Sorry this is a bit late. This week was full up of bellydancing performances, a wedding, and funeral. X.X And, of course, being a mom and writing for other people because they said they'd give me money (kinda makes me sound like a whore)... BUT IT'S HERE!

yay.

Chapter 8: Not So Honest Roadkill and Burgers

(and maybe big bad boss shows some fear)

Her body felt like lead, even spiked with fear. She watched as the large form of Cain came closer and closer, and found herself ducking like a coward behind Yami's seat. How could this be happening?

"What?" asked Joey.

"Keep Angie down, maybe he won't notice us." said Yami. "I'm pretty sure that's who we think it is, and he's a lot bigger than that last demon."

"Yami, look out!"

There was a solid thump on the roof, and Angie looked up to see it dented in considerably. The floppy fabric that had already been clinging to the ceiling for it's life came down an inch from Joey's nose and he swore loudly as he pressed himself into the back of the seat. He kept swearing even as Yami swerved the car sporadically and Yugi shouted above the squealing of the tires.

She had to do something-anything-but as she ducked her head down once more she gave a wail both out of fear and despair that, even if she could do something, she was too weak to do it. Black was already splotching her vision as her heart found it didn't have enough blood to keep up her hyperventilation.

A horrible screeching sound came from claws against metal and the daemon on the roof screamed as a semi came by with a loud blare of its horn. She heard a smack and then tires were screeching everywhere. All the guys were screaming now and her vision was blotching further.

Metal crunched like thunder, glass shattered in a hair raising cacophony, and car horns went off like someone had scored a goal at a NFL football game.

And then, quite suddenly, it was over, and the only sound that remained was the hum of the engine and the rumble of the car wheels over the road.

All of them were gasping for air. She peeked up over Yami's seat to see the freeway before them, emptier than usual, with streetlights passing them as though nothing had happened. His fingers were white on the steering wheel and Yugi was clutching his seatbelt like a lifeline. Next to her, Joey had his lanky legs pressing against the floor and pushing him into the back seat and his hands clinging to the handhold above the door. All of them were pale and wide eyed. Chewbacca had flown from the rearview mirror and had gotten stuck head first between Yugi's seat and the middle console.

"Oh, god, we're alive." said Yugi.

It broke the spell and Joey exploded.

"What the hell! What the freaking damn hell from outer space-WHAT JUST HAPPENED!"

"I think we just caused a car accident." said Yugi faintly.

"A car accident? That was a freaking melee! If the cops ever find us-you got this car insured?"

"'Course." said Yami faintly, fingers still tight on the wheel.

"What the hell was that thing?!" He looked like he was about ready to flail his fists around.

"My godfather." said Angie.

Joey stared at her. "You're-what?"

"He's not exactly human." said Yugi.

"I gleaned that much when he flew down and tried to cave the roof in on my face!"

"Will you stop yelling already?"

"Why aren't you? Damn it, Yami, we almost died-we should have died!"

"I know, I am sort of driving."

"And what the hell was that thing! What's going on here!"

"If you'd shut up-"

"It's her! It wants Angie!" Joey turned to her with wild eyes and for a moment she thought he'd grab her and throw her out the door, but to her surprise when he yanked her out of her seat he crushed her to his chest. "Don't worry, kid, we won't let him have you!" Then she felt him freeze beneath her. It only took her a second to realize the blanket was still on the floor.

There was a still silence broken by another, "WHAT THE HELL!"

"Joey-"

"She has wings! Guys, she has freaking feathery-"

"Joey-!"

"-bird wings!"

"SHUT UP!" Yami roared.

The sound in such a small space was deafening. Angie trembled at the sound. She had never been one for loud noises and felt distinctly unnerved. She tried to tug herself away from Joey, and he let her go instantly. Her head spun and she thumped back against the door, wings cramped in the tight space. Feathers seemed to be everywhere.

When Yami didn't make any sign of explaining, but rather kept glaring out at the road with his steel grip on the steering wheel, Yugi twisted himself on the seat to look Joey in the eye.

"Now, if you'll just keep a hold of yourself and stop screaming, I'll tell you everything."

