FicWad

-=-=-=-

Yugi plopped down at the picnic table, tossing his backpack to the ground and burying his head in his arms.

"Bad day?" Yami asked with amusement, sitting down next to him.

Yugi groaned. "You have no idea."

"Try me."

"Let's see. Our first period teacher doesn't show up until half the class is over, is a complete klutz when he does, we get glared at by a Kaiba-wannabe-"

"And let's not forget that wonderful explosion we were treated to this morning," Ryou said, setting his tray on the table. "Remind me to thank my yami for that bit of excitement."

"That was him, then?" Yami asked wearily, looking over at the fire trucks still attempting to put out the last of the flames.

Ryou shrugged. "Who else? Although, he did say something about an accomplice."

The others winced. "Remind me to avoid this 'accomplice'." Yami blinked as Ryou started to eat, looking faintly ill. "How can you eat that stuff?"

He was answered with a shrug. "Simple. It's food, I eat it." Ryou glanced up. "Really, my yami eats raw steak. I can manage cafeteria food."

Yami grimaced. "Well, if I hadn't lost my appetite before, I have now." He turned to his hikari curiously. "You said something about a Kaiba-wannabe?"

Yugi started and shared a look with Ryou. "That's right, we almost forgot! We found our first Item suspect!"

The pharaoh lifted an eyebrow. "Already?"

His light nodded. "Yeah! He has blue eyes, like Isis said, and he seems a lot like Kaiba-kun."

"Forgive me," Yami said sardonically. "I seem to have missed the connection. Just why does that fact that he reminds you of Kaiba make him a suspect?"

"Because Kaiba had the Rod back in Ancient Egypt, and that's one of the missing Items," Ryou said, finally joining in.

Obviously skeptical, the yami again lifted an eyebrow. "So, the only reasons you think this kid's an Itemholder are because of his eye color and the fact that he glared at you?" He sighed as they both nodded. "Ryou, did the Ring react to him at all?"

Ryou frowned. "Well, no, but he might not have had it on him."

"Or he might not have one at all."

"He's connected with one. I'm sure of it," Yugi stated with conviction. Seeing his yami's look, he shrugged. "Call it a feeling."

Yami nodded. He'd learned to trust his light's feelings over the years; they were usually correct. "All right, we'll keep an eye on him." A thought struck him and he blinked. "Hey, what's this kid's name, anyway?"

The two hikaris shared another glance, and, looking back at him, shrugged in unison. "We weren't really listening."

Yami dropped his face into his hands.

Why him?

-=-=-=-

"Now, wasn't that so much easier?"

Duo groaned as he sat gingerly on their couch. "Shut up, Shin. I'm trying to count my bruises."

"And if we'd just asked someone for directions when I first suggested it instead of waiting until after we were mugged, you wouldn't have those bruises, now would you?"

"I reiterate. Shut. Up."

Shin pouted. "Now is that any way to treat someone who just saved your life?"

His hikari frowned. "That reminds me. How did you save my life, anyway?"

"Well, first I tore off their arms, then-"

Duo tossed a pillow at him. "Idiot. You know what I meant. How the hell did you get a body?"

He pointed to Duo's neck. "I used the scepter... wand... the thingy you stole."

"Oh." Duo blinked. "So how do you get back?"

"Not a clue."

"Wonderful."

-=-=-=-

Heero shifted the strap so it dug into his shoulder a little less. The book bag he used was of a decidedly inferior design in the comfort arena, but it made up for it in its ability to both hold his laptop and hide any weapon that could possibly be concealed.

He grimaced. He was starting to think like Duo.

Speaking of which... where the hell was Wufei? Surely it didn't take that long to go to the principal's office and ask about the idiot?

"Yuy!"

Heero turned and saw the other pilot walking down the hallway. "Well?"

"Maxwell was suspended for three days, and sent home."

"Then what took you so long?"

Wufei snorted. "That woman at the front desk is even more of an idiot than Maxwell is." He glanced around. "Back to the safehouse?"

Heero nodded. "Let's go."

-=-=-=-

"Let's... let's stop... for a while..."

"...Yeah. No... problem."

Duo and Shinigami were resting on the couch, trying to recover from what they had discovered to be a singularly painful experience. It seemed Shin was unable to get back into his hikari's mind. Trying to do so invariably led to his being forcibly thrown out, leaving them both with monumental headaches.

"So now what?"

"What do you mean?"

Duo sat up, looking at his yami seriously. "What do we do about...this?" He gestured vaguely. "I mean, do we tell the others? I sincerely doubt we can hide you from trained Gundam pilots."

"Good point. So, we need to..." Shin stopped as they heard the sound of the front door closing.

Shit! Hide!

The yami dashed into the kitchen, making it out of sight just before Heero and Wufei walked into the room.

-=-=-=-

Heero dug into his pocket, pulling out his keys as he and Wufei walked up to the front door. The other boy waited impatiently as he unlocked the door, no doubt looking forward to haranguing Duo.

The L1 pilot pushed open the door and entered. Knowing Duo, he'd be in the living room waiting for them, not a bit apologetic about being suspended.

And sure enough, he was sitting on the couch in the dark when they walked in. But... something was... off. He hadn't jumped up to greet them, and he was sitting unusually still. And...

Heero sniffed and alarm bells went off in his mind at the thick smell of blood, making him interrupt Wufei as he opened his mouth to start ranting.

"What happened?" Heero winced mentally as his voice came out harsher than he meant it to.

Duo twitched, glancing up in surprise, treating them to the sight of the various bruises and abrasions that decorated his face.

Wufei hissed and turned away, reaching for the small medkit they kept on the coffee table. "Shit..."

"Report."

Duo looked away defensively. "Jeez, I just got jumped on the way home. It's no big deal."

Heero fought down a surprising urge to go hunt down whoever'd hurt Duo. "Is that your blood?" The American shook his head, and the urge died a little. "They're dead, then?"

Duo gave him an odd look. "Yeah."

Oh. Of course they'd be dead already. His partner could take care of himself. But still...

"Are you sure?"

Heero could have sworn he saw Duo turn slightly green. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure."

Damn. Heero wouldn't get to hunt them down. Duo shifted, drawing his attention back to his unnatural stillness, and he realized that wasn't what was bothering him. "What else is wrong?"

The braided pilot studied his face, tilting his head to the side like he was listening. Abruptly he nodded, as if he had made a decision.

Duo sighed. "Something... happened, when I was jumped. Something that wasn't supposed to."

Heero frowned. What did he mean, something that wasn't supposed to happen?

He was distracted as Wufei suddenly snapped his head to the side, all the blood draining from his face as he gazed behind Heero. He tried to speak, but only a strangled gasp made its way out, and it was almost in slow motion that the Chinese pilot slumped to the floor in a dead faint.

Heero was whirling, gun in hand, before Wufei even hit the ground. The sight that greeted his eyes left him speechless, but the gun never wavered.

"Um... Heero? Please don't shoot my yami."