WARNING: This chapter includes vivid depictions of violence. If you have experienced severe trauma, the end of this chapter may not be safe for you to read. Please consider your mental health first before diving into this chapter.


Chapter 12

Yugi felt like an imposter, lost and completely out of place. There was no way that these people expected him to be here.

He walked into a studio filled with lights, backdrops, greenscreens, and all kinds of technical equipment. There was so much movement inside the crowded room that it reminded Yugi of an anthill that had been kicked. There were computers, cords, cameras, and fancy things that Yugi could only guess the purpose of. That was nothing compared to the people. Apparently EPSN wasn't just doing Yugi's shoot today, but also had other plans that (hopefully) didn't include Yugi. A gaggle of models were being preened, bristled, and contoured with makeup, tape, and…glittery glue? Most of the models were half-nude, the other half of their 'clothes' –using that term loosely – did not leave much to the imagination. Yugi had to force himself to not stare. One of the women was completely bedazzled. Everywhere. Yugi could only describe her as being vagazzeled, as she turned and winked at him. His entire face went red and he averted his gaze. He felt like he had just been caught looking at pornography.

Ryan asked Yugi to bring both of his duel disks and his deck. Otherwise, Yugi had no idea what to expect. Ryan hadn't informed Yugi what to wear, so he had chosen something casual. What did someone wear to a photoshoot anyway? Yugi didn't need ID or special permission to enter the studio, so he'd assumed that security knew what Yugi looked like.

A loud pop with a flash of light nearly blinded Yugi. He was seeing spots when Ryan showed up from somewhere in the mass of people and clapped Yugi's shoulder like they were old friends.

"Yugi!" Ryan offered a hand that Yugi took. "Good to see ya!"

"Nice to meet you in person," Yugi said in English.

"It's an honor to meet you, Yugi. I've been following your dueling history since Duelist Kingdom. When ESPN started showing interest in dueling for E-sports, your name was right at the top of the list. Especially after the last duel between you and Seto Kaiba. Man, was that an exciting duel! I thought you almost lost, but then you came back and wrapped up the match. You're full of surprises, Yugi,"

Yugi barely remembered the duel with Kaiba after the demonized Diva showed up. Had he won? He didn't think that counted as a victory, but then again, no one except for those intimately involved in that battle remembered most of the event. Yugi was sure that Kaiba had been about to end the match in his victory before they had been interrupted.

I guess people see what they want to see. Yugi thought sadly.

"So do we do the interview first or…?" Yugi said, hoping to get this thing over with quickly.

"We're doing both at the same time," Ryan said, finally taking a look at what Yugi was wearing. "Good choice," he said, referring to Yugi's clothes.

"Let's get you into makeup,"

Oh great. Yugi thought. Jounouchi will never let me live this down if he hears about this. Of course, Jounouchi would have been incredibly jealous to learn that Yugi had been surrounded by supermodels all afternoon.

Sitting down in front of a backlit mirror a casually dressed girl started to smear foundation and other powdery things on his face and neck. He had to stop himself from sneezing. It got so hot so quickly that Yugi was sure that the makeup artist could smell him despite the shower he had taken that morning.

"Feels good getting pampered, huh?" Ryan said to Yugi's reflection, clapping Yugi's shoulder again.

Unsure of what to say, Yugi said nothing but he grinned at Ryan. This feels uncomfortable… Yugi was starting to regret his decision to participate in the interview.

"Hey, you got that pyramid pendant?" Ryan asked. "It was such a unique piece. It'd look great in these pictures,"

"Uh, no," Yugi said, uncomfortably. "I lost it," It wasn't entirely a lie. It had been lost to the abyss at Kul Elna. Then later after Kaiba dug it up, nearly assembling it had given Yugi a chance to wear it once more. But of course, Atem took it with him wherever he went. That didn't count as 'finding it'. It would be forever lost to Yugi now.