# $%^$# $%^

Marik hurt. The bastard had flown right down to the car he pointed out as though oblivious to the fact it was going 80 miles an hour and the impact of an oncoming semi had thrown Marik into the air. Now he lay on the asphalt surrounded by a wall of crushed metal boxes filled with bloody humans, hurting, but not dead. Being a daemon was probably the only thing that had saved him.

Clean black shoes, scuffed by the road, appeared in his blurry vision, along with the tips of vast wings.

"Get up."

Marik groaned. Now his injured wing was the least of his concerns.

"I said get up. I know you can. I threw you specifically so you could."

Ah yes. Cain needed him, the lowly bloodhound. Maybe it would have been better if he had died.

Idiot! Why had he flown down like that!

"We could have just followed them till they ran out of gas." croaked Marik.

The shiney boot poked at his face.

"I have my reasons." growled Cain. "There's more going on then someone like you would know, now get up."

Marik fought down the urge to bite deep into those fugly shiney shoes and slid his arms beneath him. Sure enough, though he ached appropriately for being hit by a semi, his body responded and he was able to ease himself up. He kept his gaze to the street, certain that if he looked Cain in the face he'd lose it and attack.

"What the hell are you two doing?"

Marik had just gotten to his knees and looked up at, unmistakably, a third daemon. Inwardly, he groaned. So much for being left alone.

She was tall and tan as he, with long disgusting blond hair. She had the look and body that reminded him of that filthy naked female poster he had torn down from the wall. Ugly. She was ugly. But her wings folded unmistakably against her back.

"None of your business, Mai." growled Cain.

"Certainly is if you're blowing your precious 'low profile' by causing mass accidents in the middle of Interstate 50." she leaned to the side and put her hand to her hip. "You've given me enough crap for sneaking into high schools in broad daylight."

"It's unnatural." spat Cain.

"Please," she rolled her eyes, "it's called sunglasses, clothes, and an umbrella. Try it some time."

Marik said nothing to this strange daemon maid that dared the day. He wouldn't go out into the sunlight even with the protection she suggested, even if offered a birdie. Besides, it just sounded like one big migraine.

The sound of sirens came from the distance.

Cain turned and yanked Marik to his feet. "Go away." he said to her.

"And after I came all this way?"

Cain slung Marik over his shoulder, ignoring the cries of pain he gave, and jumped into the air, wide wings blowing aside gas flames from cars and sending waves of glass into glittering clouds.

Marik looked up to see the daemon, Mai, following. He rolled his eyes and mushed his face to the smelly dress shirt of Cain. He didn't care anymore what was with her. For all he knew the sun had driven her mad.

Being younger and not as heavy with blood, she caught up to Cain easily enough, who sighed.

"Your curiosity isn't entirely unsuspicious."

"Well, I don't like you, but I know you're no hypocrite. A liar, but not a hypocrite."

Cain's chuckled rumbled beneath Marik's chest. "How you pretend to know anything."

"There's been some birds in the air. You're distracting them with that wreck. Why?"

Marik's ears perked. Birdies? It could only be those damn brothers that got him into this situation. Damn them damn them damn THEM!

"Cheribums don't fly at night." said Cain.

"Doesn't matter, they'll smell the mass bloodshed in the morning and have to investigate. It's their nature. You couldn't be trying to distract them from following you, they're no threat to you. If anything I should be asking why you aren't letting them come to you for a meal."

"Female, your prattle irks me."

"Then I'll just follow you."

"Don't make me kill you."

"Like you could catch me."

"Who said I had to catch you?"

Marik shivered at the malicious smirk he could hear in Cain's voice. This daemon really was mad. Served her right for wandering into daylight. The sun did things to you, it just did. Look at how disgusting and weird humans were?

"You won't kill me." said Mai. "If anything you'll just use me as a distraction for the cheribums too at one point or another. That is what you're doing with that lump on your back, aren't you?"

"He is my tracker."

"How romantic." said Mai.

"But you are right about one thing," Cain adjusted Marik so he dangled beneath him, bruised, bloody, and with full view of the world that would rush up to crush him should Cain let him go. "You would make a lovely emergency distraction."

