Yu-Gi-Oh!, October, part 27
Title: October
Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Pairings: implied Yami no Marik & Yami no Bakura, Yami no Marik & Ryou, Yami no Yuugi & Yami no Bakura, established Jounouchi & Mai, Yuugi & Anzu, forthcoming Yami no Marik & Yami no Bakura & Yami no Yuugi
Warnings: foul language, violence, shounen ai
Genre: AU, sci-fi
Summary: They’re not from this world, and have lived through time, space and universes to fulfill their goals- the ones called Shadow Born, Thief King, and Pharaoh. With their own reasons and motives, what happens to the ones they inevitable drag into their lives?
Author’s notes: Everybody is around 18-20 of age, except Yami no Marik, Yami no Bakura and Yami no Yuugi. Gratuitous use of artistic license and a whole lot of made up crap. Feedback greatly appreciated.
Key: --------- = scene change
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Malik made his way through the corridors of the huge ship, wondering who could’ve send Yuugi a holomessage. Nobody had ever send him a message, and it fueled his anger once more. Even his sister had never tried to reach him; sure, it was difficult to track someone down and send them a message when they were traveling all through the known galaxies, but still… she could’ve at least tried to leave him a message, on one of the tagfree planets. Annoyed, he went around the corner to locate the Pharaoh’s room, when he ran into Atemu exiting said room and closing the door, his fingers darting over the access panel too fast for Malik to see the code.
“Yes?”
“Is Yuugi in there?” Stupid question, but it was out of his mouth before he realized it.
“He is resting.” Atemu eyed Malik, his gaze immediately falling upon the holodisk he was holding. “What is that?”
“A delivery for Yuugi. A message for him.”
“I will make sure he gets it.” Atemu held up his hand, leaving Malik no choice but to give the disc to him. He wanted to chuck it at his head.
“Here.”
“Thank you.” Atemu stared at him, craning his neck a little as Malik was taller than him. Malik stared back at him, as if he saw Atemu truly for the first time. His sister had told him since birth that the Ishtars owed allegiance to the Pharaoh, but… why? “Is there something else?”
“Why is our tribe so important to you?” he blurted out. Atemu tilted his head.
“Marik never told you?”
“Only bits and pieces. I don’t know what’s true or not, and I’ve never been in the opportunity to find out myself.”
“It is not my task to inform you,” Atemu said.
“It’s been six years since I last spoke to my brother and sister,” Malik said heatedly, “I want to know what’s really going on!”
“I will talk to Marik about it,” Atemu said. “I need to talk to him anyway. Do not worry, I will bring it to his attention.” With that said, Atemu walked past him, leaving Malik frustrated and alone in the corridor. He looked at the access panel and was sorely tempted to try to hack it. Yuugi and ‘resting’… he could always knock on the door, but if Yuugi really was asleep, it would be a waste to wake him, and Atemu wouldn’t like it if he did. Asshole, Malik thought as he brusquely turned around and stomped off. He didn’t care about the message. He didn’t care about Yuugi or Ryou. Selfish assholes, all of them! Maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea to take up on Bakura’s ‘offer’. The thief was also an asshole, but at least Malik knew he was one. It certainly was refreshing to do business with someone you knew you couldn’t trust.
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On his way to the cockpit of the October, Atemu snapped the holodisk in two and put the pieces in to the trash compactor, without holding still for a moment. He didn’t care to find out who had send Yuugi the message; he assumed it was Anzu. His aibou’s fiancée was particularly tenacious, but she was finally out of the picture. It had taken him such hard work, but he had won Yuugi’s heart and soul in the end. Who knew his Other could withstand him for so long? He had to use every trick out of his book but as usual, he was victorious in the end. The Pharaoh would always win the game. Atemu was in a good mood, even when he stumbled upon Bakura in the cockpit. He had figured to find Marik here, but he corrected his own thoughts: as long at it was daylight, Marik would be outside, working on the ship’s repairs.
“Haven’t seen you in a while,” Bakura said, showing him a smirk.
“Where is your Other?” Atemu asked, lightly irritated.
“Fawning over Marik,” Bakura answered, echoing the irritation. “Or should I say ‘drooling’?”
“You should be talking to him,” Atemu said.
Bakura snorted “As if you tell your toy every little thing, Pharaoh.”
“He is not my ‘toy’.”
“Ah yes, I forgot. He’s the other half of your soul, right?”
“He is. Just like…”
Bakura crudely put up his hand to interrupt him. “Yes yes, we have our own theories about our Others. Fact is, all six of us are together since a very, very long time, and now shit is going to hit the fan.”
“Marik should be here,” Atemu said. “We need to talk about the next step.”
“Talk? Since when do you even hold conversations with peasants like us?” Bakura got up from his chair and closed the distance between them.
