[Fanfic] Take Me To Your Leader
Originally posted by shamise at [Fanfic] Take Me To Your Leader
Title: Take Me To Your Leader
Part: beginning?
Summary: Atem wasn't expecting a whole lot when he got a job as a night watchman at the lab, but he got a whole barrel of fun when the aline Yugi Mouto "get's lost."
Notes: Okay, so I've been thinking about this idea for a while now. It stemmed off of a drabble, and I'm hoping it will last for a little while. *shrugs* I'm just glad to be writing. Also, there are a lot of mistakes, and I plan to re-write most of this. Bear with me.
~(*)~
“Eh, take me to your leader?”
Atem held his weapon tighter. He was confused, and caught off guard. This strange man across from him looked human, but nothing human could get into the security of this building so quietly. The man appeared to be around eighteen years old. He was the same height as Atem, which was just below average, and his outfit looked rather eccentric. It was a mix of a dark shirt, pants, a cloak, and buckles.
“What are you doing here?” Atem demanded. His gun did not waver, he had a job to do. “This is a restricted area, you are not allowed in here.”
“Sorry, sorry,” the man apologized. His posture remained relaxed, as if he wasn't concerned by the weapon pointed at him. “I didn't mean to intrude.” He trailed off after that, and his eyes wandered around the hallway he had been caught in.
“State your name and business,” Atem demanded.
“Oh! Sorry, where are my manners. I am called Yugi Mouto, and I afraid that I'm lost.”
“Lost...” Atem repeated. “You can't just get “lost” here.” The area was always locked down and it was watched by sentries and video cameras. If this man had gotten in from the outside, they would have known about it. Atem reached for his communicator. This had the potential of being very dangerous. He quickly pressed the call button on his belt, and pulled his walkie-talkie from it's loop.
“Sir? We have an intruder in hallway 6-0-3. Identified as a Yugi Mouto. Claims to be...“lost.”
There was a pause on the other end of the walkie, and Atem continued to watch Mouto. He did not seem very concerned. If anything he seemed to be more interested in Atem. It gave Atem the chills, and not the good ones, and made him feel like Mouto was trying to look inside him.
“Copy that, sentry 1-0-2. A detainment unit is on the way.”
“Detainment unit? That doesn't sound good.” Mouto seemed distracted, and it made Atem nervous that he wasn't the least bit concerned as to what could happen to him. His eyes trailed to Atem's face, and after some squinting, seemed to find what he was looking for. “Oh my,” he took two quick steps forward, suddenly within reaching distance of Atem. Unable to move, Atem held his breath as Mouto reached up for his face. Something inside his head squirmed, and fuzzy, black spots entered his vision. “That's a nasty bug you have there.”
The loud thud of combat boots on the tiled floor snapped Atem out of whatever held him still. He jerked back and reasserted his gun's position, this time pointed at Mouto's head. “What did you do?” he murmured. Mouto just smiled, and Atem couldn't pin-point what kind of smile it was. The fuzzy, black spots continued to float around his vision as they stared at each other.
The moment, whatever it was, was over as the detainment unit came quickly from behind Mouto. The man turned to watch them approach, and slowly raised his hands above his head.
The officer of the detainment unit came up to him after Mouto was taken into custody. “Stand down, sentry 1-0-2.” With a start, Atem realized that he still had his weapon raised. Slowly, he lowered it, and put it away in his holster. “We will need you to come with us for debriefing.” Atem nodded. He knew the protocol.
“Yes, sir.” He fell into line as the detainment unit marched off down the hall. He spared a glance at Mouto, who appeared to be completely at ease amidst circle of guards, even though they all had guns pointed at him.
The walk to the interrogation rooms was a quiet one, and Atem's mind raced with questions. Most prevalent was “what the hell just happened?”. One minute, he was doing just fin, then this...man pops up and could have cost him his job! If Atem had let Mouto touch him, who knows what could have happened. He obviously wasn't normal and considering the circumstances here, he could tell something was off.
He was lead to a small gray room, and the commanding officer told him that someone would be by shortly to debrief him. Once he was gone, Atem sat down at the table, and waited. Mouto was probably being taken to a similar room, most likely with more security measurements than this one. He wondered who would interrogate him. The Organization probably had a whole team for stuff like this, and he wondered if he would know the person. The only people he really saw were his superiors, the secretary, and some of the people who worked in the offices. He supposed he could have been more social and gotten to know some of his coworkers, but he never had been good at conversations.
The door swung open, and Atem pulled out of his musings. A woman in a uniform he couldn't identify, aside from the little Organization symbol over her left breast. She carried with her a clipboard, and a gun nestled in its holster at her hip.
“Sentry 1-0-2, you're name is Atem Nomanaki, correct?” Her voice was clipped and professional.
“Yes, ma'am.”
“You've been employed here for three months as a night-guard.”
“Yes, ma'am.”
“You're record is mostly clean, with one minor altercation before you're employment here, and you're superiors have nothing bad to say about your work ethic.”
