Mirror Memories

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, sorry.... (poor me)

Again,

J.P.O.V.=Joey's Point Of View
S.P.O.V.=Seto's Point Of View
/Thoughts/
~*Flashback*~

J.P.O.V.
Consciousness came drifting back to me slowly, flashes of light breaking through the darkness. Someone was standing over me, dressed in white and wrapping something over my chest and ribs. The pain was horrid, like knives stabbing into me skin over and over again. I blacked out once more....
I wasn't sure how much time had passed, all I knew was that it was quiet and that someone was sitting next to my bed. I could hear the person's soft breathing regulated from sleep. I opened my eyes and glanced around. The room was dark, the only light drifting through the open window from the full moon, it's silvery light bathing the visitur in it's milky glow. I continued to look around before doing a double take, all of my senses kicking into drive. Alarms went off in my head, telling me something was wrong. Who was this man? Why was he here? Come to think of it, why was I here? What happened? How did I get here?
I looked down at my arm, a slight stinging sensation was there, annoying my muscle. I tried to sit up straight and gasped in pain. It hurt, more than anything I would have though possible. There was something in my nose, some kind of pipe. Air blew from it into me. I layed back down, desperate to do anything that would take the pain away. I closed my eyes tightly, only to open them once more as a soft yet musically deep voice spoke.
"Joey?" the voice of the stranger asked. My gasp must have woken him up. I looked at the stranger and frowned, then tilted my head to the side.
"Who's Joey?" I asked. The man looked at me, horrified. I had no idea as to what happened, what was going on, who this man was, or why he looked as though he was going to cry...

S.P.O.V.
/I can't believe it!/ I thought, reaching a hand out to steady myself. He didn't even remember who he was. The doctors had told me that memory loss would be a good possibility, due to the fractures and swelling of the brain. Luckily they were able to get the swelling down, but the imbecillic men in white coats told me that due to the severity of head trama, brain damage, in various degress, were probable. I just didn't want to believe it.
"You don't remember your name, do you?" I asked, looking over him searchingly. he seemed to think for a moment, brow furrowed, before shaking his head.
"Who are you?" Joey asked, beginning to look alarmed.
"You don't remember me?" I asked, hoping desperately that my voice might trigger something.
"Now, I don't! Now, who are you?!" Joey asked, panic and fear evident in his voice and eyes.
"My name is Seto Kaiba, and I'm your..." I paused for a moment, thinking of my next word, "friend." I finished, smiling. I wasn't going to tell him I was his enemy, mainly because I wanted to be so much more to him than just a tormentor. My voice shook as I said everything, emotions getting the best of me. "If you will please excuse me, I must speak with the doctor. I'll be back as soon as possible." I said, standing up as Joey nodded and looked away. He gazed out of the window, tears gliding over his cheeks, loneliness and fright aparent in his eyes. I stood up, heart breaking because I wasn't able to help him. Me, Seto Kaiba, CEO of Kaiba Corp. Worlds most powerfull teenager, powerless to help the one person I loved. I fled from the room, searching for a doctor, nurse, someone, anyone who could release him from this place...this hell. Too bad there wasn't someone who could release him from his own tortured mind.