“That is not true,” Atemu said. “What…”
“You grow more distant every time we meet again,” Bakura growled. “What happened to you? Remember how we used to travel together?”
“That was a long time ago,” Atemu said, his voice dissolving into a yelp when Bakura roughly grabbed him and pulled him closer, pressing his lips on his. His hand immediately sank into Atemu’s hair, his other hand was on his back to hold him tight - it was as far as he could go before he was thrown away, hitting one of the chairs with full force. Bakura grinned as he put his fingers to his own lips, tasting a faint, thin trail of blood.
“That’s more like it,” he said, undisturbed by the glowing eye on Atemu’s forehead. “You haven’t forgotten.”
“You are a thief and a liar,” Atemu hissed at him. “You will never be able to match me.”
“This isn’t all about God Cards and Shadow Games.” Bakura got back on his feet and dusted himself off. “I don’t like being called a liar. I have spoken the truth more often than you, who calls himself Pharaoh. You think yourself God; but one day, divine judgment will also befall you, and then, oh Exalted One, you’ll be punished severely, for all the lives you took, for all the worlds you have ruined.”
“Says the one who desecrated the holiest of tombs,” Atemu snarled.
“What’s going on in here?” Marik appeared in the doorway, grease smudges on his upper arms, face and hands. “I could hear you all the way outside.”
“The tomb robber and the tomb keeper,” Atemu snorted. “Why not try to kill me right away?”
Marik’s eyes went to Bakura. “He’s first.”
“He is under my protection, ironically enough.” Atemu crossed his arms in front of his chest.
“He’ll turn against you, as you know,” Marik said. “And when he does, I’ll be sitting here in my corner, and watch on amusedly.”
“Hold that thought,” Atemu said. The glowing eye disappeared. “I am still ahead, and I will be the one to watch on amusedly as the two of you crumble and grovel at my feet.”
“So what’s it going to be?” Bakura asked. “An all-out brawl with mud and skimpy clothing?”
“We need a location,” Atemu said, ignoring Bakura’s question. “It has been so long since all six pieces have been together. In order to play the game, we need a location, and in this era, Duel Monsters is the equivalent of what we used to play.” He tapped on the holster on his belt. Bakura’s eyes were drawn to it, but he forced himself to look up again. “Vertregg 12 is the core center of the tournaments. They will have the equipment necessary to start the game.”
“Interesting enough, nowadays it’s an illegal game,” Marik said. He arched an eyebrow. “Of course! Your Other! That’s why you were on his planet. Is he the main boss in all of this?”
“Do not be ridiculous.” Atemu shook his head. “Yuugi is the most law-abiding citizen I have ever met. He knows of the illegal tournaments, as every denizen of Vertregg 12 does, but he has absolutely no hand in it.”
“How are the repairs coming along?” Bakura asked.
“It’s going to take at least three more days,” Marik answered. “I expect the replacement battery packs to arrive tomorrow. Malik checks the computer systems continuously, so far everything seems fine. The bulk of the repairs is to replace the blown-out engines.”
“You can’t replace them any faster?”
“Well, if your Other continues to help me like this, I might be ready sooner than expected,” Marik said. Bakura’s barely withheld growl left nothing to the imagination.
“A few more days of downtime leaves us plenty of opportunity to prepare,” Atemu said.
“To fuck your boyfriend, you mean,” Marik retorted.
Atemu glared at him. “Do not speak of him that way. He is my Other.”
“And nothing more,” Bakura said. “Yeah, we all know that story. It doesn’t matter though.”
“We know our place of destination,” Marik said. “What? Why are you looking at me?”
“It’s not like you to be this calm,” Bakura answered. “It’s outright creepy.”
“Don’t worry. You’ll get what’s coming to you.” Marik said, narrowing his eyes. Atemu put his hand on Bakura’s shoulder.
“He is under my protection, Tomb Keeper. You failed your duties before.”
“I’d never search protection from you,” Marik snorted. “You have acquired yourself a weak puppet, Pharaoh.”
“This weak puppet stole your God Card right from under your nose,” Atemu said, smiling contently when he saw the raw anger in Marik’s eyes increase. “Ra already answered my call once, and it will answer again when I get the first draw.”
“You already lost,” Bakura said. “It’s the end of the line for you, Marik.”
“We’ll see about that,” Marik spat. “It’s been a very, very long time since we played the game. Who knows what surprises are there in store, for the both of you!” He turned around and left the cockpit, muttering under his breath.
“He’s got a point there,” Bakura said.
Atemu watched the other’s retreating back. Marik wasn’t his problem. He had no place in the new kingdom he, Atemu, wanted to build for himself. As soon as he won the game, he would be a real Pharaoh again, and Vertregg 12 would become his new nation. Marik’s anger was nothing compared to the darkness and despair he could create for his own benefit.