Unsure if Atem was supposed to respond, he kept quiet. Her stare was unnerving, and it made him feel like she was running some kind of experiment, with him as the Guinea pig. He didn't like it.
“Alright, so tell what happened tonight.”
Taking a deep breath, Atem told his side of events. He started with who he saw, when and where, moved on to how Mouto popped up out of nowhere, the conversation that followed, and then the detainment units appearance. His nervousness from before eased slightly. He might not be good with talking to people, but he did have a good memory.
“Did this Mouto character say anything strange before the DU got here?”
“He...said something about a bug, ma'am.”
“A bug?” Atem didn't miss how her body tensed. “Did he specify what kind of bug?”
“No, ma'am.” Atem pulled his hands close to his body. “He just said, “that's a nasty bug.” The woman's face contorted into a series of expressions. He recognized anger and disgust, but the others changed so quickly he couldn't pick them a part. Her grip on her clipboard tightened till her knuckles turned white, and her jaw clenched.
Atem was completely ready to leave now. His nerves, which were normally easy to control, made him feel twitchy and ready to run. It was reminiscent of middle school, before he had started taking self-defense classes to ward off the bullies. The nervousness of knowing that something dangerous was lurking about.
“Is that all, ma'am?” The woman's eyes snapped onto him as he spoke. It could all just be in his head. In all honesty, his head had been feeling funny ever since his encounter with Mouto. There was a long pause before the woman said anything, and the air grew thicker with each passing second.
“Yes,” she finally said. “You may return to your post.”
Atem swallowed his breath of relief and he stood and exited the room. He didn't care if he appeared hurried, he just wanted to be away from that woman. He briskly walked down the hallway, back to his scheduled post, and didn't relax until he had turned the corner.
“What the hell is wrong with me?” he mumbled, stopping a moment to collect himself. He hadn't been that nervous in a long time!
“I wonder if she is always like that.” He continued on his way to his post. “Maybe one of the other night guards will know her.” He paused. “I didn't get her name.” His superior was going to want to know exactly what happened, and he was big on details. “Great.”
A tremor passed through the floor, startling Atem out of his thoughts, and an explosion of sound nearly knocked him off of his feet.
“What the hell?!” Atem pulled his gun out of its holster and ran towards the sound. His walkie garbled noise at him, and he hastily grabbed it. Nothing understandable came out, and he was forced to turn it off as the noises became louder. Footsteps pattered in the adjacent hallway, from the direction of the loud noise earlier.
That can't be one of our people, Atem thought. It doesn't sound like boots or heels, and the only people here right now are the guards and the woman from earlier. He raised his gun and readied his stance.
When Atem looked back on this day, he was sure that some part of his mind expected who would come around that corner, but nothing truly prepared him for what happened.
Mouto careened around the corner, his shoes screeching on the tiled floor. He ran right into him, with barely enough time to acquire a surprised expression. Atem hit the floor with a 'thud,' and they went rolling.
“You!” Atem tried to right himself, only to be pushed back over as Mouto also tried to scramble up. “H-hey!” He grabbed onto Mouto's arm and pulled him back. “What do you think you are doing?”
“No time!” Mouto yelled at him.
“No time, my ass!” Atem swore. He grabbed at Mouto again, who was trying to continue his run down the hall. “You're not supposed to be out running around!”
Suddenly, a giant screech ripped through the air, forcing Atem to let go of Mouto to protect his ears. Mouto winced, seemingly not as affected by the noise as Atem was. The ear-shattering noise fell away, and something massive swerved around the corner. It stopped at the sight of them, breathing heavily.
“The hell?!”
It was like an actor from a B-rated sci-fi film just decided to pop on by for a cup of coffee, while still in full alien costume. It was a nasty thing, standing six feet tall and three feet wide. Long, spider-like legs supported a massive head. There was a human face nestled in among the gray wrinkles, and a humanoid body suspended just underneath it.
“Hunteeeeeer!” It screamed. Atem knew that face, it was Mrs. Chonos, the lady who interrogated him!
The monster with the face of Mrs. Chonos loomed over them, its body quivered with the need to chase. Atem's fight-or-flight desire went haywire, and he stood frozen to the spot. His head pounded when the monster's face swiveled to look at him. Its eyes were glassy, and the pupil was elongated sideways like a frog's. No amount of training could have prepared him for this moment, and he knew he was going to die. It didn't stare at him for long, and with a screech, it lunged at him.
The hair on the back of his neck rose, and suddenly Mouto appeared behind him. He had reached over Atem's shoulder, pressing him down into a more guarded position, and struck at the approaching monster. It screamed and reared back, hands clutching the sudden wound on its massive head. A large, glassy claw curved defensively in front of him. It was nearly see-through, with red and black veins inside. There was no hint of a human hand inside. Mouto's other hand pressed against his shoulder, and a quick look showed that a glass sheath was slowly growing over it.
