Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Things Change ❯ Guns, Crushes, and Violence ( Chapter 22 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: LLSmoothJ
Kaiba finds himself only a trigger away from getting shot as the usuals who come to this place aren't exactly his biggest fans. Also, Tristan gets put on the spot on his feelings for Melody and Serenity.

Anime/Manga: Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Comedy | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 01.03.2007 | Updated On: 01.03.2007 | Pages: 4 | Words: 7.0K | Visits: 154 | Status: Completed

Chapter 21: Guns, Crushes, and Violence
“So Tristan…”
“Umm… yeah Mel?” He replied, he had a bad feeling where this question was going. Just about everyone was looking at him, as if there was some joke going around that he wasn't in on. Duke, of course, wasn't helping things as he had a smirk on his face that clearly said that he was in it now. Serenity also had a look of interest.
“So tell me, how do you feel about Serenity?” Melody asked, adding a small hint of jealousy to her tone of voice as Tristan began to sweat.
“Yeah Tristan, tell Melody, your first crush, how you feel about Serenity, your new crush!” Duke “encouraged,” placing as much emphasis on the “crush” statements as possible. He knew that Taylor was in a tight spot and whatever loss he had would be the Dungeon Dice Creator's gain. `What will you do now, my friend?'
“A-a-about Serenity?” Tristan stammered a bit. “Well, I really like her as a friend.”
“As a friend?” Serenity asked, feigning hurt. She knew it was mean to put so much pressure to him, but she just couldn't resist. After all, what better way to find out how a person really likes you than to be in the same room as him and his former crush? Especially when it came down to how he felt! “Only as just a friend?”
“Nonono Serenity… not just a friend, but more!”
“How much more?”
“A lot more.” Tristan said as he mentally sighed, `Great save, Taylor…' He then looked at Devlin who tried to look as innocent as possible, but he could see the smallest hint of a smirk on his face. Devlin was enjoying every moment of this, especially at his expense. “I like you surely a hell of a lot more than Devlin does!” He stated as he then began to think. `I wonder how his cheerleaders would feel if they knew he was crushing on someone else.'
“Please! What have you ever done that outranks anything I have?” Duke responded with a smirk. “I care more about Serenity with a quarter of my heart than you do with your entire body! Speaking of bodies, isn't that why you like her so much, hmm?”
“And how about the other 3/4? Oh right, they're for your three cheerleaders! The girls that usually follow you around?” He asked.
“Cheerleaders?” Melody asked, as Duke began to sweat. Serenity didn't even know about the cheerleaders as she wasn't usually around the school. And now Taylor had to bring them out in the open as Serenity looked at him.
“You have your own cheerleaders, Duke?” She asked.
Bingo.
Tristan grew a smile on his face. Devlin was in for it now. “Why don't we give them a call? They'll be interested in knowing that they're going to be shafted.” He suggested, much to the dismay of his rival. “Taye, can I borrow your cell?”
“Sure!” She handed him her pink cell as she gave a victorious look at Arisa, who just rolled her eyes.
“I'm just going to give them a call! After all, I think that they should have the right to know that they're getting shafted.
“But Tristan.” Melody reminded. “You still never answered my question.”
“I did, I just said that I liked Serenity a lot!” Tristan said. He should've known that he wouldn't have gotten out of that situation that easy.
“I mean, do you like her more than… than…” She then playfully pouted. “Me?”
“Mel, it's not that don't like you, it's…” Tristan shook his head. “Wait a damn minute, I thought you liked Bakura!”
The white-haired boy blushed a bit. “Oh my…”
“Well I did, but you know how crushes go!” The yellow-ribboned girl looked towards Bakura. “No offense.”
“None taken.”
“I was just hoping that maybe well… y'know…”
Back Downtown
“Ain't so high-and-mighty now are ya, Muthafucka?”
“Or should we say, Bruthafucka?”
Kaiba narrowed his eyes as he looked around. He was surrounded by, how many people? Just below 20. Half of them were armed while others were merely spectators and bystanders. And six of the armed half held guns while the rest just had knives and steel pipes! Out of all the places he could've gone, Wheeler just had to go to a place where you're more than likely to get killed. And just for the record, this is Wheeler's fault! All of it! The gay pedophile accusations, getting mugged, all of it!
