Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Life is Overrated ❯ Coming to the Rescue ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter 3: Coming to the Rescue

 

Disclaimer: These things are stupid. Of course nobody on this site owns anything they're writing about, and I don't see why I'd be an exception. So from now on, I won't put a disclaimer in here, but if you really like seeing them, then you have this chapter to fall back on.

 

Oh, yea. WARNING: MAJOR CHILD ABUSE, MOLESTATION, BLOOD AND GORE TO FOLLOW. I had warnings up on here before, but for mm.org I took them off. So the rating of this chapter could be upped to NC-17 if I have to do that.

 

 

 

Rosa crept around, keeping a sharp eye out for any signs of Yami. He had been gone an awfully long time… She was getting closer to the point where Yami was last seen.

 

She stepped on something and heard a crack along with a clang of metal. She jumped back out of surprise and gave a small `eep' noise. With caution in every step she moved forward. Rosa was bewildered. The sidewalk was chopped up into pieces like a carrot gone through a slicer three times. There were also bullet casings strewn all over the street and sidewalk.

 

Her eyes trailed over the scene. The presumed bullet holes led across the street onto another smaller one with one house on it. Curiosity got the best of her and she crossed to the other side.

 

`What could possibly be going on?' She thought. `Does this have anything to do with Master Yami being away for almost an hour longer than he should have been?'

 

When she walked onto the street, the sight that greeted her killed her from inside out and knotted her stomach. Yami was lying face down at the end, soaked to the bone. A pool of watered down blood that surrounded him was slowly making its way to the sewers. She tried not to vomit as she ran over to the person that she knew so well lying motionless at the end of the narrow side street.

 

She sunk to her knees and cried into her hands. After a while, she felt a light flicking sensation on her knee. She gasped when she found out that it was Yami's hand. He used every bit of the strength he had left to signal he was alive.

 

Rosa happily took his hand in her own. “Oh, thank every god in existence that I found you when I did, Master Yami.” She gently pulled him up and naturally he collapsed. She caught him and carried him back to the car.

 

She laid him in the back seat of the car and inspected his wounds. He had one bullet shot and a graze in his left arm. There were also long massive slits, about four inches long each, all over his chest, neck and face. But the worst thing had to be a capacious gash, bleeding heavily, on his wrist. It looked like one central incision with smaller ones branching off.

 

Rosa reached into the backseat glove compartment to get the first aid kit. Tears sprang into her eyes as she began to wrap the nearly severed wrist in wet bandages. They would harden as they dried so that Yami couldn't move his wrist and there would be less pain.

 

Yami rolled his head to the side and a low moaning sound came from the bottom of his throat. “That r-real-ly hu-hurts…” he whispered weakly. His eyes slowly slid half way open and his gaze turned on Rosa. “W-w-we. Ha-have. To f-find.” He was breathing heavily and the words were so hard to get out.

 

“No, you don't need to find anything. All you need to do is rest. I have to get you home before you get sick and die or something.” She tried to hold him back when he reached for the door handle, but even in his weakened state he was still a little strong. “Please, please, Master Yami, stop! You're going to hurt yourself even further!” Yami wouldn't listen. He had to find Yugi. He had to save him. He had to get him away from his father no matter what. Even if that meant he got hurt. Or worse.

 

He was finally able to break free of Rosa's grasp, but by then his energy was spent. There was no way he would have enough strength to get up and go save his friend any time soon. And by then, Yugi could be dead. Yami curled up against the window.

 

His eyes clouded over with tears as he hung his head and hugged his arms over the top of it. He started sniffling in the privacy of his arms. Yami slowly lifted his head and leaned it against the window. He let out one heart-wrenching sob, and soon after he was in hysterics. The tears cascaded down his cheeks and dropped onto the seat at the top of is jawline.

 

“I'm sorry Yugi, so sorry. I failed to protect you and I broke my promise. I'm not worthy enough to be your friend anymore!” It was a pitiful cry for forgiveness that he didn't need to ask of Yugi, but he did anyway. He cried until his eyes were dry and puffy, and his throat was raw. He continued until he could no more and still went on long after that.

 

He laid his head on the back of the seat and steadied himself for a few minutes. Then he turned to Rosa again with red, puffy, tired eyes and said, “We have to find Yugi. He's my friend and I won't leave him behind. Just give me a few minutes to rest and then we have to go.” He suddenly turned more serious, “I almost completely broke my promise to him last time and I want to make sure it never happens again.”

 

A small smile played upon his lips, thinking about Yugi. “This is a rhetorical question. Have you ever had a friend that you felt so close to that you would do anything for them, regardless of what happened to you? Well, that's exactly how I feel about Yugi.” He paused to let the information sink in to Rosa.

 

“How long have you known Yugi? I've never heard of him before, and if he's that important to you, I'm sure I would have seen him in the mansion some time or another.”

 

“Actually, I just met him today, coming back to the car from the business meeting.” He stifled a yawn. “The two of us have something in common that none of my other friends do. He doesn't know it, but my past and his present are relatively…” Yami trailed off and fell asleep, Rosa never knowing what he was going to say.

 

Although, she had a pretty good hunch at what he was getting at. She could never imagine the poor boy, (Yugi was it?) ever going through something so horrible. She took out a blanket from the mesh netting on the back of the front seat and tucked her master in. His face looked sad and she could only hope for the best and wished everything would be all right.

 

 

 

“It was hard, but we did it. We killed him. Your friend is dead.” They sneered at him and held up their weapons again. This was going to be so much fun. Before anyone else could move an inch, Kendo stepped in front, blocking the others for the time being.

