Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Hostile Takeover ❯ Father Vs. Son ( Chapter 43 )

I can explain the late update! Our computer had a virus and then we got snowed in the house by about 10 ft. of snow in Nova Scotia and then we couldn't get out of the house for four days. So, I'll do review responses tomorrow.

Father Vs. Son

Marik watched Ryou remove the bandages on Aten's back. The word "MINE" remained, the surrounding area still red and swollen. Aten played with his Basic Insect plushie as he laid on his stomach. Aten let out a squeal as the Basic Insect plushie knocked down the Dark Magician Girl action figure.

"Tate dat, Dark Mishin Dirl!"

Ryou brushed Aten's hair aside as he cleaned the swelling area. "Does it hurt, baby boy?"

"My bat and bum till hurt, mommy," he said casually, as if he was used to the discomfort.

Ryou sat Aten up and wrapped new bandages around him. "At least it's not infected," Ryou sighed.

"Infested?" Aten asked cocking his head to the side.

"No, sweetheart. In-fec-ted. Your back is healing well."

Marik grabbed a clean diaper and kissed Aten's cheek.

Ryou took the diaper and laid it to the side. "You have to be extremely careful while cleaning him, Marik," Ryou cautioned. "Watch me. Aten, baby, get on your tummy and play with your toys."

Aten rolled on his stomach with some wincing and whimpering, but his discomfort quickly disappeared when he returned to his toys.

Aten made the Dark Magician Girl ride on the Basic Insect plushie. "Wee! Dark Mishin Dirl wuffs whining Basic Incest!"

Ryou grabbed a wipe. "Try to be gentle. He has a little tender spot-right-."

"Ow, mommy! Wattsmy bum!" Aten said.

Marik looked at the injury. "Still looks torn."

Ryou nodded without saying word as he tried to avoid the injury. "It will take time to heal that."

"Does it hurt to sit down, Aten?"

"I shit on piddows."

Marik snickered. "You SIT on PILLOWS, son."

"I knew dat, daddy. I ted dat."

Marik sighed. Now was not the time to correct Aten's speech.

Ryou grabbed a new wipe. "Aten, I have to clean you up."

"Yes, mommy."

Ryou cleaned up Aten injuries with many tiny "ow"s coming from Aten each time the cloth touched him. "Robbie's coming over to see you today, Aten."

"He is?"

"Yes, so we have to get you bandaged, cleaned, and dressed. He's going to bring his dueling deck with him."

Aten let out a happy squeal. "I dawna tee Wobbie! I dawna tee Wobbie!"

Ryou turned Aten on his back.

"Ow, mommy, my bum and my bat hurt!"

"Sorry, baby." Ryou replaced the diaper and put his hands on Aten's side. He put his lips to Aten's belly and blew, causing a ripple effect. Aten let out a happy squeal.

"Mommy tittle my bewwy!"

Marik reached out for Aten and leaned down to press his lips to Aten's belly. Aten let out a shriek of terror and gripped Marik's hair in a death-grip. Aten closed his legs and drew them up to his chest to protect himself.

Marik looked up as Aten's grip on his tightened. "Daddy no tush me!"

//………..//

"Son, I wouldn't hurt you," Marik said reaching down to pick Aten up.

Aten let out a growl and kicked his father in the shoulder, sending him staggering back. "Daddy no tush me!"

Ryou picked up Aten, who snuggled into his mother.

Marik tried to control his anger. "I'm not going to hurt you."

Aten shuddered. "Daddy tush is man tush. Mommy tush is mommy tush. Man tush hurt me. Onee Mommy tan tush me!"

//Ryou, tell Marik about Steven!//

/I don't want to lose Marik again, yami. I can't lose him again, not now!/

//But, Ryou…//

A knock on the door shook him from his conversation with Bakura in the soulroom.

"I'll get it, Ryou," Marik said walking out of the door.

Marik opened the door and gasped, "It's you!"

************************

Malik entered the temple and watched as the Unfaithful Guardian paced back and forth. The Decayed Commander sharpened his sword by Steven's throne. Steven's altar continued to drip the blood spilled by Aten.

Malik stopped at the bottom of the stairs leading to Steven's throne.

"Where is that miserable excuse for a magic card?"

The Change of Heart flew in from the window.

"Where is the newest member of my army?"

"The child has died, sir. His heart stopped beating halfway into he transformation."

Steven grumbled. "I wasted a perfectly good transformation spell on that little bastard! Good riddance to him!"

"Sir, this is your grandchild!"

"When I started planning to get rid of Bakura, I knew sacrifices had to be made. I was hoping he wouldn't survive. Now I have enacted my revenge on Marik Ishtar by destroying his only son!" Steven grinned. "Aten was close to Bakura, but his daughter worships him. To cripple the father, we must kill his daughter, destroy her, tear her apart like we did to Aten. Her blood must be shed on the same altar which now is bathed in her brother's tainted blood!"