He scoffed, “How uncivilized…”
“Civilized ain't `bout to be yo concern where yo' punk ass is goin', Rich boy!” A man, black as the night and dressed in his newly-bought Rockawear gear, threatened as he slightly pulled back on the trigger on his Barretta. “Man, you ass is about to go missin' fool! You know who gonna find you? Some old man fishin!'”
“So that's how you people do things. When someone proves to be superior to you in everyway-intelligence, class, vocabulary- you resort to violence, let alone threatening another person's life.
“Brah's gotta deathwish…”
“You know that my limo's just outside, and all I have to do is say the word, and he'll have every cop in the city surround the entire area! I've been having a rough week and unless you want to end up just like, in a slim-to-none chance, the rest of your `homies' and `peeps,' I suggest you drop your weapons and get the hell out of my way.
“You ain't gonna do shit!”
“You obviously haven't realized how much power I hold in the city. I can buy and sell each and everyone of your sorry asses if I wanted to!
“Kaiba!”
The brunette turned towards the stairs as his eyes narrowed as they were about to have four more visitors. “It's about time you showed up.”
Joey rolled his eyes. “Oh god, what the hell are ya doin', Kaiba? Stalkin' me now?”
Yugi's eyes went wide at the guns he saw. They were pointed directly at Kaiba. When they mentioned Kaiba being in trouble, they didn't say it was to this extreme.
“Now Wheeler, you'll give me the rematch I deserve!” Kaiba declared. “Duel me!”
“…” Joey narrowed his eyes. “Yer about a second away from becomin' Swiss Cheese, an' you want A FUCKIN' DUEL?”
“Congratulations, your brain actually works.”
“You know this punk?” Ten. Z, having just revived, asked the blonde.
“I know he's a straight-up pain in the ass!” Joey said.
“So first he's a gay pedophile, then he's into that incest shit, and now you're sayin' that this guy's a fuckin' stalker too?”
“WHAT?” Yugi and Joey exclaimed at those accusations.
“Great…” Kaiba rolled his eyes. Leave it to that mongrel to make things worst. If he didin't know any better, that chump was enjoying seeing the torment he was in. At least Yugi was there. He knew that Yugi wouldn't let him suffer from these low-class- for-life idiots.
“NO, Kaiba's not like that at all!” Yugi said to the crowd. “You have him all wrong?”
“So what'chu tryin' to say, Little Man?” Ten. Z asked.
“Kaiba's no way a pedophile or into incest!”
“The hell he ain't! Have you ever seen that picture he got of some little boy?”
“And I got one in the locket,too!” Kaiba basically ripped the duel monster card-like locket from his neck as he then showed the picture of a younger Mokuba back at the orphanage.
“Er…Kaiba? Yer not doin' yerself any favas!” Joey informed.
“Shut the hell up Wheeler! At least Yugi's trying to help! You're basically adding more fuel to the fire for these idiots!”
“Don't be callin' my friends idiots! `Specially when you're about to get shot by them! You've been followin' me all day now, and after that blimp bullshit?” He threw his hands up. “I don't know why the hell I'm even trying to help you ass… again!”
“That's his picture of his little brother. Seto and Mokuba Kaiba only have each other for family.” Yugi explained. “Mokuba has a locket just like Kaiba's with his picture in there.”
“S'true.” Joey nodded. “Kaiba's a straight up jackass, but he ain't gay or into any of that sick shit. He's more likely to walk up to some gay couple and yell `Queerin' doesn't make the world work!' He's so much into his machines that he doesn't even have time for anything else. I haven't even heard about him dating at all, let alone having sex!”
Kaiba narrowed his eyes at the blonde. “Thanks for the backhanded help of yours. Now, duel me!”
“For the last time, Kaiba, I'm not duelin' ya white-collah'd ass! I'm retired!”
“You're just saying that because you're afraid to duel me?” Kaiba gave him a soft smirk.
“Afraid?” Joey raised an eyebrow.
“That's right? You're afraid that I'll humiliate you in front of your friends and prove that you're just a whimpering dog, as you always were!”