“He's my kid, so I say I get to take a crack at him first.” No one complained, or at least no one showed they did. They stepped back and Kendo went up to Yugi.

 

Yugi was hugging his knees to his chest and shaking. Anyone that went close enough would know that he was crying and muttering “You killed him, you killed him.” Over and over again.

 

All of a sudden he leapt up in his father's face. His eyes were narrowed and he was clenching and unclenching his fists. He was taking long slow breaths to steady himself. Yugi wasn't just mad, he was fucking mad. He jumped on his dad's back, just like he did before.

 

This time he made sure to stay on long enough to say what he had to say. “You fucking bastard! What the fuck did Yami do to deserve this? If you thought that getting him out of the way would make things better for you, you're damn wrong! All you did was get me all the more fucking pissed off! And now you and your flunkies are going to pay for what you've done!” Yugi screamed that at the top of his lungs. He didn't care if the whole neighborhood heard. At least they would know he was finally taking a stand.

 

Yugi covered his dad's eyes with his good arm and threw his weight around to try and knock his dad off balance. Kendo tried slamming backwards into the wall again. `If he thinks I'm falling for that again…' Yugi bit his father's arm hard enough to draw blood. He whirled around so Yugi wasn't facing the wall anymore.

 

Kendo smirked, not known to Yugi, and gripped both of his arms forcefully. He threw him off over his head. Yugi hit the floor on his stomach with a thud, followed by a loud crack that seemed to echo throughout the walls. He painfully picked himself up, holding the left side of his ribcage. Blood slowly leaked out of the corner of his mouth. He was looking down and didn't notice the circle forming around him. He spit the blood on the carpet and looked up. He was surrounded. He was dead.

 

From outside, Ms. McAlister saw everything. She hid herself around the corner of the house. She was completely horrified, to say the least. “I have to get help for Yugi.” She whispered. “He said something about a dead friend. Maybe he's not dead after all. Maybe I can find him and get him to help.” She crept away from her hiding spot and unclipped the chain from Snapper's collar.

 

She attached a real leash to her collar and started to walk away. “Go follow Yugi's scent. Wherever it leads us, we shall go. I just hope it leads us to help.” Snapper made a soft yelp sound and they were on their way.

 

She was constantly sniffing the ground. She made a turn at the same corner Yugi did, and trotted straight until the scent disappeared completely. She whined and lay down in the spot. Ms. McAlister examined the spot. There were bullet holes and chipped cement everywhere. About twenty feet down the bullet holes crossed the street onto another one with only one house on it. She practically dragged the dog across the main road to the other side.

 

Near the end, Snapper finally picked up Yugi's scent again. She barked happily but then growled at the ground. There was another scent mixed in with her master's. It was spicy, yet sweet; friendly, yet dangerous; inviting yet sinister. The scent was so weird that it made her sneeze. She was so confused; she didn't know what to do. Instead of following Yugi's scent back to the house, she picked the new one up and turned the opposite way. There was also a visible trail of small blood specks on the ground that Ms. McAlister was able to follow. The trail went on like that for a few miles at least.

 

There was finally a sleek black sports car parked on the side of the road. Snapper sped up and started barking at the car. When she got to the car, there was someone sleeping peacefully against the window wrapped in a blanket. She lightly rapped on the window and the person jarred awake.

 

He looked at her with tired eyes. She gasped. `Is this who Yugi was talking about?' She questioned in her mind. The young man rolled his eyes. “What?” He snapped.

 

“You look like someone I know, that's all. Listen, sir--” She was interrupted when Snapper started jumping up and down and barking excitedly. “This is the scent! This is the scent!” It seemed like she was saying.

 

“Snapper, stop that! Be quiet!” Ms. McAlister scolded.

 

When she said that, something inside the man's head clicked. “What are you doing with Yugi's dog?”

 

“You know Yugi?” A smile lit up on her face. “Then you can help!” She realized she never answered his question. “Oh, yeah. I'm Yugi's next door neighbor. I heard what Yugi said to his dad about a friend, so I took Snapper to look for him, and I guess that's you.”

 

“My name is Yami. I was going to look for Yugi, but I guess I fell asleep. My driver wouldn't leave this spot until I woke up, and I'm not sure if I ever would have. I made a promise to him and I'm not about to break it.” His eyes softened thinking about his troubled friend. He sighed. “Go around the other side and get in. Right now, I feel well enough to get going. By the way, what's your name?”

 

“Laura. Laura McAlister. And thank you for helping.” She tugged on Snapper's leash and got into the car. Snapper immediately jumped on Yami's lap and started sniffing. She started at his shirt and made her way up to his face. She pulled back and gave a bark. Then she licked Yami's face repetitively, making him smile. Well, it really wasn't a smile. He was never happy anymore. When she finally settled in his lap he closed his eyes in content.

 

Laura just sat there, gaping with wide eyes. “It took her almost two weeks before she came to realize I wasn't trying to hurt Yugi. And here she is, now sleeping on your lap, less than-” She paused to look at her watch, “Five minutes later.”

 

“That is weird. But I don't have a problem with it. I like dogs.” Getting back on the subject, he said, “So, where to? I'd like to get going before the turn of the century and save my friend.”

 

“I know where to go. Black Forest is just a U-turn away. You just think of how you're going to save Yugi.” Laura tapped on the glass dividing the front and the back. “Could you make a U-turn and continue straight until I tell you to stop?”

 

Rosa raised an eyebrow. “Okay,” She said skeptically. She did as she was told and they were off. The same thought was running through both Yami and Laura's minds. `Don't worry, Yugi. We're on our way.'