“Dammit,” Mouto cursed, and his voice broke the shock that had fallen over Atem. Head still pounding, he gathered his wits and rolled out from underneath Mouto, grabbing his gun as he went. His gun swiveled from the Mouto, to the monster, and back.
“What the hell is going on?!” he yelled at Mouto. It only made his head hurt worse, and caused the monster to turn its attention to him. Once again, it lunged at him, and before he could train his gun on it, it was knocked away by Mouto and his glass claws.
“Pay attention!” Mouto yelled back. Atem shook his head as his vision turned cloudy. He could barely see Mouto step in front of him, holding off the monster, and sound was muffled. What the hell is going on? His body felt like it was on fire, and his brain felt like it was trying to hide in the tiniest corner of his skull.
“Run!” Mouto's command rang out clear in his ears, and he obeyed without a second thought. He ran, barely able to keep himself from running into a wall. Mouto was right behind him, and his voice was the only thing that could be heard through the noise. The monster grew close, and they swerved into an office room. They dodged between rows of cubicles, and he was suddenly pushed aside.
Chaos reigned in the room as they were joined by a detainment unit. Gunfire rang out, and Atem hid behind an overturned desk. He had lost his gun in the scramble, and not even his bullet-proof vest could save him if he got caught in the crossfire.
“Pitiful humans!” A voice he hadn't heard screamed. It sounded like nails on a chalkboard, and had an echo quality. Atem's heart beat faster. He peeked around the corner of the desk, and caught sight of someone being impaled on one of the monster's spear-like legs. “I will kill you all!” He watched in horror as the monster decimated the room, bullets bounced off of its hide. One poor soul kept firing his gun, even when a spike drove through his mid-section. His gun that aimed towards Atem as he died.
“No!” There was a blur of movement and suddenly Mouto was in front of him. Mouto crumpled not a second later, clutching a bleeding wound in his stomach. Atem stared, and the monster roared in the background. The sight of Mouto's blood made his body tense up, and for a moment, his head was clear. Reacting in the only way he could think of, he grabbed Mouto and pulled him behind the desk. No, it wasn't a good idea to move someone with a bullet wound, but there was a blood-thirsty monster looking to kill everyone. Mouto would have to deal with it.
His hand brushed over the glass claws, and electricity shot through his system. He and Mouto swore, for different reasons but with the same intensity. Atem lost focus on Mouto as his body curled in on itself. His hand pulled at his hair, trying desperately to still the pounding in his head. The sound of gunfire and fighting disappeared , and the monster screamed in triumph. Atem's voice warbled as his voice struggled to answer.
It hurt; it hurt so bad!
“Come out, come out wherever you are,” the monster growled. It shuffled around the room, overturning desks and chairs as it went. It was close to them now, and Atem trembled under the force in his head.
“Found you.”
The desk he was hiding behind gave a horrendous crunch as the monster drove a spiked leg through it. Atem tumbled away, letting go of his head to pick himself up. Something rose withing him, a frayed line was keeping something from breaking forth, and the more he moved the more it thinned. His lips pulled back in an aggressive sneer as the heat overtook him.
“Time to die!” The monster lunged at him with another spiked leg, aiming right for his heart.
Something black erupted from behind him and speared the monster's leg. Atem's vision sharpened intensively, and that frayed line within him snapped. The monster shook out the black spear from its leg with a pained hiss, and stepped back as Atem convulsed.
More things erupted from behind him, sharp and black. They felt connected to him, and they supported the sudden weight that accompanied them by stabbing the ground. He stood there, shaky as a newborn foal.
“Well, well, well.” It murmured. “Look what was hiding here: a little newborn.” It took a step closer to him, and the small, rational part of his mind yelled at him to get away. It laughed at him, mocking his wobbly attempt to back up. His whole body felt like lead, burning lead.
“How perfect is this?” It crooned. “Not only so I get to kill a loathsome hunter, but I've also found a newborn that hasn't been imprinted yet!” It leaned forward, opening its arms in welcome. “Come with me, little newborn, and I will show you the wonders of our kind.” Atem swayed. His vision grayed at her words, and his awareness dimmed. “Oh, there are so many wonders!” it continued. “The wonders of battle and blood and chaos. How marvelous it all is!”
Atem couldn't think anymore. The monster's words wrapped around his mind, lulling him into a compliant stupor. He stepped forward, ignorant as black metal inched over his skin like a shell. It would be so easy to go with the monster. It would be so...fun. His lips curled into a wicked smile.
“No!”
Atem swung his head around as the monster hissed. Mouto, still bleeding from his wound, was struggling to stand up.
“Don't listen to her, Atem!” he yelled. “She's a parasite! Nothing human is left in her!”
“Kill him,” it whispered. “Kill him, and spill your first blood tonight!” Atem lurched forward at her words. The scent of blood wafted to his nose; it was metallic and strange, and caused a mixed sense of revulsion and longing.