“Kaiba, the only reason why you want the rematch so bad is because I let you win!” Joey retorted.
“Please? A duelist of my caliber losing to some 3rd-rate losing chump like you? You're even more delusional than I thought.” Kaiba taunted. He knew he was lying but provoking him to duel him was basically his only option.
“If that was the case, then why the hell are ya comin' all the way to'a neighborhood ya don't even like, riskin' yerself gettin' shot or the least a beatdown, all to duel someone you basically can easily crush. Since basically you have nothin' to gain!” Joey countered as Kaiba began to sweat a bit. Since when was Wheeler ever this smart? Usually he'd snap and storm all the way home to get his deck, ready to duel. “And you wouldn't be stalkin' `em or trying to insult `em to duel ya with a blimp like ya did today, genius! Basically, ya risked gettin' killed for nothin'!”
“Oohhhh!” Kaiba was now annoyed as the people around him just “Oohhhed” again and again. Will they ever shut up?
“Screw this place, I'm leaving.” Kaiba turned around as he began walk away. However, through the door, a man wearing a black do-rag and a blue windsuit walked in as he held up a gun. “What now…”
“Oh, so ya think yer all that rollin' up in here, disrespetin' my gal!” He said with a gruff voice, much to the frustration to everyone.
“Whoa! Calm down!”
“Man Tyrell, s'wrong with you?”
“This fool acting like he's all that. Tryin' to flaunt his shit to my girl, treat her like she sum slut!”
Kaiba rolled his eyes. Where these idiots coming out of the woodworks? “A gun…how pathetically desperate. You know that I can have you thrown in jail for this. But knowing you, this probably won't be the first time.”
Tyrell just glared at the CEO. “Man, you be asking for a death wish!” He declared as clocked his gun.
“Look Tyrell, just calm down!” That woman, that same woman who had slapped Kaiba in the face, came up to her boyfriend, trying to calm him girl.
“Relax Rika, I got this! I'm `bout to teach Rich Boy here not to fuck with us!”
“Man just let it go! He ain't worth it!”
“Let him do it! The chump's basically wanting to go to jail, or back to jail, I should say…
“Shut up, Kaiba! Yer just makin' things worse!” Joey advised.
“Wheeler, I'm not afraid of this mindless twit! Knowing him he's probably was too wasted to actually think about the situation he's in, that is if he could in the first place.”
“Kaiba don't…” Yugi tried to talk reason with him.
“Save it, Yugi! This chump's asking for it.”
“Oh so that's how it is?” Tyrell shouted. “FINE, DIE MUTHFUCKA!”
“Oh man…”
“I don't think so!” Kaiba pulled out a card from his trench coat as he threw it at Tyrell, the sharp edge of the card hitting his hand was enough for Tyrell to drop the gun!
“Shit…” He rubbed his hand as he glared at the brunette. “Oh, now you wanna throw cards now?” He hissed as he proceeded to take out a switchblade. “TRY KNOCKIN' THIS MUTHAFUCKA!” He screamed as he proceeded to rush towards Kaiba, but the CEO dodged him as with one conveniently placed foot, Tyrell tripped over and landed on the ground.
“Typical street thug…” Kaiba scoffed as he began to walk towards Wheeler and Yugi. “Wheeler, don't think that this is over! Not by a long shot!”
Joey scoffed, “Whatever, but I'm still ain't duelin' ya! I'm retired, Genius!”
“You'll duel me, Wheeler!” Kaiba vowed as he walked away. “You'll duel me, one way or another.”
“Keep convincing yerself, Kaibs…” Joey rolled his eyes as he looked toward Yugi and Syd. “You guys gotta duel to finish?”
Yugi and Syd nodded, their duel disks still in hand as their score was still set as it was previously.
Joey offered, “You guys are welcome to watch! After all, s'not everyday you'd get to see the King of Games duel in person!”
“Man Wheeler, I gotta say that I envy you!” Kev admitted. “You've been able to cross the line that none of us would've been able too! What's yo secret, G?”
“I'm just lucky.” The blonde admitted. “If I haven't met Yugi, I probably would've been dead knowing half the shit I've done back in the day!”