 

 

 

In the next instant, Yugi found himself pinned against the wall. One of the men he didn't recognize was looking at him with lust filled eyes. One hand was placed firmly over his chest so he wouldn't get away while the other one was stroking his cheek. He leaned in towards Yugi's face by his ear and whispered, “It's too bad we have to kill you, because you're such a pretty boy.” he started licking around Yugi's ear and down to his neck.

 

He tried to pull away, but the man had a firm hold on his chest. He felt a hand that belonged to someone different grope at the non-existent sleeve of his shirt. The hand was removed and a few seconds later he felt a rush of cold air over the upper part of his body.

 

Yugi looked down and saw he was no loner wearing a shirt. The man pulled away, grinning. It was all just a distraction so they could get better access at his back. His dad came up to him with two knives in his hands. He jerked Yugi up by the throat and spun him so he was facing the wall. He shoved his son into the wall and forcefully pushed him back on the floor. Then he took his right arm and put the hand level with his head.

 

Yugi let out one long, horrific scream as the knife was thrust through his hand and into the wall. The scream intensified as the other knife went through the other hand. The blood spurted out and stained the wall and carpet. Yugi wiped his never-ending rives of tears on the wall.

 

All of a sudden a hot, searing pain erupted on his back. From the corner of his eye, he could see the five of them holding whips, knives, a pipe, a chain, cigarettes, and empty beer bottles. Do ya all know where this is going? Don't worry, you'll get a break soon.

 

Yugi continued to scream and cry as the whip was brought down mercilessly upon his back. He could swear, besides the fact he felt like he was being cut to pieces, that chunks of skin and flesh were being shred off as well.

 

His dad came up behind him and pulled out another knife. He placed it about half an inch from Yugi's spine, at the base of his neck, and with one swift stroke to the tailbone blood was pouring out of an already marred back.

 

He bit his lip to suppress the verbal expression of his pain. His dad moved to the other side of the spinal column and repeated the process. This time, he arched his back and pulled up to get away. Since his hands were still pinned to the wall, all he managed to do was rip them farther and make the holes bigger.

 

Now the only thing he could do was scream. Anyone that was around could hear his mourning and feel his pain. They all felt sorry for him and intended on calling the police a few times, but they were all stopped with a threat to their lives.

 

Yugi never knew his dad would go this far. He's never been beaten this bad before, and getting friends to help didn't occur to him. Who knew his dad would go this insane? This was bad.

 

But things were about to get a whole hell of a lot worse. Nothing could compare to what he was about to feel. No matter how bad Yugi thought this was, it was only the beginning.

 

 

The car sped down the road, the occupants all being tossed around like they were in a martini shaker. Rosa was driving like a maniac (and she actually enjoyed it), Laura was holding onto the front seat for dear life and Yami was having a hard time keeping the Greyhound on his lap and not falling himself.

 

“Goddam it, slow down!” Yami was yelling for Rosa to stop, but she was too into the moment. “Stop the fucking car!” She screeched to a halt and everyone went flying forward.

 

It was a good thing she stopped so fast too. They were right before the street and if she had gone any further, they all would have been seen. Yami ordered Rosa to back the car up a bit; just to be sure they were safe.

 

Snapper shook herself off and daintily stepped out of the car, followed by Yami, Laura and even Rosa. “We must go to my house and wait. I can't fight for the life of me and you,” she pointed to Yami, “are in no condition to do basically anything.” She nodded in Rosa's direction. “Unless you are trained in either of the ancient arts of Tai-Kwon-Doe or Karate, you don't stand a chance and the only thing Snapper can do is bite.”

 

There was a pause that lasted about a minute as everyone stood in awkward silence. They had no idea what to say. Yami finally had had enough and burst.

 

“Wait! What do you mean we have to wait?” Yami almost shouted. He brought his voice down to a whisper. “Yugi has a drunk lunatic for a father that could kill him at any moment and you expect me to stand by and let that happen?” He had a certain forcefulness in his tone of voice that would have convinced anyone that they were wrong.

 

Anyone but Laura. She knew what to expect better than Yami did, and all she had to do was show it in the right way. “If you go in there now, who knows what could happen! You could be killed!”

 

“I don't care what happens to me! As long as Yugi is safe. Nothing else in my life is more important right now. At least I'll be dying for a good reason.”

 

“If you get killed, who will be there to save Yugi then! If you get killed, he'll have no hope of ever seeing the light of day again! Stop being a selfless bastard and think of your own safety for once! Because that will make all the difference in this situation!”

 

Her words hit him hard and fast. He finally understood. He would have to ditch all of his old methods of doing things and play this flawlessly.

 

This was no longer just a matter of life and death for Yugi. In fact, this was no longer real life. This was like a game. One wrong move and it throws the whole thing off. In that case, whether it be family or friends or next door neighbors, everyone loses something.

 

“Okay, let's go. We'll wait at your house, but the second they leave, we go. I almost lost Yugi once and I want to make sure it never happens again.” The trio slunk across the street to the opposite side.

 

“We can go away from the house on the opposite side and double back on the right to get to my house unseen.” Laura pulled on Snapper's leash and they silently stalked the road. The whole thing was completely deserted. All of the doors seemed to be locked and the shutters were pulled tightly over the windows.

 

Laura nervously took the house key from her pocket and put it in the slot. It was like she couldn't turn it slow enough. When the door finally opened, the three people and the dog piled into the quaint kitchen.

 

It had light wood paneling on the upper half of the walls, and cream colored wallpaper on the bottom. The cabinets were oak, flowery ceramic knobs donning every bottom-right corner. The drawers had metal pulls and everywhere you looked some kind of cat related knick-knack was in sight. On the left was a mahogany table with an open first aid kit on top, the contents strewn about in a messy heap. On the right was a hallway that led to the rest of the house.