J.P.O.V.
The wind kicked back the curtains as I gazed out of the window, lost in thought. What was going to happen to me? Who exactly was that stranger? Who am I?! Why was this happening to me? What did I ever do wrong to anyone? Why the hell couldn't I remember anything?! I has questions, but no answers damnit! Curling up, I pulled my knees up to my chest and layed on my side, ignoring the pain, staring out the window as my tears continued to fall freely. What the hell could have happened to cause me to forget everything? Roling over onto my right side, pain shot through my body, tearing a scream from my lips and tears from my eyes. It felts as though my whole body was on fire, pins and needles stabbing into my side repeatedly. Whimpering, I slowly moved back to my left side and cried. Cried from the pain. Cried for my now lost memories, my lost life.
The man names Seto walked back in ten minutes later, just as I was beginning to fall asleep. He touched my shoulder and I tensed. I didn't know him well enough for him to be touching me. I tried to stay still, I didn't know how dangerous he was.
"The doctors said you could go home today." He said, voice soft as he removed him hand from my shoulder. I flipped over on my back slowly and looked at him. he seemed as though he truely wanted to help, as though he cared about me. Thinking for a moment, I made up my mind. I was going to trust and go with this man. I was going to put myself in his hands and hope that he didn't let go.
"Okay, so where are we going to go, Mr. Kaiba?" I asked, despite his shocked look.
"Please, don't call me Mr. Kaiba, it's Seto. And I guess I'm going to take you home." He said, looking uncertain for a moment. Just then a doctor walked in, clipboard in hand and a friendly smile gracing his lips.
"Mr. Joey Wheeler. It's nice to see you're up and finally moving. I'm Dr. Kitazawa. How are you feeling?" He asked, looking first at the chart then up at me.
"Sore. How long have I been here?" I asked.
"About two weeks. You have two broken ribs, a sprained wrist, strained muscles in the neck, sever damage to your left cheek muscle. You chipped your left cheek bone, had two cracks in the back of the skull. We had to go in and drain the blood from around the brain and bring the swelling down, which most likely resulted in your current memory loss. You also have multiple bruises, cuts, what look like whip marks along your sides, and a black eye. Would you like to tell me, if you can remember, what happened?" Dr. Kitazawa asked, a comforting smile on his face.
"I don't know what happened, I'm sorry." I said, looking at Seto pleadingly, wanting to get out of here as quickly as possible.
"I see." The doctor commented, smile in place before pulling out a small pen light. "Follow this with your eyes okay?" Moving the light infront of my face, he flipped it on and moved it. I squinted against the bright light but followed it. He finally flicked it off after a few seconds and put it back into his pocket. Placing the clipboard on the bed, he then reached up and felt my neck lightly before smiling and marking something on the chart. He then walked to a drawer and pulled out some tape and gauze. While he took out the Iv and the air tube in my nose I glanced at Seto in worry, scared they weren't going to let me go home. Afraid they were just going to put more things in me. "Well, you can get dressed Mr. Wheeler. Your friend here brought you some clothing from your home. Check out at the desk and you may leave. Give me a call in a week and make an appointment with me for a check up, okay?" Dr. Kitazawa said before smiling, bowing, then walking out.
I sighed and looked at Seto questioningly. He pointed to the small cabnite beside my bed, not looking at me.
"Your clothes are in there. I'll leave you alone to get dressed so that you will have some privacy and not be disturbed for once." Seto said, standing up. He then walked over to the door. I couldn't help but watch as his ass swayed in the graceful movement he called a walk. This man was so hot! I smiled and shooked my head before wincing in pain and stopping quickly. I sighed once more and stood up, moving slowly, and carefully. It was time to get dressed...

