Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Millennium Dark ❯ Blitz ( Chapter 9 )

Chapter 9: "Blitz."

Author notes: Well, this has been a long time coming, hasn't it? I finally got my hard drive fixed, and I decided this Sunday to work on something. Enjoy!

* * *

Early Morning, London

The boys in Millennium Dark were on a media blitz, going everywhere and anywhere to promote their new single, `The Boys of Summer' a cover on a song by a guy by the name of Henley. It was a wistful, upbeat song. Seto's instincts were right on the mark about covering the song. Yami's voice added a new, fresh dimension to the song's 80's feel. The song instantly skyrocketed up the charts, and the video was just shot a few days ago.

Right now, they were in London in the studio of one of the most successful and respected photographers in the business, Lizeth. Her work was revolutionary and evolutionary at the same time. Seto Kaiba did not go half-ass when it came to promoting his band. He watched on as his band was primped, preened and gelled to perfection before the shoot. "Look, it's the return of bat hair," Yami snickered, flicking at the spikes in Bakura's hair.

The white-haired guitarist looked less than impressed and swatted at him. "You're one to talk! Have you seen your vortex mass of hair?" he demanded, then suddenly put Yami in a headlock.

Shadi sighed. "I don't know what happened between you two to suddenly be the best of friends, but quit horsing around. You don't want to be in hair and makeup for another ten hours, do you?"

Joey shook his head. "I don't think they're listening, Shadi. Don't waste your breath." The older boy sighed, and rolled his eyes. "Where is this famous photographer anyway?"

"Right here, darling," Lizeth said, walking into the studio. "I'm sorry for being so late, but I had to get everything ready. Mr. Kaiba here was very specific on how he wanted this shoot to go. I can't let such a client down, can I? Now let's go ladies."

"Yami resembles that statement, now don't you?" Bakura snickered, as they walked over to the green backdrop. "What the hell is with the screen?"

"I do my photos with digital and traditional cameras gents," Lizeth explained, setting up the tripod for the traditional camera. "I add in backgrounds and stuff on site. But no retouching!" She laughed at this, obviously remembering one of those `you had to be there' moments, as the band looked baffled. "Now that would be lying to your fans, now wouldn't it? Okay, let's get started!"

The shoot went faster than they expected, and were not surprised when the media showed up to cover the happenings. Lizeth allowed a few of them into her studio during the break at the hour and a half mark. After they answered the typical questions, most of them went away. But one of them pulled a thin device out of his pocket, which looked like a pen, and clicked it, setting it on the table. "I'm starving, who's coming with me to get something to eat?" Malik asked.

"I'm hungry," Shadi said, and walked over to him. "What about you two?"

Yami shook his head. "I'll be fine."

Bakura echoed the sentiment of the vocalist. "I can last for the last hour." Shadi and Malik nodded, leaving the room in search of nourishment. Yami sighed and rubbed his head. "Eh? What the hell's the matter with you, Akaiame?"

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing…"

"Bull shit it's nothing. What's bugging you so much? You've been about as thrilled as a dead cactus the last few weeks."

"…Can you even *kill* a cactus?"

Bakura gave an aggravated sigh. "That's not the damned point. What's up with you?" Bakura got up, and sat down beside Yami, near the table. "You've been brooding more than you usually do."

Yami frowned, and looked at him. (I don't know if I can even talk to you about it…but it's better than no one.) "Alright, I'll be frank. I'm seeing someone, and it's been a really long time since I've seen them, more than half a year."

"…And you're worried that this woman's going to be pissed off enough to kick you out?" Bakura supplied, leaning back.

"If it was a woman, I wouldn't be this depressed about it," Yami muttered.

At this, Bakura shot straight up like an ironing board and looked at the vocalist. "Wait a minute! Did I just hear you right? It *isn't* a woman?"

Yami shook his head. "No, it's not, it's a guy."

Bakura's dark eyes looked very baffled before he slapped his forehead. "I should have known. No one dresses in those shiny tight pant things without being gay."

"Will you keep it down?" Yami hissed. "I don't know who could be listening and you're not exactly the ideal person I wanted to have a heart-to-heart with." With Bakura's snickering halted, Yami continued. "It's Yugi…and I'm worried that he hates me now for not even trying to contact him."

There was a bit of a pause as Bakura tried to weigh what Yami had just told him. "Wait, that runt from ML? Jeez, I thought you'd at least have good taste. Eh - but you're both in bands, and he's got to realize that. Or are you just babysitting?"

"Bakura!" Yami exclaimed, appalled at the statement. "It's not like that at all! I love him, I really do, it's just work's getting in the way and I can't talk to him as much as I usually did. It's becoming a real pain in the ass, this thing. I don't know what to do."

Putting his hand under his chin and looking thoughtful, Bakura finally replied, "Well there isn't much you can do, pineapple head. We're too busy for anything like that…and Seto isn't about to let you travel all the way back to North America to try and find the guy."

Yami put a hand to his head. "I know! I know that! But … I just feel so …Ah, I don't even know how to feel! It's ridiculous!" He looked at the table and picked up the pen, clicking it off, and fiddled with it, needing something to keep his hands busy as he talked. "I want to do something, but can't. It's so stupid!" He frowned, putting the pen back on the table.

Bakura nudged the younger boy in the side. "Look, just don't get all tortured artist on me, alright? I am not going to put up with you crying yourself to sleep, okay?"

Yami couldn't help but smile and gave a half-hearted punch to Bakura's arm. "Yeah, don't worry. I won't bother you with my womanly ways." Bakura smirked and looked over as Shadi and Malik came back, and blinked as Malik threw him a sandwich. (Malik…) "What's this?"