"Too bad," Ryan said. "It was a pretty cool piece,"

When the time came that Yugi was put in front of a camera, he found himself even more lost and confused. He had never regretted his decision to do the interview more than he did right now. The paycheck didn't seem worth it. Ryan coached him on what to do with his body –"Just answer the questions and we'll shoot the camera as you answer,"— . Trying to follow the prompts Yugi answered Ryan as best as he could.

Ryan was starting to irritate Yugi. The interview was lasting longer than an hour. After three hours, someone finally shouted – 'That's a wrap!'— and it was officially over.

Feeling dizzy and lightheaded from all of the heat and the lights, Yugi sat. Taking the duel disk off of his arm, he accepted the water bottle that was put in his hands and drank greedily. A headache was forming in his temples.

"You did great, Yugi!"

"Thanks," He said slightly breathless. "Did you get what you needed?" Please say yes.

"I think so! We got some great shots. You're a natural in front of a camera," Yugi didn't believe him for a second. The entire afternoon felt awkward and strained. Ryan reached into the breast pocket of his shirt and handed a crisp white envelope to Yugi.

"Just like I promised. Payday. Don't spend it all in one place,"

Thinking it would have been rude to make sure there was a check in the envelope, Yugi thanked Ryan. Yugi watched him leave after he dismissed himself, happy to see that the day was over. He was thinking longingly about his bed and some Tylenol. When Yugi had a minute to himself, he opened the envelope and found a sizeable check along with a business card and a handwritten thank you note. Getting up, he collected his things and started to walk out of the studio. Anxiously looking forward to the fresh air outside, he stuffed the envelope along with his things into his messenger bag. He was so distracted that he ran into someone who bounced off of him as he was walking outside.

"Sorry!" Yugi said, reaching for the person he had knocked over. "I wasn't paying attention,"

A cool purr offered him a response. Yugi froze, captured by her.

"It's no trouble," She said. "I wasn't watching where I was going,"

It was one of the models, the one who had winked at him earlier. She was still vagazzeled, adorned in exotic make-up and feathers. She was stunningly pretty.

"I was hoping to bump into you," she cooed.

"Oh, uh," Yugi muttered stupidly. She reached for a nearby piece of paper and a pen that had been sitting on a desk. After writing something she folded the paper, kissed it, and stuffed it into his shirt. She took the extra time to tease his hand with hers. Turning away from him, she left after shooting him another wink.

Stunned and bewildered, Yugi looked down at the scrap of paper.

For the King of Games was written on the outside meshed in with a pink puckered lip stain.

Inside was a phone number.

"Aww man!" Jounouchi yelled.

"Shh!" Yugi said, trying to keep his friend quiet.

Jounouchi was having none of it.

"Man, you get all the luck," He said. Jounouchi was looking at the paper with the supermodel's phone number on it.

Much to Yugi's chagrin, he didn't get the opportunity to relax in bed and soothe the headache that was slowly turning into a migraine. The rest of the day was scheduled as MOVE IN day for the three friends. Honda, Jounouchi, and Yugi had spent hours moving their things into their newly shared apartment immediately after Yugi had finished at the studio. After hours of traveling back and forth, loading, and unloading they were taking a break to chow down on some food. Honda and Jounouchi had needled Yugi about the interview he'd had that morning. It had been Honda who had noticed the lipstick-stained note in Yugi's shirt pocket and had commented on it. Jounouchi, having razor-sharp instincts about all things female had snatched it from Yugi's pocket and looked it over before Yugi could explain.

"Oooh," Jounouchi had said. "Finally got somewhere with Anzu huh?"

"It's not like that!" Yugi tried to dissuade his best friend, but he was getting nowhere fast the more that he blushed. "It's not Anzu's,"

Confused, but completely loving Yugi's squirmy and embarrassed behavior, both Honda and Jounouchi had given him raised eyebrows.

When Yugi had told them about the run-in with the supermodel, they had exploded with envy and laughter.

