Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ From within the Flames ❯ Agreements and Puzzles ( Chapter 6 )

A/N: WE'RE SO SOOOOORRRRRRYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!

Kathrine: We've had a terrible writer's block, family issues, personal issues, other stories, school, and now we're working on putting up a Website. Lots of distractions.

JC: But we finally got some inspiration for this after sleeping yesterday away so we wrote this up.

Kathrine: Don't know how bad the errors are, but it's nine in the morning and we've been writing since three.

JC: Lots of things happen in this chapter so I guess this one's important.

Kathrine: Yeah, so read on and enjoy!

JC: We do make up for the lack of Seto and Jou in the last chapter though. ^_^

Disclaimer: We don't own. Simple as that. We no own.

Warnings: Language, dark themes, blood. Not too much in here to worry about.

From within the Flames

By JC and Kathrine

Chapter 6 - Agreements and Puzzles

" Okay, so let's hear this deal," Jounouchi agreed warily. The brunette teen smirked at him and he wasn't sure if he was going to like this at all.

" First things first," Seto countered as he walked around the edge of the oak desk and sat down. " Tell me why you're running from Them. What do they want from you and how much do you actually know?"

" I'm running because they want me," the blonde replied. " They want me because of what I am, because of you are too. And I know enough to know that Six Families were given a drug that was 'supposed' to prevent pregnancy things like morning sickness, cravings, and disorders that might cause problems when giving birth. I know enough to know that every other child born was 'supposed' to either be normal or have some disorder that came as a test defect. I was 'supposed' to be the only positive result." Only that wasn't possible because Seto had abilities that he knew came from the same experiment. " But I guess I was wrong about that."

" I guess you were," the brunette agreed. He wasn't going to tell the other teen that no one actually knew that he was one of the Children. From what most knew, his entire family was dead. " But at least that shows that you will be of use to me."

" What?" Jounouchi's eyes widened slightly. " Of use to you? I am not some kind of tool that you can just pick up, use whenever you want, and then drop when your done with it! What the hells is wrong with you?! Can't you even act slightly human?!"

" I am not human," Seto retorted immediately. " We were created by Kaiba Corporation to be at a level higher than that of humans. Don't ever say I am one of them."

" Gods, what the hell is up with you?!" Jou couldn't stand having to be around this guy. He had to be the most IRRITATING person alive! He just HAD to be a Kaiba! There was no other explanation as to why the blonde wanted to turn the brunette into filet mignon. Either that or They weren't kidding when they said that Fire would hate water not matter what form, he thought for a moment. It is my opposite so I hate it.

" You truly are a mongrel," the other teen smirked. " You jump to your emotions without thinking, act tough, show your fangs, and yet you're really just a scared little puppy hiding from Them until you have actually grown enough to face them. Poor little mutt, can't be human and don't have the balls to be above them."

" I am NOT a DOG!!!!" the blonde snarled, acting very much like the enraged version of said animal without realizing it. " You have no right to call me that all because you think you're better than everyone else!"

" That is because I am better than everyone else," the other replied. " You're problem is that you don't know how to harbor the power you've been given. You still weaken yourself by using your abilities. You don't even know how to ration your energy."

" Well excuse me, if my power doesn't have its own battery pack!" he snapped.

" I could very well teach you how to use your power properly," Seto told him.

" Whatever, I've had enough training to last me three lifetimes," Jounouchi declined. " What the hell would you want to teach me anything anyway? I can tell you're not the generous type that just helps people out of the good of his ice cold heart."

" It all pertains to the proposition I mentioned earlier," he explained. " You need to stay out of sight, away from Them, correct? Well, I propose that you remain here with me?"

" Nani?" Jou's eyes couldn't have gotten any wider. Yep, definitely bipolar, was his first thought. Why else would this guy that doesn't seem to like him (or anyone else for that matter) too well offer to let him stay in his home. He just knew there had to be something to it. " What do you want from me? There has to be a catch."

" I only require your cooperation and would prefer not to take it by force," the brunette put it very bluntly. " I wouldn't be sure of your intentions if I had to make you assist me."

" Make me?" Jou repeated in confusion. " You can't make me do anything."

" Yes I could," Seto told him with a smirk. " I have my ways. Believe me, they're very 'effective'."

" So you think you can scare me into doing whatever you want?" Jou's eyes cut into dark slits. " I don't even KNOW you, let alone like you from what I've seen of you."