S.P.O.V.
I went to teh front counter and signed Joey out, collecting paperwork along iwth it. I moved to go back to his room, feet shuffling slowly. /What am I going to do?/ I ask myself, hand hovering above the door handle, hesitating. Deciding agains it, I sat down heavily in one of the chairs outside of Joey's room and put my head back against the wall, eyes closed, thinking. I could almost guarentee exactly what, or in this case who, put Joey in the hospital. I found out when I had gone to his house to pick his clothes.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The house seemed normal enough. Powder blue shutters and door with cream colored walls. The grass was bright green and well tended. A rose bush climbed along the outside wall to the left of the door, as small rows of flowers guided the walkway to the house. Hedges provided an opening into the yard as an iron worked gate closed it off. Pillars held the roof of the poarch up, which wrapped around the right of the house gracefully. Getting out of the car, I looked at the house with skeptic eyes. It looked like too inoocent of a place, too inconspicious of a place, the perfect home for the perfect family. The perfect place for abuse, where people would glance over it, say "oh, that can't possibly be the place!" then turn their back to the horror of it. To the pain that a little boy endures each and every day, simply because they do not want to become involved. It was the perfect plcae for a young and innocent boy to turn cold and sour, for a person to resort to selfharm, just to get away. To get away from the pain inflicted upon him, only to inflict it himself. Seeing the cuts and burns as the only thing he deserves. It was hell perfectly disguised in the world, smuggled amongst thugs and theives, so that it seemed an innocent place. But working in the business world for so long has made me, if anything, more keen to situations. Nothing was what it seems. I've learned to never judge something based upon first appearances.
I walked up to the little flower-lined path way to the house and knocked sharply on the door. After about thirty seconds, I could hear someone stumbling behind the door, before it opened about two inches.
"Yeah? Wadda wan'?" the man on the other side asked, speech slurred. The blast of alcohol that hit me from the two inch gap in the door was unbelieveable. The man was, most obviously, drunk. his shirt hung crooked and his hair was matted. This was seen through the small crack in the door. I dreaded to see the rest of him. I arched on eyebrows and looked over him coldly.
"Mr. Wheeler, I presume?" I said, voice authoritive.
"Wha's it to ya?" he asked, placing a fist, his hand holding a bottle os spiced rum, against the door frame in an attempt to remain steady.
"My name is Kaiba. Seto Kaiba. And I'm hee to pick up a few things for your son, Joey." I responded reasonably.
"Ya know where dat dick is? Tell me, where is he? I wanna know. Ya tell him ta get his ass home soon, or else..." Mr. Wheeler said harsly, seeming angry and violent, as the promise of pain to come flashed in his eyes, reminding me of my own step-father's temper. I knew what to look for in an abusive father and he showed all the signs.
"Or else what? What are you going to do to him?" I asked, advancing on him and stepping over the threshhold of his home, causing him to back up and the door to open wider.
"I'll beat his ass. The boy needs ta kno' who's more powerful an' if he doesn't kno', I'll beat it inta him like any other person would!" The drunkard said, defiant. Yet he continued to back away from me. The wind outside kicked up, causing branches to scream at the windows. The wind howled as thunder crashed loudly, shaking the house. Lightening traced lines throughout the darkened skys. the door slammed closed loudly as I continued to advance on him menacingly. Something stirred inside me, some kind of hidden power. Power that wanted to lash out and hurt the person who hurt Joey. Who hurt it's soulmate. But I didn't believe in soulmates, so it couldn't have been me, could it? I didn't have those kind of feelings for the mutt, not to that extent. But in the past, according to his friends, there was someone who did, someone who resembled me a great deal, or who I resembled if I wanted to get technical. Either way, payment for Joey's pain was in order and whether it be the power inside me, or me in myself, the tab was going to be paid out in full.
"If you so much as lay your hand on him, even a single finger, by ra I will break every bone in your body. If you think that you have infliced pain upon Joey, you haven't the slightest clue as to what I'll do to you. I swear to any god out there, if you ANYTHING to him agian, I will make your life a living hell! The pain and torment you have put him through will seem like a walk in the fucking park! Anubis himself would shake in fright for what I would do. I promise you this, If a single drop of blood is spilled or a bruise discolors his skin because of you, your blood will pain the walls, bathe the carpet, and your body parts will hang from the ceiling as though they were ornament. Do you understand me, Mr. Wheeler?" I growled, my voice deeper than normal as what felt like shadows engulfed both of us. I could feel that power inside of me lock into his mind and draw pictures of the torments I promised. He man shook in fear, his brave face ruined, sobered by the shock and threat of vengence. He nodded and stepped out of the way.
"Smart man." I snarled, brushing past him angerily. I walked up the stairs, head held high, back straight, until, I reached the top landing. I went in search of Joey's room, failing to find it in the first three doors. Upon opening the fourth I discovered instantly that it was the room of Joey Wheeler. It was messer than the rest of them and had the air of a child's innocence.
