Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Time on a Chain ❯ Chapter 14

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Time 15

Willow made one last call to her Control.

"Ofukuro. This is the last time I'm calling you. I've been considering something for a while. I"m off your
payroll. I was taught to kill for you. You people pay shit. I'm a free agent from now on. I can't stand
your ineptness anymore."

"Willow, consider this carefully. You know what happens to people who do that kind of thing."

"Yeah, you off them. But offing me is going to be real hard. I can duck into the lower realms and stay
there for ever. But I won't. I'll be after all of you. Don't forget I'm Shinigami. You will die."

"I've been telling them for the last two years that you're getting burnt out. Let me fix it so you get a nice
vacation after this is over."

"Two years for you, but almost six for me. Time runs different in the lower realms. I'm retired, as of
now, so don't mess with me. I like Seto and the others and I'll keep them safe, then I'll just disappear.
Let it go."

"How will you live? Where will you get money?"

"I can live on the streets. It's not that bad. We're on the move. You find that mole. If I have to look for
him, you won't like it. I'll just kill suspects until I get the right one."

Willow had no intention of living on the streets and she had more money than they knew. She'd been
saving her pay and invested it with a trust worthy agency. She could disappear easily and work as a
paid assassin.

She snapped the phone closed for the last time. She walked over to Mokuba and handed him the
phone.

"Here, keep this, it may come in handy. Seto, from now on you're in charge of finding us a safe house.
My people have failed. I just quit"

Seto was appalled, "What do you mean you just quit?"

Willow shrugged, making a mou of distaste. "They're a bunch of inept bunglers. They can't keep a
secure line much less find that double agent. We're safer without them. Why don't you see if Roland
can't come up with something now that we aren't dealing with an insecure contact?"

Seto nodded, he'd been thinking the same thing and come to the conclusion that he was going to have
to do it by remote. It would take longer but now that he was getting his second wind he was beginning
to take hold more.

"Ok I need to make some calls. The battery in my phone is almost dead, so I'm going to have to make
it quick. Then I may have to use a public phone." Seto sounded vague. He was already planning.

"Roland. Kaiba here."

"Mr. Kaiba, are you all right? Can you tell me where you are?"

"We're ok. No, I can't. Willow would gag me for sure. All I can say is we're still on the move."

"We need to get you in out of the cold. I've looked for additional moles. We definitely don't have one.
It's all on her end."

"Roland, I hate to tell you this but she doesn't have an end anymore, she quit."

"Oh, shit."

"To the good. We don't have to worry about leaks anymore. Find us a house. Soon. I've got to get
Wheeler off the . . . damnit. Find us a fucking place."

Off the ! Son of a bitch. You'll have a place within two days. It won't be a house . . . " {I hope he
didn't mean what I think he did}

"I don't care if it's a trailer. Just find us a safe place to live."

Seto snapped the phone shut so hard it chipped. He'd had it with all this dancing around, he wanted off
the streets as soon as possible, but he knew if they went to an unsafe location they were sitting ducks.
No matter how good Willow was, she couldn't defend them without some kind of help and a secure
location.

Seto buried his nose in Willows hair then he sighed, she stank. He smelled, and Joey did too.

He wondered why he was hanging all over Willow, other then the fact that she felt good in his arms and
he liked it, it didn't make sense. She didn't seem to mind as much as she had at first. But he wondered
why if he was a . . . he wasn't sure what he was, so he tugged Willow with him and leaned against the
wall next to Joey and Mokuba.

"Joey, I need to know what I'm supposed to be. If I'm a bitch, why am I hanging all over Willow all
the time? It doesn't make sense." Seto explained that he needed to understand why he was doing what
he was. Not just do it because Joey said to.

"Ok. Here's your ‘motivation'." Joey grinned at Seto. "Lots of street kids pimp each other out. A guy
can be straight as an arrow and still do blow jobs, even take on johns. So you're my investment, so is
Willow. Nothing says you have to be gay. So Willow hangs all over you so we don't have to scrape
some dummy off the sidewalk for handling her. She takes even worst to being grabbed than I do."

Willow just wrapped her arm around Seto's waist. "Yeah, grab me and you're liable to draw back a
stub. I'm real jumpy right now. I'm warning you all. I just quit, so they may come after me. If they do
you all run and I'll handle it."

Joey yelped then flipped, "Damnit, Willow, you have a death wish? They'll come after you for sure."