" I'm not going to pretend to be a 'likable' person," Seto told him. " I only see you as a way to further my own ambitions. If I'd left you there on the street you'd probably be in shock after burning that person, or what had been a person, to death."

Jou's eyes widened as he remembered about the man that he had turned to charcoal in the park. He didn't care that he had killed him, he'd been a pervert and possibly forced himself upon countless others before meeting his burning end at the hands of the blonde. And it wasn't like he hadn't killed anyone before. The only question was could it be traced back to him if They found him before the local authorities.

Of COURSE they'll find a corpse burned beyond recognition! he wanted to slap himself. That's what they're looking for! My additional training doesn't count for human flesh, I can't heal things like that. I'm so dead! But then he looked at Kaiba who sat in front of him impassively. And all I have to do is say 'yeah' to him and he'll make sure that no one finds out. But what could he want with me? Damnit, I'm so screwed.

" I'm not a patient person Mr. Katsuya," the brunette frowned. " It's not really a hard predicament to get out of. You agree to remain here and assist me in what I'm planning to do and in return They will not find out your location and the sad excuse for police will never find you either."

" But what are you up to anyway?" the blonde questioned. " If you're anything like ya Pops I'd be better off with Them or the police anyway!"

Seto's eyes grew cold and Jounouchi could easily tell that the temperature in the room had dropped, and not by accident. " I'm nothing like Gozuborou," he stated evenly, though the anger could be read clearly. " I will never be anything like him, I would never do this to my son. Remember that before you compare us again."

" Fine, fine," Jou put his hands in the air to signal defeat. " Just quit messing with the heat. So you're not planning on taking over the world or anything, got ya."

" As for my plans," the brunette went on. " I merely want revenge for what was done to me. I want Them to pay for their crimes my way because the authorities are too stupid to even realize what is going on, let alone give 'proper' punishment."

" Please, half the government is being paid off anyway, and you know that if you know as much as you think you do," Jou snorted.

" Oh I am very aware of that," Seto smirked. " And whoever is collaborating with Them with feel my wrath as well. The question is, will you stand with Them or with me? Or will you run from what's coming, hiding in the shadows made by your own flames until your too weak to go on or are backed into a corner?"

" I don't run from nobody!" Jou growled. " I just want a fucking normal life for once! I just want Them to leave me alone and let me the hell be. I don't want to be part of a war to take over the world and I DON'T want to be hunted for the rest of my existence."

" But you cannot run, they will find you no matter where you go," Seto countered. " You surely cannot believe that They will ever let you lead a 'normal' life. You're not even really human, how can you expect to live in a world meant for them?"

" Because I am human!" the blonde snapped. " I might not be just like them but no two people are a like in the first place! I didn't ask for this, I doubt anyone would!"

" More of a reason for you to side with me," Kaiba pushed the main subject. " Take your revenge and make them pay for what they've done to you and countless others." He truly didn't care about the others that were affected by Them. He just wanted revenge for what They had done to him and his brother and he would have his revenge, with or without this mutt before him.

Jou thought about what the brunette had said for a moment before lowering his head slightly in defeat. " It's not really like I've got a choice, is it?" Jou finally sighed. " The lesser of two evils, right? At least if I stick with you I don't end up as a guinea pig for anymore experiments." Then he smirked. " And hey, if your scheme fails than I can at least take a big piece out of Their asses before I go down."

" My plan will not fail," Seto stated not as an assurance, but as a certainty. Then he stood and head away from the desk towards the door. " Open."

" Yes Mr. Kaiba," a voice entered the room that sounded slightly robotic, but cheery at the same time. Jou watched as the door opened as the brunette had commanded.

" What is that?" Jou asked in a wary tone, but Kaiba was already gone. " Hey wait for me!" He shook off his confusion and hurried off after the other boy thinking, I REALLY hope I didn't get into some real deep shit here.

*****

" Marik?" Malik could tell that his koibito was very weak because of whatever had happened to him. But he could rid himself of the shock of what was happening. How could he have the golden rod in his hand if Marik also held one in his own? It just didn't make sense. That's when a low cry caught his attention.

Marik was confused and dizzy. Everything seemed to be moving very fast and he couldn't slow it down. He'd always hated these type of rides at carnivals and now it was even worse because he was lying down. But that's when he felt the burning pain in his back as if someone was cutting into it with a heated blade. He cried out digging his free hand into the carpeted floor, but the other remained grasping the strange scepter. He couldn't seem to get it to let go.

