Disclaimer:

Kaiba: You people are wasting your lives on this site day after day looking at embarrassing excuses for stories that have barely, if any, plot and terrible grammar and basically represent the insecurities of lonely people who have no socials skills whatsoever-

Giant cane: *Yank!* *Kaiba disappears*

RN: *sigh* I thought he'd be reasonable for once...Well, doesn't everyone who has ever written a Yugioh fanfic wish they owned Yugioh at some point or another? I suppose I'm no different...

"Can can, kick a little can can, tell me who's the man, man, we just kicked their can. You shoulda seen the way they ran, ran, when we kicked their can can, tell me who's the man, man..."

"Honestly, I can't believe you two invented a song like that."

"Come on, Tea! Respect the victory dance! An' a one, an' a two, an' a Can can, we just kicked some can, can…"

It was the middle of July. Fall vacation had come at last, and with it, some much-needed dueling. With the sky clear and the weather not too cold, the city park was filled with duelers of all ages, and by mid-day it had been turned into a mini-battleground.

Drawn by the opportunity of new opponents, the Pharaoh had urged Yugi to go, and Yugi all too-willingly complied. By the time Tristan and Tea arrived, each with decks of their own, Yugi and Joey had already readied their disks and made a bet of who could win the most duels before noon.

The score was now Yugi: 8, Joey: 6, Tea: 4, and Tristan: 2 in the last two hours, with the wager at 6,000 yen. Joey had managed to scrape a victory in a surprisingly difficult duel at the exact same time Tristan finished off his second opponent; thus, the victory dance.

Tea pinched the bridge of her nose. "That's it. Anybody walks by, I don't know you two."

The rest of her muttering was lost in the boys' song, the volume of which was gaining many an odd look from the rest of the people in the park.

Yugi sat on the bench, laughing at Joey and Tristan's antics. He, too, had just come off victorious from a particularly well-fought duel, and was taking a break with the rest.

"You know," Tea said, and there was now a teasing note in her voice. "If you don't hurry up and get some more victories, Yugi's going home with all the prize money."

Both Joey and Tristan immediately froze, comically left with one foot each in the air. Horror dawned over their features as they realized that Tea was right.

A dust cloud was all that remained as the two suddenly took off down the path, madly racing for duelers. ("Man, oh, man, that's all my allowance money, too!")

Yugi chortled as Tea sat down next to him with a sigh. "Knew I'd get there in the end," she said wearily. She smiled at Yugi. "Sorry about using you like that. It's just…that song…" She crossed her arms, shuddering.

"Oh, believe me, I'm not complaining."

Tea leaned her head back, smiling as the wind blew her hair back. Her gaze grew thoughtful. "You know, Yugi, I still can't believe you agreed to let that scientist clone you."

"I still can't believe he can actually clone me. I mean, when did that start becoming so easy? I need to read more of the news…"

"I'm serious, Yugi. If it were me, I'd have turned him down flat."

Yugi's easy grin fell to a more distant one. "I know it sounds crazy," he said quietly. "Believe me, it was no easy decision. But the Pharaoh and I both agree that the scientist doesn't mean to do anything harmful towards us."

"Just because he doesn't mean it doesn't mean it won't happen."

Yugi chuckled despite himself. "Don't worry, Tea; the Pharaoh and I have a back-up plan should anything happen."

"I hope so."

A lovely breeze gently ruffled their hair, and they spent the next minute silently enjoying the day.

"Oh! Yugi, that new café near my neighborhood just opened. Want to go check it out once we're done here?"

"Sure, I—oh, wait, no, I can't." Yugi's face fell to an apology. "I just remembered…I'm going with Grandpa to pick up a new bed."

Tea frowned. "Did your old one wear out or something?"

Yugi laughed. "No, nothing like that! Since the Pharaoh's going to be living with us in his own body, we're going to need accommodations."

That's right…

Suddenly Tea's heart was in her throat, throbbing painfully. She felt her body tremble slightly, though whether it was out of excitement, fear, or nervousness, she couldn't tell.