With diamond like clarity Willow made herself understood. "I couldn't care less about them. I'll keep
you all safe then I'll deal with them. If they mess with me, they're all dead. I may kill them anyway.
They're a bunch of idiots. I've been fighting and killing for them all my life. If I want to quit, who are
they to tell me no. The blood on my hands was put there by them before I was old enough to know
better. A little more one way or another won't make any difference."

Mokuba shuddered, the way she talked scared him.

"Geeze, Willow the way you talk you'd think all you did was kill people. I thought you were a body
guard."

Willow looked at Mokuba and shattered his illusions without a qualm.

"I'm no body guard. I've done it once or twice. Mostly when I was wounded and needed a rest. I'm
an assassin. A hittokiri battosai. In the lower shadow realms it's almost like earth. I've been killing since
I was twelve. My bosses don't care how old or young the people they use are. They use us til we're
used up then they just throw us away. Well, I'm not about to be tossed. I quit because it's time for me
to. I'd like to live a long life. When you're really safe. When I've found whoever it is that's trying to off
you. I'll disappear, find a real life and . . . I don't know what but not lay down and die because they
find me inconvenient."

Joey shuddered, he had some idea of the kind of people she dealt with and he was really, really glad
she was on their side.

Seto made up his mind that she had a place with him for as long as she wanted it.

"Well, done is done. Seto, we need to get off the streets. We're not equipped to handle this. Hell, no
one is, really. We're down to thirty dollars. That's enough to last us tomorrow. Big Brother, I'm really
scared." Mokuba had a little break down, so Joey just wrapped his arms around him and held him,
rocking him gently. Seto closed in on him, rubbing his back and murmuring softly.

Willow watched this display groping internally for some comfort to offer.

"Mokuba, don't worry. No one will hurt you as long as I'm around, I'll gut them for you."

Joey eyed her sourly. "If that's supposed to be some comfort, come up with something else."

"Ok. How much do we need? I can get money from my resources this evening and more tomorrow
night."

"Willow, we need at least thirty dollars a day to feed the four of us. That's eating well. If you don't
mind eating out of a dumpster, we can do with a lot less. I'll eat out of the dumpster behind that
restaurant two blocks over. They don't cut the wrappers on their sandwiches."

Seto reared up snarling, "You will not eat garbage! What kind of idiot are you? You'll get sick"

"Seto, it's not rotten or anything. It's just sandwiches that are out dated. That means that they're day
old. I won't eat egg salad or anything like that. There's also salads and stuff. Just like a Buffett."

Joey made placating gestures, Seto looked like he was going to self-destruct. Willow just eyed him in a
speculative fashion.

"You're not eating that junk, Joey. Promise me. I'll give you my share. Just don't . . . it's too
humiliating. Please . . . " Mokuba looked like he was going to get sick, literally going green in the face.

Joey sighed, wondering how they were going to make it. Seto and Mokuba put so many restrictions on
him that he was getting dizzy trying to remember them all. He finally lost his temper

"Damnit, I'll eat whatever I want to. How do you think I made it before you took me in? Pop wasn't
wasting money on food for me. I had to scrounge for myself. Lunch at school was the only real meal I
got. And then only if a john gave me a little on the side. Yugi shared his lunch with me a lot. And Seto?
I don't remember you doing more than sneering at him. So just shut the hell up will ya?"

Seto felt his jaw drop, he'd never thought about how Joey ate, he had always known that Yugi shared
with him but he'd been so sure Joey was just freeloading extras.

Mokuba just shrugged, "There's no help for it. I'll have to start begging. Joey, let's go"

Mokuba stood for a while watching other kids ‘chumming for change', they'd approach someone and
ask for their spare change. Some made pests of themselves, dancing sideways beside their target or
walking backwards in front of them. Mokuba noticed that they weren't as successful as others.

He decided on the starving orphan approach. He sighted his first target, and elderly woman who
looked like a soft touch.

"Excuse me, Mam. Do you have any spare change I could have? Just want ever you can spare. I
haven't had breakfast yet." Mokuba turned on his puppy-dog eyes. The look that made Seto crumble.

"Young man it's almost noon. What do you mean you haven't had breakfast?" The lady gave Mokuba
a curious glance.

"Yes, Mam, I know it's almost noon. Anything you can spare would be appreciated." Mokuba held out
a hand that he noticed was dirty.

"Weeeell . . . Just wash your hands before you eat. Here, it's not much but it's all I can afford."

Mokuba thanked the woman and slipped through the crowd to Seto's side. He felt small enough to sit
on a yen coin and dangle his feet.