" What's wrong? Are you all right?" Malik asked in worry. Marik didn't answer him, his the feeling of the pain shifting across his back, spreading through his entire body. He'd never felt pain like this, like someone was trying to carve into him but the knife wouldn't go down far enough. It hurt so much, he couldn't take it.

" Marik, say something, please!" Mali was becoming frantic and yet he couldn't do or say anything that would put him at ease. He didn't know what was happening to himself and the pain was only getting worse.

" I-I-It's m-my b-b-back-ck," he ground out, his eyes clenching as a small tear fell down his cheek. He couldn't take the pain and that's when darkness claimed him.

Malik watched as his lover fell into unconsciousness and became limp in his arms. Oh no! " Marik!" he shook him, but pulled back with he felt something wet and sticky on his hand. It was blood from his lower back that had squeezed through the sleeveless shirt he wore. " Oh Ra…"

He looked about for a knife, trying to find something so he could cut the shirt away from Marik's body, but couldn't. That's when he noticed the rod in his hand was now in the form of a blade, the hilt the large winged Eye of Horus. Not even thinking about it, he lifted up the shirt, cutting it jaggedly seeing as Marik lay on his side. The sharp dagger cut through the material with great ease. He moved the pieces of cloth away from his lover's body and stared in complete shock. " No…Oh Ra no…this is impossible…"

Scriptures, Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs were carved into the other blonde's back, the outlines still bloody. This can't be…he thought frantically. This…this is what Father carved into MY back. But that was six years ago…

He felt warmth and turned towards it. It was the rod he held, now back into it's original form and glowing gently. A chime was heard and he knew it came from the rod his koi held. The two Items were glowing in sync with each other and chiming as if reacting to its opposite's close proximity. He didn't know what was going on a dropped the rod he held immediately. The glowing stopped and the sounds as well, everything becoming silent.

What do I do? Malik questioned himself. He had no idea what had happened and how there were two rods, let alone how Marik had one. From what he knew the Rod had been I his family for millennia and there was only one, definitely not TWO. Then how had Marik gotten a complete duplicate? How had the very scar that haunted him appear on his lover's back as well? And why had the two rods reacted to each other like that?

" I n-need Isis," he told himself. " Sh-She'll kn-know what's g-going on."

He looked down at Marik again, not sure if he could move his love from where he lay with his head in his lap. He didn't want to leave him there alone, not knowing what could happen if he left his side. I HAVE to call Isis, but the phone is on the other side of the couch! He thought before shouted out loud. " Damnit I need the phone!"

A quiet clatter was heard and he looked down, the phone lying next to him on the ground. " Yes!" he picked it up and started dialing. I must have left it on the couch and it felt off, he thought absently. He listened to the ring and waited. His sister would know if was him from the caller id on her cell-phone. He just hoped she'd kept it with her and hadn't forgot it at the hotel while she was visiting or something.

{ " What is wrong Malik?" a low female voice finally answered. " What has happened?" }

" I-I don't know," the blonde started. " I-I went i-into Father's room and…"

{ " Oh Ra…" interrupted him from the phone. " It's started." }

" S-started?" Malik was confused now. " What are you talking about? Marik's hurt Isis and he's got…"

{ " I know little brother," she cut him off again. " I'm sorry I was not there to help you with this. I am coming home right now. Call Marik's brother, he will help you." }

" Isis?" Malik didn't understand. " What's going on? What do you know about what's happening? Please Isis, tell me! Marik's…"

{ " Call down," his sister told him. " Just call Rashid, he will be there with you until I return." With that she hung up the line. }

What is she not telling me? he wondered. What are we being left out of? He forced himself to push the questions out of his mind. He had to call Rashid and get Marik help. He could think about everything later when he knew that his lover would be all right.

*****

" Yugi," Yami nudged the smaller boy who had dozed off during the fifteen-minute ride home from the hospital.

" Eh?" deep violet eyes open and peered out sleepily. " Home already?"

" It's not that long of a drive," the taller boy laughed. " You're just really tired."

" You try getting woke up every time you try to sleep because the doctors and nurses don't want you lapsing into a coma," the other boy frowned. " They did it all night too because they thought I was a risk being so little for my age."

" Well…" Yami started.