“Don't, Atem,” Mouto whispered. A chorus of “kill him” rose within him, and the monster urged him on. “You're not a monster yet.”
He lunged, suddenly and wobbly, at Mouto with one of his black spears. There was a hiss of energy as a shining, white claw caught his spear, holding onto the end. It hurt! It hurt like boiling water and electrocution as the same time. His vision swirled between cloudy and clear, and his head hurt. He leaned forward, intent on finishing Mouto off.
“Please, Atem,” Mouto said. “I know there's still some human in you. Don't be a monster; don't make me kill you. Please, think.”
Atem froze, a snarl on his lips. Human, he was...human?
“Kill him!”
He didn't...he didn't want to kill anyone. What was he doing? The boiling pain on his spear stopped when he quit pushing, and the tense pressure relaxed to where Mouto's claw was merely holding on. A gentle warmth lapped at the edge of his mind, and he turned towards it.
“Yu...gi?”
“Yes,” Yugi smiled in relief. “It's me.”
“No!” The monster next to Atem lunged at Mouto, and the brief moment of clarity vanished as he reacted. A second black spear nailed the monster in the shoulder and forcibly pushed it away.''
“You're siding with him?!” The monster screamed. It spun on him, human face contorting in rage, and Atem stood his ground defiantly. “He's a hunter! He's killed hundreds of us! Can't you smell it on him?!”
Atem took a step in front of Mouto and snarled.
“Traitor,” it hissed. “To think that you've imprinted on him, disgusting.” It lunged at him. “You shall die with him!”
They fought, trading blow for blow. Atem's movement quickly became more graceful, though he still stumbled. He grinned in delight of the fight. This fight, this fight was what he wanted, what he was born for.
The monster finally fell. Multiple black spears dug into its body. It snarled pitifully at him, and Atem barred his teeth at it. He could kill it. It would be so easy to stab it right through the chest, or even the brain. He mulled over the decision.
“Atem! Don't!”
Atem spun around as Mouto appeared out of his peripheral vision. Warm feelings pressed against his mind, whispering things he couldn't understand. His harsh breathing and rapid heart beat slowed and his attention focused on Mouto.
“It's ok now, Atem.” Mouto said. “You don't have to kill her. I can take it from here.”
A strange sense of primitive fury passed over him. It raged that the monster was his to kill. His prey. The moment passed, however, and he quietly stepped away, black spear pulling out of the monster with a sickening squish. His body swayed against the gentle whispering in his head.
Yugi reached a hand out towards the monster, streams of glass wrapped around his arms. It whined and pathetically tried to get away. Atem growled, and he took a step forward. The urge to chase and maim died a second later as Mouto pressed a hand against the monster's human forehead.
It screamed and writhed against Mouto's touch. Clear glass raced over its body, and once it was encased, it shattered and the monster's body crumbled like a broken mirror, leaving behind the wounded body of Mrs. Chonos. An echo of the monster's scream swirled around his head.
“There we go,” Mouto whispered to the woman. “That should clear you up.” He stood slowly, one hand covering his wound. “Now, what should we do about you?”
Atem blinked, and then tilted his head. There was a rather pleasant thrumming going on in his ears, and there wasn't a particular need to do anything, now that the monster was gone. A beaten and weary woman wouldn't give him much in a fight.
There was a sudden noise of people running around the corner. Hissing, Atem moved to stand in front of Mouto.
“Oh, no,” he said. “That's enough fighting for today.” He laid a hand on Atem's shoulder. “Let's get out of here.”
He hesitated only a moment, before ignoring the oncoming squad. He followed Mouto obediently, like a loyal hound. They got to the door by the time the squad saw them. Atem hissed when they raised their guns, and he reacted on the knowledge that he couldn't stand up to bullets (there was a thought that the black plats which had covered almost half his body would protect him, but it wasn't a long thought. He grabbed Mouto, his black spears hitting the ground to support the extra weight, and he quickly retreated.
Mouto squeaked when he was grabbed, but he didn't protest of struggle. “This way!” he yelled when they reached a fork. Atem followed his directions, leaving the yelling pursuers behind.
The rest was a blur to Atem. His mind zoned out, hearing only Yugi's directions. It wasn't long before they were outside and standing in front of a long spherical object. It was easily the size of a trailer, maybe a little wider.
“Here.” Mouto said, and Atem set him down. He watched benignly as Mouto laid a hand on the sphere, and a green panel opened at his touch. After pressing a few buttons, a large panel slid open, revealing a small, empty room. He smiled, and took half a step in, before turning and offering a hand to Atem.
There was no compulsion to take his hand, like during the fight earlier. He could chose whether or not to accept whatever Mouto was offering. His foggy mind hesitated a moment longer, before he reached forward and laid his hand in Mouto's. There was a smile of relief, and he was pulled inside.
The instant he stepped through the threshold, pain raced through his body. His body convulsed as his black spears suddenly grew spikes and steamed. Something ate at his thoughts.
