"Let's get something to eat." Honda watched Kaiba's retreating back, the tall CEO stalking out of the room, Mokuba all but skipping behind his big brother. Jounouchi put his coffee cup down, the liquid gone cold. "For a moment, I thought he was going to spit fire at us."
"Fortunately Mokuba was with him," Honda said. "Kaiba doesn't like it when someone doubts his abilities. Only his brother is allowed to criticize him."
"He shouldn't stick his big nose into everything," Jounouchi grumpily said. "Kaiba, that is."
"Yeah. Well, he's a mighty CEO and you're just a bounty hunter. Come, we better check up on Otogi."
"Hey Jounouchi, hey Honda." Otogi was glued to the row of computer monitors in front of him.
"Camera feeds working?" Jounouchi asked.
"Yes, everything's up to speed now. Mokuba was as kind as to provide me with this generator." Otogi tapped the rectangular grey box right next to him briefly. "However, the lack of resources is going to pose a serious problem here."
"Speak up."
"To keep up with the electricity needed for the EMETS and the camera feeds, we have to cut the power from the docks, the hallways and at least the offices, laboratories and research rooms."
"Basically, half the planet will be dark," Jounouchi mumbled. "That's too obvious, man."
Otogi rubbed his chin. "We could reroute the electricity as soon as our… guests leave the dock," he thought out loud. "We're assuming they're not going to make it back to their ship anyway."
"Do what you need to do," Jounouchi said. "You're the master strategist, Otogi. We've only got one chance, so we better not fuck it up. I don't want to give Ishtar the idea that he's walking into a trap. He didn't take the bait at Altana. We have to be careful. We don't want to scare him away."
"I doubt it." Otogi looked at the camera feed from the sickbay. "This Bakura fellow means a lot to them, otherwise they wouldn't even try. On the other hand…"
"Yeah?"
"I checked. The October is still docked on Vertregg 12. They haven't moved."
"Shit." Jounouchi started to feel uncomfortable. Kaiba was right: his entire plan rode on Ishtar figuring out that Bakura was on Yllsen Volta V, and then coming to retrieve him. "What are they doing there?"
"Vertregg 12 matches Altana when it comes to bureaucracy," Otogi snorted. "It usually takes a week before you get permission to go beyond the spaceport."
"Wait a sec!" A sudden thought struck Jounouchi's mind. "Ryou Bakura has send pictures of the ship he was on, right? The Datura?"
"Yeah, with the tags that turned Kaiba into an Ancient Egyptian expert," Otogi answered. It took him a second, but then his eyes turned wide. "Of course! They went to Vertregg 12 to… oh man, they're after the wrong Bakura!"
"The pictures… when did he send them?"
"The time stamp isn't reliable because of the huge delay between Vertregg 12 and Yllsen Volta V," Otogi reminded him. "It could be hours, if not days ago."
"Ishtar has intercepted those pictures. How else would he know how to find Ryou on Vertregg 12?"
"No way! Ryou send them to one of Kaiba's private email addresses. No one can hack into his accounts! He's doing some research for Kaiba, right? Perhaps he found something at Vertregg 12 and someone has caught his attention." Otogi heaved a frustrated sigh. "If I had enough power for the system, I could simply find out who's the owner or pilot of the Datura."
"A Pharaoh, apparently," Jounouchi quipped, albeit bitterly. "What did those hieroglyphs say? Son of Ra? Is that his name?"
"From what I remember from my history classes, 'son of Ra' was a common name for a Pharaoh, but not his name. Ancient Egypt wasn't my forte, but well, it was a very intricate culture with lots of specific traditions. The Pharaoh was seen as the representative of their Gods, and Ra was the most important one."
"If it's necessary, we'll take a look into it as soon as this is over." Jounouchi patted Otogi on the shoulder. "Go get some rest. You need it."
Otogi stretched and straightened himself, the crick in his back audible. "Thanks. I thought I was getting blind by staring at all these screens."