"It was an accident," Yugi said, trying to convince them of his innocence. He felt like he was caught with another woman in his bed. It was ridiculous. Yugi wasn't dating. He didn't have any plans to start any romantic relationship with anyone, especially not with some random American supermodel. He didn't even know her name. His plans were all tied up in helping out at the game shop until some news about the Millennium Items could surface. He still hadn't started researching how to destroy them.

Besides…I'm in love with Anzu. Yugi thought sadly. How pathetic was it to love someone who had no interest in you?

"Sure it was," Honda teased.

"Man," Jounouchi said exasperated. "Wish I had the title 'King of Games', then I'd be the one being harassed by supermodels,"

"No one's harass—

"If you had the title 'King of Games'," Honda interjected. "You'd soon have it replaced by 'King of Perverts,'"

"Heh," Jounouchi said, making a face.

"And Mai would kill you slowly," Yugi said, giving up his defense for the transition of attention from himself to Jounouchi.

Honda soon started to go back and forth, giving Yugi some breathing room. He took a bite of his sandwich and pocketed the model's phone number, this time out of sight from anyone. Yugi moved to rise off the floor and stretched.

The three boys were currently surrounded by moving boxes and random containers filled with their things. There wasn't a table, or chairs, or a couch yet, so they were stuck eating on the floor until they could scrounge some furniture together. At least the TV was hung up on the wall with the cable hooked up. A few gaming platforms sat on the floor, ready to be hooked up and played.

Yugi took his sandwich wrapper and threw it into the garbage bag.

Thinking over the dodged bullet that had threatened to needle his romantic life, Yugi thought of Anzu. He wondered if she was settled into the dorms with Amy and if she had started classes yet. He had no idea what the American collegiate atmosphere was like but didn't think it could be that different from Japan's. She had promised to get in touch once she had gotten her new phone number, but none of them had heard from her since the first email she had sent everyone. She had emailed saying that she and Amy had arrived safely and they had managed to move into the college dorms without trouble. She had even attached a selfie picture of her and Amy giving the camera peace signs. There was no phone number given in the email.

Since then, there had been no word.

Yugi had wanted to push contact with her but had second-guessed himself. Did he have a right to push her to communicate with him after he had let her go? He wasn't her boyfriend, no matter how badly he wanted to be.

Yugi had to admit to himself that he missed her dearly as an empty ache had settled into his chest. His unrequited feelings for her hadn't changed since they had laid everything out together. He had been expecting to feel them diminish or change into something else with time.

That hadn't happened.

Well, fuck. Yugi thought to himself. What the hell am I supposed to do about this now?

He was in trouble and he knew it.

He took out the phone number again and looked at the kiss mark. Maybe he should call her? Give the idea of dating someone else a try.

"Aww well," Honda said. Rising and throwing his trash away, he stretched. "Let's get the beds put together before it gets too late. I wanna have something to sleep on tonight that isn't a sleeping bag on the floor,"

Mentally checking back in, Yugi put himself to work and helped his friends set up the rest of their furniture. He hoped that something would happen soon to knock some sense into him. He wished for some sort of sign to help him make up his mind.

A Few Weeks Later

Anzu slammed the door shut behind her and struggled with her keys to lock the door to her dorm room apartment.

"Crap!" she swore, hurried to try and lock up so she could make it to class on time. When Anzu had gotten up that morning, Amy had already left. Her bedroom door had been closed and locked, leaving Anzu in a cool, dark dorm. Anzu had slept through two of her alarms and had rocketed herself through her morning routine to get out the door in time.

The crisp Autumn New York air slapped her face as she ran across the campus. She had a 9 AM check-in and warm up with ballet at 9:30. Contemporary dance then started at 11 and then Hip/Hop immediately after a light lunch. Dance fundamentals and basic techniques then ate up the rest of her afternoon.

And it was only Monday.

She had barely had any time to eat, much less anything else.