Malik narrowed his eyes. "Aria will be harder to catch. She is much stronger than her brother."

Steven took the sword from the Decayed Commander. He examined the metal with a smile. "I don't care you how you do it, Aku. I want his daughter dead!"

Malik took the dagger. "It will be no effort to muffle her screams. A simple pillow and a stab through her innocent little heart will be all I need to destroy her. Chain Energy will prevent her from fighting back with the powerful Shadow Powers she possesses."

"When you kill the child, bring back the dagger as proof. I will need it for a spell to destroy the yamis. Bakura will be destroyed and I will bring my son back to me. Bakura's child must not be allowed to live. Kill her."

*************************

Robbie ran into the house jumping and running around excitedly.

"Aten! Aten!"

"Wobbie!"

Aten winced as he climbed down the steps. "Ow, my bum hurts," he growled in frustration.

Marik looked up and saw Miranda standing there laughing at her excited son.

"He couldn't wait to come over to see Aten. He woke me up at 5a.m. wondering if it was time to go to Aten's house," she yawned.

Aten arrived at the bottom of the steps panting. Robbie ran over to him.

"Hello, Aten. How are you feeling?"

"Wobbie, my bum hurts and my bat hurts."

Robbie wrapped his arms around Aten loosely. "Do you want to duel? That may help you feel better."

"Mommy? Tan you bing up my drooling desk?"

Ryou called down, " It's 'dueling deck,' sweetheart! I'll be right down!"

Aten took a step and grabbed onto Robbie, whimpering, almost falling over.

Miranda gasped and took Marik's arm. "Marik, Aten's falling over!"

Marik turned around and tried to reach for Aten, but Aten growled at him. Marik reached down for Aten and Aten leaned over, biting Marik's hand deeply.

Robbie's eyes widened at the crack of bone. "Aten!"

Marik let out a cry of pain as Ryou ran down the steps. Marik pulled his hand away.

Aten clung to Robbie tightly, shaking. "No tush! No tush Wobbie!"

Marik held his hand as red blood dripped.

"Aten, don't bite your father," Ryou scolded. "It's not nice."

Aten looked up at Ryou sadly. "I'm towwy, mommy. I no wan daddy to hurt Wobbie."

"Aten, I told you that I won't hurt you," Marik said.

"Towwy, daddy."

Marik disappeared into the kitchen. Miranda entered the house.

Ryou closed the door behind her. Miranda kneeled in front of Aten.

"How are you feeling, sweetheart?"

"My bat hurts."

Miranda slowly reached up and brushed back Aten's hair. Aten clenched his eyes tightly as she did so. He opened his eyes when she drew her hand away. "Your daddy loves you, Aten."

Aten looked down with tears in his eyes. He buried his face in Robbie's shoulder. "I no wan to hurt daddy! I no know why I tid dat! Now my daddy angwy wif me! My daddy hate me now!" Aten cried quietly.

"He doesn't hate you," Ryou said brushing back Aten's hair again. "He loves you."

Aten sniffled and whimpered. Robbie stroked Aten's hair gently.

Robbie turned his head to Aten's ear. "Let's go apologize to your daddy."

"I no wan to tush daddy!"

Robbie shook his head. "You don't have to touch him, Aten. You can just stand there. I'll be with you."

Aten nodded. Robbie helped Aten to the kitchen. Ryou and Miranda watched the two boys limp to the kitchen.

"Is his back healing?"

Ryou crossed his arms in front of himself. He sniffled. "It's healing. But that's not the injury I'm worried about."

Robbie and Aten saw Marik sitting at the kitchen table holding his hand. Aten looked up at his father with large eyes and a trembling lip.

"Daddy?"

Marik looked down. "Yes?"

"Tan I tee your hand, daddy?"

Marik slowly held down his hand. Robbie helped Aten limp to the table. Aten took his father's hand and kissed the red area. He pressed the back of his father's hand to his forehead and whimpered, trying to kneel. Marik's eyes filled with tears as his son whimpered pitifully trying to get on his knees, knowing his son had a painful time walking as it was.

Aten kneeled and clenched his eyes shut. "I'm weawwy towwy, daddy. I juss no wan you to hurt Wobbie."

Marik bit his lip looking down at the black-haired, blue-eyed boy watching his friend. "I know, Aten. You and Robbie go play."

Aten tried to stand up on his own, but started to whimper again. Robbie took Aten's arm. He wrapped Aten's arm around his shoulder and lifted him slowly. "I'll take good care of him, Mr. Aten's daddy! Don't you worry! We're gonna duel!"

Marik stood up. "Robbie, why don't you and Aten duel here in the kitchen? The floor will hurt Aten a little."

Robbie's eyes lit up. "Okay!"