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The Cyber Commander was a sturdy yet efficient ship, but it lacked the technical specifications of the Time Wizard. Jounouchi cringed at the thought of his ship. It had been a devastating sight, to see his beloved Time Wizard crushed like a paper cup. He realized once more how much luck he had had, surviving the crash with the October. Honda had said nothing while Jounouchi had stared at the distorted, wrecked remains of his ship. After fifteen minutes, he had heaved a deep sigh and left the dock. Sold as scrap metal, that was the fate of the ship he had designed himself and had served him so loyally. It made him want to throw up, but Honda was right: they needed to move on and acquire themselves a new ship. In the meantime, he could work on designs for Time Wizard II. Jounouchi had gone along with Honda to negotiate the purchase of the Cyber Commander. It didn’t take long to reach a good price, but in truth, it didn’t really matter: Kaiba had provided more than enough funding. He had authorized Jounouchi and Honda to buy any kind of ship and he didn’t seem to care about the costs. When the sale was made, Jounouchi made himself familiar with the ship and entered the cockpit to take a look around.
“What do you think?” Honda asked, joining his colleague.
“Not bad at all,” Jounouchi said. “It’s a lot roomier, that’s for sure.”
“Yeah.” Honda knew that the Time Wizard had been designed for agility and speed. “Much more storage for weapons.”
“I knew you were going to say that.” Jounouchi grimaced. They lost the EMETS back on Yllsen Volta V and Kaiba hadn’t mentioned buying a new system so far. “Good choice, Honda. Nice work.”
Honda was happy with the compliment, but he sobered up quickly. “No news from that Yuugi kid, right?”
“No. I believe that he never got the message.” Jounouchi drummed on one of the control panels. “If it weren’t for the Pharaoh, I would’ve gone to the ship myself. But there’s too much risk that I run into him, and I don’t think I’ll survive a second encounter. I wish I could get more information out of him… and get him the hell out of there.”
Honda nodded. “So far, we’ve only sighted the Pharaoh once, but never Yuugi around the October.”
“He’s being held hostage, it’s just got to be,” Jounouchi said. “I truly believe he’s innocent, caught between forces far greater than he can imagine, and he doesn’t deserve it.”
“We’ve been keeping an eye on the October for several days now,” Honda said. “We’ve seen Ryou Bakura and that Marik guy all the time, busy with the ship’s repairs. We’ve spotted Bakura and our original bounty, Malik, a couple of times. Jounouchi, now that we have a ship again, we should focus on our job.”
“Malik, you mean.” Jounouchi shrugged, eliciting a frown from Honda.
“Why do you shrug? Kaiba gave the mission officially to us. His bounty is five million genz!”
“I have the feeling Malik’s part isn’t that big at all,” Jounouchi said. Bring me the Pharaoh, Jounouchi. Fifteen million genz. I’ll acquit you of all your debts.
“What makes you say that? We have to follow the rules. Five million genz on Malik Ishtar. The others aren’t important. We haven’t received missions for them!”
That’s where you are wrong, Jounouchi kept his thoughts to himself. He didn’t like to keep secrets from his team, but he didn’t want to share this knowledge with them. Not yet.
“How do you suggest we get him?” Jounouchi asked. “He barely shows himself outside of the ship, and if we want to retrieve him now, we’ll get to deal with his pain-happy look-alike and with a bit of bad luck, we also run into Bakura or the Pharaoh. You haven’t seen him up close, Honda. It was… terrifying.”
“I’ve seen Marik Ishtar up close and personal,” Honda reminded him, shifting his arm in the sling. “I’ve seen very up close and personal how he broke my arm, how he laughed at me while he was shot in the leg, not to mention enjoying the pain a sophisticated, ultramodern electromagnetic weapon caused him!”
“Yes, you’re right.” Jounouchi turned around in his seat to look at his friend. “I apologize. I should’ve thought of that.”
“We just can’t twiddle our thumbs.” Honda was quick to forgive. “Let’s just continue the mission. It’s our job… and our current objective is Malik Ishtar.”
“It’s going to be easier to obtain him when he’s only with Marik, than with the other four around. Otherwise there could be massive collateral damage.”
“Otogi will be here tomorrow. I’m sure he’s got a plan or two up his sleeve.”
“Yes, you’re right.” Jounouchi had received a message from Otogi earlier this morning, informing him that he was on his way to Ibistapola, following up on Kaiba’s orders. He was looking forward to having the team back together again. “We’ll wait for Otogi to devise a solid plan.”
Honda was satisfied with the answer, but Jounouchi’s thoughts weren’t on the young man with the bounty on his head. He was thinking of Yuugi and how he could get him away from the October. Maybe in their upcoming plan to retrieve Malik, they could work extracting Yuugi into it as well. It was better for the poor kid, and he was a valuable asset to get to the Pharaoh. Get one, get the other. For some reason, it made Jounouchi feel nauseous.