Joey watched Mokuba work the crowd. He was good, sizing up a target and adjusting his approach to
suit the individual. He was staying close watching the people around Mokuba. There was the chance
that someone would either take exception to his approach or try to take advantage of him. Either way
Joey was going to chill the situation quickly. He wasn't going to allow anyone to hurt Mokuba and he
really didn't want Willow to handle the situation. They didn't need the attention that an outright riot
would attract.

Willow also worked the crowd. Her approach was similar to Mokuba's but she had the beggar act
down better. She'd done it before, at least here she didn't need to worry about getting a beating. She
approached various men and asked them for their spare change smiling and offering them more than
they were going to get. They knew it and she knew it but they paid for the illusion that they were
desirable. She only approached salary men of middle age, out of shape, balding or other wise not the
most enticing of men.

Seto hovered. He hated this more than he could have ever thought, he was humiliated beyond anything
he'd ever experienced. He was supposed to provide, protect them from the harshness of life and here
he was ‘pimping' his own brother and a girl he was developing feelings for. What kind of feelings he
wasn't sure but something was there.

With Joey and Seto acting as guards and Seto also as banker, they worked the crowd for hours. Seto
was also holding the pack and trying to stay on the fringes of the crowd. He was staying as close to
Willow as he could and not attract attention to himself. He was afraid that he was still too recognizable.

"Seto look! There in the window. That's us!" Mokuba was wide eyed. He couldn't believe how bad
they looked.

Joey loomed up behind Seto making him jump. He didn't look like anyone you'd want at your back or
maybe would, depending on the circumstances. With his slicked back hair, dirty face and hands and
ragged clothing, he looked like Ichi-sama for real. Seto couldn't get the vision of Joey's easy
competence with a knife out of his head.

Seto looked at himself in the big screen tv displayed in the window. He saw a starveling street
prostitute. Dirty, thin, and dressed in ‘fuck me' clothes he looked more like he was looking for his next
fix than anything else.

"Wheeler, we've got to get off the streets. Now. We're all dying by inches. I"m calling Roland again. I
don't care where we go. Can't we get a hotel room or something?" Seto was really scared now. He
couldn't subject Mokuba to this anymore, he and Joey and Willow could do it but Mokuba looked the
worst of all of them

Mokuba didn't look anything like himself, the bandanna wrapped around his head mashed his bangs
down and changed the entire shape of his face. With his eyes hollow from lack of proper sleep he
looked like a starving ferret more than he looked like the beloved little brother of the richest teenager in
the world.

"I know we need to get Mo' of the streets and soon . . . " Mokuba started to object, Joey unthinkingly
smacked him in the back of the head. "Fuck! See what I mean, Mo'. I'm turnin' into someone I don't
like. Seto's turnin' into a crack ho' and Willow is gettin' colder and colder by the second. Seto we
can't go to a hotel. They won't let us in."

"What do you mean they won't let us in? If we can pay . . . " Seto swiped his greasy hair out of his
eyes, he needed a hair cut.

"We're too dirty and we stink. We could go to a shelter but I don't think either you or Mo' would take
to well to being deloused. I'm not too fond of it myself." Joey rubbed the back of his neck. He had to
get them all off the streets and soon. He and Willow were the only ones who were equipped for it but
that didn't mean that they liked it.

Willow watched herself in the window for a few seconds. She was wearing the same clothes she'd left
the now ruined house in. The jeans were tight in all the right places and she'd gotten rid of the sweater,
the jacked covered the T-shirt just enough to keep her decent it also hid her weapons. She was just as
dirty as the rest of them, but it didn't bother her nearly as much. She didn't look as bad as even Joey
because she was getting more sleep than she usually did on assignment. She trusted Joey to protect
them all long enough for her to come awake and take over.

Seto blew up completely, dragging his cell out of his pocket he turned it on and called Roland.

"Roland, I don't care where you put us. Get us off the streets by tomorrow night or you're fired. I've
had it."

Yes sir Mr. Kaiba Sir. . . . off the street? What the hell! Where are you? What street." Roland eyed his
phone like it might bite. That was the second reference to streets and the second time Seto Kaiba had
scared him.

"Not what . . . the. We're living on the streets. Get us a place. I don't care what it is."