“Enough ass kissing and bragging, boys! I still have a duel to win!” Syd reminded.
Yugi nodded, “Sure, but don't celebrate your victory prematurely. In every duel, there's always one card that can turn it around.”
“Man maybe I should get into duelin'!” Ten Z considered. After all, if someone like Joey can do it and managed to keep out of trouble… most of the time, why not he?
More people decided to come up stairs to watch the already-started duel to be concluded. And for Kaiba? He decided that he had enough of this place for one day, as he started to head for the exit. However…
“SHIT!”
Kaiba looked back as he saw Tyrell back on his feet.
”So, you think you can make a bitch outta me?” He hissed as Kaiba rolled his eyes.
“Don't you have someone else to annoy?” He replied.
“Throw another card! Throw another fuckin' card!” Tyrell challenged. As Kaiba glared at him. Doesn't this guy knew when to give up!”
“Tyrell, just let it go!” Syd said.
“Shut the fuck up, bitch!”
“HEY!” Joey snapped. Calling Syd a bitch was uncalled for, especially when Tyrell was the one at fault.
“Fuck you, Wheeler! This fucka here disrespect me!”
“I disrespect everyone, get over it!” Kaiba turned around and walked away. This chump was just wasting his time. He had better things to do than to deal with this crap.
“Don' you fucking walk away from me, you pathetic piece of shit!” Tyrell rushed towards Kaiba looking to tackle him down, but unfortunately for him, the CEO sidestepped as he was left to fall flat on his face - literally. Talk about predictable…
“Don't bother getting up…” Kaiba turned around as he then remembered something… “Wheeler, I like to have a word with you!”
“Now what…” Joey sighed as Kaiba walked over.
“Since when were you going to inform me that one of your chump friends stole Mokuba's shoes?”
”What!” Joey blinked. “Mokuba got jumped?”
“Don't play dumb with me! You know damn well about the shoes that were up there!”
“You mean those Adidas?” Joey blinked. “Those were his?”
“THEY WERE FUCKING BRAND NEW SNEAKERS THAT JUST GOT MUGGED FROM HIM!” Kaiba yelled. “AND YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT YOU DIDN'T KNOW?”
“I didn't know Mokuba even owned a pair of those kicks! S'not like I see the kid everyday!”
“Come on! You actually believe any of these idiots could fit a size 8?”
“There're plenty of people who could have a kid brother. For instance, y'know Little Nicky? He basically comes down here just to start trouble. I just thought that he finally got what he had coming!” Joey explained as the others nodded in agreement except for Yugi, of course. He was starting to see why Joey wasn't exactly excited about bringing him here. Not only could you get hurt, but you could also get mugged as well.
“Well, somebody's going to pay for this!” Kaiba reminded. “Because those-”
“Oh lord, if it's about money, the price you paid for it is just pocket change to you, right?”
“IT'S NOT THE COST, IT'S THE PRINCIPLE!”
“Yeah, but y'gotta admit they're not different from yer average pair of kicks!” Joey explained. It appeared that once again, he'd have to be the calm one while Kaiba lost it.
“I'LL GIVE YOU KICKS, A WHOLE LOT OF THEM UP THE-!”
“DIE MUTHAFUCKA!”
Kaiba turned around as he saw that Tyrell had recovered and picked up the previously-dropped gun as he instantly fired a trigger! He knew that he should've just left and confront Wheeler about the sneaker incident later, but his little brother got jumped and he, for one was not going to stand for it! Now he was about to get shot! However, he soon found himself hitting the dark carpeted floor, for one reason or another as he then saw a crowd began to form near him but not around him…
“Man Tyrell, what the hell?”
“I can't believe you shot `em!”
“Somebody call 911!”
Kaiba quickly got up as he then proceeded to go through the crowd. Someone got shot, and if it wasn't him, than who did? Who's the idiot who took that bullet that was meant for him? He heard more people reacting to this action.
“Tyrell, you better get yo ass on outta here, now! Before I shoot yo ass myself!”
“Just leave, Tyrell! You've already done enough for one day!”
“Fuckin' dumbass!”