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“Aibou.”
Yuugi shifted his position, opening his eyes as the gentle voice woke him. Blinking, he rolled over on his back, smiling as he saw Atemu.
“Mou hitori no boku,” he said. His smile increased when Atemu touched him, brushing the wayward strands out of his face.
“It is time for you to have something to eat,” Atemu said.
Yuugi pouted. “Why don’t you have dinner with me? I never see you eat.”
“I do not need those… what you call nutrients,” Atemu said. “One day I will be able to have dinner with you, aibou. For now, get up and get dressed. I picked out a wonderful new attire for you.”
“You did?” Yuugi threw the blankets off of him, and looked at the neatly folded stack of clothes. “I’ll get dressed immediately!”
“I have good news for you,” Atemu said as he watched Yuugi dress himself in black slacks, a dress shirt and a grey vest; he seemed smitten with the outfit.
“Good news? What is it, mou hitori no boku?”
“The repairs are almost finished. In just a few more days, we will return to Vertregg 12.” He carefully gauged Yuugi’s expression. “You look disappointed..?”
“I am,” Yuugi said. “I’m sorry. I’m so selfish.”
Atemu took a deep breath. “Selfish? What do you mean?”
“I don’t want this trip to end,” Yuugi said. “I want to travel with you forever.”
Atemu showed a smile, albeit much of it was relief. “That can be arranged, aibou. I have a very important thing to deal with on your home planet. It is not going to take longer than a day.”
“Really?” Yuugi closed the distance between them and snuggled up to Atemu, who wrapped his arms around him. “Not longer than a day?”
“Not longer than a few hours, actually,” Atemu comforted him.
“It’s because we left in such a hurry, isn’t it? You didn’t even get a chance to finish your business there.”
“Exactly,” Atemu said, ruffling Yuugi’s hair. “Now I want you to get something to eat, aibou. I need you to be healthy and strong.”
“I’ll go to the kitchen. Maybe I can have dinner together with Malik-kun and Ryou-kun!”
Atemu nodded and pressed a quick kiss to Yuugi’s cheek before he allowed him to leave the room. He watched him leave, a smirk firmly in place. Returning to Vertregg 12 would be Yuugi’s ultimate test. He would break with his fiancée, his grandfather and leave his old life behind to join Atemu’s side. His smirk grew even wider. He would always win. No matter what the cost.
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“You should rest, you know.”
“Don’t start again.”
“It’s not normal,” Ryou insisted. “You barely recovered from a laser shot to the leg, remember? Now you’re working 24/7 on the ship and you don’t take one moment of rest.”
“You should know by now that I’m not the same as you.” Marik dumped a fried circuit board on the ground. Ryou took it and put it on the pile with other discarded, burned elements. Not even a salvager could make something out of this crap. “Me, the Pharaoh and Bakura look like you because you’re our Others, but we’re not like you.”
Now that Marik wasn’t wearing a jacket, Ryou could see the small, rectangular black device attached to his belt. He had spotted Bakura wearing one as well, under his black trenchcoat, and Ryou was sure Atemu wore his underneath his waistcoat, even though he hadn’t been able to check it for himself. “Because of that?” he asked.
Marik didn’t even bother to look at what he was pointing at. “It’s one of the things keeping us alive, yes.”
“One of the things..?”
“You can figure out the rest yourself. You’re a smart kid.”
“Marik.” Ryou handed him the technodrill before the other could ask for it. He grinned at the surprised look he received in return. “I know you by now.”
“Keep deluding yourself.”
Ryou wasn’t offended by the crude words. It made him wonder though, why he spend so much time with Marik and not with Malik. He never received a kind word or a compliment from Marik, and Malik was more his age anyway… and in the same position he was in. His stomach rumbled. “I guess it’s time for dinner.”
Marik didn’t comment and Ryou walked past him to go back inside the ship. Suddenly Marik yanked his arm, holding him in a strong, bone breaking grip. Ryou gasped as Marik pulled him closer, bringing their faces together.
“I like to see people hurt,” Marik said. “I revel in pain, inflicted upon myself or on others. I enjoy seeing others in pain, how they squirm and writhe, how they pathetically whimper and beg for their lives.”
“I-I know,” Ryou whispered, mentally bracing himself for the pain to come. “I was there at the research facility, remember?”
Marik showed him a knowing grin. “I don’t care about the pain I cause,” he said. “It’s always there. Pain, hatred, darkness… why would I even care? But not you. Why don’t I want to see you hurt?”
Ryou didn’t have an answer to that, as this revelation all but shocked him. “I…”
“Go!” Marik released his grip and shoved him to the side. “Eat. Go away!”
Ryou hurried up the ramp and ran all the way to the kitchen.