"Mr. Kaiba damnit. I've been fixing up the apartment in Kaiba Towers for you. If I'd known that you
were on the streets, not holed up in a cheep motel somewhere, I'd have hurried it more. Son of a
bitching cock . . . "

"Don't even go there. I'll call you tomorrow morning. Don't try to pick us up. I don't want to attract
that kind of attention"

"I'll be here personally. It won't be finished but it'll be livable. You could come in now . . . "

"We can't get there. It's too far to walk before it gets too dangerous to be on the streets"

Seto turned to Joey. "Roland says he's fixing up the apartment in Kaiba Towers for us. Where is that
from here and how long will it take to get there?"

"We can't get there tonight, it's too far and the neighborhood is no good for us. We may have trouble
tomorrow. The cops won't like seeing us there. Too nice"

Mokuba was counting their money. In several hours of begging they'd only gotten about fifteen dollars.

"Seto, we've only got twenty dollars. We used up twenty five of the thirty we had for food today.
We're running out of gas fast".

"Mo', you weren't listening! We're off the streets tomorrow." Joey ran his fingers through Mokuba's
pony tail and wished he could get them off tonight, but Willow was as paranoid as hell and he wasn't
much better, he wanted to circle around and check things out before he did anything irreversible

"Yeah, I'll believe it when I'm clean, dry and asleep in a real bed under a real roof. Until then, I'm
taking care of business. What if something else happens? What if we need money for something? I
won't feel good until we have real money, not just what I can beg. It's not enough to keep us. Not for
long." Mokuba knew he was getting hysterical and he couldn't help it. He knew how Seto felt now.
Money wasn't the be all and end all that he'd thought it was. For Seto it was security.


Willow ignored this byplay, she was getting ready to go out and investigate her ‘resources'.

"I'm heading out. I'll see what I can come up with. I'll be gone a while. Don't come looking for me,
don't even leave the doss. If I'm not back by sun up forget about me. Leave here and head for the
Towers circle around and . . . no, never mind that, no one will try to tor . . . shit!" Willow shut up and
walked out of the cul-de-saq and disappeared into the after theater crowds.

Willow watched the entrance to the cul-de-saq for a while. Most people who walked by didn't even
know it was there. Reassured by the unknowing blindness of the mass of people wandering the park,
she melted into the shadows searching for prey.

I took her a little while but she didn't mind, she needed to hunt, her nerves were all on edge. She hated
not being able to find her target. She'd changed, some how, from defense mode to offensive. She was
going to get whoever it was who was after Seto, Mokuba or Joey. She really wished they were after
her as she could then draw the enemy out and take care of the threat.



"No, please you're hurting me!"

Willow drifted into the alley way and found her prey. The yakuza was slapping a woman. She could
hear the smacks and the womans pleading whimpers.

"I'd say pick on someone your own size but I'm smaller than she is."

Willow slapped the man as he turned the slap was so powerful that it knocked him into the wall with a
dull thud. He landed in a heap beside the cringing woman who scrambled back and crouched aby a
dumpster eyeing Willow.

Willow was calmly rolling the man taking his wallet and turning out his pockets. She tossed the squibs
aside and helped herself to his jewelry. Every time he resisted she gave him another slap. It took her ten
slaps and thirty seconds to subdue him completely. By the time she was done and got turned around to
check on the Yakuza's victim she was gone and so were the squibs. (Drugs! Might have known)

Willow thought she had her prey thoroughly subdued but there was a little fight left in the man, while she
was distracted he managed to pull a knife. Not that it did him any good he managed to get it out of his
pocket, but that was all.

Willow turned around to see him trying to open a lock blade and not having any success. She couldn't
decide wether to be mad or laugh herself silly. She settled for a middle way, letting the man get the
knife open, she gave him enough room to get to his feet. He swayed drunkenly, evidently drugged and
bitch slapped into a semi-stupor.

He lunged at her knife slashing. Willow didn't even defend herself. She just stepped out of his way
sniggering softly. She'd gotten blood from his split lip on her hand. He bounced off the alley wall and
staggered backwards, toppling into nearby trash cans.

"Laugh at me you bitch. I'll cut you"

"Oh! Mr. Yakuza, please don't hurt me!"

Willow simpered, dodging a wild slash by leaning backwards. She was laughing just enough that she
misjudged where her hands were and the yakuza ran onto her blade.

He wasn't hurt badly, only slashed a little, but he reacted as if he'd been gutted. He yelped like a
kicked dog and, clutching his wound, began to cry.

"Well, hell. Here let me see. I'm not in the mood to hide a body."

She yanked his hands away and by kicking him behind the knees dumped him flat on his back. She
ripped his jacket and shirt aside. His wound, if you could really call it that, was about 6" long and barely
more that a deep scratch. She probed it to make sure it wasn't anything and got his blood all over her
hands.