And with that Cain flew on, allowing Mai to trail above them a few dozen feet.

#$&^%$#$

"You smell that?"

"Traffic accident. There's still glass on the road."

"Yeah, but I mean the daemon blood. It's all over that semi. It's...potent."

"You're so limey, Orphus. You meant to say it reeks, ugh. Damn."

"For once I agree with you. We should probably check it out, Orphus. We need to account for every daemon death so we can keep track of how many are in the area."

"And also figure out what the hell a daemon was doing on a freeway."

"I don't know, guys, somethings seems off about this."

"Naturally. When has a deamon been hit by a semi?"

"I'd pay to see that."

"You're gross."

"Don't let mother here you say that, Jake. She'll give you the 'kindness for your enemy' speech."

"Just get down there and check it out."

"But there's cops!"

"That's why YOU need to go down, you shrimp! You're the only one that fits in the coat!"

"No I do not! And I'm not a shrimp!"

"Whatever, just get down there already!"

"And be careful, Matt, I still feel uneasy about this. And hurry, we need to find the trail of the daemon if we're to find Angelynn."

"Pfft, sure. One day I'm going to hit a growth spurt, though, and then Jake will have to squish into the stupid coat."

"Just go already."

!# $%^$%# $%%#

Yugi groaned as he turned his stiff neck and adjusted the ragged wool indian blanket. He was surprised to find he had actually fallen asleep. Car seats were obviously not intended as beds and he had tossed and turned for what felt like hours, listening to Joey's snores and Angie's light clicking as she breathed in. In the driver's seat beside him was his brother, seat tilted back like Yugi's and cheek mushed against the window. The morning light painted the car gold and pink. Rubbing his sticky eyes, he squinted outside to see where they had ended up. Yami had pulled the car into a rest stop with a dainty little lawn surrounded by trees and cinderblock building holding restrooms. Behind them, across the highway, was a large field glittering with the rising sun and speckled with cows.

As to where they were in proximity to Domino, he hadn't a clue.

Still trying to squish the stickiness out of his eyes with his hands, he got out of the car and made his way over to the restrooms like a zombie.

He didn't bother to wonder if last night had really happened.

Bladder empty, yawning, and not yet hungry for breakfast, he grabbed his notebook from the car and sat down in the dewy morning grass beneath a tree. Across the light blue sky were clouds, with pink bellies and fiery sunlit heads. He took it in, breathed it all like liquid life, and put his pen to paper. After a few sentences he started wondering if it was worth it to wake up Yami to pop the trunk for his keyboard, then thought better of it.

He had filled up several pages before a shadow on him. Angie plopped down in front of him, pale, and with her quilt still wrapped tightly around her. She rubbed at her eyes, yawned, then curled up onto the ground. A few feathers poked out where the quilt rode up.

"Morning." he said. "If you're still tired maybe you should go back to the car."

She nuzzled her face into her arms. "More comfy here. I like it outside. I like sun."

Yugi turned back to his notebook, but his pen didn't move. His thoughts kept turning back to the feathers. Birds chirped in the branches above and a cow across the street mooed.

Finally, he gave up, and put his notebook aside.

"Angie?"

"Hmm?"

"Can I...can I touch your wings?"

He regretted it as soon as he asked. How stupid sounding could he get?

But Angie didn't even open her eyes as she lifted one wing to allow the blanket to slide off and stretched it out across his lap. The weight and warmth of it startled him.

And before his eyes, the grey feathers faded lighter and lighter, as though only wet and had started to dry in the morning light. He brushed his fingers across the silky feathers in wonder until, at last, her feathers had faded to bright, brilliant white.

"Angie. Look."

Tired green eyes peered out from over her arm. Yugi held to her now white wing. Looking at her face, even her once silver hair had turned brilliant white. She lifted her head and brought her wing to her.

"What the…" she blinked at the feathers. "Huh."

"I think it's the sun. You were meant to be in it."

She reached out to touch her feathers, smiling.

"Oy, did you guys think to pack any food?"

Joey had his head poked out from the other side of the car where the non broken door was, hair wild from sleep.