“Atem!” Yugi yelled.
Title: Take Me To Your Leader
Part: beginning?
Summary: Atem wasn't expecting a whole lot when he got a job as a night watchman at the lab, but he got a whole barrel of fun when the aline Yugi Mouto "get's lost."
Notes: Okay, so I've been thinking about this idea for a while now. It stemmed off of a drabble, and I'm hoping it will last for a little while. *shrugs* I'm just glad to be writing. Also, there are a lot of mistakes, and I plan to re-write most of this. Bear with me.
~(*)~
“Eh, take me to your leader?”
Atem held his weapon tighter. He was confused, and caught off guard. This strange man across from him looked human, but nothing human could get into the security of this building so quietly. The man appeared to be around eighteen years old. He was the same height as Atem, which was just below average, and his outfit looked rather eccentric. It was a mix of a dark shirt, pants, a cloak, and buckles.
“What are you doing here?” Atem demanded. His gun did not waver, he had a job to do. “This is a restricted area, you are not allowed in here.”
“Sorry, sorry,” the man apologized. His posture remained relaxed, as if he wasn't concerned by the weapon pointed at him. “I didn't mean to intrude.” He trailed off after that, and his eyes wandered around the hallway he had been caught in.
“State your name and business,” Atem demanded.
“Oh! Sorry, where are my manners. I am called Yugi Mouto, and I afraid that I'm lost.”
“Lost...” Atem repeated. “You can't just get “lost” here.” The area was always locked down and it was watched by sentries and video cameras. If this man had gotten in from the outside, they would have known about it. Atem reached for his communicator. This had the potential of being very dangerous. He quickly pressed the call button on his belt, and pulled his walkie-talkie from it's loop.
“Sir? We have an intruder in hallway 6-0-3. Identified as a Yugi Mouto. Claims to be...“lost.”
There was a pause on the other end of the walkie, and Atem continued to watch Mouto. He did not seem very concerned. If anything he seemed to be more interested in Atem. It gave Atem the chills, and not the good ones, and made him feel like Mouto was trying to look inside him.
“Copy that, sentry 1-0-2. A detainment unit is on the way.”
“Detainment unit? That doesn't sound good.” Mouto seemed distracted, and it made Atem nervous that he wasn't the least bit concerned as to what could happen to him. His eyes trailed to Atem's face, and after some squinting, seemed to find what he was looking for. “Oh my,” he took two quick steps forward, suddenly within reaching distance of Atem. Unable to move, Atem held his breath as Mouto reached up for his face. Something inside his head squirmed, and fuzzy, black spots entered his vision. “That's a nasty bug you have there.”
The loud thud of combat boots on the tiled floor snapped Atem out of whatever held him still. He jerked back and reasserted his gun's position, this time pointed at Mouto's head. “What did you do?” he murmured. Mouto just smiled, and Atem couldn't pin-point what kind of smile it was. The fuzzy, black spots continued to float around his vision as they stared at each other.
The moment, whatever it was, was over as the detainment unit came quickly from behind Mouto. The man turned to watch them approach, and slowly raised his hands above his head.
The officer of the detainment unit came up to him after Mouto was taken into custody. “Stand down, sentry 1-0-2.” With a start, Atem realized that he still had his weapon raised. Slowly, he lowered it, and put it away in his holster. “We will need you to come with us for debriefing.” Atem nodded. He knew the protocol.
“Yes, sir.” He fell into line as the detainment unit marched off down the hall. He spared a glance at Mouto, who appeared to be completely at ease amidst circle of guards, even though they all had guns pointed at him.
The walk to the interrogation rooms was a quiet one, and Atem's mind raced with questions. Most prevalent was “what the hell just happened?”. One minute, he was doing just fin, then this...man pops up and could have cost him his job! If Atem had let Mouto touch him, who knows what could have happened. He obviously wasn't normal and considering the circumstances here, he could tell something was off.
He was lead to a small gray room, and the commanding officer told him that someone would be by shortly to debrief him. Once he was gone, Atem sat down at the table, and waited. Mouto was probably being taken to a similar room, most likely with more security measurements than this one. He wondered who would interrogate him. The Organization probably had a whole team for stuff like this, and he wondered if he would know the person. The only people he really saw were his superiors, the secretary, and some of the people who worked in the offices. He supposed he could have been more social and gotten to know some of his coworkers, but he never had been good at conversations.
The door swung open, and Atem pulled out of his musings. A woman in a uniform he couldn't identify, aside from the little Organization symbol over her left breast. She carried with her a clipboard, and a gun nestled in its holster at her hip.
“Sentry 1-0-2, you're name is Atem Nomanaki, correct?” Her voice was clipped and professional.
“Yes, ma'am.”
“You've been employed here for three months as a night-guard.”
“Yes, ma'am.”
“You're record is mostly clean, with one minor altercation before you're employment here, and you're superiors have nothing bad to say about your work ethic.”