Unfortunately the man had friends. They came pouring out of the door at the back of the alley looking
for him. It was unfortunate for them, not Willow. When they saw her bending over him, they attacked
her. Big mistake. She turned her knife still in her hand.

"Let's dance." Her soft remark was followed by an even softer snicker.

Dance they did, Willow moved like a flame, red hair flowing behind her. The first man just snatched at
her so she cut the palm of his hand open. He clutched at it but then he went for a gun so she cut him
deeper, slashing his throat. The next two men lined themselves up like practice stakes. She clubbed one
in the temple with the pommel of her knife, then stabbed the other one in the neck. The last man really
messed up, he managed to get his pistol out but he shot the original victim in the chest. Willow
completely decapitated him with a quick slash. Blood spattered her face and she licked it off her lips.

After looking around, Willow rolled the whole lot of them, giggling. A moments thought convinced her
to leave the jewelry. Most of it was gaudy and seemed to be one of a kind. Not the easiest thing to
hock.

The smell of blood and the feel of it on her hands was making her dizzy. She slipped into a public
restroom to clean up. Luckily she hadn't gotten more that a few small spatters on her clothes. Most of
it was on her face and hands.

She also took the time to lance her infected foot again.

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Mokuba looked up from Joey's shoulder. He'd fallen asleep waiting for Willow to come back. Now
she was offering him a rather large roll of money. And she was giggling like a loon. A strange high-
pitched sound. Barely audible but definitely there.

Seto eyed her with disgust, that giggling could only be caused by one thing, "You're drunk! Damnit, I
thought you had more control than that."

"M not drunk. Don't drink. Not at all, at all." Willow caroled, and started to snicker again. She also
pulled out her knife and began to clean the blade. By licking it.

Joey swallowed bile, not for the reason Mokuba and Seto, did but because he knew what was wrong
with Willow. He'd seen this before, once, and Bakura had explained when he'd sobered up.

"She's not drunk. She's been in the shadows too long. She's blood tupped."

The emotionless part of Willow knew that she wasn't supposed to be laughing like a loon, the part of
her that was still a feeling being was just glad to be out of her prison for a while. {Can't be acting like
this. Emotions distract me from my objectives}.

Joey watched as Seto almost made a very big mistake, only Mokuba's cry stopped him. He reached
for Willow's knife. "NO! Big Brother let it go. She'll . . . "

Willow slapped Seto's hand away almost good naturedly. "Na! Na! Nat! Naughty, naughty! Get your
own." Willow licked her hand, her pink tongue lapping at the blood on it like a cat after cream.

All three boys huddled together, eyeing Willow as she giggled like a school girl over the blood on her
knife.

"Oh shit! I've only ever seen Bakura like this and only once. Ryu cut himself and Bakura got some
blood on his hand fixing it. He said the smell made him want a taste and the blood made him tupped. He
said that it's like being drunk only it doesn't impair physical reactions and stuff. He also said it lowered
inhibitions just like alcohol. What the hell are we gong to do?"

"I heard you." Willow seemed determine to creep everyone out as she practically sang the words.

"Ok what are you going to do? Are you going to hurt us?" Seto decided to just slap her in the face with
their insecurities.

"Hurt you? No! I'm here to protect you. I just killed six men to get that money to keep you from
whoring yourselves out or exposing yourselves begging. Why would I hurt you? That's just stupid."
Willow looked indignant. She sheathed her knife and reached for Seto, Seto flinched. "We're
supposed to be lovers. Joey said!" She sounded hurt and a little sulky.

"Ok, come here and lay down. I'll cuddle you til you sober up." Seto motioned to the depression with
the blankets spread out in it. Willow obligingly crawled into the bed and waited for Seto, who lay down
beside her and took her in his arms, pulling her close. Part of Willow was disgusted, part of her
delighted. She knew she was going to pay for this later, now she just wanted to enjoy it. It had been at
least six years since anyone had touched her in more that the most casual way.

Joey watched Seto get Willow into bed and gather her in his arms. The look on her face was unsettling
at best, she looked ‘orgasmic' was the only word Joey could think of. Dismissing the thought as too
weird, Joey turned to Mokuba. "How much money did she get?"

"Almost three thousand dollars. Joey? . . . Do you think she really killed someone to get it?" Mokuba
looked scared and when he turned his head to skitter his eyes between Seto and Willow, Joey lied
through his teeth.