"All right." Jounouchi trusted Otogi to take care of himself and went in search of something to eat, along with Honda who had been silent all the time. Jounouchi took it his teammate was tired after setting up the EMETS and didn't bother him with questions. The kitchen wasn't up and running at this late hour. There was food left in one of the fridges and they only needed to reheat it. Honda and Jounouchi sat down in the empty mess hall, behind a plate of something with potatoes, an unidentifiable piece of meat and soggy vegetables. Jounouchi got lost in his own thoughts as he mashed the potatoes. As soon as this is over… Kaiba always gave his teams time off after the bounty had been caught and Jounouchi was looking forward to go back to Wremmoor and see Mai. It has been a while. Mai had spotted Malik Ishtar in the first place, kicking off these series of events. Something bothered him. Everything about Malik Ishtar, and especially the one who traveled with him, bothered him. But why? He had used violence before and he wasn't a stranger to picking up aggressive bounties. No big deal, right? No, it was that hint of mystery that surrounded it all. The age of the October and its pilot, being around Before Earth Exploded. A LAV with a written language that was common in Ancient Egypt, millennia ago. People who looked strikingly like each other, like a good twin and a bad twin. Bakura's insane talk about darkness and death.
Jounouchi finished the rest of the food, not that there was actual taste to it. After saying goodbye to Honda, he left the mess hall and went in search for the room that was appointed to him, courtesy of Rebecca. Handy, to have such a skilled secretary around. Jounouchi located his room and went immediately into the adjacent, tiny bathroom. The allotted time for a shower was just under four minutes and after undressing himself, he turned on the water and showered quickly. He'd been working all day, setting up the EMETS, giving out orders, setting up the camera feed with Otogi and making sure to come up with plans and back-up plans. He put his thoughts to the side. It was time for some well-deserved sleep. After drying himself off, he wandered over to the bed and rolled onto the mattress. He wanted to be fully rested and prepared before the Ishtars arrived.
Ryou had no time to realize what was going on when a crude force tugged at his belt and strong fingers grabbed him at the neck, as a cat would lift up its kitten, and he was plucked from the stairs, transported through the air and before he knew it, smacked roughly to the ground, knocking the wind out of him.
"Marik! No! Stop!"
Panicked voices, and Ryou gasped for air, unable to take another breath. The same strong hands clamped around his neck and when he looked up, he saw nothing but hatred and anger, directed at him.
"You fucking son of a bitch thief," the person choking him spat, "you're dead! You're dead all over!"
"Marik, that's not Bakura! You're killing his Other!" For a second, Ryou thought that it was quite scary to hear the Pharaoh's voice all panicky, as Atemu had always been calm and composed so far. It wasn't his only worry: he was getting light-headed and about to lose consciousness… when the tight grip on his neck abruptly disappeared. He gasped and shrieked, fighting for air.
"Calm down, Ryou-kun, calm down." Yuugi appeared in his field of view, and Ryou was relieved to see him, to see a friendly face. "I'm right here. Calm down, take it easy."
"Asshole," an unknown voice spoke, "now look what you've done!"
"Get over there," Atemu's voice, curt as usual, "get over there! Do not get close to him!"
Yuugi put his arm around Ryou and helped him into a sitting position. Air filled his lungs, and he took such large breaths that he coughed and wheezed.
"Careful," Yuugi said. Ryou wanted to reassure him that he was all right, but he couldn't speak, the need to breathe far too strong. From the corner of his eye, he could see two men standing next to Atemu; the Pharaoh looked pissed and spoke sternly to the tall one of the duo, bearing a striking resemblance to each other. Just like Yuugi and Atemu, these two shared so many physical similarities that it was eerie. They both looked annoyed, but the one with the friendliest face - which was still surprisingly angry - looked over at Ryou, to check if he was still there and breathing. Ryou groaned. His neck felt incredibly tender; he could still feel those strong fingers wrapped around his flesh, trying to choke the life out of him.
"Bakura," Atemu called him, "come over here."
Yuugi supported Ryou as if he had injured his leg instead of his neck. Of course Yuugi obeyed Atemu's order immediately, which annoyed Ryou to no end. Why had everything to go the way the Pharaoh wanted? Just because he was a Pharaoh? If it weren't for Yuugi, he would've picked up his bag and left.
"Marik," Atemu said as soon as the two had closed the distance, "apologize to him. Now."
Ryou got weak in his knees after one good look at Marik, out of pure fear. He was tall, obviously aggressive and his eyes lacked pupils, making them blank and cold. But it wasn't only cold that Ryou saw in those eyes. An indescribable amount of fury, hatred and anger overwhelmed him and it felt like his heart froze over.