Unsure if Atem was supposed to respond, he kept quiet. Her stare was unnerving, and it made him feel like she was running some kind of experiment, with him as the Guinea pig. He didn't like it.
“Alright, so tell what happened tonight.”
Taking a deep breath, Atem told his side of events. He started with who he saw, when and where, moved on to how Mouto popped up out of nowhere, the conversation that followed, and then the detainment units appearance. His nervousness from before eased slightly. He might not be good with talking to people, but he did have a good memory.
“Did this Mouto character say anything strange before the DU got here?”
“He...said something about a bug, ma'am.”
“A bug?” Atem didn't miss how her body tensed. “Did he specify what kind of bug?”
“No, ma'am.” Atem pulled his hands close to his body. “He just said, “that's a nasty bug.” The woman's face contorted into a series of expressions. He recognized anger and disgust, but the others changed so quickly he couldn't pick them a part. Her grip on her clipboard tightened till her knuckles turned white, and her jaw clenched.
Atem was completely ready to leave now. His nerves, which were normally easy to control, made him feel twitchy and ready to run. It was reminiscent of middle school, before he had started taking self-defense classes to ward off the bullies. The nervousness of knowing that something dangerous was lurking about.
“Is that all, ma'am?” The woman's eyes snapped onto him as he spoke. It could all just be in his head. In all honesty, his head had been feeling funny ever since his encounter with Mouto. There was a long pause before the woman said anything, and the air grew thicker with each passing second.
“Yes,” she finally said. “You may return to your post.”
Atem swallowed his breath of relief and he stood and exited the room. He didn't care if he appeared hurried, he just wanted to be away from that woman. He briskly walked down the hallway, back to his scheduled post, and didn't relax until he had turned the corner.
“What the hell is wrong with me?” he mumbled, stopping a moment to collect himself. He hadn't been that nervous in a long time!
“I wonder if she is always like that.” He continued on his way to his post. “Maybe one of the other night guards will know her.” He paused. “I didn't get her name.” His superior was going to want to know exactly what happened, and he was big on details. “Great.”
A tremor passed through the floor, startling Atem out of his thoughts, and an explosion of sound nearly knocked him off of his feet.
“What the hell?!” Atem pulled his gun out of its holster and ran towards the sound. His walkie garbled noise at him, and he hastily grabbed it. Nothing understandable came out, and he was forced to turn it off as the noises became louder. Footsteps pattered in the adjacent hallway, from the direction of the loud noise earlier.
That can't be one of our people, Atem thought. It doesn't sound like boots or heels, and the only people here right now are the guards and the woman from earlier. He raised his gun and readied his stance.
When Atem looked back on this day, he was sure that some part of his mind expected who would come around that corner, but nothing truly prepared him for what happened.
Mouto careened around the corner, his shoes screeching on the tiled floor. He ran right into him, with barely enough time to acquire a surprised expression. Atem hit the floor with a 'thud,' and they went rolling.
“You!” Atem tried to right himself, only to be pushed back over as Mouto also tried to scramble up. “H-hey!” He grabbed onto Mouto's arm and pulled him back. “What do you think you are doing?”
“No time!” Mouto yelled at him.
“No time, my ass!” Atem swore. He grabbed at Mouto again, who was trying to continue his run down the hall. “You're not supposed to be out running around!”
Suddenly, a giant screech ripped through the air, forcing Atem to let go of Mouto to protect his ears. Mouto winced, seemingly not as affected by the noise as Atem was. The ear-shattering noise fell away, and something massive swerved around the corner. It stopped at the sight of them, breathing heavily.
“The hell?!”
It was like an actor from a B-rated sci-fi film just decided to pop on by for a cup of coffee, while still in full alien costume. It was a nasty thing, standing six feet tall and three feet wide. Long, spider-like legs supported a massive head. There was a human face nestled in among the gray wrinkles, and a humanoid body suspended just underneath it.
“Hunteeeeeer!” It screamed. Atem knew that face, it was Mrs. Chonos, the lady who interrogated him!
The monster with the face of Mrs. Chonos loomed over them, its body quivered with the need to chase. Atem's fight-or-flight desire went haywire, and he stood frozen to the spot. His head pounded when the monster's face swiveled to look at him. Its eyes were glassy, and the pupil was elongated sideways like a frog's. No amount of training could have prepared him for this moment, and he knew he was going to die. It didn't stare at him for long, and with a screech, it lunged at him.
The hair on the back of his neck rose, and suddenly Mouto appeared behind him. He had reached over Atem's shoulder, pressing him down into a more guarded position, and struck at the approaching monster. It screamed and reared back, hands clutching the sudden wound on its massive head. A large, glassy claw curved defensively in front of him. It was nearly see-through, with red and black veins inside. There was no hint of a human hand inside. Mouto's other hand pressed against his shoulder, and a quick look showed that a glass sheath was slowly growing over it.