"Na! Not a chance. She had to cut someone for some reason, is all. She'd be careful not to draw that
much attention to us. Come ‘ere. You're outta character." Joey gathered Mokuba into his arms and
helped as he stuffed the money into the backpack and donned it again.

Joey rubbed his cheek against Mokuba's silky hair and worried. If Willow got blood tupped on a
regular basis they were in real trouble, if it was an occasional thing all he had to do was make sure she
didn't get near blood again.

Mokuba watched Seto with Willow and hoped that what he thought was happening wasn't. If Willow
was as far gone as she acted, Seto was sure to get hurt. She had seemed to be opening up from the
scary, odd girl they'd first met. But when they'd gotten into the current mess she'd shut down almost
completely, and Joey wasn't much better. He'd changed too, going from a slightly goofy, incredibly hurt
boy into a hard faced, calculating gangster with far too many street smarts for Mokubas peace of mind.

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Seto held Willow most of the night. She slept like someone dead, occasionally twitching as if something
hurt her. He tried to look her over but every time he tried to shift her, she resisted, so he decided to let
it go. She needed sleep more that he needed to check her over. She'd let them know if anything was
wrong.

When she started to wake up Seto shifted her onto the bed, he'd let her lay on his chest, keeping her
from the cold concrete. She'd been shivering in her sleep and finally crawled onto him. He hadn't
minded.

"Morning, sleepy head. You finally awake?" Seto sat up and worked up the nerve to brush Willow's
bangs out of her face. She blinked back at him for a moment then started.

"Shit! What time is it? You should have gotten me up for my watch. Who took it?" Willow felt as if she
had let them down. She was supposed to be the watcher not the watchee.

"Hey Willow, up at last, I see. Did you have a good sleep?" Joey watched her through his bangs for a
moment. "I need to talk to you. Can you come over here?"

"Yeah, I'll be there in a sec." Willow knew she was in for an ass reaming and didn't blame Joey a bit.
She was Na-san and supposed to be a lot more responsible than getting blood tupped.

"Look. I don't know what your problem is. But get over it. You're too distractable and don't tell me
it's Seto because I'll call you a liar to your face. And you've started limping. What's up with that?"

Joey had been watching her sleep and knew that something more was wrong with her than just getting
tupped by accident. That wasn't the kind of thing that just happened unless something else was wrong
and he had been noticing her favoring her foot.

"It's nothing. I'm fine. We have money now so I can stay off it for a while. Do you think we really are
going to have a place by tonight?" Willow dismissed her problems without much thought. She was
suppressing the pain so well that she didn't really notice it, she had been doing a meditation that
suppressed all feeling and emotions. She didn't have time to cater to her body or her soul. She was
totally focused on her charges to her own detriment.

"Ok, just make sure that something don't come back to bite you. I'm going to get Mo' and get some
sleep before we have to make a dash for Kaiba Towers. If Roland says it's ready, it'll be at least
livable." Joey eyed Willow doubtfully for a moment, she didn't look so good all of a sudden. Getting
blood tupped seemed to have done something somehow.

"I'm fine I said. I know I shouldn't have gotten blood drunk, but I got a shit load of it on my face. The
smell alone got to me. I got careless. It won't happen again. I just . . . I need . . . " Willow rubbed her
face trying to understand for herself what it was she wanted. "I guess I'm just getting attached, which I
shouldn't do. I'm sorry I didn't find that mole before things got to this pass. Living on the streets isn't a
good thing. But I can't get to whoever is doing this and it pisses me off. I'm getting incoherent I'm so
mad. Never mind. Go get some sleep." Willow turned around and almost bumped into Seto, who was
standing right behind her, waiting for her to take her place.

The place he was beginning to think she belonged. By his left side, nestled next to his heart. If she was
getting attached what was he?

"Come on. I'm getting claustrophobic in here. We can hang around outside, I look so different I don't
think anyone will recognize me." Seto led Willow out the break in the wall and half sat, half leaned
against the outside wall, the narrow, decorative ledge made a narrow seat of sorts and if he braced
himself just right Willow could lean against him in relative comfort.

So they leaned against the sun warmed wall. Seto with one foot on the ground, the other braced against
the wall, his arms around Willow who was standing exactly like him, keeping her weight off her bad
foot. She had her arms crossed over her chest, hands gripping Seto's arms. She liked this way too
much and knew she shouldn't indulge her self but she was going to anyway.

"Seto, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, anything including half my fortune." Seto nuzzled Willow's neck, nipping the trapezious muscle
with his lips.