"Other Bakura," Marik finally spoke, with a voice smoother than Ryou imagined but his words were clipped, "I was mistaken and acted on impulse. My judgment was poorly and I offer you my apologies."
The young man next to him looked like he had been slapped in the face, his eyes wide open. Ryou felt unease and tension all over and it took him a few tries before he could answer. "Apology accepted," he said. "But why do you call me Other Bakura?"
"Bakura is the one deserving of Marik's wrath," Atemu elaborated. "The man I spoke of before, who looks like you and who plays an important part in my life. Just like Yuugi. Well, you know Marik now, and next to him is Malik."
"Hello," Ryou croaked.
"We have a first aid kit on board of the October," Malik said. "If you need a painkiller…"
Marik looked like he could explode any moment. Ryou didn't dare to think what Bakura had done to the other. He averted his eyes.
"Pharaoh," Marik said, sounding like he was munching on a mouthful of rocks. "It's time."
"We better bring Ryou to the October for some medical attention," Atemu said.
"Wait, what are we going to?" Yuugi asked. "I mean…"
"I am sorry, aibou," Atemu said and put a hand on his shoulder. "You will get your space trip, I promise."
"B-but…" Yuugi looked from one to another, then to Ryou and once again, decided to put the other's well-being over his own. "Let's get you some help, then."
Atemu made sure to lock down the Datura before everyone walked over to the October. Ryou noticed that Malik carried his bag.
"I'm sorry, you don't have to carry that," Ryou said, reaching for it. Malik shook his head.
"Don't worry. It's not heavy."
Marik walked next to Atemu, their height difference almost comical. Ryou didn't know who was more dangerous; the Pharaoh had somehow that much overweight to calm the other down and make him apologize. While not exchanging words, their body language spoke more than volumes: they hated each other. Ryou's whole body felt painful and his throat hurt; he had gotten so many surprises in a row that he was exhausted. They entered the cargo area and went straight to one of the hugest ships Ryou had ever seen. From the look on his face, Yuugi was quite impressed as well.
"Welcome aboard the October," Malik said with a hint of… sarcasm?... as the wide ramp lowered itself and they could get aboard.
"You take care of Other Bakura," Marik said gruffly.
"Yeah, yeah." Malik beckoned Yuugi and Ryou. "Over here, kiddies. The wise and elderly are going to speak."
He ignored Marik's angry look and Atemu's narrowed eyes and walked off. Yuugi and Ryou had to hurry to keep up with him through the large corridors of the ship, with ample room to move.
"This is quite different from the Datura," Yuugi commented.
"A LAV is per definition small, to keep it light weighted," Malik said. "This is a cargo ship. We don't give a fuck about the weight and size. This way."
"I'm sorry to cause any inconvenience," Yuugi said, a bit dazed. Malik turned around.
"You really are innocent, aren't you?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"How long you have known the Pharaoh?"
"Not that long… two… three weeks..?"
"And you, Other Bakura…"
"My name is Ryou," he said.
"Ryou and Yuugi," Malik repeated. "How long are you aware of your Alternate?"
"What? Alternate what?"
"You don't know anything," Malik said, a bit superior yet sad at the same time. "You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into, don't you?"
"I'm sorry, but you're… scaring me," Yuugi said. "I know I'm not the most intelligent around, but…"
"This doesn't have anything to do with intelligence," Malik said. "More about… feelings." He said it slightly sheepishly, causing even more confusion. "Sorry about that. Let's take a look at you first, Ryou, and then we can go to the kitchen and talk, and have something to eat."
"Sounds good to me," Ryou said. "I'd like to sit down now."
"It's been a very eventful day," Yuugi added.
"Sure. Over here." Malik tapped the electronic lock and the door opened, revealing a kitchen area with a large table and seats, bolted to the floor. "Would you like something to drink? Coffee, perhaps?"
"The real kind?" Yuugi was shocked.
"Are you kidding? I get a stomach perforation whenever I drink that artificial insta-crap," Malik said. "We also have chocolate, sugar and tea."
"Green tea?"
"Green tea," Malik confirmed. "Everything is cryo-preserved, so all the flavors and ingredients are sealed in perfect condition. I'll get you some." He turned around in the door opening and added: "Just wait here, all right? Don't wander alone around the ship. It's… not appreciated."
"We're not going anywhere, Malik-kun." Yuugi promised him. When Malik was gone, Yuugi immediately went over to Ryou. "Are you all right?"
