Bakura's contours. There wasn't that much to do. Then she took the blusher. It was her palest one, but it was still a bit too dark.

She took out her eye shadow pallet as well and scanned it before she took out the white eye shadow plate. It wasn't a common method, but it worked.

She grabbed the brush. It almost slipped out of her hand, but she readjusted her grip on it and held it steady.

She dipped it into the eye shadow and mixed it with the blusher before spreading the concoction over Bakura's cheeks, nose, neck and forehead.

She glanced at the eye shadows on their own then. "Eyes?"

"Also black," Bakura confirmed.

"New rou'ne. Norm or magic?"

"A bit magic. I'm a spirit."

Miho grinned. "Silv'r and black?"

Bakura returned the grin and nodded. "You're the artist."

Miho picked up the eye shadow brush and dropped it. She sighed and picked it up again, keeping a firmer grip on it.

She quickly spread black over Bakura's eyelid and smoothed the edges into his skin with silver.

"Lips?"

Bakura shook his head. "Not black. That'd look too weird."

Miho nodded in agreement, pursing her lips. "Silver?"

The corner of Bakura's lip dipped. "Maybe just lip gloss?"

Miho nodded in agreement. She picked up the transparent lip gloss, almost dropping it. Pursing her lips, she took off the cap and carefully traced Bakura's lips with it.

Bakura could feel her hand shaking but he didn't speak until she took the lip gloss away. "Are you sure your hand is okay?"

"It's fine," Miho insisted, dropping the tube into her makeup bag and taking out mascara.

She moved quicker this time, coating Bakura's eyelashes. Then it slipped from her hand, drawing a line down his cheek.

She bit her lower lip and bent down to pick it up. "S-Sorry…"

"It's okay," Bakura assured her.

She tried to pick up the small brush, and dropped it. Her teeth burrowed deeper into her lip as she tried – and failed – again.

"Crystal…" Bakura slid down from the table as Miho's shoulders began to shake. "Crystal, it's okay. It's just a bit of mascara."

Miho shook her head, a sob bursting out of her mouth. "C-Can' d-do an-anyth'ng-ng r-righ'…"

"Yes you can." Bakura hesitantly placed a hand on her shoulder. "Come on, it's okay."

Miho sobbed again, shaking her head.

Bakura pulled his icuPhone out of his pocket and brought up Mai's contact information. A text.

- Makeup room at Millennials; Crystal emergency!

- On my way.

Bakura pocketed his phone again and slowly wrapped his arms around Miho. She turned and clung to him, sobbing into his chest.

Bakura hesitated before rubbing her back. "It'll be okay, Crystal," he murmured, trying not to let panic seep into his voice. "Polar's on her way, okay? It'll be fine."

Miho's sobs only grew louder. Bakura continued silently rubbing her back until the door swung open and Mai rushed in.

"Crystal? Crystal, honey, it's okay."

She took Miho from Bakura's arms and allowed the makeup artist to sob into her shoulder and cling to her.

Mai glanced at Bakura. "Go fix your makeup," she muttered.

Bakura nodded, grabbed the makeup kit and left the room.

Mai cupped Miho's cheek and lifted her head. "What happened?" She murmured.

Miho sniffed. "C-C-Can' pick th'ngs u-u-up," she choked out. "C-Can' h-h-hol' b-brush s'eady…" She sobbed again. "C-Can' ev'n tal' righ'!"

"Crystal." Mai gently dried her tears with her thumbs. "Hun, that's not your fault. And you've been getting better with speaking." She took Miho's injured hand and kissed it. "And we'll work around this, okay? I'll help. We'll find a way for you to pick things up and hold them steady, okay?"

"B-B-But wh-wha' if c-can'?"

Mai shook her head. "That's not an option. You can, Miho. Okay?"

Miho sniffed and looked at Mai's metal-rimmed glove. "N-N-No hur'?"

It had burned. But Mai shook her head. "No; it doesn't hurt."

Miho sniffed again and nodded. She shakily wiped her tears on the back of her hand. "P-Prom'se?"

"I promise," Mai assured her. "And I promise you we'll find a way around your hand. Okay?"

Miho nodded. "'K-Kay…" She glanced at the door before leaning up and pressing her lips to Mai's.

Mai smiled and returned the kiss, holding Miho closer.

Miho pulled back, their lips still brushing. "L-Love," she mumbled. Mai paused. Miho's face began to heat up. "Love," she repeated.

After a moment, Mai smiled. "I love you too."

Dark. Dark everywhere.