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Previous chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
This entry was originally posted at http://the-goldenpath.dreamwidth.org/70436.html. Please comment there using OpenID.
Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Pairings: implied Yami no Marik & Yami no Bakura, Yami no Marik & Ryou, Yami no Yuugi & Yami no Bakura, established Jounouchi & Mai, Yuugi & Anzu, forthcoming Yami no Marik & Yami no Bakura & Yami no Yuugi
Warnings: foul language, violence, shounen ai
Genre: AU, sci-fi
Summary: They’re not from this world, and have lived through time, space and universes to fulfill their goals- the ones called Shadow Born, Thief King, and Pharaoh. With their own reasons and motives, what happens to the ones they inevitable drag into their lives?
Author’s notes: Everybody is around 18-20 of age, except Yami no Marik, Yami no Bakura and Yami no Yuugi. Gratuitous use of artistic license and a whole lot of made up crap. Feedback greatly appreciated.
Key: --------- = scene change
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Malik made his way through the corridors of the huge ship, wondering who could’ve send Yuugi a holomessage. Nobody had ever send him a message, and it fueled his anger once more. Even his sister had never tried to reach him; sure, it was difficult to track someone down and send them a message when they were traveling all through the known galaxies, but still… she could’ve at least tried to leave him a message, on one of the tagfree planets. Annoyed, he went around the corner to locate the Pharaoh’s room, when he ran into Atemu exiting said room and closing the door, his fingers darting over the access panel too fast for Malik to see the code.
“Yes?”
“Is Yuugi in there?” Stupid question, but it was out of his mouth before he realized it.
“He is resting.” Atemu eyed Malik, his gaze immediately falling upon the holodisk he was holding. “What is that?”
“A delivery for Yuugi. A message for him.”
“I will make sure he gets it.” Atemu held up his hand, leaving Malik no choice but to give the disc to him. He wanted to chuck it at his head.
“Here.”
“Thank you.” Atemu stared at him, craning his neck a little as Malik was taller than him. Malik stared back at him, as if he saw Atemu truly for the first time. His sister had told him since birth that the Ishtars owed allegiance to the Pharaoh, but… why? “Is there something else?”
“Why is our tribe so important to you?” he blurted out. Atemu tilted his head.
“Marik never told you?”
“Only bits and pieces. I don’t know what’s true or not, and I’ve never been in the opportunity to find out myself.”
“It is not my task to inform you,” Atemu said.
“It’s been six years since I last spoke to my brother and sister,” Malik said heatedly, “I want to know what’s really going on!”
“I will talk to Marik about it,” Atemu said. “I need to talk to him anyway. Do not worry, I will bring it to his attention.” With that said, Atemu walked past him, leaving Malik frustrated and alone in the corridor. He looked at the access panel and was sorely tempted to try to hack it. Yuugi and ‘resting’… he could always knock on the door, but if Yuugi really was asleep, it would be a waste to wake him, and Atemu wouldn’t like it if he did. Asshole, Malik thought as he brusquely turned around and stomped off. He didn’t care about the message. He didn’t care about Yuugi or Ryou. Selfish assholes, all of them! Maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea to take up on Bakura’s ‘offer’. The thief was also an asshole, but at least Malik knew he was one. It certainly was refreshing to do business with someone you knew you couldn’t trust.
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On his way to the cockpit of the October, Atemu snapped the holodisk in two and put the pieces in to the trash compactor, without holding still for a moment. He didn’t care to find out who had send Yuugi the message; he assumed it was Anzu. His aibou’s fiancée was particularly tenacious, but she was finally out of the picture. It had taken him such hard work, but he had won Yuugi’s heart and soul in the end. Who knew his Other could withstand him for so long? He had to use every trick out of his book but as usual, he was victorious in the end. The Pharaoh would always win the game. Atemu was in a good mood, even when he stumbled upon Bakura in the cockpit. He had figured to find Marik here, but he corrected his own thoughts: as long at it was daylight, Marik would be outside, working on the ship’s repairs.
“Haven’t seen you in a while,” Bakura said, showing him a smirk.
“Where is your Other?” Atemu asked, lightly irritated.
“Fawning over Marik,” Bakura answered, echoing the irritation. “Or should I say ‘drooling’?”
“You should be talking to him,” Atemu said.
Bakura snorted “As if you tell your toy every little thing, Pharaoh.”
“He is not my ‘toy’.”
“Ah yes, I forgot. He’s the other half of your soul, right?”
“He is. Just like…”
Bakura crudely put up his hand to interrupt him. “Yes yes, we have our own theories about our Others. Fact is, all six of us are together since a very, very long time, and now shit is going to hit the fan.”
“Marik should be here,” Atemu said. “We need to talk about the next step.”
“Talk? Since when do you even hold conversations with peasants like us?” Bakura got up from his chair and closed the distance between them.