 

“Make yourselves at home. We may have a long wait ahead of us, and you're my guests. You two can head on out into the living room while I fix us something to eat and drink.” Yami turned to follow Rosa when he heard a scream.

 

“YUGI!” Yami bolted for the door with lightning speed, but Laura was still faster. She pressed herself against the door to block the only way out. Yami wasn't going anywhere.

 

At first he was seriously pissed off because he was blocked, but then he remembered what he had been told earlier and backed down. Yugi needed him… But Yami couldn't be there to help…

 

Tears appeared at the corner of his eyes. He sank to his knees and hugged his upper body. Yami leaned forward and cried. He was shaking uncontrollably as the salty water continued to drip to the floor. Laura and Rosa moved from their positions to console the teary-eyed teen.

 

It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair. He knew he had to wait, but there was no way he could stand it. Yami tried to calm himself many times, but failed each time another outcry reached his ears. After a while he became oblivious to everything around him. He spaced out and went into his own little world. He could think about anything he wanted, and what he chose was Yugi.

 

He wasn't sure how much time had passed when he came back to reality. He found himself in a chair at the kitchen table with Rosa and Laura patiently waiting for him to snap out of it. He cleared his throat, causing both women to jump. Rosa dropped her mug, which shattered when it hit the floor; and Laura fell off her chair.

 

They gathered themselves together, sat back down on their chairs, and looked on intently for Yami to say something. He took a deep breath and turned his attention to his driver. “Would you excuse us for a while?” He asked. “I want to find a few things out that you really don't need to know.”

 

She was a little hurt and surprised but nodded once and left the room. The two occupants that were left in the kitchen sat in silence for a moment. “What happened to Yugi's father to make him act like this? Did something happen to him or was he always this,” he paused to think of the right thing to say. “You know… this… abusive?”

 

The other bit her lip. “I know what happened, Yugi told me himself. But I also know that if he were here right now with us, he wouldn't want me to tell anyone, not even you. After you take him away from his father, he will fully trust you. He may think of you as a friend, but that doesn't mean he's not expecting you to hurt him. That's all Yugi has known throughout his life. It might take some time, Yami, but soon he should open up a bit more and come out and say it.”

 

“But- I-” one glare was all it took for Yami to realize that no matter how hard he tried, he wasn't going to get anything out of her. Not of that question, anyway. So he decided to change it more towards her. “How did you come to know Yugi?”

 

Yami's eyes followed Laura's movements as she pushed her chair closer and sat down again. She took the medical kit and started removing his old, worn out bandages before she spoke. “Believe it or not, I bear a striking resemblance to Yugi's mother. When he was four years old, something happened. From my house I could see him running out the door, so I ran out too. He thought I was his mom and ran into my home when he saw his father coming. From then on…”

 

\\\ Twelve years ago ///

 

The four-year-old sat on the bench beneath the window, watching as the rain fell steadily on each of the six sections of the transparent glass. He was constantly wiping his tear-stained bluish-lavender eyes so he could get a clearer picture of the scene outside.

 

His father was talking to a woman outside that he thought was his mother. He was scared that his dad would hurt his mom again. He didn't want that to happen. He only wanted his mom to come back and hold him like she always did.

 

The two people outside had to shout over the pouring rain hitting the ground and the thunder rolling over it to hear each other. This was a convenience to Yugi because he could hear the whole conversation. So he put his ear to the frosty glass and listened.

 

“Where in hell is my fucking kid? His name is Yugi and he has black hair, kinda spiky, with blonde bangs! You had to have seen him! He came by here a few minutes ago! I need to find him so he doesn't go telling the whole neighborhood what he saw!” His father had to shout above Mother Nature's anger and it made his throat raw and his voice sound cracked.

 

“I'm sorry! I haven't seen him anywhere! But I promise if I do find him, I'll bring him back right away!” She didn't like the idea of lying to this man, but she was doing it anyway. It scared her to find out exactly what had happened, and a flash of lightning not too far off betrayed her, lighting up her face and showing her fear. Her throat was now sore too and before he could question her further, she ran off and disappeared into the sanctity of her own home.

 

Once inside, she took off her green and clear striped plastic raincoat and matching hat. Hanging them on the door, she looked at the gloomy weather outside and sighed. It was then that she noticed tufts of silky black hair framing a small, round face.

 

The boy was crying, and by the looks if it, had been for a very long time. She gasped. He had the most stunning eyes, in one of the rarest of colors. He smiled when he saw her, but then something must have dawned on him and he frowned, crying once more.

 

She shuffled over to the four-year-old and held him in an attempt to placate him. She was right about the hair. It was soft and had the most wonderful scent, something like a mix of honey, peach and ginger. There were faint traces of magenta coming in on the tips of each of the spikes and light golden blonde bangs framing the pale face that reflected the light just right. “You must be Yugi.” She whispered soothingly. “Your father has been looking for you.”

 

“NO!” He suddenly screamed. He tried to pull away, but whoever she was, she had a tight grip on his wrists. “I don't want to go back! You can't make me!” Yugi was finally able to pull his hands free and ran towards the back of the house and up the stairs.

 

It took the woman a few minutes to register what had happened. Then she got up after the child. She looked in every room and finally found him crying on her bed. She went up to him and rubbed his back. “Would you like to tell me what happened?” She asked. “Oh, and by the way, my name's Laura.” She added.

