Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Lethally Hot ❯ Biological Warfare ( Chapter 15 )

Toboe LoneWolf: Behold, I liveth and emerge before school starts. Let us celebrate.

Djanil: …Don't count on it.

Toboe LoneWolf: Pessimistic as always. *glances* Don't bother trying to answer Djanil; I know what you'll say. (Djanil: XD) …Yes, last chapter had many, many loose ends. I now attempt to tie a great deal of them. Some, I'm afraid, will have to remain loose until later. *winks* So without further ado…Lethally Hot!

Disclaimer: Toboe LoneWolf does not own YGO or Ebola Domino, but she does own an adorable Ebola plushie named Ravie.
You know the drill...quotes in italics, stuff from The Hot Zone...if you haven't already, read it! XD

Ravie: Squeeee!

Chapter Fifteen: Biological Warfare War is Hell.

Yugi drifted between what-is and what-is-not.

Yugi felt the others break away from the memory, felt them leave and sink back into their own minds. He felt the Ankh pulling them back into their bodies, but it faded away. The memory had a stronger hold onto Yugi, and Yugi…was a bit blurred around the edges. Still in the memory-flux, and yet having the sense of self… It was like the times when he truly merged with his other self, and there was little distinction between the thoughts of what was the past pharaoh's and what was his own…

Perhaps it was because he was bonded to the Pharaoh that this, the last memory, did not release him quite yet. Carried along, Yugi saw briefly what the next memories in time held.

He saw the procession back to the palace, the people cheering in triumph of their king—

He saw the massive mourning funerals of the unsaved, heard the wails once more, the Pharaoh raising his hand to calm his people, making a speech for the future—

He saw the Pharaoh privately ride back to the now deserted house, their bas already carefully wrapped and buried as friends of the Pharaoh, and in the privacy of being alone, saw the Pharaoh finally break down in tears and weep—

He saw the future, yes—saw the Pharaoh wake up in the middle of the night, caught within the vision of a white-haired thief—

He saw that same thief brashly enter the palace grounds, right up to the throne, and demand—

—Sssthunk!

Abruptly Yugi was wrenched away from the memories. Vaguely he felt a foreign power moving against the borders of his mind as he sensed the sound of a heavy door closing. It was then that he realized that he had learned Yami's true name—

~ * * * * * ~

It was against the odds from the beginning.

The Ravager had multiplied a thousand-fold – and more – and had set up camp virtually everywhere. Every organ was on the road for failure. Blood vessels already weakened to the point of nonexistence, fluid flowing everywhere except where it was supposed to, and the Ravager stampeding through the rest.

Their defense? In shatters. Already weakened by the Ravager, poisoned by the chemicals the Ravager pumped out in their converted factories, the once stalwart defenders were broken and lost.

This is what the Seven had before them.

One by one they had appeared, unlocked as the memories were unlocked. Like puzzle pieces snapping together, the Seven fell one by one into place, and began to hold the strained defense together. Waiting for completion, they recruited, trained, and drilled. Quietly they built up their forces and made guerrilla attacks, trying to hold on until all of the pieces were in place and the Web fully remade.

The Commander surveyed it all. Reaching into the Web he contacted each of his generals. One by one they responded, each giving their report. Finally, the message the Commander had been waiting for arrived. In person.

—Here I am. Send me.—

The Killers are here.

At long last, the Commander sent out the signals, ordering for the release of the secret reserves. Now was the time. Now was the time to unleash it all.

This would be the last stand.

~ * * * * * ~

Yugi regained his senses floating in mid-air.

Well. Call this an out-of-body experience.

Arms outstretched as if he were flying, Yugi was floating over his own body, near the ceiling, in the spectral form that his other self usually took. He could faintly hear the beeping of the machines and the slow, rattling breath of his other self. Though Yami lay in the hospital bed completely still, Yugi felt a pang in his stomach with each shuddering breath.

Perhaps it was a blessing that Yami remained unconscious.

Yugi frowned. Why in the world was he, well, floating around like this? Shouldn't he be back in Yami's soulroom, like all the other times? Or even, his own soulroom? It wasn't that their bond had been severed; he could still feel it. Yugi tried recollecting what had just happened. Kaiba speaking, the memory, then…Yugi remembered a flash of light and a few pictures, but for some reason it was all fuzzy. Shuffling through again, he noticed that the memory itself was a bit blurry at times. The part where the Pharaoh had slashed open his arm, for example. He'd said something, but Yugi couldn't remember what. Or at the end, when all the people were shouting. Athelas. Yugi knew it meant something, used to mean something, but…what?

In the end though, none of this helped Yugi figure out why he was floating outside his body. He tried returning back to his soulroom – but he was blocked by a mental wall. A wall that felt like…the Puzzle. As if Yugi were blocked off by the Puzzle itself…

Yugi floated in the air, frustrated, and quite unable to do anything. It was a bit of a shock to see Shadi walk through the wall and stand beside the bed.

"Ah, I see. He has not awakened yet." Shadi looked up at Yugi. "You will need to help him, Chosen One."

"What?" Yugi blinked. All right, that was weird. And the most appropriate thing to say to a guy who's just walked through a wall and seen you when you're incorporeal was: "You can see me?"

Shadi smiled. "I can see many things, Chosen One." He motioned with his hand. "Come down."

Yugi focused and gently descended, coming down to sit cross-legged above his body, a mere hands width above. "What do you mean? We found all seven doors; everything should be set-up. Shouldn't he be okay now? What about the others? …And how'd you get here anyway? Didn't they see you?"

Shadi fingered the Millenium Ankh. "This allows me to be unseen to the physical eye, among other things. The others are back in their own bodies, recovering from their venture. To your first…" He looked down at Yami. "The Ravager already has a foothold. Although powerful, the immune system we have unlocked begins at a disadvantage."

He raised a hand to Yugi's automatic dismay. "However, you may be able to put them at an equal level, so to speak."

"…How?"

Shadi looked at the boy in front of him, invisible to the physical world. Young, and yet old, his wisdom gained from a mixture of games, stories, friends and a link to the ancient past. A boy foretold in the prophecies, the successor to the Shadow Games, He Who Commands the Wind. A boy who wielded more power than he knew. He carried both burden and blessing, and it would be he, the prophecies said, who would be called the Healer, though the true name had been forgotten.

If the prophecies were true, now was the time to prove it.