“That is not true,” Atemu said. “What…”
“You grow more distant every time we meet again,” Bakura growled. “What happened to you? Remember how we used to travel together?”
“That was a long time ago,” Atemu said, his voice dissolving into a yelp when Bakura roughly grabbed him and pulled him closer, pressing his lips on his. His hand immediately sank into Atemu’s hair, his other hand was on his back to hold him tight - it was as far as he could go before he was thrown away, hitting one of the chairs with full force. Bakura grinned as he put his fingers to his own lips, tasting a faint, thin trail of blood.
“That’s more like it,” he said, undisturbed by the glowing eye on Atemu’s forehead. “You haven’t forgotten.”
“You are a thief and a liar,” Atemu hissed at him. “You will never be able to match me.”
“This isn’t all about God Cards and Shadow Games.” Bakura got back on his feet and dusted himself off. “I don’t like being called a liar. I have spoken the truth more often than you, who calls himself Pharaoh. You think yourself God; but one day, divine judgment will also befall you, and then, oh Exalted One, you’ll be punished severely, for all the lives you took, for all the worlds you have ruined.”
“Says the one who desecrated the holiest of tombs,” Atemu snarled.
“What’s going on in here?” Marik appeared in the doorway, grease smudges on his upper arms, face and hands. “I could hear you all the way outside.”
“The tomb robber and the tomb keeper,” Atemu snorted. “Why not try to kill me right away?”
Marik’s eyes went to Bakura. “He’s first.”
“He is under my protection, ironically enough.” Atemu crossed his arms in front of his chest.
“He’ll turn against you, as you know,” Marik said. “And when he does, I’ll be sitting here in my corner, and watch on amusedly.”
“Hold that thought,” Atemu said. The glowing eye disappeared. “I am still ahead, and I will be the one to watch on amusedly as the two of you crumble and grovel at my feet.”
“So what’s it going to be?” Bakura asked. “An all-out brawl with mud and skimpy clothing?”
“We need a location,” Atemu said, ignoring Bakura’s question. “It has been so long since all six pieces have been together. In order to play the game, we need a location, and in this era, Duel Monsters is the equivalent of what we used to play.” He tapped on the holster on his belt. Bakura’s eyes were drawn to it, but he forced himself to look up again. “Vertregg 12 is the core center of the tournaments. They will have the equipment necessary to start the game.”
“Interesting enough, nowadays it’s an illegal game,” Marik said. He arched an eyebrow. “Of course! Your Other! That’s why you were on his planet. Is he the main boss in all of this?”
“Do not be ridiculous.” Atemu shook his head. “Yuugi is the most law-abiding citizen I have ever met. He knows of the illegal tournaments, as every denizen of Vertregg 12 does, but he has absolutely no hand in it.”
“How are the repairs coming along?” Bakura asked.
“It’s going to take at least three more days,” Marik answered. “I expect the replacement battery packs to arrive tomorrow. Malik checks the computer systems continuously, so far everything seems fine. The bulk of the repairs is to replace the blown-out engines.”
“You can’t replace them any faster?”
“Well, if your Other continues to help me like this, I might be ready sooner than expected,” Marik said. Bakura’s barely withheld growl left nothing to the imagination.
“A few more days of downtime leaves us plenty of opportunity to prepare,” Atemu said.
“To fuck your boyfriend, you mean,” Marik retorted.
Atemu glared at him. “Do not speak of him that way. He is my Other.”
“And nothing more,” Bakura said. “Yeah, we all know that story. It doesn’t matter though.”
“We know our place of destination,” Marik said. “What? Why are you looking at me?”
“It’s not like you to be this calm,” Bakura answered. “It’s outright creepy.”
“Don’t worry. You’ll get what’s coming to you.” Marik said, narrowing his eyes. Atemu put his hand on Bakura’s shoulder.
“He is under my protection, Tomb Keeper. You failed your duties before.”
“I’d never search protection from you,” Marik snorted. “You have acquired yourself a weak puppet, Pharaoh.”
“This weak puppet stole your God Card right from under your nose,” Atemu said, smiling contently when he saw the raw anger in Marik’s eyes increase. “Ra already answered my call once, and it will answer again when I get the first draw.”
“You already lost,” Bakura said. “It’s the end of the line for you, Marik.”
“We’ll see about that,” Marik spat. “It’s been a very, very long time since we played the game. Who knows what surprises are there in store, for the both of you!” He turned around and left the cockpit, muttering under his breath.
“He’s got a point there,” Bakura said.
Atemu watched the other’s retreating back. Marik wasn’t his problem. He had no place in the new kingdom he, Atemu, wanted to build for himself. As soon as he won the game, he would be a real Pharaoh again, and Vertregg 12 would become his new nation. Marik’s anger was nothing compared to the darkness and despair he could create for his own benefit.