" Shut up," Yugi snapped before he could get any further. " I'm know I'm short, but you're not to tall yourself either."

" Yes, but I'm only two or three inches under the average height not two feet," Yami couldn't help but mention.

" Oooh," Yugi huffed, pouting in a way no one, especially Yami, could deny was absolutely cute. " Leave me alone, Yami." He turned away from the other boy and stomped towards his home, the Kame Game Shop. It wasn't that he was actually mad, he just liked seeing Yami squirm when he tried to apologize. He was very cute when he was floundering like that.

" Oh come on Yugi," Yami followed him. " You know I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

This is just too easy, the smaller boy thought as he stopped walking. " But you know I don't like it when you make fun of how short I am," he pointed out in a irritated tone.

" I know and I'm sorry, I didn't realize I had gone to far," Yami turned him around, a pleading look in his eyes. " Please forgive me."

" Well…" Yugi cut his eyes as if he was about to push him away. " Okay!" His glare broke into a smile as he hugged the bigger boy and let out a small giggle.

" What?" Yami's eyes blinked in confusion. I fell for it again! He realized. " Why you…" But Yugi was already gone, the door unlocked and then shut in his face.

" Bye Yami!" he heard as he saw the tri-color-haired boy waving at him from the lowest window in the door.

" I'll never get how he does that to me," the other boy mumbled to himself. Then he remembered something. " Yugi, did you remember your package?" he called through the door.

Suddenly, it was thrown open and a small blur rushed out. " I almost forgot!" Yugi hurried over to his friend's car and got the package from the front passenger seat. " Thanks Yami!" He hugged the older boy again before going back to his open door. " Want to come in?"

" No, I want to study again for the exam in Ancient World History we have tomorrow," the other boy declined. " If not Malik just might get the highest score, emphasis on the word 'might'."

" I swear you two are very strange," Yugi chuckled. " Who else uses Ancient History as a competition?"

" It's just something we're both interested in and refuse to be second best," Yami smirked. " But someone has to be second best one way or another."

" Whatever, that's why all you've ever done is get the same scores all year," Yugi countered.

" And this will be the chance for me to win," Yami pointed out as he walked around the edge of his car and opened the driver's side door. " I will call later, ja ne!" He then got in and drove off, leaving the smaller boy on his doorstep. Yugi watched him leave an almost dreamy look in his eyes.

That's when he remembered the parcel in his hands and smiled. " Now I can open it!" he hurried into the shop and shut the door, locking it behind him. He made sure that the 'Closed' sign was in place and hadn't fallen down before walking behind the counter and into the corridor. At the end of the hall was the stairs leading to the upstairs apartment where he and his grandfather lived together since his parents' deaths.

As he ascended the stairs, he thought of his parents. They'd died a little after his eleventh birthday while taking the money his grandfather had collected from the shop that week to the bank. They agreed to go because Grandfather had been teaching Yugi new tricks for the main game that was sold at the shop, Duel Monsters. They hadn't realized they'd be the victims in a bank heist that would cost three lives that day, the final one being a well-respected officer, Kage Kytsune.

He opened the door at the top of the stairs and leaned against it. He missed his parents deeply, the loneliness of not having them around always with him even when he was having the best time with his friends. He and them were supposed to go on an archaeological dig with an old friend of his grandfather's that summer vacation. They were going to Egypt. His grandfather had offered to take him still, but he couldn't do it knowing that was the last plan they'd had together. It just wouldn't be the same.

He shut the door behind him slowly and walked into the somewhat specious living room, sitting down on the couch. He could feel the depression creeping up on him, but he refused to acknowledge it. I shouldn't be feeling sorry for myself, he thought. I've still got Grandpa. And I've got my friends, some people don't have anyone.

A low jingling thump caught his attention and he noticed he let go of the package he'd been holding, allowing it to fall to the floor. " Oh yeah!" he started to smile again. " I can't wait to see what type of puzzle he got me!" He dug his little fingers into the one side of the tape, pulling forward and ripping it away from the box itself. He let it fall to the floor as he pulled off the other piece and finally opened the flaps.

Inside was quite a bit of styrofoam filling but he just moved that out of the way until he came to his main prize. " Wow," he stared in awe at what he believed to be a golden case. On the case was a symbolic eye that he had earned about in History class. " This must be some really cool Egyptian puzzle!"