The Pharaoh would have his own body…She would finally be able to talk to him face-to-face. Oddly enough, she had merely pushed this factor to the back of her mind ever since Yugi told them of Keichi's visit six months ago. Yet now, so close to the aforementioned due date the scientist had given, the full realization of it weighed in her chest.

How would she handle it? She had treaded between the two of them for such a long time now, she thought she would have chosen by this time. Yet she never could…They seemed like the exact same person at times, and polar opposites at others. It got so that Tea sometimes wondered if the Pharaoh truly existed, or merely if some hidden strength were being drawn out from Yugi himself in dire situations.

Yet this was proof. Proof that two separate people did inhabit the same body…and proof that a decision would have to be made. Sweet, gentle, considerate Yugi…She had grown affectionate towards him from the beginning. His honesty, his unwavering ability to see the goodness in others…she had never met anybody like him prior.

But the Pharaoh…She had never forgotten how she felt when she first heard his voice. Confident and powerful, his strength had awed her unlike anything before. How could she possibly decide?

And now the Pharaoh would become separate from Yugi. The throbbing in her throat intensified. What was she going to do? What could she do?

Something must have shown, for Yugi looked at her concernedly. "Tea? Are you all right?"

"Yeah, it's just…" Tea exhaled, then managed a smile. "It just hit me that the Pharaoh's going to have his own body, that's all. I'd known it was going to happen all these months, only…I never thought about it that way until now."

Yugi gave an encouraging grin. "You're not the only one, believe me. Grandpa still doesn't accept he's going to have to handle a second grandson…"

His face suddenly went slack, and he tilted his head to the side, as if listening to something. A few seconds later he chuckled.

"Yugi?" Tea asked, after a moment.

"Oh, nothing," Yugi replied. "The Pharaoh was just complaining about my choice of words."

Tea found herself laughing with him, and for a moment, the anxiety in her chest seemed to lessen.

"Yugi!"

Both Tea and Yugi turned to see Joey and Tristan running up the path. Her smile faded, however, at their alarmed expressions, and she stood as they reached her. "Did something happen?" she asked worriedly.

Panting, Joey took a moment to answer. Tea was startled to see his expression, which was dark and bordering on angry. "Depends on your meanin' of 'somethin''," he said grimly. He held out his cell phone, which was open, to a surprised Yugi. "It's yer grandpa."

Frowning, Yugi took the phone and walked a few paces away to talk. Tea turned back to Joey and Tristan, who were still looking as if someone had been hospitalized. "I don't understand…what's wrong?" she inquired.

Joey crossed his arms. "Gramps said dat professor guy's came ta see Yug."

"Keichi? Why would he come now?"

Meanwhile, Yugi was returning to the group, still on the call. "Okay…Yeah, I understand. I'll be there in a little while. See you, Grandpa." He hung up the phone and gave it back to Joey, his brow creasing at his face. "Come on, Joey, don't look like that," he said admonishingly.

A tinge of red appeared on Joey's cheeks, and he kicked at the sidewalk moodily. "Rrr, I can't help it! Whenever dat professor's mentioned I get ticked off!"

Yugi sighed. "I keep telling you, there's no reason for it."

"Yet."

"All right, let's not start this again," Tristan said loudly, stepping between the two. "Yugi, you need to head home, right?"

"Yeah, Grandpa said Keichi wanted to tell me something important in person."

"Good. We'll head over with you."

Yugi, who had already begun to put away his things, took a moment to look back at Tristan. "You…you're sure?"

Tea smiled and Joey rolled his eyes. It was Tristan who said, "C'mon, Yugi, do you really gotta ask? Let's stop wasting time and get moving, whattaya say?"

He ruffled Yugi's voluminous hair, ignoring the protests that came from underneath.

"I really wish you'd stop doing that," Yugi muttered once he was free.

"Ah, you're fine. By the way, how much do I owe you from the bet? You'd better cough up, Joey, I don't think I've got enough…"

"I'm home, Grandpa!"