"You have used this magic before, Chosen One. Once to hold the Pharaoh's mind together. Another, to heal the priest. You must do so again, to heal yourself." Shadi shook his head. "I know not the specifics. I do not have the healing magics. All I can do is succor you in the area of power, that you may not run out of energy as you work."

Yugi stared at Shadi until the meaning dawned on him. He, heal himself? How? … Shadi stood there, completely impassive.

He had, hadn't he? Vague memories trickled back, that feeling of…wholeness. To make things right. Isn't that what he said, when he healed Kaiba?

Yugi swallowed, and nodded once. In response, the Ankh began to glow softly.

Wordlessly, Yugi closed his eyes and reached for the Puzzle's magic, searching for that same magic he had used before. He felt Shadi link in and stretch out a thread of magic. Instinctively Yugi accepted the thread, felt it strengthen until it was a rope, letting extra magic pour into his hands.

He found it, that same healing magic. Following the path he transmuted the magic Shadi sent him to the same kind. Juggling the links – one to Shadi, one to the Puzzle – he groped for the link to his other self. Once he found that, he spoke the foreign word.

"Elessa."

Heal.

The magic swept down the link to his other self, commanded by the ancient word to heal the failing body. Riding the impetus of the wave, Yugi guided the magic, strengthening blood vessels, healing damaged organs, and fiercely destroying the Ravager, aiding the immune system, buying time for it to mount their own attack. His mind completely focused on destroying the enemy, Yugi gave himself up to the magic.

The thought of death never crossed his mind.

~ * * * * * ~

The orders sent, now the army multiplied feverishly, doubling their numbers in astronomical amounts.

Drawing upon any remaining resources, they rushed to increase their forces. Before, they'd been struggling to survive; now, they were on overdrive. The remaining loyal factories, hidden within the skeleton of the body, were pushed to crank out more and more fighters, more artillery, more tanks. Now, with the proper weaponry and leadership, they would attempt to overwhelm the enemy by sheer force.

They would have only this one chance. One chance, to utterly overwhelm and eradicate the enemy.

The signals were transmitted everywhere, calling for the remaining forces to rise up. The other branches of defense mobilized as well, readying for orders to kill.

The Ravager was a treacherous and dangerous enemy. It took advantage of any weakness and gave no mercy. Confusing missives and poisons held back the regular army. Captives were driven to death, worn out from the orders to construct more of the Ravager. Setbacks were nothing to the Ravager, as it only came back with even more vengeance. No, the Ravager would have to be wiped out, completely purged from this ground.

This would not be a slow burnout of the enemy; this would be a blazing firestorm, devastating it in one decisive assault.

And for that, the army grew, and grew quickly.

~ * * * * * ~

Ishizu fingered the pages of the book Malik had brought her. "Hmmm. Apparently the Pharaoh did more than just seal the Shadow Games."

After Malik had shown Ishizu the book he'd found, they'd been holed up in Ishizu's study room, trying to figure out how this might link to what was happening now. Ishizu was curled up on her couch, and Malik was relaxing in the recliner chair.

Malik nodded. "Looks like it. The symptoms described are pretty similar to Ebola symptoms -- at least, the kinds normally found in Africa." He grimaced. "What the Pharaoh has now, though…that doesn't sound too good."

"This is strange, too." Ishizu pointed to the song. "The song obviously refers to the unnamed Pharaoh, but this 'Athelas' …what is it? A herb? A magical power of the Pharaoh?"

"His name?"

Ishizu narrowed her eyes. "What did you say?"

Malik blinked, and straightened up. "His…name. I have no idea where that came from."

"His name…" Ishizu mused. "Well, perhaps one of them, anyway. 'Come Athelas.' Come, Pharaoh? To…heal us?"

"To deliver us?" Malik shrugged. "That doesn't matter though. This doesn't say anything about the origins of the disease; only that the Pharaoh stopped it. This only confirms the connection between the past, the present, and the Pharaoh." Malik flopped back into his seat. "It doesn't mention anything that could be connected to the thieves code of the curse."

A knock on the door turned their heads. Malik blinked, and then rolled his eyes. "Come in, Rashiid."

Rashiid opened the door and bowed his head slightly. "Master Malik, this came for you." He handed over a slip of paper. "I believe this might prove to be interesting."

"Rashiid, you really don't have to knock on the door. It's not like it was locked or anything." Malik chided as he unfolded the paper. "Just what is so interesting about this…Well."

"What is it?" Ishizu asked.

Malik gave a look at Rashiid. Rashiid shrugged. "In the mail."

Malik snorted. "So much for a fantastical delivery." Malik raised an eyebrow at Ishizu. "Sis, it reads,

'The Ravager shall strike again.
Unfulfilled vengeance does not die so easily.
It shall return when its incarnate bids it.
Until then, let the black breath be unleashed.
All hail the shadows.'

"And look at this, sis…" Malik flipped over the paper so Ishizu could see for herself, "It's all in thieves code."

~ * * * * * ~

It began with a massive bombing campaign.

Millions poured out of the training facilities. There was no morale-boosting feeling upon release. The higher levels called them the "kamikaze bombs."

Their short, brief, and simple mission?

Take as many of the enemy as possible.

Then blow yourself up.

The Ravager was in for a rude awakening. Suicide attackers that did nothing but take their enemy down in bloody glory. More persistent inquisitors patrolling the grounds, and if anything failed their questions…let's just say that the Ravager wouldn't be using that one anymore.

All of this, though, had a heavy toll. The bombs, though selective in their location, nevertheless damaged surrounding areas, friendly and unfriendly. The increasing temperatures hindered civilian production, even though it helped the military move and delegate movements. Constant questioning quickly became tiresome, and even then, some things were missed.

After all, these were just the "small fry." They were just here to soften things up.

The big bombs were coming.

~ * * * * * ~

Yugi struggled to concentrate.

Healing was hard work, burning energy to accelerate what would take days, weeks, what the human body could normally accomplish. It took more energy to change what Shadi gave him into healing magic, and even more energy to simply control the magic. It wasn't exceedingly tiresome – gods, nothing like how he had to hold up Yami's mind – but it was difficult to split his concentration.

Not to mention Yugi's worry of Where is he?

His bond with his other self was there, but Yami on the other side was just…blank. Existing, but…not much else. At least, that was all that Yugi could feel. Why couldn't he feel anything?

—Hiss!