"I don't feel very well," Ryou answered truthfully. He touched his neck, wondering if the bruises were already showing. "I just can't keep up with what's going on."
"It's all weird, huh?" Yuugi looked a bit downtrodden. He figured his space trip was down the drain now these people had showed up and changed the entire situation. On the other hand, maybe he could go home soon and patch things up with Anzu.
"Very weird," Ryou said. "I don't understand it at all."
"I'm sure Malik-kun can explain everything to us." Yuugi tried to comfort his friend and himself. He didn't understand it at all either. Why did Atemu know these people? Why had Marik reacted so aggressively to Ryou? They waited in silence for Malik to return and fortunately enough, it didn't take him that long. Malik came into the kitchen with a small first aid kit tucked under his arm. He carried a tray with both his hands and Yuugi got up to help him, taking some of the styrofoam boxes and putting them on the table.
"Coffee and tea," Malik said. "Careful, everything's hot. I took the liberty to bring something to eat." Curiously, Yuugi opened one of the styrofoam boxes. He didn't recognize the dish: something with rice and a sauce with vegetables and beans in it. It smelled delicious, though. Malik passed out the cutlery and napkins. After that, he opened the first aid kit and rummaged through it, picking out a small jar of ointment and a strip of large, white pills. "I think this will work," he said and showed it to Ryou. "Would you apply it yourself, or do you want…"
"I'll do it myself, thank you." Ryou hurried to say. The styrofoam box he had picked, contained pasta, as far as Yuugi could see. Malik had the same and he started eating with gusto.
Yuugi sipped the tea and was pleasantly surprised by the intense, delicious taste. "This is really wonderful, Malik-kun!" he said.
"Why are you calling me like that?" Malik asked.
"What do you mean?"
"What you add to my name," Malik explained. "You did the same with Marik, only you added 'san', not 'kun'."
"Oh, that." Yuugi blushed, feeling slightly embarrassed. "I didn't mean to offend you. It's an honorific, a special way to address or refer to a person to convey esteem or respect. It was custom in Japan, the country my grandfather comes from, back when Earth still existed. He taught me the traditions and customs from his youth… I won't do it if it bothers you."
"No, don't stop, it doesn't bother me. In fact, I think it's pretty neat," Malik said. "What's the difference between these honorifics?"
"You use 'kun' for someone you're friendly with. 'San' is much more distant," Yuugi explained briefly. "The most respectful honorific is 'sama', which you use for someone in a position of authority, like a doctor… it's a very extensive and complicated system."
"I like traditions," Malik said, "especially when they go way back. We also held on to our customs and traditions."
"We?"
"Our clan. The Ishtar tribe. Our roots go back to Ancient Egypt."
"Wow." Yuugi almost dropped his spoonful of rice.
"Amazing." Ryou looked at Malik.
"We're a tribe of Tomb Keepers," Malik said. "We were charged with the task of guarding the tombs of the Pharaohs. Generation after generation we protected the tombs, fighting off robbers and thieves, making sure that the final resting place of our Kings weren't desecrated."
Yuugi was hanging from his lips, Ryou nodded every now and then. "Something went wrong, eventually," Malik continued. He folded his hands around his cup of coffee. "I'm not exactly sure what. Marik is very scarce with information, which is very frustrating. From what I gathered, a powerful Pharaoh died at a very young age, due to betrayal in the Isthar tribe. Our clan was cursed from that moment and we had to leave Egypt. We drifted throughout the world, and later through space. There's nothing left of our clan."
"That Pharaoh was… Atemu-kun?" Yuugi asked, nothing but a whisper.
Malik showed him a wistful smile. "I'm sorry, I don't know for sure. He could've been. It would certainly explain the animosity between him and Marik."
"That's impossible," Ryou said. "I mean… how old is he?"
"Atemu is at least over five thousand years old," Malik said, deadpan. "Marik is a little younger, and Bakura's the youngest."
"He looks like he's in his twenties, thirties tops! What kind of…"
"Lies?" Malik wasn't disturbed. "Trickery? I thought exactly the same, Yuugi, Ryou. I don't blame you for being mad or upset. I don't understand everything either. I thought Marik was using a particularly strong alterfactor when I met him, but I've spend almost seven years in his presence and he doesn't look one day older."
