Pairing: Seto/Jou, Yami+Yugi
Beta: JennieB - The best
Notes: Lyrics in italic and between quotes belong to Dream Theater.
Chapter two“You are out of your mind.”
"You can keep saying that, but I’m still going inside that damn thing!” shouted Jou as he stared at the one who had been his best friend since forever.
“Guys, a little help here?” Honda asked as he crossed his arms, obviously pissed.
“Stop fighting, both of you!” exclaimed Anzu in annoyance. “I know how you’re feeling about this Jou, but you can’t go alone!”
The blond snorted, glaring at his friend. “Try me.”
“We are going with you,” Yami said suddenly. Jou opened his mouth to retort, but one look from the former pharaoh and he shut it again.
“Who was the girl?” asked Yugi, who was seated beside the blond.
“I really don’t know, but she looks familiar to me…and she had eyes just like Seto’s.”
“She told you her name?” asked Yami.
“Kind of, I guess. She just told me I could call her Hika, but she isn’t from around here, her Japanese is very bad.”
Yami stood and looked at the old clock in the living room. It was five in the afternoon, and the worst part of that day was over. After the whole city had seen the strange temple where Kaiba Corp.’s building was supposed to be, the media and the people of the city had been banging at the mansion doors, demanding answers.
The former pharaoh had been quite surprised at how well Jou had handled everything, even with Seto’s absence and everything else that had happened. He could see more and more of the brunette’s traits in the blond’s personality, and he could only smile about that. Once everything was solved – and it would be – he would look to see if the brunette was taking on some of the characteristics of his lover, as well.
“What time did she say you have to enter there?” asked Honda.
“Midnight. Sharp,” the blond answered as he got up. “You guys want something to drink? This whole mess with the media has given me a headache.”
“Sure; want some help to bring the drinks?” Yugi asked with a slight smile.
“No, I got it,” the blond replied before leaving the room and returning a few minutes later with some orange juice for everybody.
They started to plan a strategy of how to act once they were inside the temple, wondering what they would find there. Honda was the first to fall asleep; after that, it was Anzu, who was soon followed by Yugi.
“This day sure tired them out,” Yami pointed out through a yawn.
“Yeah…” said Jou softly, still sipping his juice.
“Jou, can I ask you something?”
“Go ahead.”
The former pharaoh blinked, suddenly feeling sleepy. He looked at the blond. “What did you put in the orange juice?”
“Sleeping pills. A whole bottle,” answered Jou, his voice incredibly calm. He finished his drink and got up, smiling at the other. “Sorry, man. But I have to do this alone.”
“Jou…what were…you…” Yami felt his vision start to blur, and next thing he knew, he fell asleep on the sofa.
The blond sighed deeply, looking around at his friends passed out around him. He walked out of the living room and grabbed his jacket, leaving the mansion on his bike. Sure, the pills wouldn’t hold them that much, but it would be sufficient.
-----
The hands on the Domino clock tower pointed to eleven pm. The blond parked his bike in one of the alleys and removed his helmet. He was wearing some jeans and a blue t-shirt and on his feet, his same old sneakers. He sighed, looking up at the angular-shaped temple and remembering all of the things Yami had told him about his past in ancient Egypt.
“I have no other choice,” Jou said to himself as he took the piece of paper Hika had given to him that morning and opened it, reading the riddle once more. “First…Our deadly sins feel his mortal wrath…Remove all obstacles from our path. How the hell am I supposed to pass through the gate with these kinds of clues?!” exclaimed the blond in frustration.
He started to walk toward the temple. At that hour, that part of the city was deserted. All the people were in their homes, many of them sleeping. But, on closer inspection, one could see all sorts of lowlifes lingering around. However, none of them would try something with Katsuya Jounouchi. Even before he had started dating Seto, hell, even before he had met Yugi, he had been feared in the underworld. It wasn’t something he was proud of, but it had its advantages. Like now, even though he was publicly known as Kaiba Seto’s lover, there wasn’t any danger to him in walking around those streets, alone in the night. No thief would try anything.
The blond was repeating the strange words again and again in his head, trying to find some solution for them. Was he supposed to write down the answer to that riddle? Or say out loud? He was very much confused, and the things he had done in his past life were mixing together in his head with his current one, causing the beginnings of a headache. “Great. Just what I needed,” exclaimed the blond aloud, to no one in particular.
Eleven thirty. He had been musing to himself for half an hour, and he still couldn’t reach any conclusion. He picked up his pace when he saw the front of the temple, which was illuminated partially by the streetlights.
-----
"I can’t believe he did this to us!” exclaimed Honda, pissed beyond belief.
“That doesn’t really matter now; we have to go after him, and quick!” Yugi exclaimed worriedly. It was eleven fifty according to the old clock in Kaiba’s living room.
“We will take our car,” Yami said resolutely. He would give the blond a piece of his mind as soon as he saw him.
They drove downtown, disregarding all the traffics laws in their haste. Honda slammed on the brakes and they climbed out of the car, heading toward the looming figure of the temple, almost in a run. The hands of the Domino clock tower pointed to midnight. The clang of the bell echoed loudly through that part of the city, and then they saw the shadow of Jou standing at the front gates of the temple.
“Jou!! Stop!” Anzu screamed, now breaking into a run along with the others.
The blond turned around and smiled softly at them. “Sorry, guys.” The stony gates had started to open. The blond took a deep breath and walked inside the temple, hearing the gates already starting to close behind him. He still could hear the screams and pleas from his friends outside as the door finally closed and he was left alone in the dark. “I’m happy I brought this,” Jou said to himself as he took a flashlight from his jacket pocket and turned it on. He illuminated the area and discovered that he was standing inside a huge corridor; even the flashlight couldn’t illuminate all the way to the end of it. He took a deep breath again. “Wait for me, Seto.”
He started walking toward the end of the corridor, hearing little noises and sighs that seemed to be coming from inside the walls. It looked like the first riddle would soon be revealed.
TBC