'Anything else' included checking in with her parents, grocery shopping, and texting or emailing her friends back in Japan. She didn't even have any time to think too hard about her lack of social life. Currently, her only social outlet was Amy, but she had her schedule centered around the orchestra and her cello performances.

So far, Amy had been Anzu's best friend here in America and was the only person that she hung out with. Anzu mentally challenged herself to make more of an effort to make new friends and to stay in contact with her old friends in Japan.

Despite the hectic chaos that her life had evolved into, Anzu was loving her life in New York. Julliard was filled with people just like her, people who were devoted to their art and who wanted to perfect their craft. Some people got here like she did, who had been determined not to accept the status quo to pursue their dreams and had worked hard to bring themselves here. If she did well enough, she might be able to attract the eye of talent scouts for Broadway or the Metro Ballet, or some other performance studio.

The longer she spent time here, the deeper she fell in love with dance. She made mistakes, just like everyone did. It made her more committed and encouraged her to strive to learn and do better.

It was dance that had been her first love.

First love…

Just like that, Yugi and Atem came into her mind. Before school had started, she had thought about the things Yugi had said to her over the summer. Confessing his love for her and then the moment he said he was letting her go… It had been painful to watch his face as he had said those things to her. He had looked as broken as she felt. She hated causing him the kind of feelings that had put that expression on his face.

Had Yugi been right? Had she still loved Atem? Of course, she had some feelings for him, but did she still love Atem like that after he had left? Was it the type of romantic love that she had been hung up on when he had resided in the Puzzle? She didn't think so. She thought of her romantic life now, or the lack thereof. She didn't have time for romance. Not with her schedule. She wasn't interested in any of the men in her classes either.

She missed Yugi.

She missed how he always tried to make her smile. She missed his thoughtfulness and kind nature. She thought of how much he had grown in the last three years. For close to a year, Atem had worked through Yugi helping him out of tough situations. Then another year with the two of them working together as duelists to bring back Atem's memories. After Atem had been set free, another year had passed before Atem was thrown back into Yugi's life. The last year of high school she had witnessed Yugi grow in more ways than one.

Yugi was strong now. He was confident, smart, kind… He was quite the catch.

She really missed Yugi.

She passed by a stand that housed papers and magazines. The fluttering pages flashed red and golden colors at her that caught her attention for a split second. She saw the name 'Yugi' on the front page of an ESPN magazine.

So the magazine article has been published. She thought proudly. Thinking that she could afford to be late for ten minutes she bought a copy and flipped through the pages until she found what she was looking for. There he was on pages seven through twelve. They had made him look good. In one of the photos, he was carrying a cocky smile that she had seldom seen on him.

Yugi looks damn good. She thought. He looked like every bit of the young man that he had the potential to be. Atem had been good for him. Next to the ESPN magazine was a paparazzi rag, it too had Yugi on the cover but he wasn't alone on this one. A telephoto snapshot showed Yugi outside of a large building. His back was to the camera, but the very pretty and almost pornographic supermodel was facing forward. They looked like they had been holding hands, or at the very least they looked like they were flirting. His face wasn't completely visible, but what was visible, Yugi looked like he was smiling. On the header, it said: "Queen of Games?" The subtitles then devolved from there into hypotheticals.

She bought the tabloid too and threw cash at the vendor. Stuffing both magazines into her bag so hard that pages were ripped, she ran at her top speed towards her first class of the day.


Ancient Egypt

Mana and Atem were finally left alone with Mahado. They had been waiting in the wings, watching him be ministered to by priests and doctors. After what felt like hours, nothing more could be done for their friend besides comfort measures. Mahado was currently asleep, something that Mana was thankful for. For hours, he had been writhing in pain. He was covered in so much sweat that his sheets and blankets had to be changed frequently by aids. A cool rag had been placed on his forehead by someone, but it was now dry and warm.

Sitting next to his bed, she took the rag and filled it with fresh water and dabbed Mahado's face with it. He murmured, but didn't wake. She chanced a look at his arm and didn't like what she saw. It was still swollen, but was now wrapped in bandages laced with herbs and gave off the smell of decay, infested flesh, and spice.