Yugi blanched. "Um…"

"Come on, Yug, I'm starving!"

The driver's door popped open and Yami slumped out.

"Then go eat some freaking grass. Hell, Joey, can you yell any louder?" he said.

"You mean to tell me you left without food? Freak, did you two think at all?"

"Why didn't you bring food if you're so smart?"

"Like beer? That's all that's in my house-and poptarts."

"Well I brought money, so if you see a Mickey D's anywhere I'll get you a cheeseburger. Happy?"

Angie self-consciously brought her wing back under the blanket and tucked her head back into her arm. Yugi stuck his pen behind his ear and made sure his notebook was closed and not too wet from the grass.

Joey smacked the top of the dented honda. "In the car, lovebirds, we got a burger to hunt."

"Hit my car again and I will kill you."

"Calm your tits, I doubt I could do anymore damage to your car than it already got."

Yami had his face in his hands and he groaned. From the distance he was at Yugi couldn't hear what his brother muttered, but it sounded close to a curse.

"I like them." said Angie.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I love listening to you guys talk."

"Why's that?" asked Yugi as he got to his feet and held out a hand to help her.

"Because you're friends." she took his hand and shakily got to her feet, clutching at the quilt. Yugi didn't know if that quite answered his question, but he wasn't sure how to ask for more depth than that. He had just noticed how her eyelashes looked like snowflakes in the sunlight.

Back on the road, with chewbacca swinging once more from the rear view mirror, Yami poked at the dent in his ceiling morosely while Yugi, the only other person he trusted to drive his car, sat at the steering wheel. Angie watched the fields and trees go by with apt attention, as though she couldn't see enough, and Joey took another nap. They didn't find any place to eat until eleven in the morning in a town they hadn't caught the name of, and by then joey was whining up a storm and even Angie had lost interest in the passing scenery.

The Burger King they stopped at looked like it had been built in the 60's, and the owners hadn't bothered to get rid of the popcorn ceiling or sparkly turquoise benches.

"You eat beef, right?" Yami asked Angie as they got in line. With the quilt over her wings and the shadows under her eyes, she looked like a lost girl, and Yugi noticed more than one glance in her direction by the employees and other customers.

She nodded, looking as though she didn't have to notice the glances to feel them. Her fingers were white on the blanket.

"Burger fine?"

She nodded again and Yami ordered them a tray full of burgers and four strawberry milkshakes. They ate in quiet until they had left the zone of utter starvation.

"So," said Joey around a mouthful, "now that we got a crazy blood-sucking demon hit out of our worries by a semi, where to now?"

"Well this city is a decent size," said Yugi, "might as well start playing here."

"Nah, I need to hit an ATM first."

"Why?"

"If I keep using my debit card like this it will make it easier to track us. Better if we go by cash."

"Cash is a lot less safe though," said Joey, "if someone steals it from us, we're through."

"Better than if we get scouted out by the cops."

"Could you possibly talk any louder." hissed Yugi, glancing over his shoulder at a curious old couple looking over at them. Angie was looking around as well, nibbling on her burger while sauce dripped onto her hands.

"Okay, then, after the ATM," said Joey, "shouldn't we ask what she wants to do too? I know she's just along on the run, but she is part of team now, so…"

Angie was still looking over her shoulder and chewing. Yugi nudged her and tried not to laugh when she turned around with ketchup on her nose.

"What do you want to do?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" she said after swallowing.

"You're free now, you can go wherever you want. Is there anywhere you'd like to go to?"

Yami threw her a napkin. "You have ketchup on your nose, by the way."

Dabbing at her nose rather sheepishly, she said, "Oh, it's nothing interesting. It wouldn't help you guys get your band going at all. Don't mind me."

"No really," said Yugi, "tell us."

"Don't make my decision for me anyways." said Joey.

Ducking her head a bit behind her burger, she lowered her voice to little over a whisper.

"I want to go to a meadow somewhere, or just somewhere far away, where there aren't any people."

"Why?" asked Yami.

"Because, well," she looked away, to her back. "I've always wanted to learn how to fly."