Yugi lurched as the Ravager rolled back, snarling as it defied retreating. Retreating was not what the virus would do lightly. The hunger, the need to destroy, bade them to resist any attempts to stop them.

Coiling, the Ravager jumped.

Jumped for Yugi, for that rich bearer of magic, tasty and luscious and sweet. The Ravager had no compunction against spirits – magic had its own alluring savor. Blood was pure and sweet; magic was the cinnamon on top.

Startled at the Sent image of a dragon leaping for his face, Yugi lashed out. The Ravager screamed as its attack melted away. Yugi virtually glowed as he called up even more energy. Flinching at the light, the virus retreated back into the dark depths, hiding…waiting.

Yugi shuddered as he pushed forward with his healing magic, burning out the recesses where the Ravager lurked. The virus had tried to take him. What was this thing? No biological thing could attack something magical…then again the Ravager wasn't exactly purely biological, was it?

If the virus dared try to take him, was the Ravager desperate or simply…hungry? Were they finished with Yami, leaving him only an empty shell, and that was why Yugi couldn't feel him anymore?

Blindly Yugi reached out a hand, touching his other self's forehead for a more physical link, metaphysical though it may be.

Gritting his teeth he poured magic into his body, willing strength and time to work against the virus. Fighting against the Ravager to buy time for the immune system to kick in. And all the while, chasing shadows down his link, calling out to his other self.

~ * * * * * ~

Now it was time for the grunt work.

Fresh off the training grounds, the foot fighters charged into battle. Some of them were small and quick, and they patrolled the outskirts, attacking stragglers and the unprotected, using their mobility to their advantage. Later, after gaining experience, they would settle down and camp in one location, and develop into the more advanced type of fighters: the tanks.

Slow, steady, and carrying a lethal array of weapons, the tanks patrolled the major streets and metropolitan areas. It would be martial law until the enemy was eliminated.

Frisking became a much, much more dangerous activity.

If you failed…you failed to exist afterwards.

Ripping off body parts in a grotesque display of achievement, the basic fighters began to lower the Ravager's count. Their banners waving former pieces of the Ravager, they warned – and signaled – that the tide was turning. The Ravager faced a much tougher resistance now.

Tough, yes. Invulnerable, no.

Some of the Ravager managed to still evade these more vigilant attackers. Some ganged up and simply overwhelmed a unit. Some even managed to disable the weapons used against them, though this was rare. Through backstabbing, lying, and sheer trickery, the Ravager made sure that they would not die at this point.

~ * * * * * ~

Ryou Bakura's father sat in the corner of the room, watching his son. There was no one else in the room, just him and his son.

It seems that all he ever did was watch his son. No talking, or playing games when he was younger, or doing any of those father-son bonding things – just watching. Sometimes he'd come home late at night and he would have to leave early the next morning, so all he did was write a note, and watch his son sleep.

Ryou's father knew every kind of sleeping style, position, and pattern his son had, and this…was one of the stranger ones, he had to admit. Completely still and straight, the last time Ryou's father remembered Ryou sleeping like this was the night he gave Ryou the Ring. That night, the Ring had been glowing…

Although hidden beneath the covers, after years of watching, and that strange night in the forefront of his mind, Ryou's father did not miss the Ring's glow shine periodically.

A few times, Ryou's father reached out to touch his son's fevered brow, but pulled back. Touching was just not something he did often. As time passed, Ryou's father noticed slight changes in Ryou's face – grimaces and frowns, though Ryou never shifted. They seemed to coincide with the glowing Ring.

He was startled when Ryou actually hissed.

Yes, hissed, and the Ring glowing even brighter this time. Ryou's face was contorted – but only barely, as if something were holding him back.

Unconsciously, Ryou's father found his hand moving towards his son – but this time, it completed the journey.

"Shhhh…It's all right. I'm here, Ryou."

Minute furrows smoothed out underneath his fingers as Ryou's father tentatively brushed his son's brow. Ryou relaxed, and the tension in his face released. The Ryou's glow dimmed, and then died out. Slowly, Ryou's father withdrew his hand.

For a long while, nothing else happened.

Then, Ryou's father had the distinct privilege to see his son blink. Once. Twice. Large brown eyes focusing and refocusing on his new surroundings, confused at first, until finally focusing on the anxious person next to him.

"…Father?"

* * * * *

How many times had Mokuba fallen asleep in his big brother's arms?

Too many to count.

So accustomed Mokuba was to his big brother's breathing pattern, that he immediately picked up on the changing rhythm of Seto's chest rising and falling. Sleepily Mokuba opened his eyes, and his eye automatically clasped his brother's hand a bit tighter.

Mokuba jerked up once he saw the hospital surroundings, and he remembered just why he was in here.

Seto groaned, and raised his head. "Owww…"

"Nii-sama!" Mokuba cried. "You're awake!"

* * * * *

In the room next door, Tea Gardener woke up peacefully and quietly. Sitting up, she stretched and yawned.

And looked down.

And shrieked.

…Hospital gowns aren't exactly the best made – or covering – garments, you know?

* * * * *

Across the hall, Serenity sat in an all-too-familiar position – watching a comatose person.

First Ryou, then Mai, then Joey…Serenity was getting a bit tired of having friends and family fall over and losing consciousness for long periods of time.

Look, she and everyone she knew was innocent, all right?!?

"Joey…"

"Yeah sis?" Blink. "Hey, where am I?"

Serenity gasped, and squealed. "Joey!!!!"

"Whoa!" Joey yelped as Serenity leaped onto his bed.

"You're awake you're awake you're awake!!" Serenity was literally bouncing up and down. Which made for an interesting ride on the hospital bed, until Serenity got a hold of herself and stopped bouncing. But not the hugging.

Joey winced, and rubbed his head. All right, so he was the kind of guy that woke up all at once, but that still didn't explain why he was in a hospital bed and Serenity was all worried about him. "Hey, care to fill me in here, Serenity?"

* * * * *

When a guy wakes up from something exhausting, mind-numbing, and just plain scary, there are a few things he does not want to see.

A bouquet of flowers with an enormous card saying "GET WELL SOON!!!" next to his face his one of them.

Tristan facefaulted mightily when he saw just where he was, and what his well-loving but sometimes deluded parents left him.

* * * * *

Solomon jerked out of his nap as he heard sudden sounds. Then, all of a sudden, Serenity Wheeler burst out of her brothers room, made a leap-jump, hugged Solomon tight, and squealed as an ecstatic child, "Oh Mr. Moto, he's awake! He's awake, just like you said he would!"

