Fallen: So, remember that little promise last chapter to "update on time" I made? Well, I didn't keep it. But: that was intentional. I'll leave it to Nickey to explain why...

Nickey: WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I know... That was ridiculous right? XD Lol, I had to celebrate though, and I'm going to act all sorts of freaking crazy! Why? Simple! Today marks a year that Kindred has been out, not only that, but you guys finally get a chapter away from that damned cliffy XD Lol! So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO KINDRED! * tackles Fallen to the ground * I wub yew!

Fallen: Right? Aaaaahh, I'm so happy! :D Though... I'm sure that, had it not been for my extreme laziness and lack of motivation to write at the start of all of this... we probably would have been a lot farther into the story than we are now... but, hey, at least we're rolling along with all of this now, right? *laughs* Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy the chapter!

DISCLAIMER: Nickey and I do not own, nor are we affiliated with Yu-Gi-Oh! nor anything pretaining to Yu-Gi-Oh! This is a fan-made story made purely for entertainment purposes, and nothing more. Enjoy!

~ Chapter IX ~

Torture

I gasped for breath when my back slammed against the metal table. My jumpsuit was unzipped, and rolled down to reveal my rib cage. My wrists were immediately locked into place, followed by my ankles, then my waist. A thin metal band wrapped around my neck, holding me back against the chilly table.

I attempted to move, but with no luck. The restraints held me so only my eyes could move to look around. Pegasus shooed out the lab technicians, sending them to go do something else so the two of us would be left alone.

He grabbed a scalpel from the shelf on the right side of the room, bringing it over to where I was restrained. "If you're planning a pain tes- AHH!"

I couldn't help but scream when the sharpened blade was stabbed violently into my left shoulder. Blood pooled out of the wound as Pegasus ripped the blade from the top of my arm. "I'm sick of searching for that damnable Item! Either you give it to me, or I'll just rip it from you!" he sneered.

"What the fuck are yo-" I tried to ask what he was talking about, only for my voice to lock up as a wave of pain came over me. Tried so hard to find out what the hell it was he wanted. What 'item' was he talking about? I didn't have anything!

The sharp blade pressed against the right side of my chest, a tiny bead of blood pooling up where the blade stuck. "Running your mouth. Living so freely. Never having to do anything."

"I'd love to do anythin-AHHH!"

It hurt... It hurt so bad... I felt it.. The blade being dragged across my chest, the pain went as deep as my very soul. Apparently my pain wasn't ending there. Because my jumpsuit was rolled down even further, allowing access to my stomach. I felt something sharp being pressed against my skin once again, this time on the right side of my stomach, and it didn't feel like the scalpel blade.

"You son of a bitch!" Pegasus growled, ripping the sharp object across my stomach.

A scream ripped from my throat. One so loud, that I thought I'd make myself go deaf. I didn't know I could ever scream at that kind of pitch or volume. I knew for sure the others had heard it, my ears were ringing from the sound of it. I began trembling, I couldn't help it; it was so cold.

"You took her away," Pegasus growled, causing me to look back towards him. I saw what had scratched me now. His Ka's monstrous arm was back, and one of its nails was dripping with blood. "You took away my darling Cecilia!" he screamed at me, ripping his nails across my torso.

"You took away my mom!" I shot back, my anger quickly supplying me with strength. "Everything was fine, until you came along! This is all you're fault! Yo-"

"Shut up!" He screamed, striking me across the face. I felt his claws catch my cheek, leaving scratches that began to bleed.

"You can't make me! I'll never forgive you for what you did!"

"I said shut up!" He snarled, slamming his fist into my still-bleeding stomach. Blood splattered around and I only caused myself more pain when my back attempted to arch so I could supply myself with more oxygen. I could only cough, and continue to cough as I tried to breathe once again.

I wanted to die. Yet I didn't. I wanted this agonizing pain to be over with. I wanted all of it to just end! Yet, I found myself wishing to live. I found myself wanting to be with my Kindred in that moment; and the rest of time, for that matter. I wanted to hold him and be held. To love and be loved. I just.. wanted him.

Yuugi.. I don't wanna leave you.. I thought as a tear ran out of the corner of my eye. It was the first of many – I soon realized – as more came down with it.

"I see you've finally broken..."

"I'm not crying because of your stupid... Whatever the hell this is supposed to be... You can do as you please, because I don't care. You can't hurt me anymore, Pegasus. You can't hurt this body anymore..."

"We'll see about that," he snarled.

I closed my eyes as he continued his little 'experiment', or 'pain test', or whatever this was supposed to be. He couldn't hurt the physical me anymore. The only way he could hurt me, would be to get my Kindred. But I wasn't going to tell him that. If anything happened to Yuugi, I could guarantee, that I'd have to be killed. I'd go on a rampage of blind fury (worse than the one I'd gone on ten years ago). I would kill anyone that dared to approach me, and I know that I would go completely insane.

A twinkle of amethyst glittered behind my closed eyelids, and I could see him clearly. What are you thinking right now, Yuugi?

I opened my eyes to the sound of dripping liquid. How long had I been in here? When were they going to turn on the heat? I was freezing. And where the hell did Pegasus go?