The cameras were working now, he knew. He didn't bother to avoid them; only one person ever saw them.

He crept up to Zorc's cube, stilling at every drip of water from the faux half-a-foot waterfall, or every scuff that might not have been from his shoes.

When he reached it, he knocked on the glass. Three times; quick, staccato beats.

The door swung open and Zorc glared at him. "You're late."

The figure darted past Zorc into the cube. Zorc closed the door and pressed a button.

The glass turned black and all of the lights in the cube switched on.

"You're late," he repeated, lower this time.

The figure huffed and pulled down his hood. "Do you think it's easy for me to sneak out after curfew in my own section?"

Zorc narrowed his eyes. "I gave you this job because I thought you could handle it. Was I wrong?"

"No." He pulled off his mask. "It's hard. But I can handle it."

"Next time prove it by showing up on time," Zorc snarled, "or you're fired."

Noah resisted the strong urge to roll his eyes. "Yes, sir."

"Good." Zorc folded his arms. "Who have you attacked?"

"Crystal, Flamingo and Blue, and Retriever joined in. Then Princess, Crystal and Polar. Then Grizzly, Skele, Koala and Panda. Then Calico and Griffin. And I attacked Necro and Dove an hour ago."

"And?"

Noah shook his head. "None of them."

Zorc's eyes darkened. "Excuse me?"

"I said none of them. None of them are the Artist."

"Are you sure?" Zorc pressed. "This Artist has been around for two years. Whoever they are has perfected lying."

Noah shook his head again. "You didn't see some of their faces. And they all have alibis."

Zorc growled and grabbed the nearest thing to him, hurling it against the glass wall. The mug shattered, but the wall didn't. "Useless!"

Noah scowled. "I'm doing my best here."

"Well your best isn't good enough," Zorc snapped, glaring at him.

Noah looked away. "I know when someone's lying," he said calmly. "None of them are the Artist."

Zorc's eyes narrowed. "Who have you left to target?"

Noah sighed. "Meerkat, Phoenix, Giraffe, Jaguar, Chimp, Panther, Diabound, Strix, Lion, Shrew, and Lynx."

"Don't bother with Lynx." Zorc folded his arms. "He's only being released from the zoo in the morning due to bad behaviour. The zoo has constant surveillance. It wasn't him."

Noah raised an eyebrow, but he nodded. "As you wish. Anything else?"

Zorc glanced at the monitor sitting on his desk; the screen was still turned on.

Keith was curled in the corner, shaking. His food and water was in a bowl beside him, untouched.

"No," he said, switching monitors to view the whole section.

No Artist tonight. Everyone's cubes were dark, and the cubes wouldn't go dark unless there was some form of life in them.

Noah nodded and turned towards the door. "If that's all, I'm going to go before Amelda gets suspicious."

Zorc smirked. "Yes, it wouldn't be a good idea for your section leader to get suspicious. You haven't told him?"

"He wouldn't have let me, and I needed the money." Noah shrugged.

"Speaking of money, it's on the counter."

Noah nodded and took the small pouch flopped over the corner by the door. "You changed it from Zira to Amira already?"

"Naturally." Zorc turned to his monitor. "Now go."

Noah pocketed the pouch and left the cube.

Zorc rolled his eyes and changed monitors; outside Lynx's cage. He never liked Amelda's section. Too stuck up.

Then he paused. There. On the stone wall lining the cage. Red.

Zorc zoomed out and his eyes narrowed. "That son of a bitch!"

He didn't bother with the cameras. They streamed to everyone, but he knew that only Zorc would be watching at that time of night, and Zorc would only be watching Lynx.

He would do Lynx last.

He was already nearly finished. Just a few more to go.

It was a good thing too; he was running out of things to say.

Maybe he should have just used the same phrase for every cage; repetition and emphasis and all that English lit crap.

He glanced over at the remaining cages. Orca, Wolf, Pug, Hamster and Lynx.

Five more. He could muster up those last few.

A smirk stretched across his face and he began.

When he reached Lynx's cage, he moved quicker.

Then he looked up at the camera and very slowly and deliberately waved before legging it towards the exit.

Phoenix had shown it to him one of the times he had visited; the staff exit.

Only Phoenix, one of the workers from section twenty four, and the manager used it; they were the only staff.

He could hear the alarms ringing, but he was outside by the time the security lasers turned on.

Another smirk crossed his face.

Lasers. They hadn't used them before. Things were getting bigger. More heated. More dangerous.

And it wouldn't be long before things started to blow up.