A bit pleased at the girl-bundle in his arms and yet, a bit uncomfortable, Solomon gently pushed Serenity down as he saw Joey stumble out of his room.

"Oi, Gramps." Joey sheepishly smiled. "Everything okay?"

"Joey? You too?"

Solomon looked down to see Mokuba towing his big brother out of his wrong. Mokuba grinned, as Kaiba vainly tried to get out of his little brother's grip. "Hey! I guess they're all waking up!"

Once hearing all the commotion, the others came out of their rooms too. Tristan marched right out of his room, blinked twice, handed the bouquet of flowers to a startled Serenity (after taking off the card, though), and almost went into spasms of happiness when Serenity thanked him profusely. Tea came out of her room after dressing herself, thanking whoever it was that left regular clothing on the chair next to her bed. Ryou came out last, with his father quietly standing beside him, though his hand on Ryou's shoulder left no doubt of his relief that his son was okay.

Joey scratched his head. "Um…looks like everyone's okay."

Serenity tugged on Joey's arm. "Now will you tell me just why you were in a coma after you came back home from being with Yugi—"

"Coma?!" Joey yelped. "Oh man, Yugi! We gotta see if he's okay!"

"Well first," Tea said sardonically as Joey moved to find Yugi Right Now, "you might want to put some clothes on first."

Joey gaped, looked down, saw bare legs, yelped again, and ran back in his room for that pile of clothes he forgot.

~ * * * * * ~

Ordinarily now, the enemy would be properly softened up.

Well, the Ravager wasn't an ordinary enemy, but even it wouldn't be able to hide against the new weapons pouring out of the assembly lines.

Automatic guided missiles. Once released, these would literally "seek out and destroy."

Manufactured precisely to the engineer's configurations, these little ones were attuned to the enemy's scent, figure, magic signature, and any disguise the enemy might use.

Upon finding their target, these would latch on, signaling for the troops to attack. Sometimes, the enemy would be under fire so much as to resemble a pincushion. This would obviously hinder the enemy's entrance into civilian areas.

Getting hit by one of these little ones was like putting up blinking neon lights that said, "Please shoot me now." Call it target practice, if you will – or perhaps exercises in capturing a labeled enemy – for the patrols and tanks had a lot easier time killing these nicely highlighted targets than the ones that managed to stay clean. Not only that, but the automatic defense machinery was activated by these signals, and some of the Ravager was destroyed by the simple fact that unexpected holes, in any wall, are usually not a good thing. Even the Ravager can't defy the sheer force of water pressure.

This was all very high-tech and all, but this only attacked those that were out in the open. Thousands more were insinuated inside civilians, towns, whole cities even.

Thus the reason for the other branch of the military.

~ * * * * * ~

When Kisho agreed to a stint as a security guard at a hospital, he figured it'd be a pretty easy job. It wasn't like the patients were going to be running around – they were sick and couldn't move around, right?

Oh, but for the wisdom of hindsight—!

The patients might not be able to go anywhere, but they'd by kami try. Or the nurses running everywhere keeping up with the patients, and doctors constantly "on call." Oh yeah, and let's not forget the not-appreciated spike in media coverage due to the Ebola case. Reporters were very pushy.

What did that American general once say? Ah yes, the civil war general…

"I hate newspapermen. They come into camp and pick up their camp rumors and print them as facts. I regard them as spies, which, in truth, they are. If I killed them all there would be news from Hell before breakfast."

Thus why Kisho was glad for a reason to get out of the camera's eye. He was filling in a shift for some other guy that left early – probably because of the Ebola case, once again. All he had to do was watch the security cameras in the ICU area.

Kisho leaned back and sipped his cup of coffee. This was way easier than standing by doors watching people like a hawk. There was only one other guy in the dark room, named Jiro, who didn't speak much. That was fine with Kisho.

To be truthful, Kisho didn't want to talk. He'd done way too much talking once the reporters found out that he'd been an acquaintance of Tsuikyu. Since Kisho was a security guard and therefore easy for them to find and question, they'd wanted his opinion on everything – not that he could blame them, but he didn't know anything other than Tsuikyu was dead. That kinda freaks a guy out, you know?

Kisho frowned. Tsuikyu had been one of those…oddball types. For one, he'd been ecstatically excited about getting to deal with Ebola. After hearing all the horror stories (could he help it if the reporters kept talking to him?), Kisho was unnerved when he'd seen Tsuikyu grinning. When Kisho asked why Tsuikyu was so cheery, Tsuikyu replied with that he had the honor of analyzing samples of the Ebola case's blood, with all the excitement of a nerdy sixth-grader operating a microscope for the first time.

That was the last time Kisho saw him alive.

Kisho shook his dead. All this thinking about doom, death, and weird portents was a bit over the top. Nevertheless, Kisho shifted his attention to the camera in ICU 5, the one that had the Ebola case.

…What in the world?

Kisho put down his coffee cup and looked closer. Yes…no…was there something wrong with the camera? Giving a brief glance at the other cameras on his side, Kisho saw nothing unusual with the other cameras…but this one…was he seeing things?

He reached out an arm and tapped Jiro's shoulder. "Hey, Jiro, look at this."

"What?"

Kisho pointed a finger. "That."

Like a blip on the screen, there was this fuzzy, fading-in-and-out area right over the Ebola case's body. And it was shaped like a human being…

Jiro swallowed, and reached for the phone.

* * * * *

This simply didn't make sense.

Doctor Seimei rubbed his temples. "Ugh. Technology."

"I have no idea why it's doing this, Seimei," nurse Kusuri said. "This has never happened before, and well, it's going to be hard to convince a technician to go in there at this time of the day."

Dr. Seimei sighed and took another sip off coffee. "Yes, I know."

The two of them were huddled around the security center in the ICU hallway, trying to figure out why all the hospital equipment in ICU 5 had suddenly gone crazy around 11:45 PM.

For no apparent reason in the middle of the night, readings from the equipment kept fluctuating wildly between extreme statistics. The heart-rate monitor said that the patient's heart rate was two hundred beats per minute – then the next moment, only forty beats per minute. The waves on the electrocardiograph were having spasms. The other machines were like that too – temperature and breathing rate giving outrageous numbers.

At first, when he'd gotten the call, Dr. Seimei thought that perhaps the patient's time was up and was about to pass on. Perhaps crashing and bleeding out could make the machines go wild.