Kaiba had finally reached to the center of the crowd as he saw him. The one who took the hit, as blood came out from the wound near his abdomen! Yugi was frozen in fear, as his eyes were wide as possible. He figured half of these idiots have at least witnessed a shooting at least twice, but as far as he knew, Yugi was the most sheltered and annoying naïve person he's ever met. But that person who saved him, why did it have to be him? Out of all people here, it just had to be him! The last person he'd ever wanted to owe his life to! When eye contact was made, he heard these last words before he went unconscious…
“…still… the same… jerk… not a damn `thank you…' fuckin' elitist piece of shit…”
As Joey fell unconscious, Kaiba glared at everyone! “I'm going to call the ambulance! Unless you all want to get into deeper shit than you are now, you'll be smart to leave now!” He said icily, taking out his mobile as he proceeded to call an ambulance. Everyone went to evacuate the soon-to-be scene of the crime scene with the exception of Syd and Yugi, of course.
“Joey…?” Yugi desperately called out to his friend, but he didn't respond. “Joey…? JOEY!”
“Oh no…” Syd quickly jumped down. “JOEY YOU CAN'T DIE! YOU JUST CAN'T!” She screams, tears almost forming in her eyes. “YOU HAVE TO PUT YOUR HORUS LEVEL EIGHT ON THE LINE IN A DUEL AGAINST ME FIRST!”
“WILL YOU SHUT UP?” Kaiba screamed. Ignoring the fact that she mentioned Joey having a card that would be impossible for a duelist of his status, or lack thereof, to have as he went back to finish the call. “The ambulance will be here as fast as they can…”
Syd scoffed, “Please, like any ambulance driver in their right mind would come by here!”
Kaiba sighed, “You obviously don't know who I am…” He stated. “If they're smart they'll get here or I'll have them fired. Now see if you can at least stop the bleeding.
Syd nodded as she grabbed a rag from the top an old chair as she placed it on top of the wound as Yugi just looked at his friend. His expression was blank and there wasn't any sign of life. Tears began to form in his eyes…
Back at the Game Shop
This was basically the toughest decision in Tristan's life. On one hand, he really did like Melody at one point in time, and truthfully he still had feelings for her. At times he often wondered what would happen if they actually went out with each other. They would've made a great couple. But then again, that was then, and his crush, or was it love for Serenity, was now. They've proven that they had great chemistry together and he was crushed when he had found out that he was just in the “friend zone” with her. It was then when he made his decision.
He sighed, “Melody, it's true that I had feelings for you. I had a huge crush on you before you left, and when you turned me down I was hurt. Hell, when I found out that you had a crush on Bakura, I was angry! But that was okay, you liked someone else and you have that right. I understand that perfectly. But that was then, and this is now. While I still have feelings for you, the truth is-”
Whatever he was going to say, it was interrupted by the sound of the phone ringing. “I'll get it.” Tristan stood up to get the phone as Duke smirked.
“He's weaseling out of it.” He declared. The phone call was all too convenient, and Taylor was so quick to get the phone. He knew that he still had feelings for Melody but didn't want to admit them in front of Serenity! What a pussy… He then saw Tristan come back, holding the white cordless phone in his hand, with a blank expression on his face. “So what was that call about, Tristan?” He asked but the spike-head didn't respond. “Hey, Spike-headed Monkey Boy! I'm talking to you!”
“Shut the hell up, Devlin…” Tristan simply said, not an amount of anger hinted in his voice at all. Only…sadness…
Arisa asked, “Tristan what's wrong?”
“Yeah?” Melody added. “What's with you?”
“… Joey got shot.” He simply said.
“WHAT?” Both girls exclaimed.
“You can't be serious!” Duke added as Serenity looked like she was about to break down. Having just found out that her brother had just been shot.
“…why…how…” She shook her as she quickly ran out the door.
“Serenity wait!” Tristan called out for her. He could understand how she felt.They all could onlyhope that Joey would be okay, for everyone's sake, especially Serenity's.

Next chapter, Joey's in the hospital and family and friends are all there…well…almost all of them. Will Joey survive? And what about Yugi. For someone who's never witnessed violence to this extreme, let alone someone getting shot, how will it affect him? Find out next chapter.