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The Cyber Commander was a sturdy yet efficient ship, but it lacked the technical specifications of the Time Wizard. Jounouchi cringed at the thought of his ship. It had been a devastating sight, to see his beloved Time Wizard crushed like a paper cup. He realized once more how much luck he had had, surviving the crash with the October. Honda had said nothing while Jounouchi had stared at the distorted, wrecked remains of his ship. After fifteen minutes, he had heaved a deep sigh and left the dock. Sold as scrap metal, that was the fate of the ship he had designed himself and had served him so loyally. It made him want to throw up, but Honda was right: they needed to move on and acquire themselves a new ship. In the meantime, he could work on designs for Time Wizard II. Jounouchi had gone along with Honda to negotiate the purchase of the Cyber Commander. It didn’t take long to reach a good price, but in truth, it didn’t really matter: Kaiba had provided more than enough funding. He had authorized Jounouchi and Honda to buy any kind of ship and he didn’t seem to care about the costs. When the sale was made, Jounouchi made himself familiar with the ship and entered the cockpit to take a look around.
“What do you think?” Honda asked, joining his colleague.
“Not bad at all,” Jounouchi said. “It’s a lot roomier, that’s for sure.”
“Yeah.” Honda knew that the Time Wizard had been designed for agility and speed. “Much more storage for weapons.”
“I knew you were going to say that.” Jounouchi grimaced. They lost the EMETS back on Yllsen Volta V and Kaiba hadn’t mentioned buying a new system so far. “Good choice, Honda. Nice work.”
Honda was happy with the compliment, but he sobered up quickly. “No news from that Yuugi kid, right?”
“No. I believe that he never got the message.” Jounouchi drummed on one of the control panels. “If it weren’t for the Pharaoh, I would’ve gone to the ship myself. But there’s too much risk that I run into him, and I don’t think I’ll survive a second encounter. I wish I could get more information out of him… and get him the hell out of there.”
Honda nodded. “So far, we’ve only sighted the Pharaoh once, but never Yuugi around the October.”
“He’s being held hostage, it’s just got to be,” Jounouchi said. “I truly believe he’s innocent, caught between forces far greater than he can imagine, and he doesn’t deserve it.”
“We’ve been keeping an eye on the October for several days now,” Honda said. “We’ve seen Ryou Bakura and that Marik guy all the time, busy with the ship’s repairs. We’ve spotted Bakura and our original bounty, Malik, a couple of times. Jounouchi, now that we have a ship again, we should focus on our job.”
“Malik, you mean.” Jounouchi shrugged, eliciting a frown from Honda.
“Why do you shrug? Kaiba gave the mission officially to us. His bounty is five million genz!”
“I have the feeling Malik’s part isn’t that big at all,” Jounouchi said. Bring me the Pharaoh, Jounouchi. Fifteen million genz. I’ll acquit you of all your debts.
“What makes you say that? We have to follow the rules. Five million genz on Malik Ishtar. The others aren’t important. We haven’t received missions for them!”
That’s where you are wrong, Jounouchi kept his thoughts to himself. He didn’t like to keep secrets from his team, but he didn’t want to share this knowledge with them. Not yet.
“How do you suggest we get him?” Jounouchi asked. “He barely shows himself outside of the ship, and if we want to retrieve him now, we’ll get to deal with his pain-happy look-alike and with a bit of bad luck, we also run into Bakura or the Pharaoh. You haven’t seen him up close, Honda. It was… terrifying.”
“I’ve seen Marik Ishtar up close and personal,” Honda reminded him, shifting his arm in the sling. “I’ve seen very up close and personal how he broke my arm, how he laughed at me while he was shot in the leg, not to mention enjoying the pain a sophisticated, ultramodern electromagnetic weapon caused him!”
“Yes, you’re right.” Jounouchi turned around in his seat to look at his friend. “I apologize. I should’ve thought of that.”
“We just can’t twiddle our thumbs.” Honda was quick to forgive. “Let’s just continue the mission. It’s our job… and our current objective is Malik Ishtar.”
“It’s going to be easier to obtain him when he’s only with Marik, than with the other four around. Otherwise there could be massive collateral damage.”
“Otogi will be here tomorrow. I’m sure he’s got a plan or two up his sleeve.”
“Yes, you’re right.” Jounouchi had received a message from Otogi earlier this morning, informing him that he was on his way to Ibistapola, following up on Kaiba’s orders. He was looking forward to having the team back together again. “We’ll wait for Otogi to devise a solid plan.”
Honda was satisfied with the answer, but Jounouchi’s thoughts weren’t on the young man with the bounty on his head. He was thinking of Yuugi and how he could get him away from the October. Maybe in their upcoming plan to retrieve Malik, they could work extracting Yuugi into it as well. It was better for the poor kid, and he was a valuable asset to get to the Pharaoh. Get one, get the other. For some reason, it made Jounouchi feel nauseous.