"He will recover Mana," Atem said. He wanted to reassure her that Mahado was going to survive. He could feel it in his bones and he mentally chose not to allow himself to fall into despair. Atem willed Mahado to be ok. The possible outcome of his death was unacceptable. Trailing the tips of his fingers around Mana's shoulder blades, he teased her skin to offer her some comfort. She leaned into the prince's hand, offering her weight into his torso. Atem placed his hands on her arms gently squeezed her deltoids and stroked her arms rhythmically with his thumbs. Mana didn't completely realize what he was doing, but she leaned further into Aknatem, her body was thankful for the touch. All of her mental prowess was on her suffering cousin, but her body was focused on Aknatem.

"Your Highness?" Nefret's authoritative female voice grabbed Atem's attention. He dropped his hands away from Mana. Nefret didn't miss the intimate gestures Aknatem and Mana displayed towards each other. She would have to talk with them later.

"Lord Aknadin has requested that you take this," Annoyed, Atem took the offered cup and shot it. It was the third installment of anti-venom medication that he had taken in the past hour and he prayed that it was the last one.

"Mana?" Mahado's raspy and weak voice cut across the room. Turning around, Atem saw his best friend start to wake. Mana was dabbing his head and face with a cool cloth.

"Mahado?" Mana said. "How are you feeling?"

"Like my insides are made of hot coals,"

"Mahado," Atem said. "You had us worried, my friend,"

"I'll try not to get bitten next time," he said, smiling weakly.

Atem's insides started to flip as the medicine and wine mixed uneasily in his stomach. Feeling nauseated, he regretted shooting that last dose of medication. Seeing that Mana and Mahado needed some time to themselves, he dismissed himself from the room. The awful feeling of saliva increasing in his mouth warned him of the impending gut-wrenching. It didn't take long before he threw up everything he had just ingested.

"Prince Aknatem?" Nefret's voice said from somewhere behind him. "Do you require more medicine?"

"That's the last thing I need," he said. The priestess offered him a handkerchief. "What have you seen regarding Mahado?" he asked, referencing to her use of the Millennium Tauk.

"Mahado will recover. I have seen him as a young man by your side as a high priest,"

"I knew it," Atem said, smiling. He wished he had thought to ask her earlier.

"I have also seen you as Pharaoh, young prince,"

Atem nodded. You didn't need a Millennium Item to be able to see that coming. Nefret stood there, analyzing the prince. Starting to feel awkward and uncomfortable under her gaze, he wiped his mouth again with the handkerchief. He took a few moments to rinse his mouth, cleaning his teeth as best as he could. When Nefret didn't dismiss herself from him, he finally asked.

"Was there something else, Nefret?"

She looked like she was weighing the pros and cons of her next statement.

"What are your intentions towards Mana?"

"My intentions?"

"Mana has the potential to become a great magician," she said. Nefret's voice sounded like she was scolding him. "She may even become a high priestess for you as Pharaoh someday,"

"I don't doubt it," Atem said. He was very aware of Mana's talents. "What is your point?" he asked, getting more and more annoyed at Nefret.

"It seems like you have something more than the professional in mind for her. The two of you were behaving… very close. It appeared to me that you have taken Mana as your lover,"

Atem froze. Did it really look like that? He had just been trying to show comfort for his best friend because she was hurting. Atem hadn't taken Mana, or anyone else for that matter, as a lover. As a virgin, he wasn't aware of his body at the level that someone who wasn't a virgin might. But he had to seriously think, would he have touched Mana in such a way if they hadn't kissed? He had never done that before, even when they had stuffed themselves to hide in a large vase.

"What business is this of yours?" he asked finally.

The prince's shocked expression told Nefret that he and Mana were not sexually intimate. His face had recovered quickly, but it had been enough for Nefret to see what she needed.