 

The two talked for an unlimited amount of time. It could have been minutes, hours or days. They didn't know. They didn't care, they were enjoying each other's company and the rest of the day dragged on until Yugi finally fell asleep.

 

\\\ Back to present ///

 

“What happened after that?” Yami knew so little and had so many questions. He needed to know everything he possibly could about Yugi.

 

“The next day, Yugi said he wanted to step outside for a while. Before he had a chance to get off the front porch, his father grabbed him and from then on I only saw him when he secretly came over once or twice a month.”

 

There were a few minutes silence before he started again. He reached into his pocked and pulled out one of the golden puzzle pieces he had grabbed earlier. “Do you know what this is? Does it mean anything to Yugi? I found it near him before and kept it along with the others.”

 

She looked up at Yami from her place on the floor. “I've never seen it before. And I would appreciate it if you didn't move. I haven't finished dressing your wounds yet.”

 

“I wish you wouldn't. I'm going to have to take the bandages off to take a shower anyway.” Inspecting them a little closer, he saw that they were neatly wrapped and pulled tightly to ensure they would stay on. “These bandages are put on so well, it's almost as if you were a professional.” He said with a hint of amusement working into his words.

 

“I am.” She replied blatantly. “Or, at least I was. I used to be a nurse in Oceanside General Hospital. Sure it's a long commute, but it's better than the local one. I wouldn't work there for a salary of a million dollars an hour.”

 

“Why don't you work there anymore? Didn't you like your job?” Yami had headed toward the stairs, seeing as how the only rooms downstairs were the kitchen, living room, dining room, and sitting room.

 

“The hospital was a small one and not many people took business there. After a few years it closed down and they built a bigger, better hospital with more technology in its place. They were only able to hire me back for another seven years and then I was laid off to make room for others.”

 

“Well, I have something to ask of you. It's more like a request than a question though. Since you're a retired nurse and know Yugi so well, I would like it if you were to come back with the two of us to my place. You know him better than I do and I won't have a clue as to what I'm doing medical wise.”

 

“Are you offering me a job?”

 

“Kind of. You would live in my mansion and everything you could ever need or want will be given to you.”

 

“How is what you're telling me about not a job? What's so different about this?”

 

“You don't have to go to work every day. You get more benefits than any other profession provides. You can have a whole floor in the house if you want. If you want a big screen TV, you got it! If you want Chinese bed sheets, you got it! If you want me to but you a country, you got it!”

 

“Really? Could I really have all of that? And just for watching over Yugi in the aspects you can't?”

 

Yami chuckled a bit and ran into the bathroom. Through the door was heard, “Everything but the part about the country! I don't have that much money!”

 

Laura giggled lightly to herself as she heard the shower turn on and the curtains close. She opened the door to let the steam out. Then she went to the back and unlocked the window so minimal air could get in the room. On the way back, she picked up Yami's clothes.

 

`I think I'll wash these. They look awful.' “Do you always hum in the shower?” She asked, casually walking out the door.

 

An embarrassed head poked through the fabric wall and sunk back in just as fast when Yami saw she was still in the bathroom. He stopped humming and was mumbling incoherent things while scrubbing his body vigorously from head to toe.

 

He stopped at a wound on his right shoulder that curved around from the front to the back. He skipped over it and just rinsed it out with a bit of water. He got it over ten years ago and it still hurt like one from yesterday.

 

An equally painful set of memories rose. Yami fought to keep them at bay so he wouldn't break down. He absolutely could not, would not, allow that to happen. This was a time he needed to stay strong. Now more than ever.

 

“I left some towels on the sink for when you're done. I'll be waiting for you in the kitchen.”

 

Yami waited about a half an hour to make sure no one was around and quickly stepped out of the shower. He wrapped one towel around his waist and used the other to dry his hair. Looking around, he realized his clothes weren't on the floor anymore.

 

“Now, I could have sworn I-” He stopped mid-sentence and sighed heavily. He stalked down the stairs, shaking his head.

 

Laura was sitting at the kitchen dinette, on the bench under the window. She was gazing over everything she could see, absently tracing her finger around the rim of the ceramic mug with a cat design she held. A saddened expression was plastered on her face, making her seem aged far beyond her years.

 

Yami quietly moved with catlike grace. In one swift, stealthful I think I made that word up motion, he was next to her and sat down, never making a sound. “Where are my clothes?”

 

She shot out of the seat and spun around, about to use the mug for a defensive weapon if necessary. “Being scared out of my mind once a day is enough, thank you. And here you are doing it twice.”

 

“Where are my clothes?” He repeated.

 

A buzzing noise rang throughout the room. “That would be them now.” She walked over to the hidden door on the opposite side of the rest of the house. It looked like a closet, but in actuality it was a laundry room. “Do you want them hung over the line, or can I just throw them in the dryer?”

 

“In the dryer is good. I think they need to shrink a bit anyway. I bought them a size or two too big. But hang the jacket, if you don't mind. And when that dries, put the pieces back in the pockets. I don't want to lose them.”

 

She nodded and disappeared into the room. Forty minutes later, she came out with a warm bundle of shrunken leather. She sighed contentedly. The smell of freshly washed anything made her feel calm. “Here you-” she hushed herself abruptly. Yami was fast asleep, his arms crossed on the table and his head resting in them.

 

She tried to pick him up and nothing but dragged him up the stairs. How he could still be asleep was completely beyond her. In the end she ended up carrying him over her back and almost literally throwing him on the bed. She laid his clothes out on the desk in the guest bedroom and slumped exhausted into a bedside chair, being sure not to hit the night table like she always did.

 

“I think it's just me, but either you're a lot heavier than you look like you are, or I'm the weakest person in the world. I personally would opt for the latter, I've never been strong.”