"I think I'm going crazy," Ryou said, shoving hands in his hair. "How is this even possible? You're explaining a lot, but your words raise more questions than answers!"
"Don't worry, I'll be around for a while," Malik said without any sarcasm. "I'll try to answer your questions as best as I can."
"Malik-kun," Yuugi said, his voice thick. "Atemu-kun… he truly is a Pharaoh? A ruler?"
"Yes, he ruled Upper and Lower Egypt. Don't ask me for how long or how short, I'm not sure. I do know that he was very powerful."
"Powerful… how?"
"He commands the Gods."
"Excuse me?"
"He commands the three Egyptian Gods. Every one of them has unique powers."
The God Cards! Ryou's eyes went to his PMA and thanked his foreseeing nature to keep it running. It recorded the entire conversation perfectly, so he could listen back to it at a more convenient moment, when the emotions weren't running so high.
"But…"
"Yeah, it's impossible, I know.. but I've learned a lot of what's 'impossible' and what's not, when constantly on the run and in the company of a Shadow Born. Your precious Pharaoh owns the Gods. The Sky of God Dragon is his favorite and personal servant: Osiris. It's a two-mouthed red dragon who tears you into pieces if you only think of pointing a finger at his Pharaoh."
"That's not like Atemu-kun at all," Yuugi mumbled.
"You have to be extremely careful around him," Malik said. "He's extremely cunning and shrewd."
"No, he's not!" Yuugi slammed his fist on the table, rattling the cutlery. He was taken aback by his own violent reaction. "You all judge him and tell me to stay away from him, but he has done nothing wrong! He's been nothing but kind to me!"
"How does he call you?" Malik asked.
Yuugi took a deep breath to calm himself down. "He calls me 'aibou'."
"What does that mean?"
"Aibou is Japanese for 'partner'," Yuugi admitted.
"See?" Malik said. "How would Atemu know a word of Japanese, but exactly that word that he can use to tie you to him? He calls you 'partner' in your native language to appeal to your sympathy towards him, and you reward him by adding 'kun' to his name, 'for someone you're friendly with', as per your own words!"
"You're wrong," Yuugi said. "You're wrong!"
"He touches you constantly," Ryou reminded him. "He always stands next to you. From the moment he stepped forward and asked you to tell him his name, he's been influencing your life!"
"You know how to read Ancient Egyptian?" Malik asked.
"No, but my grandfather does," Yuugi said. "I don't know why Atemu-kun didn't even know his name in the first place."
"It's something in the vicious cycle he… all of us are caught up in," Malik said, almost ominously. "He always forgets his name, and Marik… Marik forgets a lot."
"Then he deserves our empathy, not our scorn," Yuugi insisted. When he saw the incredulous look on Malik's face, he said: "You don't even know! You're just rehashing what Marik-san told you!"
"Yes, true," Malik admitted. "You have to admit though, that ever since Atemu came into your life, everything has changed, hasn't it? It's not normal behavior."
"I have a girlfriend," Yuugi said, "it's not like Atemu-kun shows interest in me in… that way."
"Is your girlfriend happy at the moment?" Malik asked.
Yuugi blushed furiously. No, Anzu wasn't very happy at the moment. Ryou felt sorry for him.
"Just be careful with the Pharaoh," Malik repeated.
"You know nothing about him but second-hand stories." Yuugi pouted.
Malik heaved a sigh. "The problem is," he said, "that if people were to talk about Marik this way, I'd be pretty offended too. It's… daunting how much I hate him, but I'll defend him to my very last breath. The same will happen to you once you meet Bakura, Ryou."
Ryou's "I doubt it" stuck in his throat. Malik sounded so confident in all of this, and Yuugi's absolute refusal to see anything wrong about Atemu was more than proof enough, wasn't it? "When… when will I meet him?" He asked instead.
Malik shrugged. "We don't know where he is at the moment. We kicked him out at Billun."
"So you've met him before!" Ryou said.
"Yes, and I've known him long enough to exactly know what kind of an asshole he is. Sorry about that," Malik added a half-hearted apology. He pushed the empty styrofoam boxes and cups on the tray. "The Pharaoh and Marik will hammer out a plan to find him. You should take it easy at the moment," he said. "Use the first aid kit. Get some rest to let it all sink in. I'm going to dispose of this garbage. I'll be back shortly."
Chapter 17 | Chapter 19 |