"I suppose it isn't," she said honestly. "But I care for Mana,"

"I care for her too," he said. He felt naked and vulnerable in front of Nefret's questions. It did nothing for him but piss him off. "Better than most other people can,"

"Do you love her? As someone who isn't just a good friend?"

Atem opened his mouth and then shut it. He was silent before Nefret's question.

"It is unfair for her to experience you in such a way if you don't,"

"She has asked me to share everything in me with her,"

"And are you willing to do so? Do you feel ready to give her what she has asked for?"

Again, Atem was stunned and speechless. A rare occurrence for him.

"I suggest you find a way to answer before you break her heart,"

She finally dismissed herself, bowing her head and turning to help tend to Mahado. She left Atem there in the hallway, silent and feeling as if he had been blown over by a typhoon.


Domino City

Jounouchi and Yugi were on their way to his grandfather's game shop to register for the first professional dueling tournament of the season. The walk from their apartment to Kame Game wasn't a long one, but it was more than enough for a decent conversation. Jounouchi had been coveting the new duel disk that Kaiba had released last spring. It was way out of his price range and unlike Yugi, Kaiba hadn't gifted Jounouchi a new disk. The new Kaiba Corp duel disk was required for the first tournament.

"That bastard, Kaiba!" Jounouchi grunted. "Why does it have to be so fucking expensive!"

"Well, when you consider the graphics…" Yugi said unhelpfully. It was truly impressive.

"Whatever!" Jounouchi said, punching the air in front of him. "What's wrong with the model we used in Battle City? I've been through a lot with that disk,"

"I don't think Kaiba was considering sentiments when he made the new model,"

"Pfft," Jounouchi spat. "There ain't nothin' 'sentimental' about Seto Kaiba,"

A beep went off in Jounouchi's pocket. Taking out his cell phone he read the message and winced.

"What's up?" Yugi asked.

"Shit, I forgot I was meeting up with Mai,"

"Yeah?" That was a surprise. He'd noticed that Jounouchi had been more secretive lately but didn't think it was connected to Mai.

"Uh-huh," he said noncommittally. Taking off in a random direction, Jounouchi waved an apology and a farewell to Yugi. "Wait for me at the store!"

Left alone, Yugi smiled at his friend's chaos. Jounouchi was a good man. If he was diving into dating, he was happy for him especially if it was Mai he was dating. He hoped that this was evidence of a budding relationship between the two of them. It was obvious that Mai and Jounouchi were good for each other.

Taking a shortcut he knew through a narrow alley, Yugi turned toward the familiar street where his grandfather's store sat. Taking out his cell phone, he scrolled through his text messages and email hoping to find something from Anzu.

The hairs on the back of Yugi's neck stood up and lightning shot through his spine. Looking up and putting his phone away, Yugi turned his neck looking for the source of his discomfort. He felt like he was being watched. He looked everywhere around the alley, up and down the street, and in the nearby windows. Not seeing anything ominous, Yugi moved quickly to get out of the isolating vice of the alley.

He didn't see anything that alarmed him of a threat, but he had learned to trust his instincts.

Then he saw him.

The man was massive. He nearly took up the width of the alley with his shoulders. Nothing about this person told Yugi that he was friendly. Yugi realized that he hadn't only been watched, he had been stalked. A life of dealing with bullies and threats of all levels, Yugi saw the feeble, illusory possibility of reasoning with this person rationally.

Especially after he took out a monstrous-looking knife.

"I don't want any trouble," Yugi said, taking a couple steps back.

The thick-necked man growled.

"You've got trouble, boy,"

Turning to scramble and run Yugi back peddled as fast as he could.

Fingers the size of large sausages grasped at the collar of Yugi's coat. Yugi wiggled out of the coat and tried to run. The attacker's arms were longer. He struggled against him, trying to make it as difficult as possible. Yugi found himself in the worst possible situation. His back was to the attacker's, and his assailant had Yugi in his clutches in a bearhug. Using one arm was all that he needed to keep Yugi pinned to his chest. The attacker was just so massive. Even someone like Jounouchi would have had trouble against him. Yugi saw the other arm snake its way in front of the struggling pair and with the knife turned inward.