The door of the room opened and I heard a gasp. I must've been a mess, because they never came running before like this guy did. He tripped and stumbled over what I assumed to be a tipped over tray of medical tools. From the looks of it, something had jabbed his foot. His hand quickly went to my neck, searching for a pulse. The look on his face when I started talking was priceless. I almost laughed.

"Where's Pegasus?"

"M-M.. Master... You're still alive? H-H... How?" He gaped like a fish, not able to do anything but stare at me with wide eyes.

"I've felt worse... Now... Where's Pegasus?"

"H-He had a meeting... He'll be back any minute. I-I'm just here... to uh.. to get measurements for a new suit.."

"So he's not done with me.."

"I don't believe so... A-Are you... okay? I-I mean.. It looks like most of your blood is on the floor..."

"It doesn't matter... I don't have a heart that he can stop from beating. So this is nothing..."

The man stared at me, and where most people would shift under the uncomfortable stare, I just simply laid there, looking up at the reflective ceiling of the room. He was right... There was a lot of blood pooled around me, and it was beginning to drip to the floor. It looked more like I was the victim at a crime scene, and the police had yet to show up.

Another man came in, dressed in a doctor's outfit, and from the looks of it, he was preparing for some kind of operation. I wonder – oh, shit. Looks like I was the patient... "Get your measurements and get out," he ordered the smaller man as he gathered his tools and sat the tray back up.

"Y-Y-Yes sir!" the little man said, his shaky hands gripping the measuring tape as he went to work. I noticed that it took him longer than usual, probably because he was scared out of his wits and barely able to hold his tape while simultaneously holding his clipboard and pen.

"D-D-Done, sir," he said with a wave of his hand, and he was out the door.

"I dunno what the hell you did to piss off Pegasus, boy, but you're in for a rude awakening," the doctor said, turning to me with a sterilized needle and thread. "Sorry, but he ordered me not to use any pain killers, and to only sew up the ones that would kill you if left opened."

I didn't answer him. Instead I watched as he worked, via the reflective surface ahead of me. I watched the needle go in and out of my skin, pulling it closed, and making sure it stayed that way. I noticed scratches of different sizes littering my body. I knew from experience that I would be stiff in the morning... If it wasn't already the next morning.

I attempted to move my fingers, but no luck there; everything was too tingly and stiff to move. I couldn't even wiggle my toes. Then again, I couldn't tell if it was because of the restraints, or if my body had already begun to lock up. The only thing I could tell for sure was that I'd lost a lot of blood. All I wanted to do was sleep... But I couldn't do that here, I couldn't fall asleep around him. I already went through that once, and I wasn't about to go through it again.

It took a while, but the doctor finally finished closing the deep gashes that ran along my body. An IV was wheeled in to replenish the blood that I had lost.

Pegasus didn't come back until the bag was halfway empty. The smirk that he wore told me he was satisfied with his work, but he wasn't done. The needles that came out afterward, was a sign that now it was time for the experiment to begin. I didn't cry out. I didn't yelp, I didn't jump or attempt to jerk away. I just laid there, which apparently pissed him off more.

He began slapping me, punching me, pulling my hair, pinching me, anything to get a noise from me or cause me bodily harm. I was covered head to toe in scratches, bumps, bruises, stitches, and holes.

"Kemo!" Pegasus growled, calling in his biggest and roughest bodyguard.

"Yes, Master Pegasus?" the burly man answered as he walked into the room.

My vision was becoming blurry, but I fought it off. I wanted to know what they were going to do, what was going to happen to me.

"Take this thing back to his room. Let the others know this is what happens when someone crosses my path."

"Yes, sir."

The restraints were taken off, and I was slung carelessly over Kemo's shoulder. My body hung there, limp and unable to move. A few drops of blood continued to fall from one of the not-so-deep cuts on my arm. Leaving a trail behind me. The lit-up hallway began to disappear as we went along. My eyes closed as we approached the room my brothers, our Kindred and I were held in. I couldn't remain conscious anymore, I could no longer fight off the welcoming darkness that lured me in.

I heard the sound of our door opening, and the resounding gasp through the room once everyone caught sight of my body and the blood that still trickled from beneath the jumpsuit, falling to the floor with a hushed sound.

"Keep this mental image the next time you want to mess with Master Pegasus," I heard Kemo chuckle darkly, before my body was tossed into the room.

I heard a low splattering sound when I landed on the floor, and I could only assume it was my own blood that had caused me to slide a little ways after hitting it with such force. I heard my name being called over and over again, not just by my brothers, but the sound also falling from my own Kindred's lips.

I'm sorry Yuugi... I have to sleep right now...That was my last thought, before my mind shut down, and I could no longer hear anything.

Nickey: Damn me and my damn leaving right at an intense moment XD Lol! Welp, hope ya all enjoyed! And I'm going to go screaming out of the room, and leave the next chapter in the hands of Fallen... Even though its already done XD * runs screaming out of the room * GOODBYE EVERYONE!

Fallen: Seems the two of us are quite fond of cliffhangers, eh? Heh, I guess it sucks to be you guys. XD But, hey – let me tell you guys, it'll all be worth it! You're in for one hell of a read next chapter! *insert evil hand-rubbing here*

Please leave a review, and tell us what you guys think! See you all in Chapter 10! :D