Grandpa looked over the shoulder of the customer he was treating and waved back at him. "Oh, welcome back, Yugi! Keichi's just upstairs."

"Thanks." Yugi kicked off his shoes and set his pack by the entrance. As he passed by the counter, Grandpa did a double take at his friends. "Oh, you three! You're here too? Keichi asked for only Yugi—"

"'S all good, Gramps, don't worry," Joey said without looking. Before Grandpa could respond, the three had vanished up the staircase.

Grandpa crossed his arms, then returned to the customer. "Rash youngsters," he grumbled.

The group found Keichi in the guestroom carefully nursing a cup of tea. When Yugi appeared at the doorway, Keichi perked up. "Ah, Yugi, I was wondering when—oh, my, I didn't realize you had visitors."

"Sorry, Professor. I know you asked for me specifically, but…"

Straightening his glasses, Keichi appeared clearly reluctant to invite such unexpected company, yet said, "Oh! Well, I mean, of course, that's perfectly all right."

Yugi held out an introductory hand. "These are my friends, Joey, Tea, and Tristan." Each of them bowed at their name. "Guys, this is Professor Keichi, Grandpa's friend."

"So. You're the professor I've been hearin' about, yeah?" Joey asked roughly. Yugi winced, suppressing the desire to roll his eyes. Joey's glare was so intense Yugi hardly blamed Keichi for looking intimidated.

The glare was suddenly squashed to the ground as Tea shoved Joey face first into the mats. She gave a wide smile that was equally, if not more so, intimidating than his look. "Please forgive him, Professor," she grated out. "He's not the first one you'd expect to be well acquainted with manners."

Lowering herself, she hissed out, "Be nice, Joey! Remember what we discussed!"

"Let go'f me!" Joey wrestled his way out of her grasp and sprung back up, holding his hands tightly to his head.

Keichi loosened his collar and gulped. "Oh no, please, I really don't mind."

Yugi cleared his throat. "So, Professor, what exactly was it that you wanted to talk to me about?"

Straightening his tie, Keichi took a moment to compose himself. "Yes, of course. Well, I…"

He hesitated, then leaned towards Yugi and said in a low voice, as if believing the others could not hear them, "I'm really sorry, but are you absolutely sure it's all right for them to hear this?" He eyed Joey warily.

"Professor, I can promise you, you can trust them as much as you can trust me, if not more so," Yugi replied, in his normal volume, slightly miffed at the Professor's actions.

It seemed the Professor had no choice. He straightened, looking embarrassed. "Yes, I suppose you are right. Forgive me. Um, well, Yugi, I simply wanted to inform you that your clone is very near its completion, and is ready for you to see it, if you wish to take a glimpse at it. In actuality, I was hoping you might come to visit today."

The silence that followed was breathtakingly heavy.

Yugi cut it short by letting out a short breath of air, and said lightly, "Really? Um, well, I can't deny that this has all gone faster than I expected, but, um, sure, I guess I'll go see it."

"We're coming too."

Joey had suddenly stood, and his tone was so low Yugi would have missed it if not for his movement. Initially Yugi's heart leapt, but with the way Joey was balling his fists he could not help but think it was perhaps better that his friends stayed behind.

"Joey…are you sure about that? I'll be okay by myself…"

"Don't be ridiculous. I want to see it for myself." Joey's voice was unmistakably final.

That took Yugi by surprise. "R-really? I…"

For all of Joey's hate for the scientist, Yugi believed the delinquent never would have wanted anything to do with Keichi. His eyes strayed to his other friends. "Um, and uh, what…what about you guys?"

The others stayed silent at first. Tea twisted her hands in her lap, then answered, "Well, of course we're coming too, Yugi. I mean, we can't let this bonehead loose in a lab, for one thing—."

"Hey!"

"—but, in truth, and I think I speak for Tristan as well when I say this…I kinda want to see it, too."

Yugi struggled with his words at first. He supposed he couldn't blame them, though it was a surprise; ever since Keichi's proposal, he had found nights where he would remain awake for hours trying to convince himself of the possibility of it all, and just what it would be like to see his clone.