"You don't know how?" Joey exclaimed. Yugi and Yami shushed him.

Angie nodded. "Cain said he would teach me when my wings were big enough, but I flew with Yugi the other night, which is more than just my weight, so, yeah."

"I wouldn't be surprised if he was lying to you about that like he was with everything else." said Yami dryly. "Wouldn't do if you learned how to fly away from him. Makes me wonder what he was planning on doing if you ever stopped believing him."

As Angie's expression fell, Yugi kicked his brother under the table, but the damage had been done. She turned away, lashes lowered, and went back to taking bites out of her burger as though she had lost interest in eating. Yugi glared at him, and Yami rolled his eyes.

Joey watched the exchange between the twins. "Man, this guy's a piece of crazy cake. The kind with those colorful pieces of mystery candy in them. Don't worry about him, Angie. He got hit with a semi! He won't hurt you ever again."

She swallowed, then dropped her half eaten burger on the tray. She wouldn't meet their eyes.

"Angie, you all right?" Yugi asked.

"I'm done," she said softly. "I think I'll be back in the car."

Luckily for her she sat at the edge of the booth and slid out and exited the restaurant. The boys watched her go, wary of her quilt fluttering to let her feathers show as she slid into the car. They exchanged glances, Joey rather confused.

"What did I say?" he asked.

The twins rolled their eyes.

"That thing may be the spawn of hell," said Yami.

"But he was still her godfather." said Yugi.

"And as far as I can tell, the only family she knew." said Yami. "Even though I would slam that-that thing into a truck any day, multiple times if I have to."

"And even though she is better off, it's going to take some time. Best not to talk about it."

"Don't talk about it?" said Joey incredulously through a mouthful of fries. "The guy was a freaking demon that nearly killed us by flying at us on the freeway! And you just expect me to pretend like it never happened?"

"Not pretend," said Yugi, "just be more tactful."

"Unless you want to deal with her crying all over you." said Yami, smirking. "Because I know you're just so good at comforting the ladies."

"Shut up," said Joey, "I still don't get it. Isn't she at least a little bit happy? I mean, I wouldn't be as upset as her if my dad kicked the bucket."

"That's a bit dark of you."

"Are you okay?"

Joey looked back and forth between the half sarcastic, half concern expressions on the twins' faces. He put up his hands defensively.

"I'd feel remorse, of course, I'm just saying I wouldn't miss the guy, and between you and me, man, I don't think he'd miss me either."

"Alright, enough of the emo talk," Yami leaned his elbows on the table. "Where are we going?"

"To help Angie fly, of course." said Yugi.

"Oh, aren't you just cute!" cooed Joey, earning a glare from the smaller twin. Yami grinned.

"Where do you suppose we go then?" he asked.

Joey gave Yami a weird look, as though he had been expecting something else from him, but just as soon as Yugi noticed it Joey's old smirk was back.

"We could always take a back way to the next city," said Joey, "they have lots of dirt roads, we can pull over and find a field. Then everyone is happy. We get the city where we can get our music going and Angie gets her field."

"What's the next city?" asked Yami. "And on that note, where the heck are we?"

"Warren." said Yugi, his eyes over the booth wall.

"Warren? Is that a name?" asked Joey.

"Where'd you get that?"

Yugi pointed to a small brochure stand next to the soda machines. The bright white title said, 'Warren Music in the Park!'

"Are you sure that's not, like, a battle of the bands?" said Joey. "We could just go to that."

Yami gave him a deadpan look. "I think you're thinking of 'warring,' Joey."

"Oh."

"I know you almost fail English every year, but really?"

"Just shut up already and tell me where's Warren."

"Ohio." said Yugi. "At least, I'm pretty sure it is."

"Holy-we got all the way from Domino to here?"

"Guess so."

"Way to go, Yami. So, Yugi, since you're the map man, where's the closest city?"

"I could always look it up," said Yami, slipping out his phone.

"Woa!" Joey snatched the phone out of his hand.

Yami grabbed for it. "What the heck, Joey!"

"Don't you know anything? Debit card by ass, they can track us down with the GPS on these phones! Why didn't you throw it out?"