 

She softly sighed and brushed some black hair off his face, putting it back in its proper place. She looked closer at his features. Yami's face was scrunched in turmoil and he was mumbling. Laura didn't have a clue as to what he was saying, but figured it wasn't important right now anyway. His face relaxed, showing pain, anger, and hate. There was also happiness, covered over as if by a veil, under years of the other three feelings.

 

Laura had learned that you can tell a lot from a person's eyes and face. Yami started off being happy, but then tragedy struck and something went terribly wrong. The rest of his life was probably sad up until a few years ago.

 

Laura got up from the rocking chair and stepped over to the door as if the floor were made of eggshells. She gave Yami one last sympathetic look and closed the door to leave him in a peaceful sleep.

 

 

 

In the house next door, things weren't so peaceful. Yugi had long since been taken off the wall and was now sitting on the ground. It was a miracle he still had his hands, if only barely. He was trying to stand, but his legs felt like they were going to give out any minute and he lost almost all feeling in both of his arms.

 

He had two slits on the top of each of his arms. As the blood dripped, it seemed to follow the pattern of the veins closest to his skin. It betrayed him, showing his weakest points, where he was most vulnerable.

 

With great effort he was finally able to stand. He was half hunched over and his arms hung limply at his sides. Everything was swirling and the colors were mixing. He wasn't blacking out nor having tunnel vision. It was just anyone and anything that was around looked like masses of contrasting pigments, gliding effortlessly across a red-splotched landscape.

 

Yugi wasn't aware of who was doing what to him, only that he was being tortured and could feel all the pain. Did fate find that funny? Hopefully not, because he wasn't laughing. He hadn't the strength to laugh. Or cry, or scream, or plead, or fight back.

 

Even though he was alive he felt dead. He felt cold, torn and dead. Life wasn't worth living anymore, anyway. Without Yami, Yugi was just another kid with an unsolvable problem. He was nothing. He was worthless; no one had cared about him before, and now that Yami was gone, no one will ever care about him. Remember, Yugi still thinks Yami is dead.

 

His vision came back to normal just in time to see his dad send him flying across the room. He skidded across the glass table on his stomach and landed flat against the wall with a thud and a crack.

 

He fell to the floor, moaning in pain. Why did this have to happen? What did he do to deserve this? He has asked himself those questions over and over, but to this day, they still went unanswered.

 

A fifth guy held him upright by the hair somewhere else in the room. The other four started beating him over the head with empty beer bottles, a pipe and a chain. Then one of them pressed something into his shoulder in multiple places, each time a searing hot burning sensation washing over him. The man let go of his hair and right before he hit the ground, a punch was thrown at his face.

 

The force sent him headfirst into the wall. He slid to the floor, a thick line of blood following on the wall. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the group leaving the room, laughing the whole time.

 

`Oh, God, please let it be over.' He thought. That startled him. Yugi was surprised he could even think.

 

There was something weird about the way they were beating him that had what little pieces of his mind he had left on edge. They seemed to be attacking him in sections. Usually, it was a full frontal attack on his whole body at once.

 

But this time, first went his back, then arms, next was his head and after that his neck. Yugi struggled to sit up so he could think with a clearer mind. He focused his eyes on the floor, then his legs. They haven't been touched; neither has his chest. They were probably next. Though it was weird how those certain parts were left untouched longer than the others were.

 

Something was definitely going to happen, something worth preparing for. `How can I prepare for something if I don't even know what it is or when it's coming?'

 

Yugi had a hard time believing that people could ever have fun by nearly killing another human being. They were so sick. That summed it up simply enough. A few minutes later they all came out from wherever they had been, probably the kitchen.

 

Four went over to the couch and sat down, one separated and came over. No doubt his father. He was dragged into his own room by one of his arms. He was then thrown to the floor and the door clicked shut.

 

Yugi didn't like the way his father was staring at him, nor did he like the position he was laying in. Besides the fact that his back was rubbing into the carpet and being seriously irritated, something was different about the style of everything today.

 

He ran away, met a friend, was re-kidnapped to his own home, his friend died, and now this. Before all that, his father tried to kiss him and called him his whore. Wait!

 

Yugi's eyes became clouded with tears and fear wen he figured out what was going on. At the same time, the lock on the door clicked. He closed his eyes and tried not to look.

 

He was slapped across the face. “Keep your eyes open!” He reluctantly obeyed and saw his dad straddled over his waist and a finger tracing along his jawline, then down his chest.

 

“You know what's coming, don't you?” Yugi flinched when a hand brushed against his nipple. “I want to get at least one good fuck out of you before I have to kill you.”

 

Yugi felt the adrenaline course through his body as his dad unzipped and pulled off his pants. He couldn't, wouldn't let this happen. He was roughly kissed on the lips, making them bruised and swollen.

 

Then he moved downward to Yugi's neck. He moaned into his neck as he sucked on the pale flesh. Yugi tried to push him off but he was too weak. Tears leaked out of his eyes, straight back onto the carpet.

 

He cried harder and squirmed under the feel of his dad's tongue on his chest. He could feel his father's arousal growing hard against his own and that's when he was about to go insane with fear.

 

An idea made it past all the swirling thoughts and feelings to his head. He made subtle movements with one of his legs, slowly moving it to where he could carry out his idea. Suddenly, he thrust his knee up as hard and fast as he could, hitting is father in the groin.

 

His dad went reeling back, giving Yugi the opportunity to escape. He didn't get far before he was pinned against the wall, standing up. Both his arms were painfully twisted behind his back.