And at the same time, it was a relief; he had never been one to doubt his friends' faith, but for the first time he had become afraid, even if only for an instant, that his friends would break away from him because of all this.

Yugi gave a weak smile. "Well, uh, I guess that's settled, then! Looks like we're all coming with you, Professor."

The scientist couldn't have looked more reluctant. "Yes…I suppose you are. Well, my car is just outside. We can all leave now, if you like."

"The sooner, the better," Joey agreed.

It was a long ride to the lab. They had explained their destination to Grandpa once the shop was clear of customers, and the elder man had surprisingly selected to stay behind.

"It's better if you went with your friends," he told his grandson cheerfully. "I'll see it in my own time. Besides, someone's got to keep an eye on the shop, of course!"

Grandpa…will it really be okay?

"We're here." Professor Keichi's voice broke through his thoughts, and Yugi quickly looked out the window to see.

After a minute, he frowned and turned to Keichi. "Professor, are you serious? This is the docks, there's nothing here but empty warehouses."

A secret grin turned up Keichi's mouth. "Believe me, Yugi, we are in the right place."

The car stopped in front of a warehouse as ordinary as any of the buildings around it. Old, black, wooden blocks carved in the number 631 hung from their nails above the entrance.

Keichi fumbled around his keychain, giving a small "ah!" when he located a key with a blue button in the center. Pointing the key at the entrance to the warehouse, he pressed the button.

At once the door began to slide upwards, creaking and groaning with rust. Keichi started his car up again and drove inside the dark interior. Once inside, he pressed the button again, and the door creaked once more to close.

Keichi turned off the ignition. "If you'll follow me, we have a bit of a ways to go yet."

The four followed him out of the car bewilderedly. Joey did a 360 and threw his hands into the air. "Whataya talkin about, Prof? There ain't nothin' here!"

And indeed there wasn't a single box nor item to be found, Keichi's car excluded. Yugi had to admit he was as confused as Joey.

Keichi's voice was clipped as he began to walk to the other end of the building. "If you'll follow me," he repeated coolly, "you'll find there is a lot more than you think."

Joey winced at the professor's unexpected tone and gazed back at the others, raising an eyebrow. Still unsure but silent, the four continued after the Professor without another objection.

Yugi's eyes were adjusting to the darkness, but he still had to do a double take when a door suddenly appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, in the wall. Keichi removed an ID card from his pocket and scanned what appeared to be simply wood. There was a whirr and a click, and the door slid to the side to reveal another smaller room.

"If everyone would please step inside," Keichi requested. Once the four were bunched in the center he stepped in himself, and once again swiped his card to wood. With a hiss, the door slid back shut.

Yugi jumped as the room suddenly started moving, dropping downwards at a steady pace. The room, it seemed, was not a room, but an elevator. The ride descended for quite some time, until it slowed to a shuddering stop.

Keichi was smiling widely now. "My friends, welcome to my laboratory," he said proudly.

When the door opened a bright light flooded in from beyond, temporarily blinding the group. Yugi winced and put a hand up to shield his eyes, but didn't stop from stepping from the elevator. Blinking stars from his eyes, he looked around the new room he had entered.

At first glance, the lab appeared…well, Yugi couldn't think of any other word but disappointing. Old metal desks, covered in papers, and file cabinets cluttered up the room, and many looked as if they hadn't been opened in years. Fluorescent lights illuminated the room well enough, but sawdust and bits of paper littered the floor, and he swore he glimpsed a mouse or two turn tail as soon as the lights came on.

But something in the back caught his eye; a strange greenish glow.

"Not much to look at, I know," Keichi admitted. "But this is just the boring bit. The real stuff is in the back. Please, this way."

He led the group towards the glow Yugi had seen, through the maze of cabinets and papers. As they cleared the last row of desks, the source of the glow appeared.

Yugi promptly stopped in his tracks.

"I don't believe it," he breathed.

Why do the people who write Avengers fanfics always make them watch Disney?!