Duel monster posters were plastered to the walls as pictures of his favorite duel monsters were littered through out the room. The walls were black with red trim, and everything was dark. Both bed covers and curtains were black silk. The carpet ws plush, soft to walk on. A Red-Eyes Black Dragon was in the design of the carpet. A single wall was covered in pictures of his friends. Looking up, I noticed something odd. Two dragons were gracefully painted upon the ceiling, entwined together gracefully, tails wrapped around each other fondly, yet claws were unsheathed behind each others backs. A symbol of bonding, yet the threat of betrayal in one. It was beautiful, unique, but that wasn't what was strange to me. It was odd that, instead of him using two Red-Eyes Black Dragons, he used one. The other dragn was a Blue-Eyes White Dragon, my own favorite monster. /Why in the world would he choose to do something like that?/ I thought, shaking my head.
I moved to the wall containing pictures of his friends and looked over each one carefully. Near the top, a single picture stood out. About three weeks ago Kaiba Corp opened an arcade for Duel Monsters. I thought no one showed up when I presented it. Obviously, I was wrong. The pictures was of me, standing at the podium, holding a Blue-Eyes White Dragon card up. He had zoomed up close to my face and upper body, catching me in mid-smirk. Something was going on here, and I was going to find out what. A smile graced my lips as I pulled a folded up netbag out of my jacket and walked over to a black painted dresser. Pulling out the top drawer, I rummaged through it's contents, settling on a pair of black silk boxers with red flames licking along the edge of the legs. I folded them and placed them in the bag on his bed. Going for the next drawer, I pulled out a black beater and a black button-up shirt. From the next drawer, I found a pair of black jeans. Folding everything up, I placed the rest in the bag on the bed, accidently bumping his pillow and knocking it to the side. What was revealed shocked me.
There, laying just underneath, was a 9mm smith&wesson handgun. /What was he doing with an American firearm?/ Frowning, I closed the bag up, and snagged a pair of black leather boots from his closet. I made my way out of his room, bag and boots in hand, deep in thought. Joey's father stood in a doorway as I passed, pale and shaking. I gave him a cold stare and ocntinued walking. The sun was covered by dark grey storm clouds. The red I thought I saw the other night stood out starkly against the cream and grey cement, yet to be washed away. Glass glittered on the sidewalk and grass like chunks of diamonds. I still had no idea as to what exactly happened, but I was going to find out. I opened the cardoor and got in. Placing the bag in the passenger seat, I started the vehicle. Taking off, I headed to the hospital, but instead of thinking about Joey, I thought about what I wanted to do to his father. An evil grin erupted on my lips as the miles flew by.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Standing back up, I knocked on the rooms door gently. Receiving a soft "Enter" from the other side, I opened the door and walked in, being careful to keep my eyes averted.
"Do you need any helo Joey?" I asked softly.
"No I'm almost finished." Joey reliped. I looked up just in time to see Joey's bare chest before the black beater was pulled down to cover it. "So, I know I asked you this before, but you never gave me a full answer. Where are we going?"
"Well, after the information that I've gathered, I think it best that you come home with me. You'll be safer. We'll go back to your house, gather your clothing, and leave for my home." I said, watching as Joey picked up the back button-up from the bed and put it on. He seemed to have calmed down a bit, but his hands were still unsteady as he tucked the beater into his jeans.
"What do you mean safer? What happened to me? And where do I live? For that matter, where do you live? What's going on?" Joey asked me quietly as he finished tucking his shirt in. he kept his eyes down and away from me as he asked his next question. "Why are there scars all over me, Seto?"
His last question shocked me, stopping me in mid-step towards him. I hadden't the faintest idea on how to answer it. It was bad enough he didn't remember his own name, I wasn't going to add the fact that he was abused at home. I opened and closed my mouth a few times, unsure on what to say.
"Seto?" Joey asked, turning around to face me. His arms were crossed over his cest, hand resting over his side with the scars. "If you don't know, you don't have to tell me." He said softly, eyes dropping to the ground once more.
I looked at the clock and shook my head. It was 10:32pm and we still had to pick his cloths and personal items up. I moved towards him once more and touched my hand to his shoulder comfortingly.
"Come on, lets get out of here. I'll explain everything to you tomorrow." I said, pulling him slowly towards the door. He grabbed the rest of his clothing and walked to the door silently, crestfallen. His steps were so softly, so lightly, you could hardly hear the sound of the soles hitting the floor under them. We proceeded down the hallways and out of the hospital doors. /How in the hell am I going to do this and not fuck anything up even more than it already is?/ I thought to myself. The only thing I could come up with, was to try and get his friends involved. With his gang involved, it was going to be a long few days. I could tell already....


To be continues....

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