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“Aibou.”
Yuugi shifted his position, opening his eyes as the gentle voice woke him. Blinking, he rolled over on his back, smiling as he saw Atemu.
“Mou hitori no boku,” he said. His smile increased when Atemu touched him, brushing the wayward strands out of his face.
“It is time for you to have something to eat,” Atemu said.
Yuugi pouted. “Why don’t you have dinner with me? I never see you eat.”
“I do not need those… what you call nutrients,” Atemu said. “One day I will be able to have dinner with you, aibou. For now, get up and get dressed. I picked out a wonderful new attire for you.”
“You did?” Yuugi threw the blankets off of him, and looked at the neatly folded stack of clothes. “I’ll get dressed immediately!”
“I have good news for you,” Atemu said as he watched Yuugi dress himself in black slacks, a dress shirt and a grey vest; he seemed smitten with the outfit.
“Good news? What is it, mou hitori no boku?”
“The repairs are almost finished. In just a few more days, we will return to Vertregg 12.” He carefully gauged Yuugi’s expression. “You look disappointed..?”
“I am,” Yuugi said. “I’m sorry. I’m so selfish.”
Atemu took a deep breath. “Selfish? What do you mean?”
“I don’t want this trip to end,” Yuugi said. “I want to travel with you forever.”
Atemu showed a smile, albeit much of it was relief. “That can be arranged, aibou. I have a very important thing to deal with on your home planet. It is not going to take longer than a day.”
“Really?” Yuugi closed the distance between them and snuggled up to Atemu, who wrapped his arms around him. “Not longer than a day?”
“Not longer than a few hours, actually,” Atemu comforted him.
“It’s because we left in such a hurry, isn’t it? You didn’t even get a chance to finish your business there.”
“Exactly,” Atemu said, ruffling Yuugi’s hair. “Now I want you to get something to eat, aibou. I need you to be healthy and strong.”
“I’ll go to the kitchen. Maybe I can have dinner together with Malik-kun and Ryou-kun!”
Atemu nodded and pressed a quick kiss to Yuugi’s cheek before he allowed him to leave the room. He watched him leave, a smirk firmly in place. Returning to Vertregg 12 would be Yuugi’s ultimate test. He would break with his fiancée, his grandfather and leave his old life behind to join Atemu’s side. His smirk grew even wider. He would always win. No matter what the cost.
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“You should rest, you know.”
“Don’t start again.”
“It’s not normal,” Ryou insisted. “You barely recovered from a laser shot to the leg, remember? Now you’re working 24/7 on the ship and you don’t take one moment of rest.”
“You should know by now that I’m not the same as you.” Marik dumped a fried circuit board on the ground. Ryou took it and put it on the pile with other discarded, burned elements. Not even a salvager could make something out of this crap. “Me, the Pharaoh and Bakura look like you because you’re our Others, but we’re not like you.”
Now that Marik wasn’t wearing a jacket, Ryou could see the small, rectangular black device attached to his belt. He had spotted Bakura wearing one as well, under his black trenchcoat, and Ryou was sure Atemu wore his underneath his waistcoat, even though he hadn’t been able to check it for himself. “Because of that?” he asked.
Marik didn’t even bother to look at what he was pointing at. “It’s one of the things keeping us alive, yes.”
“One of the things..?”
“You can figure out the rest yourself. You’re a smart kid.”
“Marik.” Ryou handed him the technodrill before the other could ask for it. He grinned at the surprised look he received in return. “I know you by now.”
“Keep deluding yourself.”
Ryou wasn’t offended by the crude words. It made him wonder though, why he spend so much time with Marik and not with Malik. He never received a kind word or a compliment from Marik, and Malik was more his age anyway… and in the same position he was in. His stomach rumbled. “I guess it’s time for dinner.”
Marik didn’t comment and Ryou walked past him to go back inside the ship. Suddenly Marik yanked his arm, holding him in a strong, bone breaking grip. Ryou gasped as Marik pulled him closer, bringing their faces together.
“I like to see people hurt,” Marik said. “I revel in pain, inflicted upon myself or on others. I enjoy seeing others in pain, how they squirm and writhe, how they pathetically whimper and beg for their lives.”
“I-I know,” Ryou whispered, mentally bracing himself for the pain to come. “I was there at the research facility, remember?”
Marik showed him a knowing grin. “I don’t care about the pain I cause,” he said. “It’s always there. Pain, hatred, darkness… why would I even care? But not you. Why don’t I want to see you hurt?”
Ryou didn’t have an answer to that, as this revelation all but shocked him. “I…”
“Go!” Marik released his grip and shoved him to the side. “Eat. Go away!”
Ryou hurried up the ramp and ran all the way to the kitchen.
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