 

“Even you aren't worth all this trouble.” He whispered. He brought the blade of a knife closer to rest on his skin. “This is where it ends.” He pressed Yugi even firmer into the wall as the knife blade sliced its way down his leg.

 

The sheer force sent him to the ground on his knees. The blood loss was a lot more than he expected it to be. He felt his leg going numb rapidly. His dad pulled him up, but he couldn't stand. The more he tried the weaker he got and the more he felt like fainting.

 

Yugi was slapped across his face, making him fall backward to the floor. He felt a sickeningly familiar weight on his hips and opened his eyes half way to see his father sitting on him again. Only this time he was putting all his weight on Yugi's upper thighs so that his legs went numb and he couldn't try to kick the man off again.

 

Yugi suddenly found his hands pinned above his head, followed by an excruciating wave of pain coming from his broken arm. His father brought the knife down upon Yugi's face and made a thin slice from the top of his jaw to the base of his neck. He repeated the motion on the other side, making sure he dragged the knife very slowly to cause his son as much pain as possible.

 

He lifted himself off of Yugi and stood to get a good look at what he had done to the boy. He smirked as he jerked his half-unconscious son off the floor by his arms. Yugi began to cry again when he felt the cold metal of the knife marring the skin on his chest. He didn't dare to try to get away or even move as he waited for his father to leave him alone so he could die in peace.

 

Unfortunately for Yugi, he had no such luck. His father took the knife and rammed it straight down into Yugi's stomach. The blood rose in his throat as he slumped to the floor.

 

 

 

He was then dragged to the set of chains at the foot of the bed. His legs were locked first, then his hands and neck. His dad threaded the neck chain through the loop that was higher up on the wall and hooked it to the arm chains.

 

His head was held much higher than it was supposed to go and if he tried to push it down any further, then his arms would rise and he would still be choking. That would be painful on account of his broken arm. Not to mention his hands had holes through them.

 

Yugi watched, unmoving, not making a sound, as his dad pulled his pants on and exited the room. The door was slammed in his face, followed by the sound of the front door closing.

 

Somehow, Yugi knew that not everyone was gone. It didn't matter anyway; he was going to die. So why worry about the outside when his last moments would be in the very room that started it all?

 

`Yami, I wish you were still here with me. I miss…' before he could finish his thought, his eyes slipped closed for one last time.

Yami was pacing nervously around the center of the small upstairs bedroom. He had woken up from a nightmare a while ago, though he hadn't told anyone about it. He was fully clothed, except for the jacket sprawled out on the already disastrous bed.

 

“Go any faster and you'll tread a gaping hole in my floor.” Laura chided. She got up and brought him over to the window.

 

He raised an eyebrow, skeptically. “Just wait and see. I think something is about to happen.” She was right. The front door of the house next door suddenly burst open. Four figures got into an old, rusty pickup and drove off down the road.

 

The three occupants of the room waited until the truck was no longer in sight or hearing distance. Yami was the first to move and made a mad dash for the stairs. He flung himself out the cherry pine door, speeding faster than his legs could carry him.

 

Then he came face to face with the broken window. He swore he saw a shadow move to his right but couldn't be sure before there was a heated, searing pain in his side.

 

A man emerged from the shadows holding a gun, a sneer on his face. The expression was replaced by pure terror when he saw who it was. “You. You're supposed to be dead!” His voice wavered for a second in the beginning before he was able to gather himself together.

 

“Am I now? I haven't noticed.” Yami tried freaking him out, but his attention was separated. Yugi was inside, this guy is out here and he just got shot.

 

“I'm gonna make sure I get you this time.” He aimed the gun at Yami's head.

 

There was nowhere for him to run. As soon as the trigger was pulled, it would be over. Then, from the corner of his eye, he saw a gray-black blur latch itself onto the other man's hand.

 

The harder he shook the firmer hold Snapper had on his hand. He clenched his hand shut to get the dog off him. It resulted in a shot ringing and landing in the woods somewhere.

 

Yami ran past the struggling man into the house. Yugi lived here all right. He could tell by the bloody walls and floor throughout the house. There were also hundreds of tiny pieces of glass under his feet that broke when he stepped on them. The whole place smelled of smoke, alcohol and blood.

 

This was one time where he wished he had no sense of smell. It made him want to vomit. Looking down, Yami saw drag smears on the cream colored carpet. Also, on the wall across from him, there were two holes in it and a shirt on the ground.

 

Yugi's shirt! This was more critical than he thought. He had to get his friend out if here as fast as he possibly could. He followed the trail until it veered to the right and went behind a closed door.

 

He had a strong feeling, like a pulling at his heart, that Yugi was inside. He put his hand on the doorknob and stopped. What was it like in there? How bad was it? He was scared. For the first time in years he admitted he was afraid of what lay beyond the wooden barrier.

 

`No. I can't let anything get in the way. I have to do this.' He paused his line of thought and took a deep breath. This he said aloud, “I have to be strong for Yugi.”

 

He pushed the door open, not without difficulty, and fell to his knees nearly fainting at the sight. This was one time where he wished he wasn't able to see. He crawled to the figure chained to the wall.

 

Yugi was in worse than horrible condition. He had every kind of cut imaginable on his diminutive frame. His back looked like it was almost skinned and there were small, narrow slash marks all over his chest. His head was bent backwards farther than it was supposed to go. His arms and legs were contorted to make the position he was in a rather uncomfortable one.

 

But the worst thing was the fact that Yugi was completely naked. Not a shred of clothing was left on any part of his body. “Please tell me that what I think happened didn't happen.” He said, tears stinging his eyes as he stroked the smaller's cheek.