“Dammit,” Mouto cursed, and his voice broke the shock that had fallen over Atem. Head still pounding, he gathered his wits and rolled out from underneath Mouto, grabbing his gun as he went. His gun swiveled from the Mouto, to the monster, and back.
“What the hell is going on?!” he yelled at Mouto. It only made his head hurt worse, and caused the monster to turn its attention to him. Once again, it lunged at him, and before he could train his gun on it, it was knocked away by Mouto and his glass claws.
“Pay attention!” Mouto yelled back. Atem shook his head as his vision turned cloudy. He could barely see Mouto step in front of him, holding off the monster, and sound was muffled. What the hell is going on? His body felt like it was on fire, and his brain felt like it was trying to hide in the tiniest corner of his skull.
“Run!” Mouto's command rang out clear in his ears, and he obeyed without a second thought. He ran, barely able to keep himself from running into a wall. Mouto was right behind him, and his voice was the only thing that could be heard through the noise. The monster grew close, and they swerved into an office room. They dodged between rows of cubicles, and he was suddenly pushed aside.
Chaos reigned in the room as they were joined by a detainment unit. Gunfire rang out, and Atem hid behind an overturned desk. He had lost his gun in the scramble, and not even his bullet-proof vest could save him if he got caught in the crossfire.
“Pitiful humans!” A voice he hadn't heard screamed. It sounded like nails on a chalkboard, and had an echo quality. Atem's heart beat faster. He peeked around the corner of the desk, and caught sight of someone being impaled on one of the monster's spear-like legs. “I will kill you all!” He watched in horror as the monster decimated the room, bullets bounced off of its hide. One poor soul kept firing his gun, even when a spike drove through his mid-section. His gun that aimed towards Atem as he died.
“No!” There was a blur of movement and suddenly Mouto was in front of him. Mouto crumpled not a second later, clutching a bleeding wound in his stomach. Atem stared, and the monster roared in the background. The sight of Mouto's blood made his body tense up, and for a moment, his head was clear. Reacting in the only way he could think of, he grabbed Mouto and pulled him behind the desk. No, it wasn't a good idea to move someone with a bullet wound, but there was a blood-thirsty monster looking to kill everyone. Mouto would have to deal with it.
His hand brushed over the glass claws, and electricity shot through his system. He and Mouto swore, for different reasons but with the same intensity. Atem lost focus on Mouto as his body curled in on itself. His hand pulled at his hair, trying desperately to still the pounding in his head. The sound of gunfire and fighting disappeared , and the monster screamed in triumph. Atem's voice warbled as his voice struggled to answer.
It hurt; it hurt so bad!
“Come out, come out wherever you are,” the monster growled. It shuffled around the room, overturning desks and chairs as it went. It was close to them now, and Atem trembled under the force in his head.
“Found you.”
The desk he was hiding behind gave a horrendous crunch as the monster drove a spiked leg through it. Atem tumbled away, letting go of his head to pick himself up. Something rose withing him, a frayed line was keeping something from breaking forth, and the more he moved the more it thinned. His lips pulled back in an aggressive sneer as the heat overtook him.
“Time to die!” The monster lunged at him with another spiked leg, aiming right for his heart.
Something black erupted from behind him and speared the monster's leg. Atem's vision sharpened intensively, and that frayed line within him snapped. The monster shook out the black spear from its leg with a pained hiss, and stepped back as Atem convulsed.
More things erupted from behind him, sharp and black. They felt connected to him, and they supported the sudden weight that accompanied them by stabbing the ground. He stood there, shaky as a newborn foal.
“Well, well, well.” It murmured. “Look what was hiding here: a little newborn.” It took a step closer to him, and the small, rational part of his mind yelled at him to get away. It laughed at him, mocking his wobbly attempt to back up. His whole body felt like lead, burning lead.
“How perfect is this?” It crooned. “Not only so I get to kill a loathsome hunter, but I've also found a newborn that hasn't been imprinted yet!” It leaned forward, opening its arms in welcome. “Come with me, little newborn, and I will show you the wonders of our kind.” Atem swayed. His vision grayed at her words, and his awareness dimmed. “Oh, there are so many wonders!” it continued. “The wonders of battle and blood and chaos. How marvelous it all is!”
Atem couldn't think anymore. The monster's words wrapped around his mind, lulling him into a compliant stupor. He stepped forward, ignorant as black metal inched over his skin like a shell. It would be so easy to go with the monster. It would be so...fun. His lips curled into a wicked smile.
“No!”
Atem swung his head around as the monster hissed. Mouto, still bleeding from his wound, was struggling to stand up.
“Don't listen to her, Atem!” he yelled. “She's a parasite! Nothing human is left in her!”
“Kill him,” it whispered. “Kill him, and spill your first blood tonight!” Atem lurched forward at her words. The scent of blood wafted to his nose; it was metallic and strange, and caused a mixed sense of revulsion and longing.