The only thing was, the patient was sleeping.

Nurse Kusuri had went inside ICU 5 herself to do the tests the old-fashioned way, with a thermometer and air-pumped cuff to take the blood pressure. Both readings were stable – slow, and a bit low – but stable, not off the chart-readings like forty degrees Celsius.

"I can understand why blood pressure and temperature might drop dramatically. Hemorrhages, loss of blood, less able to pump enough fluid – but the increase?" Dr. Seimei growled, and rubbed his hand through his hair. "That's it. Pull them all out."

"What?"

"Take him off all the machines. If they're going nuts, I don't want them to interfere. Get a technician in there as soon as possible. It's not like the machines are doing anything for him, anyway. The only thing I want on him is the IV drip and a blanket."

Kusuri nodded, and headed off to ICU 4 to change into one of the biological field suits. The hospital staff had hastily converted the neighboring room into a pseudo-changing room, by locking the windows, closing vents, but mostly by taping every single possible opening.

The first line of defense against a hot agent is sticky tape, because it seals cracks. It could be said that without sticky tape there would be no such thing as biocontainment.

Hooray for duct tape.

As nurse Kusuri went in and began unhooking Yugi Moto from the equipment, the phone rang. Dr. Seimei glared at it – didn't he already have enough problems? – and picked up the receiver.

"Ah, ICU center?"

Dr. Seimei sighed. "Yes. What is it?"

"Er, um, this is the central security center. Um, we've picked up…something strange in the Ebola case room. I mean, in ICU five." The person over the phone coughed. "We'd just like to, ah, confirm what we're seeing here on the camera. What we're seeing here, sir, is this fuzzy looking human-shaped cloud hovering over the patient's body."

Dr. Seimei blinked. "Excuse me?"

"…To be very unprofessional sir…a ghost?" The person hastily added, "We're not sure if this is a glitch or not; but none of the other cameras have this problem…"

Eyes widened, Dr. Seimei pressed the intercom button for ICU 5. "Nurse Kusuri?"

Nurse Kusuri looked up as she heard someone call her name in a faint, buzzy voice. Oh, the intercom. The intercom was covered as well, since microorganisms can pass through electrical wiring. Paranoid, yes, but it couldn't hurt to be sure. She raised her voice. "Yes?"

Dr. Seimei coughed. "Do you see anything around the patient?"

…What kind of question was that? Kusuri glanced at the patient. "I see a bed, an IV unit, and a very sick boy. Is this a joke, Seimei?"

Even through a covered-up intercom, Kusuri could make out Dr. Seimei's sheepish tone. "No, Akiko. I'm on the line here with the central security center, and well…what they're saying is they see a cloud of some sort over the patient, and they're calling it a ghost. Never mind, then."

Kusuri rolled her eyes. Superstitious personnel. Oh well, when you work in a hospital and some people die and others pull off a miraculous recovery, you can't help but believe in supernatural things…once in a while. But still, a ghost? Here?

Somewhat amused, Kusuri finished pulling out all the tubes and needles off the boy, wrapping the injection sites with rolls of bandages since the patient's blood no longer clotted. She cleaned up where she could, dabbing away dried and crusted blood. Observing the boy's heavy breathing, the yellow skin, and fevered sweating, she doubted that the boy would last the night.

As she put everything away and got ready to leave, she looked one last time at the boy. And for a moment, she saw a young boy that almost looked like the patient, glowing, sitting over the patient's chest…

Blinking twice, Kusuri looked again to see…nothing. A normal room. Just 'a bed, an IV unit, and a very sick boy,' as she said.

Shaking her head and dismissing the scene, Kusuri left the room.

But still…there was something Very Odd about that boy.

— * * * * * —

A virus is an insidious thing. Neither alive nor dead, a virus' only reason for existence is to replicate itself. Made up of nothing more than a protein coat and the code for life inside, a virus simply waits for a living cell to hijack and take over. Only then can it "live."

Viruses may seem alive when they multiply, but in another sense they are obviously dead, are only machines, subtle ones to be sure, but strictly mechanical, no more alive than a jackhammer. Viruses are molecular sharks, a motive without a mind. Compact, hard, logical, totally selfish, the virus is dedicated to making copies of itself – which it can do on occasion with radiant speed. The prime directive is to replicate.

In that they do nothing unless they are within a living cell, viruses are difficult to fight against. It is only traceable by what the immune system responds with. This is the basis of the ELISA test, which tests for the presence of antibodies. Often, this is the best way to test for the presence of the virus itself.

While there are hundreds of different types of antibiotics, there are no more than a handful of antiviral medicines ever created. This is because bacteria are clearly "alive" and therefore they can be killed. Antibiotics, or anti-life, from the Greek "anti" for against and "bios" for life, attack things that are alive. There are many ways in which things that are alive can become very dead. There are not many ways in which things that were never alive in the first place can be…removed, is perhaps a better term.

How then, can one fight against something that is not even alive? It is like trying to fight an enemy that only reveals itself when it is inside your own borders. To fight then is to attack your own people.

To destroy a virus, you must first destroy yourself.

~ * * * * * ~

They held the power of Death.

It was they that would put sufferers out of their misery of captivity. There would be no heroic rescue, no savior, no liberation; only the release of pain and the knowledge that they would no longer serve the enemy.

Called the Killers, they answered the cries of those were taken over by the Ravager with the Grim Reaper's scythe. It was a bitter sort of mercy, for what they did was help the victim commit suicide.

Trapped within a never-ending cycle of producing more of the Ravager, the one way to release their prisoners was to end their life. Once given the means to self-destruct, they would take down their captors with them – bringing down the numbers of the Ravager one prison camp at a time.

They were emotionless Killers, wielding the magic their maker gave them to detect those that the Ravager had captured. Acting without remorse or regret, they destroyed anyone that harbored the enemy. In a role that dealt with death, perhaps it was best that they were cold and unemotional, for then they would have no compunction in their necessary killing.

Spurred on by the orders of the higher ranks, the army ruthlessly pressed their attack. Tanks and infantry entrenched the Ravager into their hidden corners, while the guided missiles blew away any that reminded outside. And for those that hid inside their hosts, the Killers dealt with them.

Overseeing the entire campaign were the Commanders. Coordinating the three military branches, the Commanders made sure that there would be no escape for the virus.