"That would be a sandwich," Malik replied, apparently not realizing the magnitude of the simple gesture. "You're a shitty liar, Bakura." Suddenly, Bakura's stomach growled. "Case in point." Yami looked at Shadi, who gave a very informative shrug.

Bakura looked at the sandwich and then to the floor. "Thanks…" Unwrapping the plastic, he bit into it then chewed. (It's my favourite sandwich…Malik always knew…Damn it, what the hell do I do now? I've…I don't know…Fuck, I'm beginning to sound like shiny-pants over there.)

Lizeth soon came in behind Shadi and Malik, and smiled. "Well, are we all fed? I have only a few more shots with you guys, and then I'm going to do some of just your manager."

Bakura snickered. "You mean Coat Man is finally getting in front of the camera? How the hell did you manage that one?"

Lizeth grinned, and winked. "It's one of my secrets, Mr. Akuma." Bakura laughed and finished off the rest of the sandwich. "Mr. Kaiba? Where are you?"

The band turned, and nearly fell over laughing at how foofed up their manager looked dressed in a sharp, modern Armani suit. His hair was gelled, and he smelled of expensive cologne. A SK pin was on one of the lapels of his jacket, and around his neck, resting under the collar of his black turtleneck was the lion pendant on its long chain. Malik gave a whistle. "Well, aren't we looking like the seventy billion dollars we own?" he asked, smirking.

Seto rolled his eyes. "Shut up. That's all I have to say to you, Ishtar. Shut up," he said, brushing some lint off the jacket. "Let's just get this over with."

Yami grinned, and stood up, as did the rest of the band. "Of course…" He tried fairly hard to keep from snickering, but failed miserably, and fell into a fit of laughter, soon followed by everyone else. Seto was less than impressed, to say the least. "Just as soon…ahahaha…as I find my …ha-ha…lungs!"

Bakura pushed Yami over to where the green backdrop was. "Let's go, chuckles."

*

When the shoot was done, the band quickly left, back to their hotel. Lizeth was cleaning up her supplies and checking to see if the shots on the digital camera were to her liking. A man walked in, dressed in casual jeans and a t-shirt. "Excuse me," he began.

Lizeth turned around and blinked. "Yes, can I help you?"

"I'm sure you can. You see, I was in here earlier with the press, and damn my memory, I left my pen in here. You can't miss it, its silver one with `PZ' engraved on it," the man explained.

Lizeth looked thoughtful. "I think I know what you're talking about. Oh! Here? Is this it?" She picked up the same pen that Yami had been fiddling with during the break and handed it to him.

The man smiled. "Yes, this is it alright. I'm terribly sorry for bothering you, Miss. Lizeth."

She waved a hand. "Don't worry about it. Have a good day, sir."

He nodded. "Yes, you too, my dear girl. You too." He gave her a handshake before adjusting his hat and walking out of her studio. Once he was out of the building, he pressed down the gold-coated clip on the pen, and smirked, hearing two distinct voices coming out of the speaker, hidden in the top of the pen. "Perfect. This is just the story I need." Pulling his coat closer to his lanky frame, he tucked the pen safely away into his breast pocket and continued down the cobblestone street.

*

"No kidding? Malik Ishtar is your brother?" Ryou questioned, as he and Marik sat around the hotel room they shared in Denver, Colorado, USA, a day after Millennium Dark's photo shoot in London. "That's absolutely amazing!"

Marik smiled and ate a French fry, stealing it from Ryou's box. "It was absolutely incredible, Ryou. I didn't think I'd ever find him. And he's not such a bad guy." He then frowned. (But he also told me that he's having relationship problems with his boyfriend, that Akuma idiot…) Glancing at Ryou who was happily telling him about his sister who was studying in Britain to be an archaeologist. (I can't tell him that the guy he's crushing on is with my brother. It'd absolutely destroy him.) "So do you think she'd go to Egypt?" he asked idly.

Ryou nodded excitedly. "She desperately wants to discover the tomb of the boy Pharaoh of the Amenhotep Dynasty, who allegedly was betrayed by his trusted High Priest back in Ancient Egypt." He took another fry, and dipped it into the little cup of ketchup. "I don't remember the entire history; she kind of has a habit of rambling and going off topic."

His blonde friend grinned and poked Ryou in the stomach. "Just like you, eh?" Ryou stuck out his tongue in a very mature fashion and Marik laughed. "Have you seen Yugi?"

Ryou immediately became concerned. "Not recently. He's been really quiet lately. I'm worried about him, Marik. Yugi's never that quiet or depressed…I mean, it doesn't show on stage when we perform, but you see it immediately when we come back-" At that moment, Shaadi and Yugi came into the room. "There you are!"

Yugi looked up, his purple eyes displaying a hidden sadness. "Hey guys…"

"What's the matter, little man?" Marik asked, raising an eyebrow.

The shorter male shook his head. "It's nothing, just not feeling so hot right now, that's all." Suddenly Mai walked in, slamming the door open and a rolled up newspaper in her hand. "Mai??"

Mai glared down at him. "Do you know what's been on the news lately?" she demanded, and the boys looked behind to a very scared looking Tristan.

*

"Of course we don't know what's on the news," Bakura snorted, looking at Seto. "You keep us so damn isolated."

*

"Then I'll tell you what's going on! Look at this!" Mai exclaimed, throwing the newspaper down at little Yugi. "Look real hard and tell me what you see!"

*

Yami took the newspaper and unfolded it completely, and glanced at the headline on the front page.

*

Yugi's heart stopped.

"AKAIAME AND MOTOU OF RIVAL BANDS IN PASSIONATE AFFAIR GONE SOUR!"

-TBC-

Author's notes: Well, how did that go? *Grins* I hope it was worth the wait. Until the next time I have the time, stay tuned for more MD!