"Stop the . . . never mind, keep it up. Question. If I quit working for someone, am I still bound by the
training they gave me?"

Seto considered carefully, this question was so loaded it might explode on it's own. "Depends on the
training, how you got it and why. I think you need to consider it and make choices. If parts of it don't
make sense or are harmful in some way, ignore it. Take what is useful to you and leave want isn't."

"Yeah, I think you're right." Willow chewed her lip for a moment. Then she made a decision. "Seto?
‘Nother question. Will you kiss me? I mean really kiss. Not a bird peck on the cheek or anything."

Seto nearly swallowed his tongue. "Uunn. Yeah, sure, If you're sure . . . I mean . . . I'd like that . . .
if you would. Damnit, I sound like an idiot."

Willow laughed softly. "Well it's not every day a guy has a cold-blooded assassin ask him to kiss her.
And yes I really mean it. Uh . . . don't you laugh."

Seto hugged her gently, trying to get his head around the thought that she really wanted him to kiss her.
"OK. I won't laugh. Swear."

I"ve never been kissed before. I don't know what to do." Willow flushed a color that clashed with her
hair.

"Never been kissed? What kind of boys did you grow up around." Seto couldn't believe she'd never
been kissed by a boy.

"I didn't mean by a boy. I mean at all. I don't ever remember being kissed by anyone. You'll be my
first in every way."

"Oh . . . uh. Well . . . I " Seto gave up and kissed her. He started out gently, pressing his lips against
hers. They trembled against his, she really didn't know what to do, so he touched his tongue to them,
licking along the crease between upper and lower lip, coaxing her to open to him. She tentatively
opened her lips and let him slip his tongue between them. She was liking this very much.

"Hello, why are you necking this early in the morning?"

Seto winced as Willow accidently nipped his lower lip. Then he groaned in her ear. "Damnit, Willow
you do the talking, he'll recognize my voice."

"Don't you have anyplace else to do that? It's not very nice to do that in public." Seto recognized the
chirping voice. It was even more irritating this early in the morning.


"Nope. No where else to go. Just here and there. Wanna make somethin' of it?" Willow put a snarl into
her voice. A snarl that usually got rid of whoever it was aimed at. But this spiky haired little guy didn't
seem put off in the least.

"OH! Are you homeless? I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been so judgmental. It's just kinda embarrassing
to walk up on something like that."

Seto ducked his head so he could watch Yugi through his long greasy bangs. He hadn't forgotten how
different he looked, Yugi would recognize his voice but he wouldn't connect a skinny, street kid with
Seto Kaiba. Seto decided to have some fun.

He dipped his head and whispered in Willows ear. She smirked and, resting her hand on Seto's crotch,
suggestively eyed Yugi up and down.

"Want a blow job? My friend will give you one for . . . ten bucks. How ‘bout it? He's got a real cleaver
mouth." Willow watched the boy turn bright scarlet, then white.

Seto dipped his head to Willows ear again, blowing into it before whispering again. He continued to
watch Yugi with a smirk on his lips, he was enjoying this, Yugi was such a patsy.

"My friend says if you'll go with him he'll let you do him for twenty . . . thirty if you don't want a glove.
What'd ya say? He's real good. Clean an' everything. Come on short stuff, it's real reasonable. Just
breakfast money." Willow didn't understand why Seto wanted to torment this kid but if it made Seto
happy she'd cut the little guy to fish bait with pleasure.

Yugi looked at the two dirty kids. They were obviously on the verge of starvation. He couldn't believe
that anyone would have to sell their body for food. He couldn't believe they had to dress the way they
did. The boy was as nearly naked as he'd ever seen. His pants were so tight that he couldn't even get
the top two buttons done up. He was in very real danger of having them slip too far down his hips and
his T-shirt was way to short to cover up the gap. At least he had a jacket but the way he let it gape
open he might as well not have been wearing it.

As for the girl, he'd never seen such a fierce, feral look on a human she looked more like a leopard
he'd seen in the zoo. All muscle and languid strength, frankly, she scared him more than the smirking
boy did.

"No, I don't think I'd like that. Don't you have any money? You could go to a shelter you know they'll
help you" Yugi felt like crying, no one should have to live like this.

Seto dipped his head for the third time. Willow rubbed her hand against his groin casually, as if she
didn't realize she was doing it. She let her voice go hard, cold and totally indifferent.

"No. no money, no shelter. Come on. If you don't want anything quit bustin' my chops and move
along. Got to get a customer or we don't eat. Use it or move it."

