A/N - Hey everybody! This story is finally going where I want it to! YAY! That means faster updates...hopefully.
Anyway Thanks to everyone who read the last chapter, especially the reviewers: Balrog Roike (You're too right!), Kitty Tokyo Uzumaki (Thanks!), WoNdY Alice (Awkward? You betcha!), AtomBunny (Wait and see...;P) and, last, but not least; IAmDaReviewer (Thanks so much for liking this story! Spread the word!)
Hope you enjoy this chapter! Don't forget to Review!
CHAPTER 11.
"What an obvious statement, Pharoah," He smirked, "Let me try one. Jou's reaction to that skull wasn't normal either."
"What do you mean Bakura?" Yugi frowned in confusion; Ryou and Anzu's expressions weren't showing much more understanding, either.
"What I mean," Bakura spat out testily, "Is that not only is that skull unusual," Anzu's muttered, "Ya' think" was ignored, "Me, Marik an' Yami were surprised at seeing it, wary even. You chibis," Glares followed this, "And Honda, were curious and upset by the sob-story, though still wary over the magic pouring off it," Bakura's voice quietened and the gang leaned in anticipation, "Our friend, Jou...He didn't seem wary at all. And it's not as if he didn't feel it either, if the pointy-haired idiot could feel that thing, so could Jou. If you'd looked at him, like I did, you would'a seen that he didn't look scared, shocked; definitely, but he looked..." His voice trailed off and his brow furrowed.
"What?" Yugi whispered, feeling the atmosphere had gained tension.
"Jou looked sad-"
Anzu scoffed.
"Sad? We all looked sad, it was a human skull lying there – not to mention that depressing story Yoshimori-Sensei told us-"
"Not like that, wretch!" Bakura barked back, "There was nostalgia on his face. Like, he knew that guy."
They all sat in thoughtful silence, before Yami spoke up.
"I think the question we need to ask is...if what Bakura says is true...what does that mean about Jou?"
"What indeed."
The whole gang swivelled round at the new, but familiar voice of Kaiba Seto joining their conversation.
"Kaiba!"
The Kaiba in question sneered at them before walking away.
"I'd be careful round Jounouchi, I don't believe he's who he says he is."
Kaiba always did have to have the last words.
However, they weren't in vain. Each one of the Yugi-tachi realised that they'd learnt more about Jou's past and family in the last week, than they had in the years they'd known him. That all this had started on the same day Chono-Sensei set the Greek God project, was not a coincidence. Therefore, it was time to start researching.
Yami cleared his throat importantly.
"We need to know more about this, starting with that skull," He nodded his head to Bakura and Ryou, "I need you to research that. Anzu, I want you to start on Jou's family, your father's in the police force, right?" At her nod he continued, "Good, see what you can get," He turned his head to Yugi, "Aibou, you and I will be working on Ancient Greek...stuff, anything that Jou's mother may have told him, maybe there's something there to explain Jou's recent behaviour,"
"Hey, what about me?" Otogi questioned, a bit wildly.
"Oh..." Yami looked a bit crestfallen, "Well..." He brightened after having a sudden thought, "You! You, can take notes on Jou's behaviour,"
"...What?" Otogi stared nonplussed.
"Yami, that doesn't seem like a good idea – you know Jou's never been fond of Otogi ever since the Dungeon Dice monsters incident..."
"I know, Aibou, but Otogi is close to Honda, and Honda," Realisation dawned on their faces, "Is the closest to Jou out of all of us. If anyone knows Jou's secrets, or how to get them, it's Honda."
"Will Honda know about this?" Anzu had doubts about Honda's ability to keep his mouth shut, "I mean, if Jou can't keep secrets from Honda, I doubt, Honda can keep a secret away from Jou."
Yami nodded.
"Honda can't know."
When Jou got back to his apartment, a lot of questions were running through his head. All of them focusing on the letter in his hand.
Sitting on his bed, Jou opened the letter to find out what his brother found urgent enough to disrupt his bet...I mean vacation.
Dear Bro',
It started.
First of all, let me tell you now; I have money riding on the bet you have with Dionysus. Don't let me down. If you do, well, I won't be responsible for my actions.
Jou snorted here. It was just like his brother to bet on him.
Secondly, about Hiroto-
Jou stopped. If it mentioned Honda, that means Hermes must have made this letter up on the spot; using his powers to will it into existence, all of which meant that this letter was very important.
-he doesn't know about me, but his mother does. And, well, in some ways I'm glad she didn't tell him, knowing Hana-chan, she'd portray me as the devil incarnate, and you and I both know I'm not that bad.
However, things can't go on like this, Hiroto is special, he's my son, and I'm going to tell him about myself; and, if you don't tell him soon after that, you. Because, if you're really as good friends as Hiroto makes you out to be, then you shouldn't be keeping these sorts of secrets from him.
Jou stared incredulously at the paper, hoping that he hadn't just read what he thought he'd had.
'I mean, what am I going to do, confess all my secrets to Honda, and then a) expect him to believe me and b) still want to be my friend afterwards?'
Still in disbelief, Jou read on.
Apart from that, Jou this is a warning. What The Roaring One said is true,-
Jou snorted at his brother's nickname. But, then again, it was one of the nicer ones Dionysus had picked up.
-bad things are coming and you somehow seem to be in the middle of it all. I don't know if you've been told, but there's been unexplained interference by the Furies in the mortal realm, and Our Esteemed Father is...otherwise occupied at present.
That was a polite way of putting it.
And, well, with Alecto on the loose, don't expect much peace from here on out. There was clear evidence as she left Hades' realm that there are more things going on that does not concern the escapees. None of us know how big this is going to get, so...be careful big brother, it would be completely honest to say that none of us would know what to do if something happened to you while you were playing mortal.
Hermes.
Jou let the letter drop from his hands.
They were worried.
That was bad.
That was very, very bad.
More importantly, why were they all gathering near him? It didn't make any sense, he'd not done anything to warrant such attention in all the time he'd been here. Jou didn't count the Dual Monster battles he'd had, since nearly everyone in the city had some sort of experience with them, mostly from the Battle City Tournament.
And wasn't that an angle, what if it wasn't even him they were targeting? That would be even worse, since then Jou had even less of an idea as to what they were after.
And what was it the letter said? Jou reached down to re-read the note: there are more things going on that does not concern the escapees...Now wasn't that ominous.
So, if it didn't concern the Furies, the escapees, and it didn't concern the gods, as no one seemed to have any clue as to what was going on these days, then who was it.
The only people Jou could think of, that would be even remotely threatening to the gods, would be the Titans, and they were locked up safely...right?
A/N2 - And here's another chapter. Not as long as I'd like, but there you go. It seemed like a good place to stop.
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