"Phoenix! Phoenix, wake up!"

Malik groaned and opened his eyes to see Marik leaning over him. He jumped. "What the-? What are you doing?"

Marik scowled at him and stepped back. "Waking you up, dumbass. Zorc wants you."

Malik frowned and sat up. "What for?"

Marik shrugged. "Not sure. He looked pissed though."

Malik sighed and climbed out of his bed. He walked to his closet but Marik shook his head. "Don't bother getting dressed; go see what he wants first. Trust me."

Malik huffed. "Fine." He walked towards the door with Marik following. "How did you even get in here?"

Marik grinned. "I can wheedle my way into anyone's cube."

"Yes but how?" Malik frowned as they walked outside. He let the door swing closed behind him.

Marik winked. "That's my secret." He paused outside Zorc's cube.

The section leader was glaring at them both from inside.

Malik noticed the pause. "You can wait here."

Marik nodded, watching and Malik walked inside. The second the door closed behind him, Zorc smiled at Malik. "Take a seat, Phoenix."

Malik tensed, slowly walking over to the couch and sitting down.

Zorc sat in the armchair across from him. "So how did you sleep last night?"

Malik frowned. "I slept fine. What's this about?"

Zorc ignored his question. "I remember a few years ago you had a bout of sleep walking. Remember that?"

Malik nodded. He did. Or, he remembered one particular night anyway.

He had gone to sleep in his cube and woke up as he fell into the river.

It was kind of hard not to remember something like that.

"Good. You haven't had any more bouts of it recently, have you?"

Malik shook his head. "No; I'm still taking the pills for it."

Zorc's smile grew. "Very good." He stood up. "Would you mind telling me where you were last night at around… eight?"

Malik frowned. "I was on my way home from work."

"And you left the keys… where?"

"The keys? You mean to the staff entrance?" Zorc nodded. Malik shrugged. "The boss tells us to leave them in the flower pot by the door, so I did."

"And when did you reach your unit?"

Malik shrugged again. "I don't know; about twenty past eight."

"I see." Zorc nodded, mockingly slow. "And you slept at?"

"Around ten."

"So when did you leave your unit again?"

Malik's frown returned. "Excuse me?"

Zorc's smile dropped. "Don't play dumb with me, Phoenix. When did you leave your unit again?"

"I didn't!" Malik insisted. "Giraffe woke me up about ten minutes ago and I came here. That's it!"

"So you know nothing about this?" Zorc pointed his remote at his television.

The footage from the zoo sprung up. He jumped from cage to cage.

Red. Red writing everywhere.

In democracy, you believe it or not. This is a dictatorship; where you believe it or else.

They don't care if we respect them; so long as we fear them.

A lie told often enough becomes the truth.

To conquer a nation, they disarmed its citizens. We were the ammunition.

Our lives began to end the second we stayed silent about things that mattered.

You cannot make a revolution in white gloves.

We won't let the place where we started dictate where we finish.

The best revenge is enjoying life without the ICU.

The axe forgets but the tree remembers.

The best revenge on a liar is to convince them we believe what they said.

Never underestimate the enemies you made by hurting Crystal.

The quotes went on, and on, and on.

"Well?" Zorc raised an eyebrow.

Malik shook his head, standing up. "I didn't do that. I didn't."

"I don't believe you," Zorc sneered.

Malik bolted for the door but Zorc pressed a button. Robotic hands lashed out at Malik, grabbing him and holding him steady.

"Let go!" Malik shrieked.

"No." Zorc walked in front of him. "How did you make your unit go dark when there was no one inside it?"

"I didn't! I was in it all night!" Malik tried to struggle, but the hands held him tighter. The blood circulation in his hands and feet began to be cut off.

"Liar." Zorc moved closer to him. "You're going to be executed, Phoenix. You know that?"

No. No, no, no. This couldn't be happening.

It wasn't him!

Zorc turned when he heard a knock on the door. Marik.

He frowned at opened it. Marik ran past him to Malik. "Are you okay?" Without waiting for an answer, he turned to Zorc. "Let him go!"

"After finally catching the Artist – after two years – you think I'm going to let him go?" Zorc sneered.

Marik's eyes widened and he looked up at Malik. "The Artist?"

Malik shook his head. His breath was coming faster than usual. "I-I didn't-"

"He's not the Artist!" Marik looked at Zorc again.

Zorc raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And how would you know?"

"Because I'm the Artist."

DD: Hope you guys enjoyed. Please review. See you next time, Killer Queens!