He lifted the box from inside the mess of green and white, moving the other and setting it on the table. Looking at it he noticed that there wasn't a special lock or key that needed to be used to open it so he merely lifted the lid. " Woah," he gasped in shock. Inside the case was many small fragmented pieces of gold, each different. At the tope was a golden piece different than the others with the same eye on it that was on the lid to the box. He noticed a string and pulled on it, shifting pieces as it removed was looked to be the base of the puzzle from the chest.

But what is the puzzle supposed to be? he wondered. He looked about the chest and then in the packaging, hoping for a clue. At the bottom of the cardboard box was a white sheet of paper. " Got it!" he smiled. He unfolded the paper and stared at the it in confusion. Drawn on it was a three-dimensional pyramid with the Eye puzzle piece in the center. But…? What Yugi couldn't figure out was why the puzzle was drawn upside down, the fragment with the string on the bottom of the pyramid.

" That's weird," he mumbled. " But I guess it's cooler that way." He rubbed his hands together with a determined look in his eyes. " Now let's see how long it takes me to get this baby put together. Maybe I can have it ready for when Ojii-chan comes home in a few days."

*****

" The operation was a great success!" the doctor smiled.

" That's great!" Mokuba jumped up and down in happiness. He turned to Mai and hugged her. " Serenity will be able to see! She won't have to go blind!"

" Calm down kid!" Mai laughed. " No more caffeine for you!"

" The bandages will have to stay on until tomorrow night at the earliest and Wednesday at the latest," the doctor told them. " And that's only if she isn't ready to take them off or we find out that something may have gone wrong."

" What could have gone wrong?" Mokuba's happy attitude was beginning to wane and a more serious tone emerging.

" If the immune system rejects the optic implant that may cause a problem," he explained. " But still, we should know by tomorrow night."

" But everything should have gone as planned?" Mokuba wanted assurance that Serenity would be all right.

" Yes, Mr. Kaiba," the doctor agreed. He could see the boy's brother's influence coming through at that moment and only hoped he would never have to meet the elder Kaiba face to face.

" Good," the raven-haired boy grinned.

" See kid, nothing to worry about," Mai ruffled his hair.

" Don't do that," he frowned and he shook his hand away. " C'mon, let's go see Ren, she probably needs someone to talk to right now."

" You go ahead," she told him. " I need to call Mom. She's been at work so she couldn't get here in time and she'll definitely want to know how everything went."

" Okay," he agreed before turning towards the doctor again.

" Room 320 in the Recovery Ward," he told him before the young boy took off down the hall. " No running!"

"Whatever!" was the reply he got.

" Such a sprightly child," he commented.

" Yeah, he and Serenity have been best friends since they met," Mai sighed. " They're like paper and glue, always sticking together."

" Well, I better go check on my other patients, you take care," he nodded to her before heading on his way.

" See ya Doc," she returned. Than she headed towards the door to outside, knowing she couldn't use her cell-phone indoors. Mom will be ecstatic, she thought. But what will she say when I tell her that Serenity's worried crazy about her brother again? We keep trying, but they won't tell us where he is. It's like they don't want us to know.

" Either way, I told Serenity we'd look for him and I don't go back on my word," she stated firmly. " We'll just have to try a different approach."

*****

" It's begun, everything has started."

" I know."

" But I did not believe it would begin to soon. My necklace only told me what would happen, not when."

" That was all you were meant to know, not everything is set in stone. Something must have set it off."

" I have to return home."

" Yes, you will in deed be needed for this battle."

" But will you be returning with me? Your role in this is already cast."

" That depends on how the winds of this future blows. Not all Items are in play."

" I see. But only two more must be received."

" And that is when I shall come for that is when I am needed."

" All right, until then farewell."

" No, it is only until we see each other again and I know that will be very soon."

A/N: How was that for such a long wait? We're really trying to fix that.

JC: Sorry again about that.

Kathrine: The little conversation was last minute thinking. We don't know how that got in there.

JC: So just review and tell us what ya think. If we're doing something wrong feel free to tell us that too.

Kathrine: Yes, Rashid is going to be in the next chapter. Don't think we forgot about him.

JC: We've been doing some over looking and we just might bag the Siennen Earrings bit. It's getting complicated now. We'll tell ya when we do.

Kathrine: And as we mentioned at the beginning, we're working on a Website. It's taking a bit of doing so that's what has been taking up of our time lately.

JC: It's not ready yet, but we'll tell ya when it is. Ja for now. ^_^