Still, the Ravager would not go down easily. Fighting and slashing in ever smaller and more futile attempts against its attackers, the Ravager continued to replicate. It was, after all, a created monster, programmed to only feed and destroy and reproduce. The Ravager lashed out with its own weapons, causing blood vessels to weaken and thin even further. Even more blood leaked out of the body, and with it traveled the Ravager, searching for a new host.

But the tables were turned. Now it was the Ravager that was outdated, and the immune system that held the upper hand. If the immune system could keep up the pace, it could finally eradicate the virus.

If they could keep this up. If only the body could hold on a little more longer, then the Ravager would be defeated. If this broken, tired, ravaged body could summon enough energy to withstand the virus' damage long enough for the immune system to burn out the infection, then perhaps finally they could rest and begin the road for a long recovery.

Just a little bit longer…

~ * * * * * ~

By now Yugi had sank completely into the healer's trance. Intertwined so deeply in the Puzzle's magic and his other self, he almost didn't even need to control the magic's flow.

Where are you? Yugi cried out to his other self. Where are you, mou hitori no boku?

Far off in the distance, Yugi vaguely felt the Ravager subsiding. Even then, the fight was not over. Though their numbers were lower, they left behind a devastated body, exhausted in the effort to beat down the virus. Leaking blood vessels and organs bombed with dead and rotting cells could cause death by itself, simply because the body was no longer to keep everything functional.

By putting in his own energy though, Yugi held back death, leaving the immune system to continue fighting without worry of losing their "home base." Places where the virus had been burned out Yugi restored, healing the body one reclaimed part at a time.

Yugi lost track of time, drifting along the boundaries of his bond with Yami. Slowly exploring this new wall. Had it been there before? No…it seemed to block only a part of the bond, barring passage to some part of Yami's soul. The outer boundaries were open, but here in the center…

It wasn't Yami's work; it didn't have that "feeling" Yugi had come to associate with his other self. But it felt similar and familiar, of darkness and shadows and ancient power. And yet…different somehow, lacking warmth and protectiveness.

Yugi felt his way, pushing against the barrier, trying to find some door or something that would let him through. Stretching out an extension of his soul, Yugi tested the barrier, when something latched onto him. Flinching, Yugi felt this thing probing him.

—What? Who? —

—Oh, you…—

—Ahhhh…—

And then, the barrier just…fell. Dissipated. Alarmed, Yugi "looked" back – no, he was still connected to the real world; he wasn't about to go drifting off into the netherworld. Turning back, he tested his bond again. Strong and clear, though he felt his other self far in the distance.

He'd have to bring him back, then.

* * * * *

Yami was confused.

When he died, really died, wasn't he supposed to travel the Underworld and go through the Judgement?

Instead, he was wandering around in this sea of gray. There weren't even shadows, or light, or darkness…just a seemingly endless surroundings of fog. He felt nothing, saw nothing, sensed nothing. Vaguely he remembered that he was searching for something, but he couldn't see anything beyond this fog. Something heavy hung around his neck, something pyramid shaped. He didn't understand why it was there, but it felt important.

I've been searching for that missing person…

No, wait…there, some light. Finally having some direction to head to, Yami moved towards the light. The fog began to swirl around him, curling around his bare feet. Wasn't he dead? Wasn't he supposed to travel the Underworld, and reach the Field of Reeds, the place his people called paradise? …But who were his people? How did he know such things?

Traveling closer to the lighter part of the fog, Yami grimaced with each step. He…hurt, somehow. But how could that be? The pain…it seemed to thud through him, his entire body, pulsing with a low throb.

Squinting both from the newfound pain and in an effort to see something, he saw the light coming closer. Faintly he heard singing. Where was he? If he wasn't at the Field of Reeds yet, where was Anubis, to weigh his heart? Where were the forty-two gods, the Judgement Scales, the feather of ma'at, and the god Thoth to keep a record?

"Silly silly silly. You're not supposed to be here."

Yami yelped, startled at the sudden appearance of a little girl, who giggled at him. What? How'd she—? He blinked twice as he saw feathery white wings. And a golden halo.

…They never mentioned this in the Pert Em Hru…

The girl giggled again, and fluttered up to tap his nose. Yami stared into startling bright blue eyes, framed in dark curling locks of hair, and jumped back when a spark of light leapt from her finger to his nose. The girl smiled. "Silly, silly. It's not your time yet."

Yami stopped rubbing his nose. "Excuse me?"

"Don't you remember? …Oh," The girl stopped floating around Yami's head, and sank back down to land on a puff of gray fog. She sat on the gray clouds, even though fog is impossible to sit on. "I keep forgetting you can't remember. Daddy says you'll remember someday…" The girl trailed off.

Yami's eyes furrowed. "Remember what?"

"Can't tell," The little girl wrinkled her nose. "Only Daddy and he can tell."

"He?"

"The one who's got the key, of course!" The girl giggled, and floated back up in the air.

Yami frowned. This was making no sense. He was in some weird fog, with a random hyper flying girl as company. He had no clue where he was, why he was here, or even who he was, for that matter. On that thought, he didn't know who this little girl was, either.

"Who are you?"

"Sybil! I'm an angel!" The girl bounced in mid-air.

…They most definitely did not have this in the Pert Em Hru.

Sybil continued speaking, twirling around. "You have to go back." She stopped, and turned to look at him. "He's coming for you."

"Who?"

Sybil turned and looked at him in astonishment. "You mean you can't remember?"

"Remember what?" Yami asked again, exasperated. "I know nothing! Nothing of who I am, not even my true name? How am I to remember someone I cannot name, if I cannot name myself?"

Yami's eyes widened as Sybil grew taller. And older. The wings lengthened and glistened; the face narrowed and her hair grew longer to curl around her arms, though her eyes were still a shocking, bright blue. A deep cool blue that seemed to pull Yami in…

:Pharaoh of the Shadows, Given Death, Restored in Pieces. Your time has not come. You have much to accomplish with the Healer.:

Yami fell down to one knee, clutching his chest. His heart…it hurt. "I…who?" His voice cracked. "Who is he?"

Sybil – no, the angel – continued in a toneless voice. :He was, and is, and will be you. Yea, He is coming.:

Yami gasped, images flowing back into his mind. The boy. The boy with the purple eyes. Was he…? Yami clenched a fist. He couldn't remember…

When you're down
Look around
And you'll see... I am with you

A voice? Yami turned his head to look behind him, but saw nothing. And yet, he could've sworn he'd heard singing. Singing coming from the gray fog…

:Can you not hear him?:

Yami struggled, tried, so hard to remember. Placing one hand on the heavy object that hung around his neck, at once foreign and familiar, he strained to hear the voice.