This guy wanted to stab Yugi to death.

Like hell! Yugi thought.

Raising his arm in a defensive position, the knife went through Yugi's right hand. The force behind the knife was incredible. He didn't have time to register the pain in his hand. Yugi did everything he could to push against it, but he lacked the arm strength necessary to push away.

Yugi knew he had lost the fight when the knife that was lodged in his hand also went into his chest.

Now Yugi had time to feel pain.

The pain was incredible and hot, unlike anything he had ever felt before. Collapsing, Yugi struggled to breathe. His attacker let him fall to the ground like a boneless ragdoll. Yugi tried with extreme difficulty to inhale. Soon he was hyperventilating, gasping like an air-drowning fish. The sounds he made hurt his ears. Yugi couldn't see anything but the rooflines and the sky above the alley. Soon his attacker was standing above him, leering at him. There was no emotion on his face even though he had just stabbed a man. Yugi could tell that this person had seared his soul with violence. This was not the first time he had committed such reckless hate.

Blood started to pool in the back of his throat. His heart was racing, but it felt heavy and squeezed.

What the hell do you want? Yugi wanted to ask, but he didn't have the air to express his question. Apparently, Yugi's eyes asked the question for him because the man said,

"I want you to die, kid,"

Leaning over Yugi, he raised the knife to stab him again.

"Where's Yugi?" Mai asked. She and Jounouchi had both been waiting for Yugi for fifteen minutes with Sugoroku. Jounouchi's leg was bouncing anxiously. The trio was starting to worry, the longer that Yugi didn't show up. Jounouchi had run in the other direction from the store, met with Mai, and arrived at Kame Game before Yugi. He and Yugi were less than a block away when Jounouchi had left him. Yugi should have been there.

But he wasn't.

"I'm gonna go look for him," Jounouchi said. A bad feeling was starting to grow in his belly.

The sound of sirens closing in didn't give Jounouchi any confidence. Dashing out of the store with Mai and Sugoroku in tow, Jounouchi ran as fast as he could in the direction where he had left Yugi.

An ambulance drove up behind him and quickly passed him on the street.

Don't turn left. Don't turn left. Jounouchi prayed.

The ambulance turned left.

The sinking feeling got worse.

A small crowd of people soon appeared ahead of him. They were all staring into an alley. Some of them were on their phones, calling out for help. Pushing and shoving his way into the crowd, Jounouchi saw something that would be the source of years' worth of nightmares. A bystander had their hands over Yugi's chest. Blood was pooling everywhere. Yugi's skin was a sickly pale white. Something was wrong with Yugi's esophagus it wasn't midline on his throat anymore, and now it was pushing off towards the left side of his throat. Jounouchi didn't know what that meant, but he knew it wasn't good.

"Yugi!" Jounouchi screamed.

He reached Yugi, nearly knocking over the man who had his hands on Yugi's chest to stop the bleeding.

No! Please, God! No!

Yugi wasn't breathing, his eyes were glassy.

"Yugi! Wake up, man!"

There was no response.

Clutching Yugi's face, Jounouchi screamed.

"Come on you fucking bastard! Fight!"

Two EMTs appeared out of the ambulance and started to work on Yugi. Mai and Sugoroku appeared much later, in time to watch Yugi being shoveled onto a gurney into an ambulance. One of them rattled off the closest trauma hospital's address in disappeared into the bay with a lifeless Yugi. Slamming the doors shut and stomping on the gas they left the crowd behind them in dust and gravel.

"What has happened?" Sugoroku said. He had witnessed Yugi being loaded into the ambulance but was unable to mentally process what he had seen. He was crying. "What has happened to my grandson?"

Jounouchi looked down at his hands. There were smears of Yugi's blood on his palms.