Robbie helped Aten onto a chair with much difficulty. Aten whimpered, shedding a river of tears, as he struggled. Ryou brought in Aten's deck and returned to Miranda.

Aten grabbed his deck and mixed up his cards. Robbie shuffled his deck.

"I dot my tards fom Unkie Seto! I pitted out my tards mytelf!"

Robbie nodded. "My mommy bought me more when we left the hospital from seeing you. I was really sad when I had to leave."

Aten nodded. "Me, too," Aten said as he unfolded his dueling mat. They cut each other's decks and placed their decks on their mats. They picked up five cards.

"You go first, Aten."

Aten picked up a card and squealed. "Basic Incest in attat moat! One mashic tard fate town! I toe gad dat my daddy tol me to drool! End durn."

Robbie snickered. "It's 'Duel,' Aten!" Robbie picked up a card. "Yomi Ship in attack mode! One trap face down! End turn."

Aten picked up a card. "Portet's Teek-wet in attat mode. I may my mashic tard Contol Da Pain!"

Robbie's eyes widened. "'Control the Pain!' Oh no! Umm…Aten? What's that do?"

"Contol Da Pain wets me wemove tree tap and mashic tards from your deck fom pay!" Aten grinned.

Robbie handed Aten his deck. Aten removed Card Destruction, Monster Reborn, and Minor Gobin Official from play. He returned Robbie's deck to him. "End Durn!"

Robbie picked up a card. "Giant Soldier of Stone in defense mode. End Turn."

"I tackifice Basic Incest and my Portet's Teekwet to bing out my Wobber of Innocence!"

Robbie gasped. "AHH! 3800 ATTACK POINTS!"

Aten grinned, his hair starting to twitch. His eyes grew dark and his grasp on his cards tightened. "I attat your Yomi Shit!"

"Not my Yomi Ship!"
Aten laughed as Robbie removed his monster from play. "I also pay Tunfulsion of Nashure!"

"Convulsion of Nature makes us turn our decks upside down so we can see our next card."

"End Durn."

Robbie pulled a card. "I play my Metal Fish in defense mode. End turn."

Aten picked up a card. "I pay Da Elpless Tild in defense mode."

Robbie leaned over and looked at the card. "He looks like you, Aten."

Aten looked at the card. "He tuzz wook wike me. He wooked wike me when I wass in de tabin wif my gantfatter."

"Cabin? What cabin?"

Aten's face scrunched up and he dropped his cards. "My gantfatter….." Aten looked down at his arm still full of cuts from the barbed wire encasing him. Aten brought his knees in front of his chest and curled up into a ball on the chair.

"Aten?"

"My mommy's daddy….." Aten started trembling and his eyes glazed over.

Robbie put down his cards and ran beside Aten. "Aten?"

Aten brought his thumb up to his mouth and sucked on it with a worried look on his face.

"Aten? Talk to me."

Aten's gaze remained on The Helpless Child card until he saw the face up card on Robbie's deck: The Decayed Commander.

Aten gave a little whimper.

"Aten, what's wrong? Talk to me."

Aten sat frozen on the chair as Robbie gripped his shoulder.

********************

Miranda, Ryou, and Marik sat on the couch as the boys dueled. Ryou rubbed his aching forehead.

"Ryou, you look like you haven't slept!" Miranda said taking Ryou's hand.

Ryou gave a slight jolt, remembering Jessica who held his hand in a similar fashion. "I've been worried about Aten. He refuses to eat anything. He plays with his dolls as he's laying down. Aten can't sit down yet without crying."

Miranda sighed. "I'm sorry, Ryou. I was hoping Robbie can cheer Aten up. Robbie was so upset after I brought him home from the hospital. I couldn't get him to sleep last night. All he could do was cry about Aten."

Marik shook his head. "I wonder how he could be so attached to Aten. They're only three years old!"

"I don't know. Robbie was crying over Aten. He was afraid Aten was going to die."

Ryou looked at the kitchen, but the wall was blocking the view inside the room. "I was afraid his heart would fail. He was in so much pain, Miranda," Ryou leaned over and sobbed on Miranda's shoulder.

"Oh, Ryou, don't cry. Aten's safe now. That is what counts."

Marik rubbed Ryou's back. "Aten's going to be alright, Ryou."

Ryou bit his lip. "I don't want to believe it happened to him, but how can I deny it when my son can't even walk without crying in pain?"

Marik leaned over and kissed the back of Ryou's neck. Miranda smiled and stroked Ryou's hair.

"Ryou, you know you can always come to me," Miranda said comfortingly. "And I will be happy to take Aten and Aria when you just need some time to yourself and your…..umm….husband?"

Marik snickered. "I'm not his husband. Bakura is his husband. My husband is…"

A knock at the door interrupted Marik's sentence. Marik opened the door, his face going pale at the sight of the visitor. "Malik?"

Updates: Tomorrow