"Oh come on, that's only in movies."

"No, it's for real," said Yugi. "I left my phone at home, I figured you had done the same."

"But it's got 4G internet!"

"For what, watching nudey movies?"

Yami ground his teeth. "Of course not. Fine, keep it, whatever, let's just go already. Maybe we can find a map in this stupid town."

#$%^&*^%$#

She sat in the car, though she didn't want to be in the car. After dreaming for most of her life about being surrounded by people, she suddenly felt claustrophobic, but the car wasn't much of an improvement. But she stayed put anyways, because she didn't know what else to do. Her eyes burned and she couldn't help but sob.

What had she done?

Cain had hurt her so badly, yes, but had he a reason? Was she just being a rebellious teenager like he always complained about and she would regret it? She'd never lived on her own before, she'd always had Cain to go to, but now here she was, running away, and now he was more than likely dead because of her.

And the twins and Joey, surely they wouldn't stick around much longer. There was only so much ugliness they could take. Without her hair dyed black and her make up on to hide it, they got the full brunt of it. She knew they stared at her when she wasn't looking. She could feel it.

But...but they had called her friend. They had risked so much to help her.

Maybe she could get more dye-but how? Without Cain, she was helpless. She had been so stupid. She finally got what she wanted and now she thought she might be drowning in the freedom. She couldn't just leech off of Yami's savings like this and follow them around like a dog. She had to do something helpful. Anything.

The car door opened and she caught a glimpse of Yugi before she quickly ducked her wet face into her arms and wrapped her wings around her, quilt and all.

"Angie, I...I won't say I understand how you feel, but I just wanted you to know that you don't have to feel like a burden, ever. We want you here."

The surprise that he hit right on the nail of her last thought shocked her into looking out at him past her wings.

"How did you know…?"

"I guessed," said Yugi, his round face kinder than ever.

She wiped at her face, trying to be covert. Yugi looked a bit awkward, but earnest.

"You never did sing for us. Maybe you could be a part of our band after all."

She snorted wetly. "I'm probably not that good. I probably don't even sound human."

Before Yugi could respond to that, the front doors opened and Yami and Joey slid in, talking loudly.

"I don't think any old Wal-mart is going to be happy with us raising their electric bill let alone playing behind them, dude."

"Then where do you suggest, eh? It's not like I could make my acoustic heard over your loud banging."

"There is something called a muffler, stupid-guess what, Angie! We got a present for you!" said Joey.

She wiped at her face some more with the quilt and lowered her wings. A mix of guilt and excitement swirled in her stomach. Yugi was sharing the same excited expression as Joey.

"What?" she asked as Yami started up the Honda.

"We're going to teach you how to fly." say Joey.

"Ignoring the fact we've never flown in our life." said Yugi.

"Aw, come on, can't be that bad. Baby birds just get pushed out of the nest and that's how they learn to fly," said Yami. "Left or right, Yugi."

"Left, I think, but do I look like a GPS?"

"Maybe we should buy one, there's a phenomenal idea." said Yami.

"And make it speak in a sexy lady voice."

"Sure, Joey, just for you."

But Angie's heart had risen to somewhere just below her throat and she could feel her feathers prickling. Her cheeks were hurting with the wideness of her smile.

Fly?

"You mean we're going to-but where will we go? How can we stay hidden? Aren't there satellites and stuff?"

"Honestly, Angie, the government isn't going to be looking for some winged chick somewhere in backwoods Ohio."

"How do you know, man? Area 21, ooooo."

"Shut up, Joey." said Yami.

"Just leave it to us," said Yugi, "we'll get you there. In return you can try out for our lead singer."

"And if you sound like crap, no worries, we'll just laugh." said Joey.

"How sensitive of you, is that what Mai ditched you at Copperback?"

"Don't start, Yami, or Chewbacca gets it."

Now the back of her head was hurting with her smile. She didn't care if they made her sing. They were going to teach her to fly? After all these years!

Maybe, perhaps then, she'd be able to fly from the ghost of Cain. Maybe Yugi meant it when he said they wanted her here. Maybe...maybe they really were her friends.