A figure…?

Look to me
And you'll see
I will be... there to guide you

Yugi wandered in the grayness. Strange, not being in darkness or in light – just in this bland, neutral gray zone of nothingness.

/Yami?/ he called out. Perhaps Yami could hear him, and was merely lost; perhaps Yugi could lead him back…

Where was he, anyway? What was this never-ending gray fog? And why was Yami in here? Yami was here, somewhere – his bond told Yugi that much, at least – but this was just odd. Though their bond was weak. Perhaps it was because of the Ravager, that it had attacked so deeply that Yami had drifted elsewhere.

Testing the thin threads of his bond, Yugi was drawn in one direction. Trailing behind bits of green light, Yugi headed towards one part of the grayness.

…Brightness?

Yugi narrowed his eyes as the fog parted. There…on his knees…was that him? Ignoring his surroundings – though a distant part of his mind questioned the woman with wings – Yugi floated towards the kneeling figure.

/Mou hitori no boku?/

The figure's eyes shot open. "It's you…"

Yugi's face fell. "You…don't remember. Can't you see, mou hitori no boku? It's me. Yugi." Yugi stretched out a hand.

Take my hand
And I can
Lead you on... for you know that

Yami stared at the boy that haunted his memories. "You…know me?"

"Of course I do. You're a part of me." The boy lowered himself. "At least, that how I think the Puzzle works."

"Puzzle?"

The boy smiled. "The Millenium Puzzle. I solved it, and…you were part of it. See, it's there around your neck." The boy pointed. "Mine too."

Yami's hand curled around the…Puzzle, is that what it was called? Looking upward, Yami saw that the boy had the same Puzzle around his neck. "But why do you and I have the same Puzzle?"

"Because I am you." The boy tilted his head. "Or a part of you. I'm not quite sure. Yami, don't you remember me? Your aibou?"

"Aibou…?"

"That's what you called me. Among others." The boy stretched out a hand again. "Come on, don't you want to go back?"

Yami stared at the outstretched hand. This boy…knew him. And somehow, Yami trusted him as well. Hesitantly, Yami clasped the offered hand. The boy pulled Yami up, and as he did so, their Puzzles clinked together.

—I know you, in dreams…in the dreams you came…—

Memories flooded back into Yami's mind, released from the careful guardianship of the Puzzle itself. Acting on its bearer's behalf, the Puzzle had created its own barrier to Yami's soul, protecting their fragile bond.

This boy was the key. The key to unlocking his memories…

//Yugi…//

Yugi smiled, and rested his forehead against Yami's. /I'm here. I'll lead you back./

I am the answer
I am the way
I am the promise
I have called your name

Yami smiled back, and nodded. He turned to thank Sybil, and blinked when he saw that she wasn't there.

"Sybil…"

Yugi blinked. "Huh?"

Yami sheepishly grinned. "Um, the angel I was talking to. At least, that what she called herself."

:Fear not.:

Yugi and Yami jumped.

A little girl's giggle echoed around them. Yugi and Yami stood a bit closer together. This was freaky…

:Now come, and be One once more. Fulfill the balance. To the younger, I say that the burden of duty falls to you. To the elder, I say that what was lost will be restored. Now come, and let us live in the light!:

A flash of light, and the fog burned away. Yugi and Yami found themselves falling-and-not-falling down, surrounded by whiteness. Stunned, they held onto each other's shoulders as they dropped.

"Oi. That was weird." Yugi blinked. "…And incredibly cheesy."

"That was understated," Yami said dryly. "And if you could please explain why we are falling, I would feel so much better. I take it everything is well in the real world?"

Yugi looked down and yelped. "GAH! I forgot about that!" Frowning for a moment, and calling up a bit of magic, Yugi grabbed hold of the anchor line that held him to earth.

/Hold on, Yami! We're going home!/

~ * * * * * ~

In a flash of blinding of white Light, it was over.

The Ravager was eradicated. Burned out, fried, shattered. Screaming defiance to the end, nevertheless the encroaching armies routed out the virus. With the help of the Healer holding the recovered ground and the added wash of energy from a new source, the Ravager was destroyed for good.

But the glories of war always had a dark side.

The cleaning-up.

Left with destroyed Ravager bits and leftover parts from the suicide cells, the infantry had the job of cleaning up the mess. It was going to be a long haul. Worn out parts, surplus missiles – all of it had to be recycled. Things that were destroyed still could be broken down to their fundamental parts and reused.

Even as the infantry cleaned up, the defense system still kept a watchful eye. While most of the Commanders and Armsmaster retired, a few stayed within the ranks, making sure that there would always be an experienced veteran in case the enemy returned again.

As for the infantry, they would remain and continue being recruited and trained, being more skilled in the long run. With a stronger first defense, it would be even more difficult for an invader to break through.

No, they would never leave their guard down.

After all, this was war, and it never ended until every single one of them died in the service of protection.

* * * * *

Yugi woke up to see Shadi smiling down at him.

"Ah, I see you were successful, Yugi Moto."

/Yami?/

//Here, Yugi.//

Yugi slowly nodded and sat up, cupping the Puzzle in his hands. "Yes. Yami's back, too."

Shadi stepped back. "All is well then, Chosen. You have no further need of me. The balance is restored and your path determined. May the power of Earth guide you. Farewell." The Ankh flared, and then Shadi disappeared in a swirling of shadows.

Yugi blinked. "Well. That was weird."

//You know Yugi, I think we've gone through so much 'weirdness' that anything could happen and you would say 'That was weird.'//

"…That's true."

* * * * *

Joey ran down the hospital hallways, ignoring everybody else. He knew where he was going, knew this hospital like the palm of his hand, ever since needing to be near Serenity when she went through her eye operation. Ignoring pain and common sense, he homed in towards Yugi. He had to be okay…

He skidded to a stop in the middle of the ICU hallway and looked at the numbers about the doorways. One, two, three…Yugi was in room five…there! Panting, Joey took a few more steps and tried to open the door.

…After seeing that it was locked, he sheepishly turned around to see a very surprised doctor and nurse, an annoyed Tea, two tired out adults (Yugi's mom and Solomon), a confused Tristan, Serenity, and Mokuba, and one highly amused Seto Kaiba.