Yugi stuck his hand into his pocket and came up with a small wad of bills. He darted up to Willow and
Seto and shoved the money into Seto's hand.

"Here, it's all I have on me. There's about thirty dollars there. Use it for food. You understand? Don't
spend it on drugs. I'll be very disappointed in you if you do."

Seto nearly jumped out of his skin. What the hell was that dummy doing putting himself in arms reach of
people like them. He could get himself seriously hurt.

"YUGI MUTO!! Get away from them. What the hell is the matter with you. You don't have the brains
of a goose."

Seto cringed, if anyone recognized him it would be Tristan Taylor. He was as street smart as Joey.
Tristan did give him a sharp look but he wasn't sure if it was because he seemed familiar or because he
was too near Yugi.

"I'm sorry, Tris. They're hungry. I gave them some money, that's all. I didn't do anything." Yugi
sounded sightly pleading.

"Yug, I don't care. With the letters you've been getting you got no reason to even be on the streets.
Come on. We're going back to the hotel."

Tristan looked back over his shoulder, there was something familiar about the boy, he'd never seen the
girl before no one could forget that hair. But something about the boy, the eyes or the stance seemed
familiar somehow.

Seto watched as Tristan and Yugi hurried away. He waited until he was sure they weren't going to
come back and then he started laughing.

He laughed til he had tears in his eyes, then he laughed til his sides hurt. Willow laughed too, Seto
seemed genuinely enjoying himself, his laughter was contagious. They both laughed themselves silly and
when Seto finally wound down Willow looked him in the eyes and started him up all over again. At last
she smacked Seto on the arm and ordered him to tell her want it was all about.

"Seto you fool, you can't go with anyone. That Tris guy was bad news, I wouldn't have any trouble
with him nor would Joey, but you couldn't have done anything against him. Not knocking you but you
just aren't a fighter. No skills. Sorry. As for that Yugi kid. Why did you want to pick on him? Not that I
mind you understand. You want his head in a basket? It's yours. But he seemed harmless enough. Too
little to be much of a threat."

"I'm sorry Willow. That chirpy little cricket of a boy is the bane of my Duel Monster existence. He's
sharp and smart. It's a wonder he didn't recognize me but he tends to see what he expects to see. I just
couldn't pass up the chance to harass him some. I wouldn't have really done anything, besides he
wouldn't know what to do with me if I gave myself to him gift wrapped." Seto started snickering again.

Willow sagged against him, she was suddenly so weary she didn't think she could stand by herself. She
couldn't understand what was wrong. She worked up a little mad and the feeling went away.

"Do you mean to tell me you know either one or both of them? Damnit Seto, you are a fool. What if
one of them had recognized you?" She tried to stay mad but Seto's face made her give it up before she
could do more that glare a little.

Seto gave Willow such an apologetic look that she forgave him.

I"m sorry. I'm just so tired of being scared and watching everything I say and do. I guess I just didn't
want to think about what could happen.. . . Shit! And now I owe Yugi Muto thirty dollars."

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When Joey and Mokuba woke up, Willow told Joey about the Yugi Muto incident. Joey looked
appropriately mad but Willow was doomed to Disappointment

"Damnit Seto. I can't believe you. You actually had Willow offer for you to give him a blow job?"

Seto smirked in remembered enjoyment. "Yeah, I did and had her offer to do me. I thought he was
going to go up in flames. I know it was mean of me but I really nearly laughed in his face."

Joey laughed so hard he nearly knocked Mokuba down. Mokuba wasn't much help as he was laughing
too.

"Oh . . . Please . . . I'm dyin' here. Damnit Seto, that was mean of you."

"Yeah Joey, but you have to admit it was funny" Mokuba wiped tears out of his eyes. "I like Yugi, I
really do. But sometimes he can be such a prude. I don't know how Tris puts up with him and Tea at
the same time, and if I hear someone say OOOOOOOO they are just so Kawaii one more time I
swear I'll puke."

Willow didn't know enough about any of the people they were talking about to form an opinion but she
knew that the Yugi Muto boy was harmless at least physically and her observations of his personality,
admittedly sketched, pointed to an ingrained kindness.

"We all needed some relief. We've got a long haul today. I looked up where we're going in the city
map. It's almost twenty blocks so we better get hoofin'."

Joey dragged himself to his feet from where he'd finally squatted to keep from falling now he tucked
Mokuba under his arm a posture that mirrored Seto and Willow to an astonishing degree.

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