 

The blood poured onto his hand from his head and mouth, quickly filling up the cupped part and spilling over the sides. Yami unhooked all the chains and Yugi was finally able to relax. He fell onto the other's lap and coughed up a few mouthfuls of blood.

 

He tried to open his eyes and only succeeded for a moment or two before he fully collapsed. Yami could feel this and it made him even more worried than he was before. He gingerly picked Yugi up off his legs and carried him over to the bed. Carefully placing him down, being mindful of the younger's injuries, he wrapped him in the heaviest blanket he could find.

 

Yami ran out the door into the street at top speed. He stopped in the middle, not sure what to do. `I better think of something fast. I'm not sure how much longer Yugi can hold on.'

 

He frantically started pacing again in order to get his brain going. `What can I do? Laura said she wouldn't work at the local hospital for a million dollars an hour. She also said that the one she used to work at was a long commute. I'm sure Yugi won't be alive by the time I get there.'

 

His heart sank when he realized there might be nothing he could do. “This has been one hell of a Christmas. It can't get any worse. If it can get any better, please let it be soon.”

 

All of a sudden, a strong wind picked up from nowhere. It seemed to guide him towards the edge of the woods. Through the thick brush, he was just able to make out the outline of a mansion. Seto's mansion. That's it! Seto had a medical wing that had the best technology on the mainland. If he cut through the woods, he could get there in ten minutes or maybe even less.

 

“Thank you!” He shouted joyfully. Yami ran into the thicket, holding Yugi to him tighter than before. He wasn't going to lose him. Not again, not ever again.

 

He had little trouble getting to Seto's by way of the forest. He emerged on the other side, hair full of leaves and the once white down comforter completely red from the blood draining Yugi's life away little by little.

 

Finally reaching the house, he remembered the gate. That was another obstacle that needed to be taken care of. He reached out with one bloodied hand to press the button that would allow him in.

 

“Listen, whoever the fuck you are, you can leave now. It's Christmas, you dumb ass, so go home to your own family. Leave my brother and I in peace.” Seto's gruff, and clearly annoyed, voice answered.

 

“Oh, nice. That really hurt.” After a moment of thought, Yami added, “Say hello to Mokuba for me then.”

 

A shocked voice rang through the speaker. “Yami! What are you doing here!”

 

“Never mind, let me in! It's an emergency!” The stainless steel bars, painted black, immediately opened out towards Yami. He ran backwards to avoid getting hit and faltered.

 

His side was really starting to hurt now. It took all he had to keep from dropping the half-dead human he cared for so much. He quickly walked up to the already open front door where Seto was waiting.

 

As soon as he got inside and the door closed, he fell to his knees, just about to cry. Seto extended a hand, which Yami gratefully took. “Yami, what happened? What's going on?” He felt squeamish when he looked at his friend and all the blood.

 

He waited until he could form coherent sentences before speaking “I made a friend today, and his name is Yugi. I'll tell you the details later, but right now he's dying and I need your doctors to help him.” Yami got a skeptical look. Now he was desperate. “Please! I'll do anything! I need your help! You have to save him!”

 

Seto looked at him with a raised eyebrow once again. Yami uncovered Yugi's face, showing the cuts and bruises. Seto was shocked by how badly he was bruised. “Holy shit, what happened to him!” He suddenly wanted to help Yugi more than anything in the world.

 

Seto took Yugi and handed him to one of his on-call medics. There were a few words being exchanged, then the doctor went down a hallway, calling every available qualified person to help. “What happened, again? You never said.”

 

“Again, I'll explain the details later.” Yami was struggling to keep his balance; he was pretty banged up too. Seto slung one of Yami's arms around his shoulders for support and held his friend up with an arm of his own. Yami seemed short of breath. “All I'm saying is that it was bad. Really bad.”

 

“You know, you're not looking so good yourself. Let me get you patched up, and then we'll talk.” Yami nodded. They started walking towards a room, doctors, nurses and specialists panicking and rushing down the corridor to get to the second to last room on the right.

 

Seto's shirt suddenly felt wet. He looked over to see Yami bleeding all over his shoulder. It was also getting harder for Yami to walk. Seto could tell because it was getting harder to help him. He had to hold most of his weight. “I don't want to lose him. He's like me in more ways than one, he's the only one like me.”

 

Seto was baffled. What did that mean? He didn't understand now, but he wanted an explanation later. Ever since Yami came into his life, things have been screwed up big time. His life had gotten more hectic and dangerous. Whenever Yami got into trouble, he always had to drag him into it. Sometimes he even took Bakura and Marik along. That's when the chaos and insanity started.

 

There was a specific set of rules about life that a person had to follow. Ones that were there, no one knew about, and they weren't written down. The number one rule in this circle of friends was: Never leave Bakura and Marik alone together if you want the world to be there five minutes later.

 

The four of them shared a tight bond that could never be broken. Seto was shaken out of his reveries when Yami started to lose his grip on his shoulder. “Hang on, we're almost to the room. Just a few more doors and then…”

 

He never finished what he was saying. “Promise me you'll do everything you can to save him.” Was all that Yami uttered before his eyes closed and he fell forward to the floor, unmoving.

 

 

Soulless: Well, that's it for now. I'm sorry, but I had to do that. I will accept minor flaming for this chapter, but no more than that. There will also be no chat with the characters because Yami and Yugi are in no position to do anything right now.

 

Seto: Hey! What about me?

 

Soulless: You're not funny. You always take everything too seriously.

 

Seto: And that makes me not funny?

 

Soulless: Well, yes.

 

Thank you to Kincses for reviewing for chapter two!