Oh God… Jounouchi thought as he looked at his hands. Yugi's blood was everywhere. He looked towards the spot where Yugi had been lying. It looked like liters of blood were smeared on the concrete.

Oh God… Who can lose that much blood and still…

Jounouchi fell to his knees.

"Yugi!" he screamed.

The echoes of Jounouchi's scream could be heard reverberating off of the building walls for blocks.

Yugi was standing on the street in front of his grandfather's game store. He couldn't remember how he had gotten there. The pain was gone. It felt so good to be pain-free. What he felt now wasn't the opposite of being pain-free. He felt like he could completely forget that pain had even existed. He felt warm and comfortable. He found that he could breathe easily again. In fact, as he took a breath in, he had never felt more alive. Colors were more vivid; sounds were more attuned.

Yugi took a step towards the store and he realized he was barefoot. Every step he took felt like he had been feeling things with oven mitts on his skin his whole life. What had been blunt and numb before, was gone now. He couldn't accurately describe everything he was feeling. He was taking everything in and was able to process it all at lightning speed.

"What is happening to me?" Yugi said out loud.

He was alone, which was odd. He didn't see any pedestrians on the street, but at the very least he expected to see Jounouchi, Mai, his grandpa, and his mom inside the store. He found no one when he looked through the front door window.

"What is happening?" Yugi said out loud, apparently to no one.

"You're dying, Yugi,"

Whipping around, Yugi found someone he did not expect to ever see again. He was dressed formally, a reflection of his regal upbringing and royal status. He wore a crown and layers of gold. The last time he had seen him, he had been smiling and mentally telling him goodbye. There was no smile now. He looked sad, grave, and… angry.

"Atem?!"

The trauma team was working overtime to try and save Yugi Mouto's life. When they cut off his shirt and pants with trauma scissors to get a better look, they found more than six different stab wounds. Yugi's hand had a defensive stab wound in the center of his palm that nearly cut his hand completely open down the middle. His pinky and ring finger looked like they were falling away from his skin.

Pushing warm fluids and blood into his system, they attempted to restart his heart.

Since the start of the trauma code, Yugi's heart rhythm on the EKG was reading asystole. No pulse. A two-man team rotated back and forth doing compressions while the RT actively bagged him.

"Starting IO insertion," a nurse said as she drilled into Yugi's shinbone to start another access line.

"We need to intubate," a resident said, looking for the laryngoscope and ET tube he would need. Yugi's body twitched involuntarily to their ministrations.

Working together, ten nurses and doctors moved like a well-oiled machine, trying as hard as possible to bring Yugi Mouto back from the dead.

When they got him stable enough, they carted him off to emergency surgery. The victim's family had finally arrived. The charge nurse watched the tall blonde male pace back and forth while the middle-aged woman, presumably Yugi's mother, and an elderly gentleman cry with their faces in their hands. The nurse looked on in sympathy, wishing she could give them better news than, 'Sorry, we tried. He's in the surgeon's hands now,'

She was the charge nurse. Notifying the police of attempted murder was one of her unfortunate duties.

Trying not to cry herself, she pulled the phone to her ear and dialed for the police.


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End of Part I

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Author's Note: 1) Vagazzled is an amalgam of vagina and bedazzled. The model was bedazzled everywhere.

2) I don't know for sure how long Atem worked in and through Yugi. The only thing I am certain of was the year between saying goodbye to Atem at Kul Elna and the battle with Diva. In the original Japanese dub, it was a year, making Yugi a sophomore when he first solved the Puzzle and released Atem.

3a) Asystole is a rhythm on an EKG (electrocardiograph) that is commonly referred to as a 'flat line'. It is the lack of any electrical conduction in the heart. The longer a person is in asystole, the more organ damage there is and the less likely it is that you can bring them back. 3b) An IO access line stands for "Intraosseous." It is a way to give someone fluids, medication, or blood outside of the arteriovenous system.

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