“Don't, Atem,” Mouto whispered. A chorus of “kill him” rose within him, and the monster urged him on. “You're not a monster yet.”
He lunged, suddenly and wobbly, at Mouto with one of his black spears. There was a hiss of energy as a shining, white claw caught his spear, holding onto the end. It hurt! It hurt like boiling water and electrocution as the same time. His vision swirled between cloudy and clear, and his head hurt. He leaned forward, intent on finishing Mouto off.
“Please, Atem,” Mouto said. “I know there's still some human in you. Don't be a monster; don't make me kill you. Please, think.”
Atem froze, a snarl on his lips. Human, he was...human?
“Kill him!”
He didn't...he didn't want to kill anyone. What was he doing? The boiling pain on his spear stopped when he quit pushing, and the tense pressure relaxed to where Mouto's claw was merely holding on. A gentle warmth lapped at the edge of his mind, and he turned towards it.
“Yu...gi?”
“Yes,” Yugi smiled in relief. “It's me.”
“No!” The monster next to Atem lunged at Mouto, and the brief moment of clarity vanished as he reacted. A second black spear nailed the monster in the shoulder and forcibly pushed it away.''
“You're siding with him?!” The monster screamed. It spun on him, human face contorting in rage, and Atem stood his ground defiantly. “He's a hunter! He's killed hundreds of us! Can't you smell it on him?!”
Atem took a step in front of Mouto and snarled.
“Traitor,” it hissed. “To think that you've imprinted on him, disgusting.” It lunged at him. “You shall die with him!”
They fought, trading blow for blow. Atem's movement quickly became more graceful, though he still stumbled. He grinned in delight of the fight. This fight, this fight was what he wanted, what he was born for.
The monster finally fell. Multiple black spears dug into its body. It snarled pitifully at him, and Atem barred his teeth at it. He could kill it. It would be so easy to stab it right through the chest, or even the brain. He mulled over the decision.
“Atem! Don't!”
Atem spun around as Mouto appeared out of his peripheral vision. Warm feelings pressed against his mind, whispering things he couldn't understand. His harsh breathing and rapid heart beat slowed and his attention focused on Mouto.
“It's ok now, Atem.” Mouto said. “You don't have to kill her. I can take it from here.”
A strange sense of primitive fury passed over him. It raged that the monster was his to kill. His prey. The moment passed, however, and he quietly stepped away, black spear pulling out of the monster with a sickening squish. His body swayed against the gentle whispering in his head.
Yugi reached a hand out towards the monster, streams of glass wrapped around his arms. It whined and pathetically tried to get away. Atem growled, and he took a step forward. The urge to chase and maim died a second later as Mouto pressed a hand against the monster's human forehead.
It screamed and writhed against Mouto's touch. Clear glass raced over its body, and once it was encased, it shattered and the monster's body crumbled like a broken mirror, leaving behind the wounded body of Mrs. Chonos. An echo of the monster's scream swirled around his head.
“There we go,” Mouto whispered to the woman. “That should clear you up.” He stood slowly, one hand covering his wound. “Now, what should we do about you?”
Atem blinked, and then tilted his head. There was a rather pleasant thrumming going on in his ears, and there wasn't a particular need to do anything, now that the monster was gone. A beaten and weary woman wouldn't give him much in a fight.
There was a sudden noise of people running around the corner. Hissing, Atem moved to stand in front of Mouto.
“Oh, no,” he said. “That's enough fighting for today.” He laid a hand on Atem's shoulder. “Let's get out of here.”
He hesitated only a moment, before ignoring the oncoming squad. He followed Mouto obediently, like a loyal hound. They got to the door by the time the squad saw them. Atem hissed when they raised their guns, and he reacted on the knowledge that he couldn't stand up to bullets (there was a thought that the black plats which had covered almost half his body would protect him, but it wasn't a long thought. He grabbed Mouto, his black spears hitting the ground to support the extra weight, and he quickly retreated.
Mouto squeaked when he was grabbed, but he didn't protest of struggle. “This way!” he yelled when they reached a fork. Atem followed his directions, leaving the yelling pursuers behind.
The rest was a blur to Atem. His mind zoned out, hearing only Yugi's directions. It wasn't long before they were outside and standing in front of a long spherical object. It was easily the size of a trailer, maybe a little wider.
“Here.” Mouto said, and Atem set him down. He watched benignly as Mouto laid a hand on the sphere, and a green panel opened at his touch. After pressing a few buttons, a large panel slid open, revealing a small, empty room. He smiled, and took half a step in, before turning and offering a hand to Atem.
There was no compulsion to take his hand, like during the fight earlier. He could chose whether or not to accept whatever Mouto was offering. His foggy mind hesitated a moment longer, before he reached forward and laid his hand in Mouto's. There was a smile of relief, and he was pulled inside.
The instant he stepped through the threshold, pain raced through his body. His body convulsed as his black spears suddenly grew spikes and steamed. Something ate at his thoughts.
“Atem!” Yugi yelled.