"Forgot about privacy, Wheeler?"

"Aw, shut it, Kaiba."

Dr. Seimei frowned. "It's after visiting hours. In fact, it's after hospital hours. May I please be informed why you are all in the ICU hallway?"

"Uhhhh…"

Nurse Kusuri eye's narrowed. "You. You're in room 103, aren't you? You were in a coma," She glanced at Seimei, "Well, that's the official story."

Joey continued with the eloquent, "Uhhhhh…yeah?" He shook his head and ran his hand through his messy hair. "Look, I just gotta see Yugi. He's gotta be better now. I mean, we went through all this stuff, and—"

"Excuse me?" Dr. Seimei interrupted. "How could you know he is…in better condition?"

"Can I just see him?" Joey rattled the doorknob. "Come on!"

Seeing doubtful looks, Joey looked frantically for some kind of encouragement. The others were trying to reassure the doctors that they were fine, well except for a really bad headache, but they all wanted to see Yugi (although heavily suppressed by Kaiba). His eyes fell on the camera screens on the desk.

"See! Look! He's fine!" Joey pointed at the camera screens. "He's waving at us!"

Dumbfounded, nurse Kusuri stared at the tiny gray screen, depicting the patient sitting up in bed and waving at them. "What in…"

Shaking his head, Doctor patted Kusuri's shoulder. "Sometimes, miracles happen, Akiko." He walked over and unlocked the door. Immediately Joey bounded in, followed by the rest of the gang, and lastly Dr. Seimei and nurse Kusuri.

"Joey!" Yugi waved. "Hey!"

Joey grinned. "How'd you know it was us?"

"Heard you through the doorway."

Joey laughed, and plopped down on the chair next to Yugi's bed. "Sounds like you're better now."

Yugi smiled. "Tired yes, but I'm over it now."

"But how?" Nurse Kusuri stammered. "Ebola is…it was…you were…how did you survive? How did you…revive like that?"

"Sometimes, miracles happen." Yugi glanced at Dr. Seimei, who twitched a bit at that statement. Then, his voice lowered. "There is more to the immune system than only its results."

Nusuri Kusuri remembered to close her mouth after a few seconds. Dr. Seimei shrugged and patted Kusuri's shoulder again, and led her out the room where he could settle Kusuri's nerves in privacy.

Meanwhile, Yugi was surrounded by his friends all wanting reassurance that he really was fine. His mom, on the other hand, was wiping tears from her eyes and kept spontaneously hugging Yugi, babbling stuff about angels. While Kaiba was not part of the "Are-You-Really-Okay" party, a furtive meeting of eyes told Yugi that at least Kaiba was relieved that Yugi had pulled through.

Yugi mentally poked the spirit.

//Mmm?//

/Glad to be back in the land of the living?/

Yami laughed. //You have no idea, aibou.//

Footnotes/Explanations:

Song excerpt is from "I Am The Way" by Mark Schultz. No own. You know, the last part of the chorus could refer to Yugi or Yami. Also referred back to "Missing Person" by Michael W. Smith. (A small plug here…HiroKara from ff.net made this awesome video with "Missing Person." Watch it. XD)"War is Hell" and "I hate newspapermen..." is by General Sherman from the American Civil War. Public domain.

Japanese:
Aibou – partner
Mou hitori no boku – my other self
Nii-sama – older brother

On the Immune System:
Yes, I am purposely leaving out most of the names given in chapter nine (Commanders, Little Ones, etc.). No, I am not going to explain every section on the immune system. For one, that'd be super complicated. And two, I like leaving things for readers to find out. The immune system sections were based on the best, most modern info I could find on Ebola, the immune system, and viruses. I heavily turned this into a "militaristic" viewpoint; I know there's probably a lot of things wrong with it, but hey, it was fun. But just to give tips, here are a few "scientific" words/concepts that are somehow portrayed in this chapter:
sGP glycoprotein, spiking, neutrophils, monocytes, macrophages, MHC molecules, interleukins, immunoglobin (aka antibodies, I'm not heartless XD), complement system, apoptosis…

Egyptian Details:
Pert em Hru is Egyptian for Coming Forth By Day, aka the famous "Book of the Dead." Copied from YGO English vol 2; it could also be written as "Pert em Heru" following Egyptologist conventions to make things pronounceable by inserting an "e" where needed.

And of course…Bloopers!

:Fear not.:
Yugi and Yami jumped. A little girl's giggle echoed around them. Yugi and Yami stood a bit closer together. This was freaky…
:Fear not, for I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be for all people, for unto you–:
Toboe LoneWolf: CUT!!!!

Author's End Notes:

Toboe LoneWolf: YAMIIII LIIIIIIIVESSS!!! *runs around yelling said statement*

Djanil: Great, so now that you've told us that obvious statement…

Toboe LoneWolf: Yeah, so big surprise, both of them live. So I'm not a big angst person. Feh. However, it's not like they're all whole and healthy. There's much to be said with adrenaline, pain-blocking, and sheer excitement. More next chapter. And the last. Mmm, yes, there will be one more chapter, the epilogue. Yes, I know there are still strings left unattached. And I like 'em that way. XD Gives you readers something to mull over, if you like. Epilogue is just that, a closing; it'll probably be up in a month.

*laughs* So Sybil is explained at last. If you readers are perceptive, she had a bigger hand in this than just the mom scene and this chapter.

Hmmm, so this chapter…some parts I like, others are like, meh. Like the conversations. I dunno, I guess there were so many that it was kinda hard to space them out and work with. I like the virus section, then again I've always liked viruses. Immune section parts are…well, some I like, some I don't. I think the first half is better than the second half, I think I was running out of steam. That, and I'm bad at endings. It's going to be hard to write the last chapter.

Just a little note…rereading the beginning chapters of LH make me cringe. Especially the first chapter. I've revised them, just the first three chapters so far (I'll eventually revise 'em all), but just to keep things simple, I'm only going to put the revised chapters here on fanfiction(dot)net. Mediaminer has original (with all the quotes and stuff), ff has new.

So what else can I say? …You'll just have to wait till the last chapter. *winks* Healing and naming, recovery and loss, all will be revealed in the last segment of Lethally Hot, including one person that's not to thrilled about the joyous "miracle." So until next time, leave a nice review if you wish, and ja ne!